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A Spontaneous and Relaxing Vacation

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:29:30 +0000

I can be fairly anal when making plans. In my job, I live by the calendar in Outlook. Meetings, Conferences, Training and the daily routine are all governed by my calendar. I do the same thing when going on vacation. I know that a vacation is a time to relax and not watch the clock. But, I still like to have some sort of schedule to get the most out of my 2 1/2 week holiday. Planning works well for me everywhere except for Pattaya. I haven’t quite figured out why – I just know that all my plans get thrown out the window every time I go to Pattaya. My upcoming trip has already been disrupted and I haven’t even left home yet. Me and a couple of buddies go to Thailand every year – usually in the September/October time frame. My son wanted to come along again with us this year but couldn’t get time off from his job until December. So, the rest of us changed our plans and we set things up for December. Well, my son went and got married in August (while I was on my last holiday in Pattaya) and his wife gave birth to a beautiful little girl 3 weeks ago. So, now the proud papa needs to be with his wife and baby and the 3 Musketeers will still go in December. But, we almost didn’t make it. With the price of oil rising and tickets relatively scarce during December, we decided to purchase our tickets a little earlier than usual. We usually get tickets about 4 – 6 weeks prior to flying. So, I called my travel agent and booked 3 tickets on September 18 and the very next morning there was a coup in Thailand. I followed the news, contacted some friends in Bangkok and Pattaya and got the “inside” info and found that there was nothing to worry about. Martial law was in effect – but it had no impact on tourism. Then a bombshell was dropped. The Command General of the Army in the Pacific banned all travel for Military and Government Civilians to Thailand – period. Great. As government civilians, we all fell into this category. I couldn’t understand the reasoning since the US State Department didn’t impose any travel restrictions to Thailand. But, the General is the big boss and his word is law. We sweated this out for approximately one month until October 20th when the good General lifted the travel ban and we breathed a group sigh of relief. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. Or maybe I should just change my plans to be – Have a great time in the Land of Smiles and not worry about the day-to-day activities. That will certainly make it less stressful but the lack of a schedule may just drive me nuts. Oh well, I will try my best to just have fun and not worry about the minor details.

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Settling on Your Vacation Destination

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:35:47 +0000

If you are planning to take a vacation, be sure to know what you really like to do, this will make your trip more meaningful. Mostly, travelers go for a trip that their friends recommend, but is it what they really want? It’s never too early to plan and know what your heart desires. It’s nice to ask yourself these questions before starting to plan your vacation; do I want to relax? Do I want adventure or a learning experience? Do I want to get away from my job? Once you know the answers to these questions, then you are ready to plan your trip. Vacations are needed for our emotional, physical and mental balance. Vacations give a person a chance to relax, renew his energy, and free him from his daily routine. Vacations could be far away or close to home. Wherever the vacation may be, it does the same thing. It is the satisfaction that is more important than the destination. Generally, there are some different types of travel according to activities involved. Here are some of them:1. Responsible Travel. Traveling doesn’t always have to be self-serving. With responsible travel, one could have enjoyment as much as respecting the local environment and the people. 2. Rediscovering nature. Rediscovering travel is all about nature and everything in it. It revitalizes the soul while smelling and feeling nature. 3. Tribal cultures. In today’s world of high technology, it is wise to experience the simpler life of the tribal people who live close to nature in the same way for the past thousands of years. 4. Responsible Diving. Diving not only let travelers appreciate what is down the sea but also making the traveler more aware of the conservation effort. The country one is planning to travel to also leaves a great mark on the traveler’s diary. Here are some of the most popular destinations today: 1. Thailand. Thailand is also known as Siam. It is an Asian country bounded by Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Behind the back draft of Thailand’s jungles of bamboo, rubber trees and vines are the Five-star hotels of modern conveniences. In some parts of the country, elephants are still being use to lift timbers and buffalos are still being use in farming. 2. China. China is now the second largest country and fastest growing economy in the world. Most parts of China are still unexplored by tourist; however, the eastern portion is now popular to western tourist. First class hotels now offer highest class of amenities and dozens are still being built/3. Italy. Italy is a boot-like shape country bounded by Switzerland, Austria, France, and Slovenia. The main attraction of Italy is St. Peter’s Square where the Pope resides. 4. Caribbean. Caribbean is an archipelago of islands, 2000 square miles across. Most of the islands are plateaus and eruptions of underlying mountain systems. It has nice beaches of crushed coral and white or pink sand and the water at the shore is a deep blue. The success of any vacation will not depend by how much the traveler spent or its destination. It is how the traveler enjoyed it and how he was able to achieve his primary goal of “getting away from it all. ”

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Wild Adventure Vacation Tips In Laos

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:31:23 +0000

Laos is a must trip if you should be on vacation in this exotic part of Asia. If you are looking for an adventure too, then these vacation tips will point you in the right direction. Many visitors to South East Asia miss Laos out in favor of the more popular destinations of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. It may be true that traveling to Laos is nothing less than an endurance test – but a beautiful, unspoiled wildlife and a sprinkling of exquisite temples should make the trip worth it. With its exciting terrain, well preserved natural ecosystems and numerous waterways, Laos is now emerging as a premier outdoor adventure destination in this part of Asia. One of the best things about Laos, apart from its rugged beauty and natural attractions, is the low cost of accommodation, food and transportation. Your dollars will take you a long way back and forth. It may not have such world-class cuisine as its neighboring countries, but it is not impossible to find culinary delights in many of its cities. Notably the French cuisine is the most popular among restaurants catering for tourists and lots of delicious Thai and Vietnamese dishes as well. Laotian cuisine should not be missed, as neighboring Thailand is also generous in its portion of curry and fresh ingredients that will leave you wanting more . . . that is, if it\’s your type of food. Must be careful with how much money you take with you. ATMs are not readily available outside of Laos\’ biggest cities. Credit will not help you either since it is only accepted by a small number of companies. If you have some Thai baht back from a Thailand visit, spend it in Laos because it is very welcome. You are most likely to land in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Do not hurry to the next more exotic city because Vientiane is a gem waiting to be discovered. It is a quaint and charming city that has exquisite temples and stupas. Note the remarkable influence of the French in this city\’s architecture and cuisine. Take a leisurely stroll along the well laid out streets in Vientiane. From Vientiane, continue to Luang Prabang along the banks of the Mekong River. It is a picturesque and colorful city with the many orange-robed monks and countless temples that adorn the city. Do not miss an exciting river cruise that takes you to an adventurous trip that will showcase the picturesque montage of local life along the riverbank. Do not miss the Nam Ha protected area located in northern Laos. For a more exciting way to travel to the Nam Ha, take a short detour to the town of Luang Namtha and take a boat trip to the Nam Ha. This will allow you to catch a glimpse of many birds, and reptiles along the banks of the river and surrounded by a thick jungle of blooming flora and fauna. Nam Ha Protected Site offers numerous opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts eager for some adventure. Trekking is best in this area with its exciting terrain, abundant wildlife and breathtaking panoramas. Along the way, watch out for small waterfalls where you can rest your feet and cool off in the crystal clear waters. Notice where you are going and follow your guide\’s instructions on safe and unsafe areas to the letter. UXOs or small bombs are still present in some areas, so be sure not to remove them. Other exciting destinations in Laos include Vieng Xai with its many large caves, Hongsa with their beautifully preserved architecture and Wat Phu Champasak, with its 7 century Khmer temple complex. Amazing vacation tips that guarantee discount deals for International vacations, budget flights, cheap holiday accommodation, discount entertainment, and more important international vacation tips. . . http://GlobeCheap. com

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Indonesia Tour Vacation, Adventure Tours Vacations, Travel Agent Indonesia

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:27:50 +0000

visit site www. vacationtoindonesia. com
Indonesia Tourism Prospect

Indonesian Senior Statesman Makes a Critical Appraisal the Development of National Tourism.
(1/25/2010) Anak Agung Gde Agung is one of Indonesia’s most distinguished and well-informed senior statesmen. He is a graduate of Harvard and Leiden universities. He as attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States and served as social services minister during the administration of President Abdurrahman Wahid.
The following article is reprinted from The Jakarta Post.
Indonesian Tourism – a National Tragedy Government officials at all levels claim that Indonesia’s tourism is doing well, with each year seeing robust advancements. On the contrary, however, all the data indicate how dismally Indonesia’s tourism has done this past decade.
In the last 12 years to 2007, tourist numbers fluctuated between 4 million and 5 million visitors. The average length of stay has declined, from 10 days in 1997 to barely 8. 5 days in 2008. Worst yet is how Indonesia compares with neighboring Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, which last year attracted 10 million, 15 million and 22 million visitors respectively.
How can such a huge discrepancy occur? How is it that Indonesia, brimming with such wealth in culture and natural beauty, attracts only a quarter of the tourists that basically barren Malaysia does?
This tragedy seems to have its source in the early 1980s, when Indonesia, strapped for funds, pointed to already world-famous Bali as its tourist cash cow. Since then, little has changed. As a result, Indonesia’s tourist attraction has been practically limited to Bali, with devastating consequences. Tourists overflow in quantum leaps to Bali, creating an explosion of infrastructure requirements that visibly erode the natural environment.
The over-concentration of tourists in Bali has not only brought an unmanageable overflow of visitors to the island – often the wrong types who cannot appreciate the unique local culture and natural environment – but has also led to an utter neglect of the other many equally attractive tourist spots throughout the archipelago.
Fabulous sites such as Borobudur, Yogyakarta, Toraja, Bunaken and Ujung Kulon, for instance, have been practically left unheeded. Such complacency has a high price, as can been seen from the destructive erosion that the overcrowding of tourists has brought to Bali’s culture and environment, and how it has stagnated Indonesia’s other richly diverse tourist destinations.
How bad have these other destinations stagnated? Here are a few horrifying statistics:
Borobudur, that World Cultural Heritage icon, was only able to muster about 85,000 foreign tourists last year, compared to more than 1 million by the more recently discovered Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Toraja these last few years has only attracted an average of about 5,000 overseas tourists a year.
Bunaken averaged only about 10,000 foreign visitors a year for as long as one can remember, versus more than 4 million for the similar Pattaya in Thailand.
Ujung Kulon, with its rare one-horned rhino, can only claim an average of 6,000 combined domestic and foreign tourists a year.
A fast recovery is imperative here and the condition for this is a complete change in mind-set. The first order of the day is for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to declare tourism a national priority and for central and regional authorities as well as the government and the private sector to work hand in hand in this effort. This needs to be followed by a preliminary phase of quick-win activities rejuvenating tourist destinations that have so far languished but need only small improvements to boost them back.
Borobudur, for instance, can be brought back to full splendor by relocating the street vendors who have been encroaching on the temple grounds and harassed visitors from fully enjoying this beautiful temple/monastery. Toraja can also attract far more tourists by repairing its forsaken airfield so that visitors can arrive there within 45 minutes from Makassar and avoid the perilous 10-hour journey through steep mountains.
As for Ujung Kulon, tourist numbers can easily rise to more than a million there within a very short time if regular and safe sea transportation is made available from Jakarta. There are other fabulous places besides those mentioned above currently suffering from lack of attention, such as Mount Bromo, Yogyakarta and Komodo Island, which only need small touches to turn them quickly into major tourist destinations while easing the pressure on overcrowded Bali.
The quick-win phase should be followed by a longer-term buildup of other tourist sites nationwide, which will require more infrastructure investment to put them on the travel map. These sites are currently still relatively unfamiliar places, but have the potential to offer inherently unique attractions and help sustain the long-term development of Indonesia’s tourist industry.
Such places include Trowulan and Kota Gede for historical interests, Banda Naira and Raja Ampat for spectacular surfing, and the Baliem Valley and Waikabubak for unparalleled ethnic experiences. There are many other such tourist sites and they can be offered in clusters of similar attractions to make the trip for tourists richer and more diverse.
Both during the quick-win and long-term phases, the tourism recovery effort has to be supported by appropriately directed promotional campaigns with a common national branding. Malaysia has its “Truly Asia”, India its “Incredible” claim while Singapore and Thailand have respectively dubbed themselves “Uniquely Singapore” and “Amazing Thailand”. Branding is important to position the country concerned at the top of mind of would-be tourists while also filtering the right tourists who can appreciate what that country offers.
Increased arrivals of tourists, who show their appreciation of the local specialties, will make the local people proud of their heritage and motivate them to strengthen it further, which in turn will bring even more like-minded tourists. This will result in an upward spiral of tourists and local people hand in hand strengthening the traditional inheritance of the land.
A successful tourism program can have many priceless benefits for Indonesia, including making it the most diverse tourist destination in the world, providing it with a sustainable and environmentally clean source of revenue larger than any of its current ones, and bringing overall prosperity to the people throughout the archipelago (and not just Bali) through grassroots empowerment and self-sustenance.
Indonesia Tour Vacation, Adventure Tours Vacations, Travel Agent Indonesia

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Fun-Filled Bangkok Vacation Packages

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:27:58 +0000

The Thai name for Bangkok is Krung Thep; this is what the natives of Thailand refer to their capital as. Some of the natives of the country are not even aware of the fact that their capital city is called Bangkok. The Bangkok holiday packages take you the capital city, which is the hub of all the cultural and commercial activities. The city is vibrant and energetic all round the year. A tour to Bangkok is ideal for all those who are looking for a budget vacation. The Bangkok tour packages leave you with an unforgettable and memorable experience. The Bangkok vacation packages are perfect for any reason- be it for honeymooning, business purposes, family reunion, entertainment or for vacationing. Most of the packages include escorted tours and are inclusive of the flight costs and expenses. One of the Bangkok tour packages are Thailand Summer Super Saver- Summer 2010, which offers a 2 night stay at Pattaya and a 2night stay at Bangkok. You will be given an economy class return ticket. You will also be served with regular breakfasts throughout your stay. Moreover, you can visit the Coral Islands and will be served with Indian lunch in Pattaya.
All the Bangkok holiday packages offer a half day tour around the scintillating city of Bangkok. The natural beauty, the ancient monuments and the splendid islands will leave you completely speechless. Your return journey to the airport will also be taken care of. The Bangkok vacation packages take you to the city and temple excursions during the day time and engage you in the thriving and vibrant nightlife of that city which has been drawing more and more tourists with every passing year – the city of Pattaya. It is one of the most picturesque and wonderful tourist destinations in the world.
Thailand: Bangkok and Phuket, is another among the many Bangkok tour packages that offers a three night stay at Phuket and a two night stay at Bangkok. In both the cities, you will be accommodated in convenient 3 star hotels. You will also be served regular breakfasts and can explore the city of Phuket as well as the ancient temples of Bangkok in a luxurious and comfortable coach. The Bangkok holiday packages offer you a chance to visit the tall skyscrapers, the romantic beaches of Thailand and the lush green forests of Phuket. The weather is pleasant, the people are extremely friendly and the food is delicious.

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Plan Your Cheap Holiday Underwater Vacation

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:24:58 +0000

Planning a cheap holiday underwater vacation delight might just take you to Thailand, Phuket, to be exact. This is quickly becoming one of the most spectacular vacation destinations for people with a love of the underwater world. You can take a yacht out to see where they offer you the most adventurous underwater vacation you could ever imagine. Of course, you need some experience before you go to Thailand for an underwater vacation, but it will be well worth the training. You will experience something that is unknown to many. The waters are considered virgins because there are not many people that explore the world of the unknown. The beautiful deep blue waters invite you jump in and meet the habitant of the underwater world. You will see an array of colors as well as many different species of plants and marine life that you have only seen in pictures. You can get up close and personal with many species, which makes this even more of a treasured cheap holiday vacation. The view around you as you set out on the deep blue water is just breathtaking. You can glaze for miles and see the beauty of the area. Many of the hotels and airlines work together with the locals to provide some nice packages for underwater explorers. You will find that not only is the day adventurous, but your nights are filled music and dancing or just sitting back and enjoying the Thai culture. The hotels offer many amenities that you will find included in your cheap holiday package. This just adds to the beauty of the vacation. You can plan your underwater vacation anytime of the year when the weather is just right for underwater exploring. Not many people request this type of vacation, therefore, you can rest assured you will be treated to a special time. View the world that only a few have seen and be the one to tell your friends how exciting the underwater world really is when you get to see the beauty of it. This is one cheap holiday vacation you will not want to pass up.

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Vacation Rental in Hua Hin, Thailand

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:29:07 +0000

Set amidst the beautifully landscaped Palm Hills Golf and Country Club in Hua Hin with its own large garden bordering overlooking the Golf Club Lake, the Whitehouse is the epitome of Thai elegance. Renowned for its classic colonial style, the house is one of the finest for rent in the Kingâs residential town. Accommodation is traditionally designed with teak wood floors, en suite bedrooms, and over 800m2 of living area. All rooms have individual air-conditioning and the reception rooms have ceiling mounted fans as well. The large infinity pool appears to run straight into the lake. Surrounding the pool are comfortable sun beds as well as a Gazebo offering a place out of the midday sun. The town and beaches of Hua Hin are not far away but at the whitehouse your privacy is completely ensured. The house is managed professionally by Palm Hill Golf and Country Club. Daily maid service allows you to enjoy your vacation to the full. Various other services can be arranged at your request. Please read clients reviews: Review 1 “This property is excellent. It is finished to a very high standard, especially for Thailand, and the location is perfect. It is situated on a very pretty section of the golf course, and has beautiful relaxing views on both sides. Everything you need is provided and the hand over went extremly well. The directions could do with updating, as there is no mention of 6a anywhere in the direction list, and this was confusing, This is a very special place, and I am very glad to have spent our christmas here. Many thanks to the owner. ” Review 2 “We have just returned from Thailand where we hired out the villa for a week, for family and some friends following our oldest daughters wedding in Pranburi. The villa is finished to an excellent standard and the pictures do not do it justice, as it is better in real life. We had a full party of 12 and due to the size of the property none of us ever felt cramped. The location is fantastic for a relaxing holiday as it over looks the 8th tee of a very nice golf course. We managed to fit a couple of rounds of golf in and the green fees are reduced for residences of the properties. The caretaker of the property was excellent and nothing was ever too much trouble for her. All the party had a fantastic time and I would gladly recommend it to anyone. I would however like to make a couple of recommendations which may help future occupants. Firstly that a map of the golf course showing the properties is attached, as it was difficult to locate when first arriving and secondly, that a further 4 sun loungers are provided so that there is enough for all 12 occupants. ” You can read more reviews at our website Villas For Rent Set amidst the beautifully landscaped Palm Hills Golf and Country Club in Hua Hin with its own large garden bordering overlooking the Golf Club Lake, the Whitehouse is the epitome of Thai elegance. Renowned for its classic colonial style, the house is one of the finest for rent in the Kingâs residential town. Accommodation is traditionally designed with teak wood floors, en suite bedrooms, and over 800m2 of living area. All rooms have individual air-conditioning and the reception rooms have ceiling mounted fans as well. The large infinity pool appears to run straight into the lake. Surrounding the pool are comfortable sun beds as well as a Gazebo offering a place out of the midday sun. The town and beaches of Hua Hin are not far away but at the whitehouse your privacy is completely ensured. The house is managed professionally by Palm Hill Golf and Country Club. Daily maid service allows you to enjoy your vacation to the full. Various other services can be arranged at your request. Please read clients reviews: Review 1 “This property is excellent. It is finished to a very high standard, especially for Thailand, and the location is perfect. It is situated on a very pretty section of the golf course, and has beautiful relaxing views on both sides. Everything you need is provided and the hand over went extremly well. The directions could do with updating, as there is no mention of 6a anywhere in the direction list, and this was confusing, This is a very special place, and I am very glad to have spent our christmas here. Many thanks to the owner. ” Review 2 “We have just returned from Thailand where we hired out the villa for a week, for family and some friends following our oldest daughters wedding in Pranburi. The villa is finished to an excellent standard and the pictures do not do it justice, as it is better in real life. We had a full party of 12 and due to the size of the property none of us ever felt cramped. The location is fantastic for a relaxing holiday as it over looks the 8th tee of a very nice golf course. We managed to fit a couple of rounds of golf in and the green fees are reduced for residences of the properties. The caretaker of the property was excellent and nothing was ever too much trouble for her. All the party had a fantastic time and I would gladly recommend it to anyone. I would however like to make a couple of recommendations which may help future occupants. Firstly that a map of the golf course showing the properties is attached, as it was difficult to locate when first arriving and secondly, that a further 4 sun loungers are provided so that there is enough for all 12 occupants. ” You can read more reviews at our website Villas For Rent Hua Hin

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A Review of the Aryan Vacation Club MLM Opportunity

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 04:34:31 +0000

The Aryan Vacation Club domain name was registered in May of 2009 out of Chhattisgarh India. However their operations seem to center around Malaysia and Thailand. I want to clear something up regarding the name. The name may suggest this club is a vacation club for caucasians due to the name Aryan. But this opportunity consists mostly of Malaysians however some of the photos and videos show people of all nationalities. The Aryan Vacation Club offers travel services to its members. They market, operate and manage Vacation Membership Packages and offer its members vacations in Malaysia and Thailand. Their mission is to become a leader in Malaysia and Thailand in the timeshare industry. They want to provide value added services its members can take advantage of. One of the most popular resorts for Aryan Vacation Club members is the Genting Theme Park. This is an indoor and outdoor recreation park located in Malaysia. You can view a video of this park on their website. This location can be reached from Kuala Lumpur in about one hour. Genting Highlands has also been called the Las Vegas of Malaysia. Aryan Vacation Club members will also have a chance to visit the Petronas Tower and the Batu Caves. The Batu Caves happen to be the largest Hindu Lord Murugan Statue on this planet. Members also visit the Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort as well. Once you join for Rs 8000 you will get a free trip, however alternative joining packages are also available for Rs 3000 and Rs 5000. As far as the MLM Compensation Plan is concerned, I didn’t read that only people from Malaysia or Thailand could get involved, although I didn’t see any evidence of anyone else being involved at this point either. They offer Referral Bonuses, a Binary Bonus, a Club Pool Bonus and Pair Rewards. However I couldn’t find any more details on percentages, etc. regarding any of these comp plan dynamics on their website. I’m not convinced this MLM Opportunity will become very popular in the United States. However I could see Network Marketers in Malaysia and Thailand jumping all over this one. But I think the company should add more details regarding their comp plan and make it more visible on their website. But in all fairness they just put up the website a few months ago. So lets give them a year or so and see if this company explodes into an International Network Marketing Powerhouse.

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5 vacation destinations for the wannabe rich

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:12:57 +0000

5 vacation destinations for the wannabe rich
Celebrities are known for their lavish vacations. But just because you can’t gain access to a private Caribbean beach doesn’t mean you must always resign yourself to road trip when you’re seeking vacation bliss.

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Paris Is An Incredible Destination To Spend A Wonderful Vacation

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:31:56 +0000

Paris, acknowledged as the ‘City of Lights,’ is the largest as well as the capital city of France, located on the Seine River, in the heart of the Ile-de-France region. Also the capital of the France’s Ile-de-France region, Paris is regarded as the political and cultural center of the country. Paris is perhaps the greatest of all the cities that receive maximum number of tourists in Europe.
Some consider Paris as an artistic city while some consider it as a romantic destination. Since it attracts fashion firms from across the world to open fashion stores, Paris is also sometimes fondly referred to as the ‘Fashion House’ of the world. With great number of museums, nature parks, beautiful gardens, and squares, sightseeing options in Paris are truly endless. Hence, it is not a wonder why more than 30 million foreigners visit here per year.
Some of the must-see destinations in Paris are:
Eiffel Tower : Built on the Champ de Mars near the Seine River, this iron tower is unquestionably the greatest of all attractions in Paris, and in deed, stands as the city’s icon. Inaugurated on March 31, 1889, it is the tallest of its kind in Paris, and was once the tallest in the world until the erection of Chrysler Building in 1930. Rising up to a height of about 985 feet, Eiffel Tower’s top can be seen anywhere from Paris. As per the records of the Paris Office of Tourism, Eiffel Tower alone drew about six million tourists to Paris in 2002.
Louvre : Situated in the heart of Paris, Louvre is the one of the world’s largest museums, sprawling over an area of about 60,000 square foot expansive building. On display are more than 350000 pieces of art, covering Egyptian sculptures, 18th century furniture and books, engravings, paintings, and drawings.
Most popular among the collections in the museum are the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, such as Monolisa. Apart from its amazing collections, Louvre, once served as a royal residence, is also much famed for its mind blowing architectural style. The entry to the museum was earlier restricted to the royal visitors. But, after the French Revolution, the museum was opened to the public.
Notre Dame Cathedral : This gothic cathedral would be the most famous of all cathedrals in the world. Located in the heart of the city on a small island, namely, Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame Cathedral serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Paris. The cathedral is regarded as a fine example of French Gothic architecture. Built during the 14th century, its interiors, sculptures, and gargoyles were destroyed during the revolution. Later, the cathedral was renovated by Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, a Persian architect.
Arc de Triomphe: One of the most visited attractions in the country, Arc de Triomphe is credited to the largest traffic roundabout in the world. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 in order to commemorate his military successes as well as the bravery of his armies, Arc de Triomphe was however completed in 1836, many years after the passing away of the emperor. The sides, front and back of the Arc De Triomphe are graced with beautiful sculptures as well as intricate designs. A specialty of this roundabout is that it is the meeting point of about 12 avenues.
Concorde Place : The largest public square in Paris, Concorde Place is situated between Champs Elysees and the Tuileries garden. Earlier known as Place Louis XV, the square’s focal point is a huge Egyptian obelisk beautified with hieroglyphics. The obelisk has been brought from the temple at Luxor, and was French king Charles X in 1829 by Mohammed Ali, the then Viceroy of Egypt.
Highlights in Paris also cover Avenue Champs-Elysees, a vibrant area packed with a plenty of shops and restaurants; Latin Quarter, boasting of some of the finest Roman as well as medieval monuments in the city; Rodin Museum, which exhibits the works of the renowned French sculptor, Auguste Rodin; D’Orsay Museum; and St. Chapelle and Conciergerie.
With these scores of attractions, Paris is a wonderful vacation whose memories last for a lifetime. Hence, the city has an array of accommodation choices to cater to every type of visitors. Mostly, they come with most sophisticated facilities and amenities.