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Athens Travels
The Greek capital is undergoing a radical period of urban renewal that did not stop with the 2004 Olympics. The magnificent Acropolis, crowned by the iconic Parthenon temple, rises above the city, watching the sprawling modern metropolis evolve. Athens is now a conspicuously wealthier, more sophisticated cosmopolitan city. The shift is evident in a gradual gentrification and the new art and leisure precincts around town, and in the lifestyles of the hedonistic, trend-conscious Athenians. Stylish new restaurants, shops and revamped hotels continue to open.
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Perhaps the most significant change is in the historic centre, virtually unrecognisable since cars were banished, with most significant ancient sites linked in what has become Europe’s longest and arguably most stunning pedestrian promenade. This huge archaeological park has reconciled past and present, with the city’s cultural and social life once again taking place around the ancient monuments and surrounding neighbourhoods. Athens remains a city of contradictions, as frustrating as it is seductive. It is the oldest city in Europe, yet still in a state of transition. It’s one of Europe’s safest and liveliest cities – a heady mix of grunge and grace with an undeniable urban soul.
Most visitors will leave impressed with its vibrant street life and relaxed lifestyle, where people take time out for endless coffees and evening strolls, dine out until late and enjoy the city’s nightlife, long after the rest of Europe has gone to bed. Athenians are the first to debate and lament their city’s many shortcomings – but most wouldn’t live anywhere else.
Introducing Europe
Few places pack the punch of Europe. From its Northern Lights to its Southern shores, this drama queen keeps on thrilling, surprising and confusing with her extraordinary wealth of sights, sounds, peoples and parties.
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What a history Europe has! As well as the birthplace of democracy in Athens, the Forum of Rome, the renaissance buildings and art of Florence, the graceful canals of Venice and the Napoleonic grandeur of Paris, there’s always the less expected sites such as the Moorish palaces of Andalucía, the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the World in Turkey, the majesty of a second Venice in St Petersburg and the haunting buildings of Auschwitz in Poland.
Introducing Mount Kilimanjaro
Since its official opening in 1977, Kilimanjaro National Park has become one of Tanzania’s most visited parks. Unlike the other northern parks, this isn’t for the wildlife – although wildlife is there. Rather, it’s to gaze in awe at a mountain on the equator capped with snow, and to take advantage of the chance to climb to the top of Africa.
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At the heart of the park is the 5896m Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak and one of the continent’s magnificent sights. It’s also one of the highest volcanoes and among the highest freestanding mountains in the world, rising from cultivated farmlands on the lower levels, through lush rainforest to alpine meadows, and finally across a barren lunar landscape to the twin summits of Kibo and Mawenzi. The lower rainforest is home to many animals, including buffaloes, leopards and monkeys, and elands are occasionally seen in the saddle area between Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.
A trek up Kili lures hundreds of trekkers each year, in part because it’s possible to walk to the summit without ropes or technical climbing experience. Yet, the climb is a serious (and expensive) undertaking, and only worth doing with the right preparation. There are also plenty of excellent options for exploring the mountain’s lower slopes and learning about the Maasai and the Chagga, the main tribes in the area.
There are entry gates at Machame: Marangu, which is also the site of park headquarters, Londorosi and several other points. Trekkers using the Rongai Route should pay their fees at Marangu Gate.
Introducing Ngorongoro Crater
With high concentrations of wildlife offering close-range viewing opportunities, Ngorongoro is one of East Africa’s most visited destinations. At about 20km wide it’s also one of the largest calderas in the world. Within its walls you are likely to see lions, elephants, buffaloes and flamingos; and there’s also a chance of seeing black rhinos. Local Maasai have grazing rights and you may come across them tending their cattle.
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The gates down to the crater floor open at 7am, and close (for descent) at 4pm; all vehicles must be out of the crater area before 6pm.
History and geography
Based on fossil evidence found at the Olduvai Gorge, it is known that various hominid species have occupied the area for 3 million years. Hunter-gatherers were replaced by pastorialists a few thousand years ago. The Mbulu came to the area about 2,000 years ago, and were joined by the Datooga around the year 1700. Both groups were driven from the area by the Maasai in the 1800s.Massive fig trees in the northwest of the Lerai Forest are sacred to the Maasai and Datooga people. Some of them may have been planted on the grave of a Datago leader who died in battle with the Maasai around 1840.
No Europeans are known to have set foot in the crater until 1892, when it was visited by Dr. Oscar Baumann. Two German brothers farmed in the crater until the outbreak of World War I, after leasing the land from the administration of German East Africa. Dr. Baumann shot three rhinos while camped in the crater, and the German brothers regularly organized shooting parties to entertain their German friends. They also attempted to drive the wildebeest herds out of the crater.
The Ngorongoro area originally was part of the Serengeti National Park when it was created by the British in 1951. Maasai continued to live in the newly created park until 1959, when repeated conflicts with park authorities over land use led the British to evict them to the newly declared Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority is the governing body regulating use and access to the NCA. The area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Introducing Serengeti National Park
Tanzania’s largest and most famous national park, the Serengeti is a 14, 763-sq-km wilderness that offers unparalleled safari opportunities. The annual wildebeest migration is the biggest wildlife spectacle on earth and the Serengeti’s biggest draw. Try to set aside as much time as possible to explore the park and appreciate its vastness.
History
The Maasai people had been grazing their livestock in the open plains which they knew as “endless plain” for around 200 years when the first European explorers visited the area. The name Serengeti is an approximation of the word used by the Maasai to describe the area. German geographer and explorer Dr. Oscar Baumann entered the area in 1892.[1] Baumann killed three rhinos during a stay in the Ngorongoro crater.
The first Briton to enter the Serengeti, Stewart Edward White, recorded his explorations in the northern Serengeti in 1913. Stewart returned to the Serengeti in the 1920s, and camped in the area around Seronera for three months. During this time he and his companions shot 50 lions.[2]
Because the hunting of lions made them so scarce, the British decided to make a partial Game Reserve of 800 acres (3.2 km2) in the area in 1921 and a full one in 1929. These actions became the basis for Serengeti National Park,[3] [4] which was established in 1951. The Serengeti gained more fame after the initial work of Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael in the 1950s. Together they produced the book and film Serengeti Shall Not Die, widely recognized as one of the most important early pieces of nature conservation documentary.
As part of the creation of the park, and in order to preserve wildlife, the resident Maasai were moved to the Ngorongoro highlands. There is still considerable controversy surrounding this move, with claims made of coercion and deceit on the part of the colonial authorities.
The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest national park and remains the flagship of the country’s tourism industry, providing a major draw to the “Northern Safari Circuit”, encompassing Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Arusha national parks, as well as Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Tanzania Travel Guide
Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar… The names roll off the tongue like a roster call of Africa’s most alluring destinations, all packed into one country. Resonating with hints of the wild and exotic, these four alone are reason enough to justify packing your bag and heading off to Tanzania. But the list isn’t finished. Bagamoyo, Tabora, Ujiji – stops on the 19th-century caravan routes into the heart of what was then an unknown continent. Mafia and Pangani – once famed ports of call for merchant ships from the Orient. Kilwa – linchpin of a far-flung Indian Ocean trading network. Kigoma, Kalema, Kipili, Kasanga – bustling outposts along the remote Lake Tanganyika shoreline. Selous – Africa’s largest protected area. Ruaha and Katavi – insider tips for serious safari-goers. Mahale and Gombe – prime destinations for seeing chimpanzees in the wild.
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Within the space of several hours, it’s possible to go from lazing on idyllic beaches to exploring moss-covered ruins of ancient Swahili city-states; from climbing mist-covered slopes in the Southern Highlands to trekking through the barren landscapes around Ol Doinyo Lengai, guided by a spear-carrying Maasai warrior. Yet, despite its attractions, Tanzania has managed for the most part to remain unassuming and low-key. It has also remained enviably untouched by the tribal rivalries and political upheavals that plague many of its neighbours, and this – combined with a booming tourism industry – makes it an ideal choice for both first-time visitors and Africa old hands.
Throughout, Tanzania offers travellers an array of options, set against the backdrop of a cultural mosaic in which over 100 ethnic groups amicably rub shoulders. While most visitors head straight for the famed northern wildlife-watching circuit, followed by time relaxing on Zanzibar’s beaches, Tanzania has much more to offer anyone with the time and inclination to head off the beaten path. Follow the coastline south into a Swahili culture whose rhythms have remained in many ways unchanged over the centuries. Journey through rolling hill country along the Tanzam highway, detouring to Ruaha National Park. Admire ancient rock paintings around Kolo village. Explore the Lake Victoria shoreline, with its small fishing villages and tranquil islands. Experience the seldom-visited wilderness of Katavi, teeming with buffaloes and hippos.
Aphrodisias Travel
Aydin is among the leading provinces in tourism sector of our country with its cultural, historical and natural texture. The west side of the province, for it opens to Aegean Sea, is an important area for travel tourism, the leading districts being Didim and Kusadasi. Other provinces are appropriate for daily tourism with their archeological pieces and geographical structure housing high plateaus.
Dilek Peninsula, Great Menderes Delta, National Park , Bafa Lake, Natural Park, Nature Protection Fields, Tourism Centers, and the Archaic Cities in Special Environmental Protection Regions are visited by thousands of tourists every year.
Aydin province, with its districts, is an ideal place for tourism, with its most adequate climate, sunny days during the year reaching to 240, its small bays following one after another along side the coastal band with a length of 150 km, its beaches with Golden Sand, thermal resources, with its “Dilek Peninsula National Park” with a total area of 10.985 hectares and the modern accommodation facilities accompanying these beauties, where anyone could find anything he / she seeks in an ideal holiday and maximize his / her benefit from a travel.
Becoming united with the culture and civilization of Turks after 1171, has the cultural works reflecting the architecture of Seljukian and Ottoman periods, such as the Nasuh Pasa Complex called as Zincirli Han by the Ottomans, O. Mehmet Pasa Caravansary in Kusadasi District and Kucukada Castle in Guvercinada, Korteke Castle in Bozdogan Province, Arpaz Beyler Mansion and Tower in Esenkoy of Nazilli District, Cihanoglu Tower in Kocarli District, Sarikemer Bridge in Soek District and bridges of Ottoman period in Sazlikoy, Incirliova Ikizdere Bridge, Tahir Pasa Bridge at the Center, Atikehanim, Alihanoglu, Ciftlik, Seyh Suleyman Rustu and Ahi Bayram Tombs, and, in addition to the foregoing, Uveys Pasa, Hasan Celebi (Old-New), Ramazan Pasa, Suleyman Bey Mosques, Cihanoglu Mosque and Complex, Kaleici, Haci Ziya Bey, Cumaonu and Ilyas Bey Mosques .
There are 3 museums province-wide: Aydin Museums and its affiliate Yoruk Ali Efe Museum, Afrodisias Museum and Milet Museum. There are a total of 21 ruin sites, 8 of them are arranged and open for visit, under the responsibility of Aydin Museum, Afrodisias Museums and Milet Museum. The ruin sites open for visit are Afrodisias, Nysa, Magnesia, Alinda, Milet, Alabanda, Didim and Priene sites. There are around 700 non-movable cultural heritage works registered overall the province.
Serbia Travel Guide
In recent years Serbia has emerged as one of Eastern Europe’s hottest ‘undiscovered’ destinations. The capital Belgrade has plenty to offer, with excellent museums and galleries, a wide range of restaurants and cafés, and some of the best nightlife in southeast Europe.
Away from the capital, Novi Sad is an attractive, lively city with an elegant centre and picturesque fortress overlooking over the Danube. In the far north, Subotica has an array of secessionist architecture and a notable Hungarian character.
The province of Vojvodina, north of Belgrade, has some excellent wetland habitat that is home to numerous bird species, while south of the capital, the countryside consists of lush, wooded valleys with hidden-away Orthodox monasteries. Scattered among the country’s more mountainous regions are a number of vast national parks.
Scotland Travel Guide
Imposing peaks sweep down to breathtaking lochs and remote glens, while white sandy beaches, sheltered bays and rocky cliffs line the coastline: Scotland certainly packs a mighty punch.
Scotland has long evoked romantic sentiments, with stories of heroic clans and a rugged wilderness, and as prominent as the country’s spectacular scenery is the proud Scottish heritage and a thriving arts scene. In Scotland’s two major cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, visitors have the best of city activities at their feet, including galleries, museums, architecture, shops, restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. The royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall planned in the Scottish capital this July is likely to further capture the interest of visitors.
Prehistoric forts, stone circles and burial mounds are there for exploring, particularly at the Neolithic Heart of Orkney, Scotland’s latest UNESCO World Heritage Site, whilst nature lovers should head to the Highlands and Outer Hebrides where eagles, whales and dolphins are common sights.
San Marino Travel Guide
In whatever part of this 61-sq km (24-sq mile) territory you go, in particular at the peak of its mountain, your gaze is lost over a unique, dazzling panorama: the fertile soils of Emilia Romagna and the soft rolling hills of the Marche and Montefeltro, and on to the placid Adriatic sea. The Sammarinese territory is made up of nine ancient citadels, including the capital, San Marino.
The tiny city holds a wealth of history, museums and priceless architectural monuments, while a wealth of assorted crafts and souvenirs provide a vast, pleasant shopping experience.
The origins of San Marino are based on the charming legend of Saint Marinus who founded the community and the republic, when, in AD301, he took refuge on Mount Titano.
Apart from the Vatican City, it is the only city-state that is completely surrounded by another country.
