Turkey summer holidays guide: 201

Turkey summer holidays guide: 2014

Planning a holiday to Turkey? Read our guide to the best regions, including expert advice on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, ancient sites such as Troy and Ephesus, as well as Cappadocia, Anatolia, and around Lake Van, and recommendations on getting there. By Terry Richardson, Telegraph Travel Turkey expert.

 Whether you view Turkey as a bridge or a barrier between Europe and Asia, there is no doubt that its unique geographical location, poised as it is by the Christian West and Muslim East, gives it an extra frisson when compared with competing Mediterranean destinations such as Italy and Greece. In predominantly Muslim Turkey, for example, you may well find yourself briefly stirred around dawn by the atmospheric sound of the call to prayer. But as it is also a firmly secular state, you’ll more than likely be enjoying a chilled glass of white wine or cold beer with your meal by the time the dusk prayers emanate from the minaret of the nearest mosque.

In part owing to their Islamic heritage, in part to their origins as nomadic herdsmen on the steppes of Central Asia, the Turks are an incredibly hospitable, open and friendly people. Sitting down for a glass of tea served in an elegant, tulip-shaped glass with a shopkeeper in a local bazaar is not usually just a ploy to give him more time to make his sales pitch, it’s simply part and parcel of Turkish culture. Drive through a village in search of some romantically located ancient ruins, and stop to ask directions, and you may well not get an intelligible answer (English is not widely spoken outside the resorts and large cities) but you may well find yourself plied with free teas in the local café.

The Byzantine Church of the Three Crosses has spectacular carvings and paintings.

But the thrill of holidaying in a different culture amongst some of the world’s friendliest people is not sufficient to explain why Turkey attracts some 35 million visitors a year. With over 1,700 miles of Aegean and almost 1,000 miles of Mediterranean coastline, Turkey is a major draw for visitors looking for a beach-based holiday.

Scroll down for expert advice on getting to Turkey

In the Aegean region, the mountains of the Anatolian interior (Anatolia is a vast, tilting tableland of steppe and mountain running for almost a thousand miles to the borders with Iran) run at right angles to the sea, giving a beautifully indented coastline of bays and coves, promontories and peninsulas – at its dramatic best around the popular resort towns of Bodrum and Marmaris. The mountains plunge right into the sea in many places around the mountainous southwest corner of the country, where the Aegean merges into the Mediterranean, whilst heading east ofAntalya, a broad plain fronting the Taurus mountain chain is fringed by endless sandy beaches.

Despite vows not to go the same way as Spain, tourist development has made a huge impact – particularly around Antalya, where all-inclusive hotels and golf courses have irrevocably changed the landscape. The rockier shores to the south-west Med and south Aegean have been more resistant to change, however, with resorts such as Kaş, Kalkan, Gelemiş (Patara), Dalyan and Bodrum preserving much of their charm. Whilst most visitors are content to sunbathe, swim and take the odd boat tour, there are plenty of opportunities for diving, windsurfing and sea-kayaking. The gloriously rocky coastline of the southwest also lends itself to gulet(yacht) tours; at their most luxurious these vessels are floating villas of self-indulgence.

The ancient city of Perge, east of Antalya, was founded in about 1,000 BC.

.

Another major joy of exploring Turkey is its ancient sites – the Aegean and Mediterranean littoral is liberally strewn with superb Graeco-Roman ruins, from well-know places like Troy and Ephesus to little-visited wonders such asArykanda and Sagalassos. Most sites are easy enough to visit either on an organised tour or by hire car, although some are best approached by boat. Readily accessible from many coastal resorts are geological wonders such as the incredible travertine basins and hot springs at Pammukale, and from Antalya the beautiful Turkish lakeland around Eğirdir gives cooling respite from the coastal summer heat. The Lycian, Carian and St Paul’s marked trails have helped open up the mountains behind the coast to walkers; winter time visitors may be attracted by ski resorts at Saklikent and Davraz.

The eerie travertine basins and hot springs at Pammukale are other-worldly.

Turkey is a huge country, and with so many repeat visitors it is not surprising that after initial forays to the coastal belt, many find themselves lured by the austere landscapes of Anatolia. The rock-cut Byzantine churches and weird volcanic rock formations of Cappadocia, now home to hundreds of "cave" boutique hotels, is the most popular inland region. Those with a taste for wilder scenery and/or less well known civilisations head to the Hittite heartlands east of Ankara, the Urartian fortresses and Armenian churches around the impossibly blue waters of Lake Van, and the "cradle of civilisation", the Euphrates and Tigris basins of the south-east. These regions are a long way - in more than distance - from the flesh-pots of the coast, but they are absolutely fascinating.

Wherever you go in Turkey, and whether you stay in a posh villa or modest guesthouse, criss-cross the land in a hired car or go on an organised coach tour, you’ll be sure of a warm welcome, and come away with an intriguing insight into a country that is neither East nor West - but wholly its own.

Read More

tours tourist spots: the top six cities to visit in 2014

Hot spots: the top six cities to visit in 2014

Copacabana and Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: AFP

Among our cities to watch, Rio's ready to party like never before, Tokyo makes a comeback and Riga shines as Capital of Culture.

RIO DE JANEIRO

Rio loves to throw a party and its hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics has given the city plenty to celebrate.

Shinjuku, Tokyo at night. Photo: Getty Images

In fact, it's a great time to be a carioca, as the locals are known.

Advertisement

Museums are opening, urban renewal projects are reviving rundown areas downtown and at the port and many of the city's favelas, or slums, are cleaned up; so much so that one favela jazz club, The Maze, is now the city's hottest venue.

A new breed of boutique hotels is giving the classics a run for their money and there's never been a better time to visit.

Favela Santa Marta, Rio. Photo: AFP

True, prices are rising but many of Rio's best experiences - from those gorgeous beaches to a freshly squeezed drink from one of the ubiquitous juice bars - can still be enjoyed for next to nothing.

DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ...Getting your Latin beat on at antique-store-cum-salsa-club Rio Scenarium (or at least watching the locals show how it's done); taking a favela tour to discover the truth behind the hype; trying the best new Brazilian cuisine, courtesy of chefs Roberta Sudbrack, Felipe Bronze or Jean-Claude Troisgros.

- Ute Junker

Riga's art nouveau buildings. Photo: Corbis

DETROIT

There are few places in the world where you can witness a city being entirely reborn, but Detroit is currently one of them.

Bankrupted last July, the city is at rock bottom, with something like 80,000 abandoned homes, but adversity brings opportunity.

A tapas bar in San Sebastian, Spain. Photo: Alamy

A burgeoning arts scene has cast light into the industrial gloom, slowly transforming Motor City's dour face. The city is an urban experiment - dinner parties are held in abandoned buildings, urban farms have sprouted - turning Motown into Gotown.

Cheap rents and empty structures have enticed artists into city spaces once dominated by industry. The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is in an abandoned car dealership, while the Russell Industrial Centre is a former car-body plant now occupied by more than 100 artists.

In Corktown, by the abandoned central railway station, the revival has been led by food.

Glasgow, Scotland. Photo: Alamy

Here, one-time model Philip Cooley opened the celebrated Slows Bar-B-Q, spawning a gourmet strip.

Nearby, Cooley has also created Ponyride, providing cheap space for artists, including a letterpress studio, a fencing school, dance studio and denim maker.

DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ...Paying homage to the velvet voices of Detroit at the Motown Historical Museum; going polka-dot crazy at the open-air art installation of the Heidelberg Project; sampling ribs or pulled pork at Slows Bar-B-Q.

- Andrew Bain

GLASGOW

It's not just the Commonwealth Games. You could visit Glasgow next year purely to witness July's sporting extravaganza, to enjoy the feeling of a city in celebration mode while supporting Australia's athletes. But that wouldn't give you anywhere near the full story of what Glasgow has to offer in 2014.

This is a city that has come of age, reinventing itself from Edinburgh's rough cousin into a hub for arts and culture, with a thriving music scene, great bars and burgeoning choices for diners.

It's the home of world-class museums and art galleries, huge spaces featuring renowned artists, as well as smaller galleries displaying the works of up-and-coming locals.

But, as they say, there's more. Next year's Homecoming Scotland, a year-long celebration of the country's history and culture, will include plenty of Glasgow-based events, including theatrical performances, open-air concerts and sporting displays.

And if you happen to be in the city on September 18, you'll witness history in the making as Scotland votes on independence.

DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ...Visiting the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum; seeing a band at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut; eating and drinking at Hillhead Book Club.

- Ben Groundwater

TOKYO

When Tokyo was selected to host the 2020 Olympics over Madrid and Istanbul, one could imagine a collective sigh of relief in the Japanese capital.

It has been a long two years since the earthquake and tsunami disaster. But all eyes are on the future now and dazzling civic proposals promise to transform the city in the lead-up to the Games.This makes 2014 a terrific time to explore Tokyo: it is fully recovered, but not yet overwhelmed by construction and (even larger) crowds.

While Tokyo has enough major sites to satiate the most hyperactive traveller, take the time to see another side of things: for every Shibuya there is a quiet neighbourhood like Nishiazabu, stuffed with hidden restaurants; for every major museum in Ueno there is a less-frequented alternative like the Musee Tomo.

Tokyo has some of the best shopping strips around but it's also possible to skip retail therapy entirely for intimate parks and local bathhouses.

- Lance Richardson

DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ...Eating exquisite sushi at Tsukiji, the biggest fish market in the world; exploring the painstaking art of Japanese animation at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka (ghibli-museum.jp/en), recognised by animators all over the world; grabbing an evening cocktail at New York Bar, high above the dazzling neon streets of Shinjuku (tokyo.park.hyatt.com).

RIGA

The Latvian capital has a mediaeval heart, a funky vibe and a river running through it - enough you'd think to commend anywhere.

But 2014 also sees the Baltic's biggest city hosting a year-long calendar of events as Europe's Capital of Culture (riga2014.org).

Highlights will include an exhibition devoted to the past 500 years of the printed book, a 1914 exhibition at the National Museum of Art (showcasing a view of World War I as seen by famous European artists), summer solstice festivals, the World Choir Games (bringing together 20,000 singers from 90 countries) and Northern Europe's largest festival of light. It was awarded the 2014 honours for being no slouch in the cultural department.

The city is heritage listed for 13th to 15th century buildings and 19th-century wooden buildings in neoclassical style - the finest art nouveau buildings in Europe.

DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ...Learning how modern Latvia survived both the Nazis and the Soviets by visiting the Occupation Museum; sipping cocktails and taking in the view from the 26th floor of Skyline Bar before dancing at Club Essential; visiting the Central Market on Rifleman Square where 1250 sellers flog food (and pretty much everything else) in five old Zeppelin hangars.

- Max Anderson

SAN SEBASTIAN

Set on the Bay of Biscay, the city of San Sebastian has emerged as yet another reason to put Spain on the wish-list for 2014.

The motivation is food. This Basque seaport has a trio of three-Michelin-star restaurants and another six diners with at least one star, more relative to its population than anywhere else.

What sets the city apart from the distinguished cookery that constitutes the norm on the Iberian peninsula is a cuisine born of proximity to the sea and a long history of scraping poverty that turns even the noses of cows into a piquant dish. High-level culinary consciousness permeates every San Sebastian eating experience, from the giant La Bretxa market to its bars.

The essential dish is pintxos (pin-chos), which means spike, since they're often served on a skewer. The Basque version of tapas, pintxos include bite-sized snacks of tiger mussels, fried anchovies stuffed with paprika, and foie gras with figs and pressed cheese made from unpasteurised sheep milk.

Fraternal bonhomie reigns in the bars where pintxos are served, but phone-booth dimensions and shout-out ordering can be a challenge. Too hard? Join a San Sebastian Food tour organised by Brit Jon Warren, with cooking classes as an optional side order. See sansebastianfood.com.

DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT ...Trying the kokotxas al pil-pil (hake cheeks, a traditional Basque favourite) at Ibai; booking in at the belle epoque Hotel Maria Cristina; sampling the mushroom pintxos at Bar Martinez.

- Michael Gebicki

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/hot-spots-the-top-six-cities-to-visit-in-2014-20131127-2y9p9.html#ixzz2mSvIxEtT

Read More

Hanoi to Luang Prabang cycle with Ben Groundwater

Hanoi by bike

Enjoy a spectacular journey of discovery from North Vietnam to Laos in the company of Fairfax travel blogger and columnist Ben Groundwater. We will explore at handlebar level this friendly land, where exceptional hospitality is guaranteed. Without a doubt cycling is one of the best ways to explore a country and our complete service includes comfortable geared bikes, a support crew and backup vehicle.

With Fairfax's Backpacker blogger and author of the entertaining travel memoir Five Ways to Carry a Goat as host, this will be a unique and inspiring trip suited to travellers keen to explore the mysteries of a country that, until recently, has had limited contact with the outside world.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/tours/hanoi-to-luang-prabang-cycle-with-ben-groundwater-20131106-2x18r.html#ixzz2mSug27v8

Read More

From Delhi to Jaipur and back in a VW Polo? You'll need a blindfold for that!

You might want this,' suggested my sister Leonie, handing me one of those sleepmasks you're given on a plane, as she chucked her suitcase in the boot. 

I must have looked puzzled. 'You know,' she nodded towards her little white car. 'As a blindfold? My friend James's mother found it very useful when driving around India. Sometimes it's better not to look.' 

Trunk road: Cars, coaches, rickshaws and elephants jostle for space on the road in Jaipur

She wasn't wrong. Driving in India has to be one of the most terrifying things I have ever done in my entire life. And I do consider myself to be quite brave. I've had my lips injected with collagen on live TV and I have wing-walked a plane. 

But Indian driving is something else. It is a heady cocktail of Wacky Races laced with the game of chicken. The normal rules of transport don't seem to apply. Lanes are optional. Traffic lights are a suggestion. Even the flow of traffic appears to be arbitrary. Over here, the Highway Code is clearly something they crack at GCHQ.

Motorways are for parking on, reversing down, or for having a nap/chat/fight. Everyone points their vehicle/camel/elephant in the direction they wish to go, keeps a hand on the horn, and advances as fast as they can, avoiding the pedestrians, chickens, monkeys, goats and cows, who persistently cross the road kamikaze-style, despite roaring traffic. 

So I agreed. Well I had to. I was entirely in her hands. You see, I am a bit of an India virgin. I got to first base ten years ago, when I went to Kerala on a luxury resort holiday full of unctions and plenty of lying down. It was my sister's idea to drive from Delhi to Jaipur and back. 'It'll be interesting,' she insisted. 'An experience,' she added. 'And anyway, Delhi Airport is always foggy at this time of year.' 

But as my sister informed me over the phone: 'Kerala doesn't really count. It barely touches the sides when it comes to India.' 

She would know. She lives there. She's been a Delhi resident for six years. She got married in Calcutta; her husband is English, but of Indian origin. 

Oh, and she even speaks Hindi. In fact, she could not be more Indian, without actually being Indian. So it was her call. 

The journey of 164 miles to Jaipur could take anything from four to seven hours, I was told. 

Thankfully it was our driver Sanjay, rather than Leonie or me, who was in charge of the VW Polo, although the fact he said a lengthy prayer as we got in didn't imbue me with huge confidence. We set off early to avoid the morning rush hour, then immediately got embroiled in exactly that. 

We crawled and idled and wove and zigzagged our way through honking cars, overloaded motorbikes and lorries wearing more bling than an oligarch's girlfriend in a nightclub in St Tropez. It took us an hour and a half to travel the 18 miles to Gurgaon, a sort of Indian Slough. It was clearly going to be more of a seven-hour trip. 

By lunchtime we reached Neemrana, an unprepossessing place with two secrets. Perched on a hill is one of the most perfectly preserved 15th Century forts in India. Meanwhile, the town proudly boasts half a dozen destination sushi restaurants.

 

More...

• A passage to the India of my youth: Echoes of the Raj on a cruise into a childhood past
• Finding heaven in the Himalayas: A trek up to the roof of the world in north-west India
• Taking a bite out of Pondicherry: Incredible India with a oui taste of France

Neemrana has a deal with the Japanese government, which has created a large industrial and business zone, hence the myriad fine dining experiences. 'Culture then lunch?' suggested my sister. 'If you eat first, you won't want to move.' 

Built over six acres and across 12 levels, the Neemrana Fort was begun in 1464 and consists of seven palace wings. A succession of courtyards, high-ceilinged hallways and stunningly arched corridors, interspersed with lawns, secret gardens and a torch-lit amphitheatre, the fort was the first in the Neemrana Hotels collection of palaces and country houses restored to their former glory. 

The fort was recovering from a rather raucous wedding. There were flowers scattered on the grass, deckchairs left in the grounds and some sleepy looking guests in the reception. But the views of the valley and towards the hills of Rajasthan were worth the hike up the hill. Lunch was a little less successful. 

View, we made it: : Leonie and Imogen visited the stunning Amber Fort after safely reaching Jaipur by road

Although both of us put on a brave face, it was frankly inedible. Perhaps the restaurant's emptiness should have been a clue. Or that the menu was indecipherable. We put it down to experience. 'Next time,' said my sister, 'we'll stop at a roadside cafe and eat like kings for £4.50.' 

Some five honking, weaving, over and under-taking hours later we arrived in Jaipur as the sun was sinking. The sandstone walls of the Pink City glowed a dark russet and the sky was full of hundreds of dancing, swooping kites, flown from the rooftops. 

The packed streets heaved with bicycles, pedestrians and elephants on their way home from a hard day ferrying tourists up to the Amber Fort, a 16th Century citadel that rises above Maota Lake, six miles outside the city. 

Tired and in need of a very stiff drink, we arrived at the Rambagh Palace hotel. I have stayed in some posh places in my time, but the Rambagh Palace is in a league of its own. Set in 47 acres of verdant elegance, it was once the Maharaja of Jaipur's residence and the man clearly had an eye for opulence that makes Buckingham Palace look like a garden shed. There are lawns, fountains, covered corridors and a stunning open courtyard. 

The Polo Bar beckoned and there are few experiences that beat a large cold vodka, sitting next to your own personal brazier (January nights are chilly) while listening to peacocks preparing for bed. Next day we were at the Jaipur Literary Festival. It's christened 'the greatest literary show on Earth', and it was not hard to see why. 

Thousands packed in to see Sebastian Faulks, Aminatta Forna and Zoe Heller, plus local and international talent. Never have I seen a bookshop more busy or a crowd more engaged. But we were on a mission. There was the Palace of the Winds to see, a wafer-thin honeycomb building where the ladies of the court could spy, unseen, on the street below.

I had to get to the Amber Fort on an elephant, buy a ridiculously expensive rug, photograph the Jal Mahal water palace and stare at jewels. You can't visit Jaipur without checking out the bling, and the blingiest of bling shops is the Gem Palace. 

Poshest of the posh: Imogen found it hard to leave the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur

Jaipur is the emerald capital of the world and the Gem Palace boasts rows and rows of glass cases full of them, glittering and winking at you. But it is in the back room where all the interesting stuff lies scattered around on bits of black velvet, like an interrupted bank job. We tried on diamond necklaces the size of dinner plates; there were rubies like strawberries; but best of all was a golden chainmail belt with an emerald buckle the size of fist. 

Sadly unable to afford them, we went around the corner to Anokhi to shell out on handblocked clothes. Leaving the Rambagh Palace was a terrible wrench, especially when I knew we faced another four to seven hours of road rage. But then Leonie suggested an excursion to Bhangarh, the most haunted place in India. How could I resist? 

It was 43 miles in the wrong direction and soon became a five-hour detour. However, it was one of most beautiful wrong turns I have taken. As State Highway 55 slowly disappeared into a single-track road with no passing spaces and Sanjay indulged in a protracted game of head-on chicken with buses, cars and lorries, I took in the stunning Rajasthani countryside. Idyllic villages, green fields, banyan and neem trees, mongoose and Chitra deer. 

One village was shrouded in white dust and resonated to the sound of chipping. Piled at the side of the road were hundreds of half-finished marble statues – elephants, gods, large-breasted women. As we slowly passed, the white dusted faces of the craftsmen turned to inspect who was in the car. The legend is that the town of Bhangarh was cursed by a lusty Tantric whose advances were spurned by the Princess Ratnavati. 

The town was seized by famine and she was crushed by a boulder. Many believe the troubled spirits of the townsfolk and the princess still roam, so much so that it is supposed to be a centre for black magic and it is prohibited to visit the ruins after dark. 

Even by daylight the deserted cobbled streets were creepy, as were the ruined temples and palace. The roads were lined with giant banyan trees whose hanging branches and crooked roots only added to the eerie feel. 

Restored to former glory: The historic Neemrana Fort is now a luxury hotel

The journey back to Delhi was even more scary. Having meandered through the countryside for the best part of the day, by the time we hit the highway it was dark. There were clouds of dust, and visibility was almost zero. 

But still the trucks kept coming, the motorbikes weaved in and out and the cows and pedestrians charged across. I winced at every hazard as we crawled along. And then, come 8.30pm, it suddenly got a whole lot worse. 

The trucks started to park along one side of the road, then they parked on the other, leaving only the middle clear. 'What's going on?' I asked my sister. 'Oh no,' she shook her head. I didn't like this sudden lack of confidence. 'They're queuing up. Trucks aren't allowed into Delhi until after 9pm, so they've pulled over to wait. They're having a nap.' As we both looked out of the windscreen, the road ahead disappeared. 

The trucks were on each and every side, closing in; there was no escape, no room, no road, nowhere, nothing. We were about to be crushed. I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, tucked my elbows in. 'Leonie?' I whispered. 'Have you still got that mask?' 

Getting there

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.co.uk, 0845 1548941) offers a seven-night luxury tour of India's Golden Triangle from £2,495 including three nights at the Taj Mahal hotel in Delhi, one at the Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra (oberoihotels.com) and three at the Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur (tajhotels.com). The price includes return flights with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow, private transfers and B&B.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2428045/Holidays-India-From-Delhi-Jaipur-VW-Polo-Youll-need-blindfold-that.html#ixzz2mLHoi5eo
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Read More

Maldives celebrates

Maldives celebrates the 1 million tourist arrival milestone

With the total number of 1,000,203 tourists visiting Maldives, the nation achieved a milestone of 1 million inbound tourists as of 24^th November 2013. China became the highest source market for Maldives tourism with 30.8% or 284,926 Chinese tourists visiting. Following China, Germany is at 8.3%, UK at 7.8%, Russia at 6.6%, and Italy at 5%.

In continents, Asia contributes a massive 47.2% share in terms of total arrivals to the Maldives. Other than these, France, Japan, India, Switzerland, Turkey, U.S. Middle East countries, Australia, etc. also contributed notable amount of tourist arrivals for the month of October. A growth of 1.2% was recorded from European countries.

Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation, and Airport Reps Association of Maldives (ARAM) has organised a 1 week celebration from 25th December till 31st December at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.

Read More

Tourism boosts in E China's Zhoucun during

Tourism boosts in E China's Zhoucun during 

People visit a scenic resort in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

A visitor walks past posters promoting sesame cakes in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

People visit a scenic resort in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

A craftsman engraves patterns onto porcelain pieces in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

Read More

tourism and best panorama in china natural

tourism and best panorama in china natural

 

paradise door

Read More

Tourism Conference 2013

Leaders to discuss emerging trends during World Tourism Conference 2013

Global leaders who will converge in Malaysia in October for the World Tourism Conference 2013 will discuss and address current and relevant issues related to the tourism industry.

The three-day conference, which is set to be organised by the Malaysia Ministry of Tourism and Culture together with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the state government of Melaka, will bring together stakeholders from UNWTO’s member states to discuss emerging issues in the tourism sector.

Tourism in Langkawi, Malaysia. [photo/asia-trip.info]

The conference is expected to bring together world leaders in tourism, high-level policymakers, specialists and experts from both the public and private sector to share experiences, while providing guidance for tourism development under this year’s theme Global Tourism: Game Changer and Pace Setters.

Tourism stakeholders set to discuss emerging issues in the sector in October. [photo/pravasitoday.com]

“Therefore, WTO 2013 should be attended by all travel and trade members in Malaysia, such as hoteliers, tourism officers, airlines and airport representatives, as well as tour operators among others, as they will get the opportunity to connect, share and learn during the event,” read a statement from the Malaysia tourism Ministry.

The ministry further confirmed that the conference will be held at the Equatorial Hotel, Melaka, from October 21.

SleepOut.com is East Africa's leading accommodation marketplace connecting travellers with hosts and their empty beds. Find thousands of unique accommodation options from beach huts to luxury holiday homes and all-inclusive resorts.

Tags: Malaysia Ministry of Tourism and Culture, United Nations World Tourism Organisation,World Tourism Conference 2013

Read More

Shanghai, China

The first day in Shanghai.

From the first moment in Shanghai I had a feeling that I was surrounded by endless construction sites. The area where we were staying looked like an anthill; we were surrounded by a crowd of people, heavy traffic, and scooters that were all over the place, even on the sidewalks.

We went to sleep without any strength left. In the morning, while cursing at the damned alarm clock, we barely woke up at 4pm local time. The weather outside was foggy (we couldn't tell if it was due to smog or heavy clouds). It didn't change in the evening either, but we still had to go shooting. We crawled out to the street where the first communication problem was waiting for us: taxi drivers stationed near our hotel didn't understand where we needed to go or pretended not to understand. In the end we had to go by foot. Past three or four blocks we realized that we wouldn't make it to the embankment before sunset. Dima managed to catch a taxi, and we had a fast and cheap trip to our destination.

We chose a little square where we unpacked our equipment and launched the helicopter. Dima suggested a very busy place for the evening and night shooting - the area around big flowerbed near the television tower. It was a heavy traffic area (with very lively crossroad), not to mention the square was surrounded by an overpass with the crowd of local people and tourists. There were too many people. At that point we couldn't find a better place and had to launch our helicopter.

It was getting dark fast. The helicopter flew up into Shanghai evening sky, and Dima kept saying that television tower refused to fit into the frame. It was a very crucial moment, not only because we were launching the helicopter over our heads, but the altitude was higher than 200 meters. And, finally, Dima said that everything worked out. The flying altitude was 270 meters. For a night flight it was so awesome! 

It made me realize that Shanghai was a very difficult place for taking pictures with a radio-controlled helicopter. There were too many high-rise buildings. Some were higher than 400 meters. But locals were very friendly: they seemed to be interested in what we were doing and even took some pictures with us. We weren't bothered by police. We had everything to continue our work.

Shanghai. Day two.

Elated by our yesterday's success of high altitude flight, we decided to raise the bar and launch the helicopter in the middle of a small park that was surrounded by high-rise buildings; but a guard came up to us and ordered us with gestures to stop the launch.

At first we pretended not to understand him, then we showed him our photos and explained that all we wanted to do was to take some pictures, and then, suddenly, Dima noticed radio-controlled helicopters inside one of kiosks not far from our starting point. Dima went up to the kiosk window and pointed to the helicopters, implying that we were trying to fly the same thing that was sold there. I couldn't understand the logic of that one minute pantomime, but the guard seemed to understand him and started consulting someone on the radio transmitter. After finished his conversation, he shook his head, but with less confidence than when we first met. I smiled and made a waving motion so he would step away from our launching point. He decided not to resist and joined the rest of the observing crowd gathered around us.

Generally speaking, Chinese were very curious, just like little children. Wherever we decided to launch our helicopter, we were momentarily surrounded by a small crowd of people. But if we didn't ask them to move they would get in our way: they would push us aside or try to look into the monitor, standing right in front of us.

Nothing interesting happened that day. Except, maybe, when a guard (or policeman, one couldn't tell by their uniform) approached us on the embankment and forbid us to launch the helicopter. I played dumb and ignored his request. He consulted someone on the radio transmitter, and in the end allowed us to launch the helicopter. After we landed our helicopter and showed him some of the pictures, we parted as friends.

When we finished shooting on the embankment, we headed towards the park. I asked Dima, "Where are we running?"

"We won't make it in time! It's getting dark very fast!  I can hardly see anything!"

"Dima, would you mind taking off your sunglasses?!"

" :)))))))"

During our second night flight we beat a new high altitude record - 300 meters above the ground.

Our stay in Shanghai was coming to an end, but it seemed we were able to show the most interesting places in the center of the city, that convey the atmosphere of an ultra-modern metropolitan city.

And now a few facts about Shanghai:

---

Not many cities can boast as many records as Shanghai, China's largest city, the world's most densely-populated metropolis, and the largest seaport on the planet. 

Shanghai's lands have been inhabited from ancient times: people who lived here were engaged in agriculture, fishing and salt production. The land had been passed from one dynasty to another, until this fishing village, with its favorable location on the Yangtze River near the East China Sea, was given an official status in year 751.  

During the centuries of Shanghai's history, the city has seen both peacetime and war: it was invaded and bombed, and then, with new powers, it was restored again. But only in 1992 Shanghai entered a fast development phase, which allowed it to become the leading city in the country, and then in the whole world. And now it's one of the world's major financial centers, the core of China's political intrigues, and, at the same time, the cradle of modern Chinese cinema and theater.

Despite the fact that the city is full of ancient temples and cozy side streets with houses built in the beginning of the last century, the first real symbol of Shanghai is the urban landscape. Modern buildings have a unique architecture, and the shape of their upper floors resemble flying saucers. One of the most amusing creations is a pedestrian ring-bridge built in Pudong district in 2012. You can go up as high as 6 meters above the ground by using stairs or escalators, and the pedestrian part of the bridge is so wide that you can line up 15 people in a row. In the evening the bridge has a very beautiful illumination.

Another most important Shanghai landmark is the Bund, a waterfront area on a plot of 1.5 kilometers with 52 buildings of different styles, from Gothic to Art Deco. Because of that it's often called "the museum of world architecture." Since 2003 it also houses Aurora Plaza, a beautiful 185-meter tower on the other side of the river. At night it turns into a huge screen broadcasting various videos that can be seen from the promenade: from commercials to news reports. 

There are more than 80 buildings higher than 170 meters in Shanghai. The most famous skyscraper, which ends up in any album of Shanghai photos, is a 492-meter high World Financial Center. It is crowned with a strange trapezium-shaped window intended to reduce air resistance. Initially, the window was round, but some people thought it was associated with the sun on the flag of Japan. As a result, the circle turned into trapezium, and building started to look like a giant beer bottle opener. Nowadays it's the highest building in the city, although it's threatened to be overshadowed by another 632-meter high skyscraper that is being built in the Pudong district with a predictable name Shanghai. 

Read More