Beijing, the Capital of Republic of China, formerly called Peking, Beiping, Dadu, Jingcheng, and Yanjing in different periods of Chinese history; has become one of the famous tourist destinations in the world. It is a home to nearly 14 millions people, with high rise building, International hotel and extensive suburbs. The modernization process is rapidly taking place. In contrast, Beijing is also a city covered with wide Chinese culture and historical interest.
The 2008 Olympic has turned Beijing to be world recognised city. Newly added transportations and amenities system were invested heavily by The Government of China for the 2008 Olympic in Beijing. And in turn, it has made Beijing’s Olympic 2008 to have “the largest television audience in Olympic History” medium channel stated.
Things to do in Beijing:
1. Olympic in Beijing
For those who are wondering how Beijing host the Olympic 2008 ought to visit the Olympic Green, where most of the competition venues were held. The Olympic Green is constructed for the Olympic 2008.
Inside the Olympic green, there is The Beijing National Stadium. Because of the appearance, it is also known as Bird’s nest. The venue hosts various track and field events as well as opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing Olympic 2008. The unique building has also become the world’s largest steel structure.
After the Olympic, the building has already been looked by International Band and soccer team to hold their next performance. The building is built nearby hotel and shopping mall not only to promote the Olympic, but also for future tourist attraction.
2. The Forbidden City
Visit The Imperial City called Gu Gong in Chinese - must not miss for those visited Beijing. It is one of the best preserved ancient buildings in China. It lies in the heart of Beijing.
For about 5 centuries, Forbidden city, with more than 9000 rooms, has been home to more than 20 great emperors and their families during Qing and Ming dynasties who lived in isolated but luxurious lifestyle and also where emperors lived and ran the administration and ruled the country. For more than 500 years the city was forbidden to the world to enter, except the emperor, his family and court official and selected servants. And now Forbidden City is opened for public!
The Forbidden City was constructed in early 1400s by the Ming Emperor, Yong Le. Upon visiting Forbidden City, one will get idea of how the Emperor and his family lived, surrounded by courtiers and retainers. In addition you can also see the traditional Chinese architecture clearly and amazed with the treasures of the imperial family and its court. It is said that Forbidden City is one of the world-famous palaces, which include the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia. It is also claimed to be the largest palace complex in the world.
The Forbidden City itself has more than 100 museums and gardens.
3. The Infamous Tiananmen Square
The Infamous Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world, with total area of 109 acres, can accommodate more than 5 million people at a time. The Tiananmen Square became famous in world eyes and become great political importance because of the 1989 massacre during Mao Zedong period, where many Chinese students and workers surrounded Beijing's Tiananmen Square and began the largest political protest in China’s history were killed.
There is Monument to the People’s heroes (Inside there are large sculptures which show the development of Chinese modern history, it is devoted to people who died in the struggles to make China an independent nation in the century before the Communists came to power)
Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen tower and Mao Zedong memorial Hall (where Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in one of the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses) are attractions to visit during your trip Tiananmen. And not to be missed is the raising of National flag ceremony! To see the National flag ceremony, one has to wake up early in the morning and reach the square before sunrise. There are mass of people presence in the ceremony every morning
The square is also the gates to Forbidden city, previously use in the past in the dynasty time as the place holding big ceremony to the common people to declare the emperor and empress.
4. The temple of heaven
The Temple of Heaven is located in the southeast of Beijing. It used to be used by Emperor to pray for good harvest and weather. The Temple of Heaven has been listed as one of the World Cultural Relics by the UNESCO.
5. Beihai park
Beihai Park located in central Beijing, is one of the oldest and most authentically preserved imperial gardens in China. The total park is 69 hectares, including a 39-hectare lake. The plants and the architectures come together creating a paradise on earth. Be sure to visit Round city of Beihai Park and Tibetan style While Dagoba, which was build on the advice of well-known Tibetan Lama priest, NaomuHan.
6. The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace in Beijing is on a lake nearby and includes the longest covered walkway in the world. The Summer Palace in (Yi He Yuan) is the most wonderfully well maintain and largest imperial garden in China. The Palace is surrounded by a huge variety beautiful ancient building, pavilions, pagodas, bridges and Kunming lake area, famous for the longest and most famous corridors in the traditional Chinese gardens. It used to be the summer resort for the emperor. Bring your most comfortable shoes as there is a great deal of walking involved.
7. The Great Wall of China.
The Great Wall is said to be one of the largest and longest man made building ever constructed.
Construction of the Great Wall started in 221 BC by Emperor Qin to defend the Middle Kingdom from Mongol soldiers. Most of the current Great Wall was built during the Ming dynasty, in between 1368 and 1644, resulted the great wall to be 6000 kilometre wall.
Sad but true, this amazing ancient Great wall are holding people’s suffering. The wall was the result of the never ending work day and night by soldiers, civil and criminals. The amazing Great Wall was built with wisdom, dedication, blood, sweat and tears.
Archaeologists have discovered many humans remains buried under the wall. Estimated that more than 1 million people died during the construction of The Great Wall of China
Many locations can be visited by one to have spectacular view of the Great Wall of China. Badaling is one of the places. Badaling is significant for the Ming dynasty contribution to the Great Wall. Other places include Mutianyu, Simatai and Jinshanling
Sleeping in the great wall of China?
8. Hutong
Other places to see on Beijing are the “Hutong”. In the old days the word Hutong came from Mongolia language, which means “water well”. It refers to the place where there is water, the place where people gathered together and live in. Today, “hutong” means a small alleyway or lane.
In the old days, people live in Hutong courtyard residences. The alley passageways of Hutong are narrow. One can go through the zig-zag alley by foot or by ricksaw or by bicycle.
If you wonder about Chinese lives, in Hutong you can see old people spending their time playing chess, mah-jong and hear the traditional folk singing. In Hutong, some of the Chinese tradition is still preserved. Private homes in the Hutong can be visited as well so the tourist can see how genuine Chinese people live.
One can visit 300-year old courtyard in the Shichahai area, belong to army officer during Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644).
The lucky tourist will get to visit a school inside one of the Hutong areas where young children are taught from as young as two years of age.
9. Silk Alley
Last but not least. After a lot of walking and sight seeing, its time to do what women likes to do all the time! For shopping at a bargain price, one has to visit “Silk Alley”. “Silk Alley” is a great place to buy souvenir and buy well-known brand such as Nike. Cheap pirated DVD and CD are also sold there. Remember, “Bargaining” is what you must do when visit the “Silk alley”. The price can be discounted until 50%!
Popular hotels to stay in Beijing
Asia Hotel Beijing *****
The Asia Hotel Beijing is 5 minutes’ walk from the nearest metro stop. The airport is approximately 20 minutes away by car. The Asia Hotel Beijing is an upscale business and leisure property that is part of the Jin Jiang family of hotels. There is a Cantonese restaurant on site, as well as the Cherry Tree Coffee Shop, which serves buffet snacks and drinks throughout the day. There is a banquet hall for up to 1,000 people. For relaxation, the hotel offers guests a sauna, swimming pool, and fitness room. There is a bar, a game room, and a television lounge. Parking is available on site for guests.
Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing****
The Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing is located in the commercial area of the city. Nearby attractions include Wangfujing and the Forbidden City. The Oriental Plaza is also located nearby, making this one of the more conveniently located hotels in Beijing.
Guests of the Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing will find themselves situated near many shops and restaurants. The hotel offers multiple restaurants for guests to enjoy as well as a coffee bar. Onsite amenities include meeting rooms, a karaoke area, babysitting service, a tour desk, a car rental, and concierge service.
The InterContinental Financial Street Hotel*****
The InterContinental Financial Street Hotel Beijing is located in the financial and business district of the city. Many attractions, such as the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square are located near the hotel and can be viewed from many of the rooms. Lama Temple and Beihai Park are also located a short distance from this Beijing hotel.
Malta hotels just keeping on winning awards - and it's helping boost the island's reputation as a holiday centre of excellence to those who haven't been before and are considering it.
And for tourists who already take holidays in Malta it's boosting the return rate of visitors - important to any destination that has tourism form a large part of its economy.
Malta has been a popular tourist destination for years - especially among the British - but her reputation has been transformed recently. In the past the island was seen often as a Mediterranean holiday for the retired.
Low cost flights however now means that the island is affordable for a long weekend or mid-week break for those tourists who want just a few days away because of their jobs - bringing down the average age of those taking Malta holidays in the last couple of years, and the hotels are to standards high enough to see many of the tourists visiting again and again - a good boost for the island's economy.
And it's not just traditional three and four star hotels that are enticing people - Malta is becoming well known for spa breaks and some of the hotels are regularly featured and praised in European and UK magazine and newspaper articles as being among the best in the Mediterranean.
Which all means the island is more than capable of competing with areas that traditionally people head for on a three day break - the Costa del Sol and Marbella for example, as well as other Mediterranean islands like Cyprus for those who take 7 day trips.
Cheap Malta Flight
Holidaymakers from the UK have been drawn to Malta in the past because it enjoys the weather of the Mediterranean, but also because it's comfortingly British in many ways, despite independence having been gained in the sixties.
Over the years the island has established her own identity, but some remnants of the former rulers remain - driving on the left for example, and English is universally spoken. Put that together with the low crime rate and it has an edge for UK tourists that other holiday destinations cannot offer.
It remains attractive to the British - helped in recent years with cheap Malta flights - but the vacations are increasingly appealing to other nationalities too - notably the Italians and increasingly Scandanavians, and the holiday market is no longer geared exclusively to the UK travel market.
The hotels that have won awards recently include the Corinthia Palace - well known for its spa facilities - when they won a World Travel Award while another of the hotels in Malta won two awards from Expedia - Le Meridien in St Julian's. Both of these Malta hotels could benefit from extra bookings in 2010 from holidaymakers looking for good accommodation.
As the island diversifies it's tourist base from almost exclusively British just a few years ago to being more cosmopolitan now, so the holidays and hotel industry has raised its standards to win and ultimately retain visitors to the extent that they are able to win awards in competition with the rest of Europe.
Which all bodes well for the future of Malta and her economy which derives a lot of income from tourism today.
Nowadays, the globe is at your end of a finger. Declare the word and you'll be able to at once book a cruise to whichever of the 7 continents. Cruising is the most effective holiday and there are cruise vacations to match every account. Therefore why not to settle on a Hawaiian cruise ?
Your Hawaiian cruise fare can contain all meals, your stateroom, on-board activities and amusement, plus transportation from port to port. Housed among the Hawaiian cruise ships are swimming pools, volley ball and basketball courts, spas, fitness centers, theaters, beauty salons, dance clubs and of course, a wide array of restaurants .
To keep yourself busy throughout the time the ship is sailing to Hawaii, (that can be 4-7 days) you'll be able to visit computer course or go to health and wellness seminars .
You may notice that a Hawaiian cruise ship is a floating resort, with all the things a quality place of recreation has to offer and more. You'll come across new friends, individuals like yourself who split the identical tastes and interests. And, you'll be able to spend your time becoming vigorous or relaxing.
Sometimes, your solely extra expenses can be drinks, optional shore excursions, and private services like massage or hairdressing.
The majority tourists to Hawaii opt to fly , however many are increasingly preferring a Hawaiian cruise.
Sailing from one island to a different , that primarily sums up what a Hawaiian cruise is . While you sail your way through the gorgeous waters of Hawaii, you can expertise an amusement and relaxing vacation with less hassles than any land-based excursion. A Hawaiian cruise might sound expensive for you, but taking into consideration the advantages it is less expensive than you think.
Virtually everybody who take a Hawaiian cruise swear they'll go again. From white-sand beaches with lively-blue water to wild orchids that grow by the roadside, your eyes are on constant alert for brand spanking new, remarkable sites.
One among the most well-liked Hawaiian Islands, Maui is a tropical heaven filled with amazing sights, unbelievable seaside and thrilling recreational activities.
Maui's widespread attractive sandy beaches can leave you breathless.For a perfect afternoon in the sun, visit the shores of Kaanapali Beach, that is considered as one of the best beaches on Maui because of the good snorkeling site at Black Rock.
Your visit to the garden island of Kauai reveals calm waterfalls, blooming rainforests, and therefore the Spouting Horn lava tube formation.
While in Oahu, you may perhaps take a visit to the well-known seaside and nightlife of Waikiki, and take a sad excursion with a boat to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. On The Big Island of Hawaii you can see the active Kilauea Volcano, visit a pineapple plantation or occupy yourself with a round of golf at any of the award-winning golf courses.
Hawaiian cruise became one of the more common Hawaiian vacations, particularly for those who have not yet experienced the islands.When you consider all the additional costs at a land vacation , there is no better value than cruising.
Whether or not you've been designing a Hawaiian cruise for years or are just beginning to explore the thought , bear in mind that a Hawaiian cruise promises a lifetime experience.
To get around Copenhagen is very easy.
Parking is expensive so walk, hire a bike or use the public transportation – that’s the Danish way!!!
First of all we have the free citybikes, yes free! All you have to do is find one, which can be hard, but if you do you put a 20 kroner coin in the bike lock and its all yours!!!!
Be aware though that you are only allowed to ride it within the city (there is a fine is you get caught outside the city center). You get the 20 kroner coin back when you replace the bike in the lock.
At the Danish Tourist Information you can by a “Copenhagen Card” which give
you unlimited bus and train rides and free entrance at most museums.
We also have big yellow buses. You can buy tickets on board or discountcards at train stations and selected shops. The night buses don’t run as often as buses doing the day and they cost twice as much as a day ticket, but they are cheaper than a taxi.
The Danish homepage for the city buses is:
If you need to get out of the city you can catch the train. Some of the trains are even worth taking when you want to get from one part of the city to the other, and if you arrive by plane in Copenhagen you can catch a train from the airport to the city. The journey only takes 12 minutes and price is cheap. The trains don’t run at night.
Note: There are a lot of ticket checks in the trains and the fines are big so always buy your ticket before getting on the train.
Taxies are expensive: from the airport to the city will be about 130 dkk.
I never like getting up early in the morning but today is different I have booked a hot air balloon ride and I'm required to be up at the crack of dawn to be at the centre for the launch. I travelled to the balloon centre driving while still dark and while the rest of England sleeps under a full moon. I eventually arrive at the Balloon centre and start to meet up with the other intrepid passengers for our flight.
The Virgin Hot Air Balloon center which is manned by qualified pilots CAA approved and generally very good and professional team.
The flight consists of a safety brief and an outline of where today's flight might take you as the balloon is very much in the hands of the prevailing wind. The skill of the pilot can make the difference by knowing that wind travels in different directions at different altitudes a skilled pilot can make the Hot Air Balloon travel in almost the direction he or she wants providing there is sufficient fuel to rise and lower the balloon.
A hot Air Balloon is made up of three parts and they consist of the Basket, the burner and envelope. The basket for todays flight holds quite a few so the envelope must be massive there is a calculation for the load but I was never good at working things like that out. It was a lot of cubic feet of air anyway.
The parts of the balloon are started to be assembled. The passengers are volunteered to roll out and stretch out the envelope.
The weather for today was absolutely perfect the sun could be seen just making its appearance over the horizon and the temperature although a little chilly not too bad at all however this is at ground level. When the balloon gets up into the air it can be very chilly indeed. Most balloon companies provide very good information on what to wear and bring the main item being a woolly hat as you need to protect your head from the cold.
After the safety briefing and a good cup of tea the balloon team and pilot instruct you in how to roll out the balloon and help out with the start of the inflating. The balloons are pumped with cold air to start with to start to fill the envelope before the burner is used on its side to heat up the cold air inside the balloon.
After A while of expert inflation of the envelope the basket is balanced and the lucky passengers get to climb in and wait for the moment when the balloon is ready to lift off.
The balloon is then untied carefully by the ground crew and the burner is used in small bursts to bring the craft off the ground and rising slowly into the air. With a cheer we the passengers gasp as the ground slowly moves away from us as the burner goes off and we gently rise.
At this time of the morning there is not that much activity and you get to drift over the land in a very quiet peaceful manner as the world below wakes up from its slumber. Hot air Balloons are flown very early in the morning or just around sunset in the evening as this is the time that the air is most still across the land.
During the normal part of the day there is too much thermal activity for it to be safe to fly a hot air balloon and the wind is too unstable as . Todays early morning flight went very well It was a breath taking experience all round. A hot air balloon is tracked by a ground crew this helps when we land to pack up the balloon and get off the farmers land.
Hot Air Balloon flights have to land somewhere and mostly it is in farmers fields most farmers are not to bothered by a Hot Air Balloon landing and a bottle of good scotch usually smooths over the landing. However some farmers are hostile and some pilots have maps indicating hostile farm land owners.
Landing is the only part you get a little bit more apprehensive about as depending on fuel and the surrounding area sometimes you feel that you are going to land with a big bump and sometimes you're not it's down to the skill of the pilot.
We had a good pilot and although the basket ends up horizontal fairly quickly it was deemed to be a reasonable landing for us. The tracking crew with GPS that had followed the balloon where soon there to help with deflating and packing up of the balloon with a glass of champagne to help us with our nerves.
What sets a great family apart from an ordinary family? It is the bond between family members that they share with one another; it is the time they spend cherishing every moment that they are together. It is in the way where they share everything: ranging from laughter to sorrow and successes to failures of one family member. It is the genuine love, trust, honor and respect that every member has for each other.
A great family is the one that find ways to make the close family ties and the link between them stronger. Ways like having active dinner time during the evenings, parents spending time with the children, visiting theme parks, doing movie marathons together, and engaging in activities such as adventure family vacations are all great ways to increase the bonds and ties of a family.
When it comes to family vacations, careful planning is necessary. You do not want to go on a trip without all the necessary preparations since every opinion and suggestions of each family member counts. The location of the vacation, the budget and the prevailing season are some of the factors that should be considered in planning the event.
There are multiple selections where the family can seize a vacation such as an out of town vacation, at their grandparents' ancestral house, or even a trip outside of the country. Throughout the summer, the greatest family vacation locations are at the beaches of Mexico, the Caribbean, or in Europe. And since summer is at hand, it is wise to enjoy yourselves with exhilarating and enjoyable activities fit for the family.
Vacations, most of the time, require a lot of money. However thinking that this will make the whole family happy and will make the family closer, it is worth to spend on it. When it comes to budget vacations, it is very practical to avail of the all inclusive family vacations. This all inclusive vacation literally contains everything that a family can think of for a very affordable price.
These family vacation packages include everything that a family desires at a convenient rate. Integrated in the package are the activities and indulgence that both the parents and the children will take pleasure in; including the food, water sports activities, and attractions that will create a thrilling and unforgettable event for everyone.
If you are not yet planning for your whole family vacation, then this is the best time to do so. Do not ever miss the chance to get close with each family member with adventure family vacations, or else you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
This is the perfect time to do some planning if you are not yet planning for that grand family vacation. Never ignore the opportunity to be close to every family member with adventure family vacations if you don't want to be sorry later on. Form a plan of your preferred family outing and allow them to experience and sense the tenderness and company of every member through the bonding and activities.
Our journey starts upon arrival in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. We are taken to the hotel where we spend our first night in Nairobi the capital city of Kenya. The city is crowded during the day and noisy especially from the traffic. But the uptown of Nairobi is a bit calm and the perfect place for your rest.
Early the next morning we start our safari to Masai mara national park. Kabiro is our driver and guide in the next 3 days we will be in Masai mara.Our drive takes us to the south along the floor of the Great Rift Valley with wonderful scenery and perfect place to take lots of pictures. We take a break at Narok Town for our lunch and then climb the western wall entering Hemmingways Country of the "Serengeti Plains". We arrive in Masai mara late afternoon in Masai mara with a game drive along the way before arriving in the campsite where we spend the night. The campsite is so amazing since we are sleeping in self contained tents with electricity and shower inside, who could imagine that in a bush unless it was a lodge. Kudus to the agency.
We later join other travelers for a campfire and some entertainment by the Masai villagers, ooh what a wonderful way to retire for bed.
Early the next morning after superb heavy breakfast we leave for a morning game drive in the park. Our guide makes a joke that we are going hunting but we should not use guns but our cameras. What i loved during the game drive was the cooperation between all the drivers who were in the park, the way they could communicate with each other on the radio on the exact spot where the animals were and where there was a hunt. It was so good, because this way we were able to see many animals and i guess it was also our lucky day because we saw a cheetah on the hunt. It killed a antelope and unfortunately a crowd of hyenas came and chased the cheetah away and enjoyed the meal. how unfortunate, but i guess is the way to survive. Our driver told us that it was our lucky day to witness the hunt,we took lots and lots of photos.
After our full day game drive, our driver takes us to the Masai village where we make a stop and learn on their culture , ways of living and the food they eat. There houses which are commonly known as the manyattas are pretty small but the Masai are proud of there ways of living. We had a chance to get some beautiful Masai souvenirs, what a day.
We headed back to the campsite for some freshening up and later had a wonderful African dinner which was prepared on a special request by our host. It was a meal of Ugali and fried goat meat. We later join the camp fire and interact with others then retire for bed.
On the third day our driver picks us up for a morning game drive after breakfast which lasted up to 11.00 o'clock in the morning. Am sorry to say this, but the trip ends here. We later arrive back in Nairobi in the late afternoon for lunch. Lunch in Nairobi restaurants are more fair in price compared to eating in the hotel. We are later joined by our host Nancy and she gives us this wonderful surprise of taking us to carnivore restaurant to wind up out trip with dinner there.Waw, the dinner was great, they have different range of bush meat , and choma was perfect. After this wonderful dinner we left for the airport. Asante sana Kenya and i will sure come back for more days.
The Heidelberg Castle is a well-known ruin that is located in Germany and is considered as the landmark of Heidelberg. The Heidelberg Castle is one of the most significant Renaissance structures found at the north of the Alps. The Castle has been demolished during the 17th and 18th century, but then only few parts have been rebuilt. The Heidelberg Castle lies at a distance of 80 metres up the northern part of the Konigstuhl hillside, and from there it dominates the outlook of the old downtown.
You can reach to this site through the Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular railway. The railway operates its services from the Kornmarkt to the summit of the Konigstuhl in Heidelberg. The original structure of the castle was built before 1214 AD and later has been enlarged into two different castles circa 1294. Unfortunately, in the year 1537, a lightening bolt has destroyed the upper castle.
The present structures were built with an expansion project in the year 1650, before the destruction through the wars and fires. All depends on the fate that some of the rebuilt sections were again destroyed by one more lightening bolt. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the Heidelberg Castle was not considered as the tourist destination. After building up the railway network in the year 1840, tourism has received a big boost in this area. At the beginning of the 21st century, over 3 million people visits this place a year, and nearly 1,000,000 people enjoyed overnight stays.
To get some wonderful views of Heidelberg, head to the Neckar River and the Neckar valley that is located far into the Rhine plain. If you are lucky enough to experience something beautiful with a clear day then the Mannheim is a better option that could be visible on the horizon.
Some of the other attractions at the site that will lure you entirely are:
The Gardens:
The castle gardens were built between the years 1616 and 1619 by Salomon de Caus who was the garden architect. Prince Elector Friedrich V commissioned him for his beloved wife Elizabeth. During that time, the gardens were considered as the masterpiece. The gardens are built upon many terraces with many flowers beds, mazes and arbors. With various sculptures, a heated greenhouse along with the orange trees, waterfalls, huge fish ponds, and a man-made grotto for the musical water arts.
Heidelberg Tun:
The Heidelberg Tun is also called as the World’s Largest Wine Barrel that was built by Prince Elector Karl Theodor in the year 1751. The structure stands at a height of seven metres and its breadth is of eight and a half metres. The Heidelberg Tun holds some 220,000 litres of wine and also boasts a dance floor that was built on the top of it.
Apothecary Museum:
Below the oto Heinrich Building, you will get the unique Apothecary Museum. Visitors get an opportunity to learn the history of pharmacy and dispensaries. There is a huge compilation of such things.
Castle lighting:
You can see the renowned fireworks display that lights three times during every summer. The three times occur on the months of June and September - first Saturday, and the second Saturday in the month of July. The lighting is done to remember the past event and history of the castle.
So if you love to explore the historic places then head to the Heidelberg Castle and spend a memorable time in your life.
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