Asia travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

In Luzon Province of the Northern Philippines, through mountains and rice terraces, the road ends at a church, in a small town called Banaue. 4,000 feet above sea level in Banaue sits a small market village in Ifugao province. Located north of Manila in the Philippines, Ifugao province is famous for the handiwork of its people, who increased cultivable lands by carving gigantic rice terraces from the sides of mountains.

Continue reading Banaue Rice Terraces in Philippines, amazing human engineering achieve

See the atmosphere of one really beautifull Philippine beach scene. From the photo it looks like one fantastic and relaxing place where you will chill out for sure.Bantayan Island is an island in the Philippines located at the western portion of the northern tip of Cebu. The island can be reached by ferry from Hagnaya Wharf in San Remigio, Cebu, or from Cebu City, or from Cadiz City in Negros Occidental.

Hurghada has been popular with kiters for many years and is one of our most popular destinations and thats beacause of reliable wind, flat water, a good climate all year and great fun.

There is wind throughout the year in Hurghada, with some of the best in the summer. It is also very popular in winter as it is a good break from the British climate. The original fishing village has now built up into an international holiday resort with many hotels stretching along the coast to the north and south of the town.

Continue reading One of the best spots for kite - Hurghada

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation and the largest city in the country, with a population of some 10 million people. The city covers an area of almost 900 square kilometers within the confines of the 109 kilometer-long Moscow Ring Road. The Moskva River meanders through the city for approximately 80 kilometers and with the help of various other rivers and canals, the Russian capital is accessible by water from the Baltic, Caspian, White and Black seas, which lie hundreds of miles away.

The city’s general layout is reasonably easy to grasp and consists of a serious of concentric circles radiating from the Kremlin, Moscow’s geographical, historical and political nucleus. The city was constructed on a massive scale and its buildings and streets appear menacingly imposing at first glance. The streets are typically broad four to six lane boulevards, lined with enormous buildings constructed in monumental Stalin-gothic style.

Within three days of your arrival in Russia your Visa must be registered with the local authorities, the OVIR. This is usually arranged by the party that issued your visa invitation, usually the hotel where you are staying, and may incur an extra charge.

Continue reading There are several points of arrival into the Russian capital

Bagan, formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 145 kilometres (90 miles) southwest of Mandalay.

The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The majority of its buildings were built in the 1000s to 1200s, during the time Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire.

It was not until King Pyinbya moved the capital to Bagan in 874 A.D that it became a major city. However, in Burmese tradition, the capital shifted with each reign, and thus Bagan was once again abandoned until the reign of Anawrahta.

Continue reading Bagan Buddhist Temples and Pagodas in Myanmar

The Forbidden City ( aka Forbidden Palace ) is located at the exact center of the ancient city of Beijing, China. It was the imperial palace during the mid-Ming and the Qing Dynasties. The Forbidden City now is known as the Palace Museum and its extensive grounds cover 720,000 square meters, and at one time supposedly had 800 buildings and more than 8,000 rooms, though there are only 2,172 rooms that remain intact. As such, it is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1977 as the “Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties”. The Imperial Palace Grounds are located directly to the north of Tiananmen Square and are accessible from the square via Tiananmen Gate. It is surrounded by a large area called the Imperial City.

Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, the 5th year of the Yongle reign of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was completed fourteen years later in 1420. It was said that a million workers including one hundred thousand artisans were driven into the long-term hard labor. Stone needed was quarried from Fangshan, a suburb of Beijing. It was said a well was dug every fifty meters along the road in order to pour water onto the road in winter to slide huge stones on ice into the city. Huge amounts of timber and other materials were freighted from faraway provinces. Ancient Chinese people displayed their very considerable skills in building the Forbidden City. Take the grand red city wall for example. It has an 8.6 meters wide base reducing to 6.66 meters wide at the top. The angular shape of the wall totally frustrates attempts to climb it. The bricks were made from white lime and glutinous rice while the cement is made from glutinous rice and egg whites. These incredible materials make the wall extraordinarily strong.

Continue reading Discover The Forbidden City of China Rulers

Angkor Wat is an architectural masterpiece. It was constructed in the jungle in the early 12th century, then - two centuries later - was mysteriously abandoned by the Khmer civilization. It was built for king Suryavarman II as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre—first Hindu, then Buddhist—since its foundation.

The Temple was constructed over a period of 30 years, and illustrates some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art. Covering an area of about 81 hectares, the complex consists of five towers, which are presently shown on the Cambodian national flag. These towers are believed to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the Home of Gods and Center of the Hindu Universe. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls, narrating stories from Hindu Mythology.

Continue reading The architectural masterpiece Angkor Wat temple made by Khmer civilization

The island of Bali in Indonesia is a traveler’s dream-come-true - and offers visitors an exciting variety of things to do and see. Bali’s natural attractions include miles of sandy beaches (many are well-known amongst surfers), picturesque rice terraces, towering active volcanoes over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft.) high, fast flowing rivers, deep ravines, pristine crater lakes, sacred caves, and lush tropical forests full of exotic wildlife.

The island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia’s small Hindu minority. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather and metalworking, and music.

This tropical paradise has a unique blend of modern tourist facilities combined with wonderful shopping and a rich past and heritage. The Balinese people are proud of having preserved their unique Hindu culture against the advance of Islam, the dominant religion throughout Indonesia. This is still reflected in day to day life and can be seen in the numerous ceremonies, Balinese festivals and magnificent temples and palaces. Some of the best surfing beaches in the world can be found on the western side of the island whilst conversely the eastern side is a wonderful haven for families, with beautiful white sand beaches and gentle seas.

Continue reading Explore Indonesia’s island Bali travel wonders

A real Tribute to Beauty and Human Love, The Taj Mahal monument is located in Agra, India and is constructed between 1631 and 1654 by a workforce of 22,000 humans. The Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned its construction as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, who is better known as Mumtaz.

The Taj Mahal (sometimes called “the Taj”) is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Indian, Islamic and Persian architectures. The Taj Mahal has achieved special note because of the romance of its inspiration. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures.

The Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal at Agra stands in a formally laid-out walled garden entered through a pavilion on the main axis. The tomb, raised on a terrace and first seen reflected in the central canal, is entirely sheathed in marble, but the mosque and counter-mosque on the transverse axis are built in red sandstone. The four minarets, set symmetrically about the tomb, are scaled down to heighten the effect of the dominant, slightly bulbous dome. The mosques, built only to balance the composition are set sufficiently far away to do no more than frame the mausoleum. In essence, the whole riverside platform is a mosque courtyard with a tomb at its centre. The great entrance gate with its domed central chamber, set at the end of the long watercourse, would in any other setting be monumental in its own right.

The postcard picture of Taj Mahal does not adequately convey the legend, the poetry and the romance that shroud what Rabindranath Tagore calls “a teardrop on the cheek of time”. Taj Mahal means “Crown Palace” and is in fact the most well preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.” It is a celebration of woman built in marble and that’s the way to appreciate it.

What inspired the building of Taj Mahal?

Continue reading Tribute to Beauty at Taj Mahal travel wonder in India

360° boasts a refreshing way of life with a trendy
twist.
Situated at the end of the breakwater, this hotspot is set
amidst the ultimate in iconic views, surrounded by the
lapping waters of the azure blue Arabian Gulf.
A paradise for sun worshippers;welcome to an invitingtranquil afternoon haven of lazing on beanbags or

sunloungers. And for some ultimate chilling out, why not

relax in the Majlis whilst listening to the ultra-cool

sounds from our resident DJ.

Here you will find the most unique shishás that Dubai

has to offer in a vast choice of fresh and fruity infusions.

Couple this with our delicious snack menu and

extensive beverage list; you’ll soon find 360º fast

becoming a signature venue in your choice of exclusive

entertainment options, day or night.

Come and experience the glamorously relaxed

atmosphere as you wind down in the ideal place for the

ultimate sundowners. Enjoy a shisha in one hand, and a

decadent cocktail in the other and forget about the rest

of the world in one, long and chilled out session of pure

indulgence that satisfies all your senses.