What makes Phan Thiet an amazing place?

Phan Thiet is a city on the coast in south eastern Vietnam. It is a place that is noted for its coastal attractions.

          What primarily pull tourists to Phan Thiet are its beaches. The most important ones are Ke Ga and Tien Thanh that are peaceful and quiet. Then, there is the attractive Rang beach in Ham Tien ward which was discovered by foreigners in 1995, when they came there to watch a solar eclipse.



          The fairy stream of the ward is also very popular, where a small stream has carved a canyon through the dunes, revealing colourful layers of sand. Together, the sandy beaches, its clean waters and the numerous resorts close to them attract tourists from all over, for swimming and relaxation.



          Traditionally, the main source of Phan Thiet’s income is fishing and related industries. The place is very famous for the manufacturing of fish sauce. With a few hundred residents, Hon Rom is the most important fishing village, in this region.



          The hill that divides Mui Ne and Hon Rom is also an interesting tourist location, noted for the orange sand dunes present there.



 



Why is Kyoto a very popular city?

          Kyoto is a city located in the west-central part of the Honshu Island in Japan noted for its history and culture. It is the capital of the Kyoto Prefecture of the Kansai region and forms a major part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe metropolitan area. The city was once the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years and hence, is also called the thousand-year capital.



          Not much about the early history of Kyoto is known. But archaeological evidences suggest that human settlements in the region began in the Paleolithic Era. By around the 6th century AD, the Shimogamo Shrine was established here.



          At present, Kyoto is an important city in Japan. It is also a major tourist place noted for its architecture, gardens, and palaces. There are around 2000 religious places in Kyoto including 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. While the Katsura Imperial Villa in the suburbs of the city is regarded as a fine architectural treasure, the Shugaku-in Imperial Villa stands out as the best garden in the country. The city is a major centre for the manufacturing of Kimono, the traditional Japanese garment.





 

Why is Yamdrok Lake a famous tourist attraction?

               The Yamdrok Lake or the Yamdrok Yumtso Lake is a famous freshwater lake in Tibet. Spread over 72 kilometres, it is regarded as one of the three largest sacred lakes in the country. There are numerous small streams that feed this water body that is surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains.

               The city of Lhasa lies a hundred kilometres to the northeast of Yamdrok Yumtso and the town of Gyantse is around 90 kilometres to its west. The Yamdrok Hydropower station that is set up just north of the lake is the largest in the country.



               In addition to this, there are reasons why the Yamdrok Yumtso is important to the Tibetans. As said earlier, the people consider it a sacred place with special spiritual powers. Like mountains, lakes are also believed to be the dwelling places of protective deities.



               The famous Sam-ding Monastery is situated on the peninsula jutting into the lake.



 


Why is Mount Fuji a famous place to visit?

            Mount Fuji or Fujiyama is the highest mountain in Japan. It is in fact a volcano that is located near the Pacific Ocean on the island of Honshu. The symmetrical cone of the mountain which is mostly snow-capped is regarded as a symbol of Japan and is often depicted in artworks.

            Originally meaning ‘immortal’, Fuji is considered to be a sacred abode by the Japanese people. Along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, it forms the Three Holy Mountains of Japan. There are several shrines and temples that surround Fujiyama. It is said that each summer, thousands of Japanese climb the shrines as a religious practice.



            Although it has remained dormant since the last eruption of 1707, the volcano of Fuji is classified as active by geologists. The actual age of the mountain is unconfirmed. But it is believed to have been formed some 2.6 million years ago.



            There are five important lakes that lie on the slopes of Mount Fuji, including the Lake Kawaguchi that gets the famous inverted reflection of the mountain on its still waters and the Lake Yamanaka, the largest of all noted for its popular resort area. 


What makes Petra an amazing site to visit?

          Petra was an ancient city in the Arab Kingdom located in what is now the southwestern part of Jordan. It is noted for its historical remains as well as architecture.

          The Nabataeans, who inhabited the land for long called the town ‘Raqmu’. Today, Petra is known by one more name, as the Rose City, due to the colour of the stone out of which it was carved. Historical evidence suggests that many of the buildings in the town were carved directly into rocky sandstone cliffs. In fact, the very name of the town comes from the Greek word meaning ‘rock’.



           It is believed that Petra was established sometime in 312 BC as the capital city of the Arab Nabataeans. After the Nabataeans were defeated in civil wars, the region witnessed Roman, and later, Islamic rulers.     However, over the centuries, Petra became unknown to the world, mainly because of the earthquakes that damaged the city.



          It remained unseen until the Swiss traveller Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1812. Today, the city is the symbol of Jordan that receives thousands of visitors each year.



 


Why is Bali so popular?

Bali is an enchanting island in the Indonesian province, noted for its rich artistic traditions and culture. It is located in the westernmost part of the Lesser Sunda Islands between Java and Lombok. Denpasar serves as the capital of this beautiful place.

A considerable portion of the Bali Island is mountainous. The highest point is the Mount Agung, or the Bali Peak. It is popularly known as the ‘navel of the world’. Having some 20,000 temples and shrines, Bali is also called the ‘Island of Gods’.



One major reason why people get attracted to Bali is its culture. With diverse art forms like painting, sculpture, wood- carving, handcrafts, and performing arts, the island has much to offer a visitor. The performing artists here often portray stories from Hindu epics like the Ramayana, but with a heavy Balinese influence.



In addition to these, there are numerous places in the island that attract tourists. The centre of wood carving Klung-kung, the lively market of Gianyar, the fine arts museum of Ubud and the Loving Beach are some of the important places here. Bali is also part of the Coral Triangle that has a high biodiversity of marine species. 


Why is the Sagano Bamboo forest an amazing place to visit?

          Japan is a nation blessed with many attractions. It is a perfect destination for people who love the calmness of nature as well as the advancements of the world-because the country has it all - from mountains, beaches, national parks, temples, shrines, palaces and other majestic structures to skyscrapers, high speed bullet trains, shopping facilities, and pop culture.

          Among these numerous experiences, a visitor cannot miss the Sagano Bamboo forest. On a plain note, it is a forest cover of bamboo trees in the Arashiyama district close to Kyoto. For its breathtaking beauty, Sagano has been described as one of the most beautiful groves on Earth.



          However, it is not just to see the greenery that thousands of tourists come here every year, but also to ‘hear’ the forest! The distinct rustling sound of the bamboos here is so comforting and amazing that the Japanese Ministry of the Environment included the Sagano Bamboo Forest on its list of ‘100 sound-scapes of Japan’.



 



 


Why is the Great Wall of China an important location to visit?

            The Great Wall of China, as most of us know, is one of the largest engineering and building projects ever carried out in the world. It was originally built as a defensive system against invasion and attacks, but is now one of the biggest tourist attractions.

            Structurally, the wall is made up of numerous walls constructed over two millennia, across northern China and southern Mongolia.



            History goes that in the 7th century BC the state of Chu began to construct a permanent defensive system which was called the Square Wall. Between the 6th and the 4th centuries, other states too followed the trend. Later in the 3rd century BC, Emperor Shihuangdi of the Qin dynasty connected a number of walls into a single system.



            The most extensive part of the Wall runs for 8850 kilometres, from Mount Hu to Jiayu Pass. The wall, with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 kilometres!



 


Why is Samarkand considered as a place that must be explored?

          Samarkand is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia that is now part of the modern-day Uzbekistan. In the 4th century BC, the place was known as Maracanda. It was also the former capital of Sogdiana.

          The history of Samarkand suggests that the city was conquered many times. In 329 BC, Alexander the Great took control over the city. Later it passed under the control of the Iranian, Persian and Turkish peoples, until it was conquered by the Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan in 1220. Since the beginning Samarkand had been a very important place because of its location on the Silk Road trade route that connected China with the West.



          What makes Samarkand an international destination is its cultural heritage. It is as well a prominent Islamic centre for scholarly studies. There are many attractive mosques, madrassas and mausoleum in and around the city that were built by Tamerlane.



          Besides, the traditions of ancient crafts like embroidery, silk weaving, engraving, carving and painting on wood are also successfully preserved in Samarkand. 


What makes painted mountain an amazing site?

           Mountains are always a fascinating sight. Be it covered with pure white snow or, thick green forests or dry brown rocks, they remain a wonder to human eyes. But have you ever thought about how they would look with all the radiant colours in the world coming together? Such a sight would be nothing less than a visual feast! And that is exactly what the Rainbow Mountains in China is.

           Located within the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, the colourful mountains are considered to be a geological wonder. They appear in a wide variety of colours, making the site look like a rainbow-capped mountain range.



           The national park is situated in the Gansu province in the country’s northwestern region. It is believed that the colourful mountains here are sandstones and siltstones that were deposited millions of years ago, even before the Himalayas were formed. Along with the sand and silt, iron and trace minerals were deposited too. In the course of time, this resulted in the formation of multiple colours.



 



 


Why is it said that the Banaue Rice Terraces are an amazing site?


          The Banaue rice terraces are the world-famous terraces carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines. It is believed that these ‘steps’ were set up by the ancestors of the indigenous people, some 2000 years ago.



          The construction of the terraces is so perfect that they are often regarded as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. It also reflects the skills and knowledge of the lfugaos people that have been passed down the generations.



          Interestingly, the terraces were built largely by hand, using minimal equipment. They are located approximately 1524 metres above the sea level and cover an area of 10,360 square kilometres.



          An ancient irrigation system from the rainforests situated above the terraces is what feeds the crops. A popular saying in the region is that if the steps were put end to end, it would form a circle at least half the diameter of the globe! In short, the terraces are so attractive that each year thousands of people from across the globe visit the site just to enjoy this marvel.



 


What makes Hong Kong such a popular city?

               Hong Kong is an autonomous territory that is located on the southeastern coast of China. It consists of Hong Kong Island, the southern part of the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories.



               The region plays an important role in terms of economy, manufacturing, politics, technology as well as tourism. It is also renowned for its deep natural harbour, which enables easy access by international cargo ships.



               Historically, Hong Kong was a British colony from the mid-19th century till the Second World War. Then in 1945, control was taken over by Japan. In 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was made following which Hong Kong became a special administrative region in 1997.



               The economy of Hong Kong depends largely on imports of raw materials, food, fuel and other consumer products.



               Every year it receives a large number of business and tourist travellers. One of the major attractions here is the Hong Kong Disneyland, a theme park based on the original Disneyland in California. 





 

Why is the Sea of Galilee an amazing location to see?

            Quite unlike what its name suggests, the Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is very large and covers a total area of 166 square kilometres. Interestingly, the water level in the lake is far below sea level. This makes Galilee the lowest freshwater lake on the Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world after the Dead Sea. The main source of the lake is the Jordan River.

            Although there are geographical peculiarities, the Sea of Galilee is most famous for its religious significance. It plays an important role in Christianity as it was the scene of many episodes in the life of Jesus Christ, including his Sermon on the Mount at where he first taught the Lord’s Prayer.



            It was also the site of the first Jewish kibbutz settlement Deganya, established in 1909. Throughout the history, the lake has been called by different names. In the Old Testament it appeared as the ‘Sea of Kinneret’.



            As it is a beautiful religious site, there are pilgrims as well as tourists visiting the region for most parts of the year. The hiking trail called Jesus Trail is one major attraction here. Another is the site where the lake flows into the Jordan River.


Why is Bhaktapur an interesting site to visit?

          Bhaktapur or Bhatgaon is an ancient city in the Nepal Valley, southeast of Kathmandu. It has played a very important role in history as the largest of the three Newar kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley and as the capital of Nepal during the great ‘Malla Kingdom’. Even today the city is one of the largest in the valley.

          Believed to have been founded in AD 865 by Raja Ananda Malla, Bhaktapur remained a major settlement for 200 years. It is marked with rich palaces and temples. The very meaning of the word ‘Bhaktapur’ is ‘the city of devotees’.



          There are many sites in the city that have stood the test of time. They include the old palace in Durbar Square built in 1700 and the copper-gilt figure of King Bhupatindra Malla nearby. 


Why is the Taj Mahal an extraordinary site to visit?


The Taj Mahal is a historical monument that doesn’t need much introduction. It is a splendid mausoleum complex located in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh.



With a blend of Indian and Persian styles, the structure sets the finest example of Mughal architecture. It is one of the most iconic monuments in the world, and is visited by millions of tourists every year.



The history of the Taj Mahal is something many of us are familiar with. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631. The construction of the building began in 1632 and the work continued for long 22 years. The hard work of over 20,000 workers was behind the completion of this beautiful memorial. The chief architect of the complex is believed to be Ustad Ahmad Lahawri.



Structurally, the Taj Mahal has five principal elements- the main gateway, the garden, the mosque, the building of the jawab mirroring the mosque and the tomb. Altogether, they are spread on an area of 16.9 hectares. In the interiors as well as the exteriors, one can see grand decorations using precious stones.