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

Shaoxing is world famous for the gorgeous scenes along its waters. The rivers, big and small, span 1,900 kilometers, running vertical and horizontal – just like streets in northern China – with various stone bridges as their crossroads. Shaoxing boasts 229 ancient bridges in various forms, which form a site rich in man-made landscape and wins the city the title of Hometown of Bridges.

Shaoxing City China covers an area of 7,900 sq km, and the total population of the county is 4.2 million. In ancient times, the town of Shaoxing was surrounded by canals, rivers and lakes. The commercial exchange and transportation between towns all depended on water. In the town, there were systematic water-nets. The transport of goods relied on the water-nets and most streets were parallel with the canals. Pedestrians walked on the streets while the goods were transported on the water and bridges were located on the crossing of water and roads. The three of them formed a 3-D traffic system. The boats appear “by being well quick and maneuverable through the ancientness” but in reality. You to drive in a such sea boat on the water and to view the age – old buildings the sources, are unforgettable experience by.

The sea boats issue with black window blinds previously for more than 1000 years. They are a traditional vehicle for Shaoxing. They are made a tree for sitting down as well has thatch. One sea boat can piggyback 5-6 humans. The boatman sits in the rear region on the sea boat. He paddles and governs with arms and the leg. These age – old sea boats Cone Shaoxing. A singular kind. This tradition is a flimsy phenomenon today with the appearance of other kinds of conveyance. But nice surprise and big draw are aquatic taxi for the tourists.

Stretching for over two kilometers along the St. Lawrence River, the historical Old Port offers to the visitors and the natives alike access to an endless variety of recreational, maritime and entertainment activities. Admission to the site is free. The social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French for trades used it as a trading post in 1611. Today, the riverfront welcomes over seven million visitors to year.
The city’s port operations were crucial to the fascinating saga of Montral’s development – a fact acknowledged by the current Old Port area’s inclusion in the historic district of Old Montral. Because the Lachine Rapids blocked further upstream navigation on the St. Lawrence River, the city was born and flourished at this natural shipping break point.
This historical background has now given way and the port welcomes visitors with a number of activities and restaurants on its three quays. Whether it is a visit to the Science?

You will appreciate the loft’s unique location, as it is only a five minute walk to downtown Montreal in the heart of the Old Port, with its great shops and restaurants. The ideal place to enjoy amazing Montreal. Located at the east end of the Old Port site in the Clock Tower basin, this new public marina provides exceptional facilities for pleasure-boaters passing through Montreal for stays of four nights or longer. A few steps from downtown and next door to Old Montreal, the facilities of the Port are designed to ensure your comfort for stays of three nights or less-or even for just an hour or two.
This part of Montreal is one of its top tourist attractions. However in the wee hours of the night, it rises from its commercial touristy ashes to pay homage to the serenity of the St. Lawrence River. The clock tower at you an excellent view across the city. This is where you can get on a ferry to cross to the Parc des Iles, site of the Expo 67 World’s Fair, which lies in the St Lawrence and offers family outdoor activities like picnicking, swimming, skating or skiing in winter. You’re looking at the site and promenade where close to seven million visitors come yearly to enjoy the spectacular scenery or stroll about on a sunny day.

With an abundance of wildlife, the mighty Nile, spectacular snow-capped peaks and modern bustling cities, Uganda is the African continent compacted into one country. This journey will get your adrenaline pumping, while still giving you the opportunity to enjoy the stunning scenery.White water rafting on the Nile in Uganda is a very popular attraction. It doesn’t require any previous experience and the different types of rafting trips caters for all age groups from 5 to 95 years. A company set up in Uganda in June 2005 now offers you and your friends – assuming you’ve got what it takes to face up to the challenge – the chance to tackle the river in an adventure trip that combines beautiful scenery with camping in the bush, and some beer to wash it all down at the end of the day.

The holy city has been a symbol of spiritualism, philosophy and mysticism for thousands of years and has produced great saints and personalities like Buddha, Mahavira, Kabir, Tulsi Das, Shankaracharaya, Ramanuja and Patanjali. Varanasi is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back thousands of years and contemporaneous with the Sumer civilisation. The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganga and the river’s religious importance. The city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for thousands of years. Varanasi has its own style of classical Hindustani music, and has produced prominent musicians, philosophers, poets, and writers in Indian history.Considered as the abode of Lord Shiva, Varanasi is situated on the banks of River Ganges, which is believed to have the power of washing away all of one’s sins. As pundits here will tell you, whatever is sacrificed and chanted here or given in charity reaps its fruits thousand times more than those good deeds performed at other places because of the power of that place. It is believed that three nights of fasting in Varanasi city can reap you rewards of many thousands of lifetimes of asceticism.

Varanasi is a holy city in Hinduism, one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for

Hindus of all denomination. More than 1,000,000 pilgrims visit the city each year. Many references to the city of Varanasi are found in many ancient texts, leading to more mystery. It is generally believed that the city is as old as 3000 years old. Another myth is that it is 5000 years old. It is believed that Varanasi is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Regions near the banks of river Ganga are extremely crowded and house several Hindu temples, narrow winding lanes and road-side shops Here is the holy shrine of Lord Kashi Vishwanath, and one of the twelve revered Jyotirlingas of the Lord Shiva. Hindus believe that bathing in the river Ganga will remit sins and that dying in the holy city of Varanasi circumvents rebirth.

This holy city is worshipped as one of the Shakti Peethas where Divine Mother Sati’s earring fell and so devotees believe that on that spot stands the present Vishalakshi Temple. It is here that Shankaracharya wrote his commentaries on Hinduism, leading to the great Hindu revival. In the residential neighbourhood of the city lies Sarnath, the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. It is one of the four pilgrimage sites designated by Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Lumbini. Here the Dhamek Stupa is a impressive structure marking the spot where the Buddha gave his first sermon. Varanasi has kept its sacred position as the Holy City of Hinduism.

Varanasi is a city of temples. Almost every road crossing has a nearby temple. Such small temples form the basis of daily local prayers and other rituals. But there are many large temples too, erected at different times through out the history of Varanasi. There are about 1,500 temples, palaces, and shrines. Few of these, however, date back further than the 17th cent., since Muslim invasions destroyed many Hindu religious sites. The most famous Hindu temples are the Golden temple and the Durga temple with its swarms of sacred monkeys. The Golden Temple was built in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, is located on the outskirts of the Ganga. This temple makes Varanasi a place of great religious importance to the Hindus. It is believed that the majestic Alamgir mosque has replaced one of the most ancient shrines known as the temple of Bindu Madhava. The thirty-three hundred million shrines fill one with awe and wonder with sheer numbers.
With unique culture, Varanasi is a major tourist destination for foreign tourists in India. A number of 3 and 4 star hotels are present in the city. Auto Rickshaw and Rickshaw are the most widely available public transport within Varanasi. In outer regions of the city, mini-buses are common. Small boats and small steamers are used to cross the river Ganga.
The city’s unique culture revolves around the holy river Ganges. Legends say that the waters of Ganges have come from heaven to wash away the sins and sufferings. Thousands of pilgrims come every day to immerse in the river. The famous American writer Mark Twain once wrote, “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.

Every city should have a great piece of symbolic architecture – In Paris it’s the Eiffel Tower; in New York – the Empire State Building; in Rotterdam it’s the Erasmus bridge. The Erasmus Bridge is a cable stayed bridge across the Nieuwe Maas river. The Bridge was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The 808 metre long bridge has a 139 metre-high asymmetrical pylon, earning the bridge its nickname of “The Swan” by locals because of its graceful posture over the water. The southern span of the bridge has a 89 metre long bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in West Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world. The bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix on 6.09. 1996, having cost about 75 million Euros to construct. Shortly after the bridge opened to traffic in October 1996, it was discovered the bridge would swing under particularly strong wind conditions. To reduce the trembling, stronger shock dampeners were installed.

Constructed to facilitate the orchestration of traffic flows, the bridge design is inspired by, and in turn reflects, the industrial character of Rotterdam, adding to the narrative of the city. The bridge operates as the last crossing point between the Northern and Southern areas of the city, whilst its structural scale and design articulation has become a distinctive landmark within the surrounding skyline. The 139 m. tall pylon will become a new point of orientation, connected with, and announcing the new developments in the ‘Kop van Zuid’ area. The asymmetric form, with its bracket construction in sky coloured steel and its long cables, conveys the ‘mobile forces’, that is to say, the multitude of public, urban, constructive and architectural considerations that have been at the basis of the bridge. All details of the bridge have been treated integrally, from the five differently shaped concrete piers, to the railings, the landings, the joints of concrete and concrete, steel and steel, concrete and steel. The finish of each part is of crucial importance to the materialization of the whole.
A lighting plan was made to emphasize the multiple identity of the bridge as an urban artifact. At night, when the appearance of the bridge is reduced to a silhouette, special lighting from the inside will show up the interior of the bridge, with its bundled cables rising steeply above the water as a dematerialized image of its daytime self.
The asymmetric pylon, with its bracket construction in sky-coloured steel, has 2,000 different faces. The long, diagonal cables physically and metaphorically link Rotterdam-South to the city centre. Thirty two stays attached to the top of the pylon and eight back stays keep the structure in balance. Five concrete piers carry the steel deck, which is divided into two footpaths, two cycle paths, a tram track and two carriageways for motor vehicles.

The Erasmus Bridge is such a dramatic departure in bridge building that it has even become part of the city’s official logo. The structure with its unrivalled fascination permits people to move quickly from one end of the city to the other while offering beautiful views over the city from a variety of angles. In short, Erasmus Bridge is a public space in its own right, suspended in the air and yet preserving physical and metaphoric continuity with the city surrounding it.

If you are fan of river boat trips the Li River cruise is the best option for you. It is cosidered as one of Earth’s most stunningly beautiful journeys. The Li River aka Lijiang River has very smooth water which mirrors and creates a fairytale landscape of mountain and hill peaks reaching for the sky.

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the centerpiece of any trip to northeastern Guangxi Province. Gorgeous Karst peaks give you surprises at each bend of the limpid river under the blue sky. You will also see Water buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts.

The trip starts from the dock south of Liberation Bridge in Guilin downtown area. Otherwise some agencies will transport tourist to by a one-hour bus ride to catch the cruise. The river trip is over eighty kilometers (52 miles) long and is estimated to take seven to eight hours. The eye-feasting landscape and country scenery will never disappoint you. As we found there is a Chinese tradition to divide the long trip into sections and give each peak an imaginative name. When you remember these names and listen to tour guide’s legendary stories behind, you will probably feel delightful experience when you are appreciating the landscapes. Most are mystical fairy and love stories. The Li River has been divided into 11 sections which are described below:

Elephant Trunk Hill
Situated majestically on the western bank of Li River, the hill resembles an elephant sucking water from the river with its long trunk. It is supposed to be the landmark of Guilin landscape, which you can find on travel brochures or books. The most impressive is said to be the water reflection of a moon-like cave when the moonlight sprinkles over the river, hence the name ‘Moon over the Water’.

Pagoda Hill
A few minutes down from the Elephant Hill on the west bank is a small hill topped with a pagoda. The hexagonal pagoda is called Longevity Buddha Pagoda (Shoufo Ta) dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is said the second floor has stone Buddha figurines on display and the hill is compassed in Chuanshan Park. In autumn, the hill illuminated with red maples is very charming.

Daxu Town
Guilin Li River Perching on the northern bank of Li River, the ancient town keeps in its antique style from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A flagging street, lined with old residences, shops and stalls, runs two kilometers along the river bank through the town. Some well-preserved residences hidden behind the street door may give you surprises you when you occasionally explore further into a shop. These are quarters for businessmen in the past times. Have a try on various dumping snacks on the stalls or peddle cars along the street. Some will surprise you with both its taste and cheap price. People in the town are very kind to tourists. Further to south, there is a single-arched bridge in the town named Longevity Bridge.

The town is really a sight off-the-beaten track. Opposite the town on the other side of the river, a millstone-like rock with the running waters creates the scene of Grinding Grain.

Crown Cave (Guanyan)
A crown-like crag earns the hill its name. What makes the hill a worthy stop for both river cruise tourists and those arrive from Guilin City by bus tour is its twelve kilometer long water-eroded cave. It is a wonderland of various stalactite, stone pillars and rock formations in the cave. Since it is open to tourists in 1995, illuminating lights, sound control tour guide system and escalators are equipped in the scenic area and sightseeing cars and boats enable visitors to tour inside the cave. The government plan to build this site as an all-round tourist area including cave visiting, country sightseeing and ethnic minority exploration. It is estimated to become an important excursion site along the Li River. Tourists can stay in the hotels and villas in the scenic area.

Half-Side Ferry (Ban Bian Du)
Not very far from the Crown Cave on the western bank, a huge rock descends into the river and cuts off a footpath by the water edge. Villagers have to take a ferry to reach the other side and continue the way. So, this spot gets its name Half-Side Ferry (for usually ferry means to transport people by boat across a body of water and reach the opposite bank)

From Yangdi to xingping
Down stream from Yangdi to xingping, the river passes an endless procession of distinct peaks and bamboo groves and the stunning landscape. This part is the highlight of the cruise. Pinnacled peaks pop up and surprise visitors at each bend of the river. Water buffalos patrol on the fields; ducks paddle in the waters; peasants reap paddies in front of village houses; fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat and kids go home singing songs. All these create an idyllic and beautiful scene of the life removed from concrete cities.

A reputed attraction is Mural Hill, a 100-meter-high cliff face, which has been weathered and has stratified rock surface in various shades of colors. It is rumored that the colors present nine horses and a person who can identify them out is considered smart. Legendary stories are given to hill rocks and peaks and it is a delightful experience to appreciate the stunning landscape while listening to tour guide’s interpretation of the stories behind it.

Fisherman and cormorants
Guilin-Li River cruiseCormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. The picture shows a cormorant fishergirl. But I think the girl is just a model for shots. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird’s neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

Water Buffalo
You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

Yellow Cloth Shoal
Li River of GuilinBoating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

xingping
The river takes a big turn at xingping and endowed with beautiful and poetic scenery. It has been reproduced in many Chinese landscape paintings. Even the newly-issued 20 RMB note has the scenery on its back. A photographer once said: ‘Shots from any perspective for this place turn to be impressive and stunning’.

A ‘village’ on the river bank is worthy a visit. Chinese call it a ‘village’ because of the fact that nowadays it is inhabited by villagers. Actually, it is an age-old castle complex survived from over 500 years ago. Although some courtyard buildings have weathered through ages, the simple but elegant flying-eaves, roofs with colorful paintings, lattice windows and unique timber structures present the folk residence from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The villagers have the same surname of Zhao, so it is rumored that they are descendents of the imperial family in the Song Dynasty. Both Dr. Sun Yet-sun, the pioneer of China’s democratic revolution and US president Colinton paid a visit to the village on their visits to Li River.

Yangshuo
Li River cruise makes the small town known to foreigners. Located some 90 kilometers south of Guilin City, this town is the downstream end of the cruise but not the least. The enchanting fairyland of Yangshuo is renowned as the best in Guilin.

The town is very small that everyone will know you after one month. The West Street in the town lined with western cafes, restaurants and hotels is the best choice for people who want to explore Chinese life.

Yangshuo is a great place for hikes and cycling excursions. There’s no doubt that taking a close-up exploration to the country villages, you will have a taste of the rural life. One thing surprised us is the one-hour bamboo raft trip along Yulonghe River. We didn’t expect the scenery to be such a paradise.

That are some of the things, because of which Li River is considered for Travel Wonder in China.

For all the fans of rafting the Zambezi River is probably a dreamed and must-do activity.

White Water Rafting on the Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls has been classified by the British Canoe Union as Grade 5 – extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas. This is a high volume, pool-drop river – little exposed rock either in the rapids or in the pools below the rapids. The Zambezi White Water Rafting is internationally acclaimed as being the wildest in the world.

The enormous Zambezi River plunges 103 metres into a chasm almost 2km in length. In full flood the water makes a deafening roar throwing up towering clouds of spray which create multitudes of sparkling rainbows and constantly drenches the opposite cliff in rain.

Rafting is conducted on both sides of the Zambezi River, in Zimbabwe and Zambia below the Victoria Falls. Options include one and a half day rafting trips or rafting expeditions. The main rafting operations in Victoria Falls are:

* Shearwater Adventures (operating from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe)
* Safari Par Excellence (in Zimbabwe and Zambia – the latter departure in low water season gives you access to the Boiling Pot),
* Adrift / Kandahar (a relatively small outfit offering very personalised trips)

Top tips for rafting the Zambezi* Use lots of waterproof sunscreen, factor one million if you can find it. Keep applying it.
* If you’re coming from, or heading to, Zimbabwe, it’s cheaper on that side of the border.
* If you have a waterproof camera that you’re confident you can stop from getting lost or smashed up, bring it.
* Apply some more sunscreen.
* September/October is the best time to do it (apparently). By best, I mean scariest.
* The first section of the river isn’t open when the wet season is in full swing (generally some time between December and April). They have ‘sieves’ that can swallow a raft for over a minute then.
* Only little crocs make it over the Falls, no need to worry.
* You missed a bit with that sunscreen.

I will be happy to hear some insights from anyone who has been there…

The river Urubamba (or Urupanpa) is born in the knot of Vilcanota, in Peru, from where it crosses great part of the territory of the Cusco Region with the name of Vilcanota river. When passing by the city of Urubamba, it receives the name of Urubamba river.The turbulence of the Urubamba river, crossing the Sacred Valley of the Incas, is lent for the practice of the reduction of rivers, that is one of more interesting the tourist attractions of adventure in Peru.

Google Earth Placemark – Rio Urubambe