Bali-exotic destination for a dream vacation

Bali is an exotic island paradise, known for its green rice terraces, for its volcanoes height that can exceed 3000 meters, for  its people that although poor, are very hospitable and not least for its temples where you can view  incredible sunsets.

Bali island belongs to Indonesia which is famous for beautiful tropical beaches with palms and flowers that grow up huge, for  diversity of art represented by sculpture, painting, dance and ceremonies dedicated to the gods. In Bali are organized numerous ceremonies and festivals. 

The representative temples of Bali tourism are Tanah Lot temple, the temple Pura Jagatnatha,  dedicated to god temple Sang Hyang Widi Wasa, Pura Besakih that is  situated on mountainside Agung.

Those who want to spend their holiday in Bali will not think twice because it is a paradise destination. When you arrive on the island you can make various trips and tours with buses, cars, boats and even airplanes. 

The featured sights for a dream vacation are: 

- Kintamani, a mountain village located at 1500 m altitude, where you can admire Lake Batur and Batur Volcano, still active. You can visit the village Trunyan; 

- Tampaksiring were we can visit  the Tirta Empul temple and Elephant Cave; 

-The Mother Temple is the most sacred of Bali and the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia; 

-many museums such as Puri Lukisan in Ubud, Neka in Campuhan Gallery in Ubud Neka, Agung Rai Gallery in Peliatan and Agung Rai Museum  in Pengosekan.

In Bali, besides visiting the beauty of nature, we can make  many other activities such as: 
- Water sports: swimming, snorkelling, water skiing, parasailing, wind surfing; 
- Scuba Diving, the best places are along the east coast near Candi Dasa, Amed and Tulamben and near Nusa Penida;
- Fishing: there are companies that rent yachts and fishing boats; 
- Cruises: Daily organized near islands Nusa Penida  and Nusa Lembongan  on the south-east were you can also practice water sports;
- Submarine Safari: submarine tours of 36 seats in the Gulf Amuk Bay, Padangbai; 
- Other activities: golf, tennis and squash, white water rafting, karting, bungee jumping, horseback riding, paintball, traditional dance classes ,cooking classes;

If you want to buy souvenirs recommend natural teas, spices, frames decorated with banana leaves, wood carvings and of course the famous Indonesian coffee.

In conclusion, Bali offers many exotic places that can turn your vacation into a true paradis. In completing the thought, here is a photo gallery of the most representative locations.

Thailand - the fairyland, a great travel destination

Thailand, also known as the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country located in the center of the Indochina peninsula in South East Asia. 

Thailand is called the land of pagodas, the  country of the smile and the fairyland of Asia. 

In this country you can plan your dream vacations and exotic honeymoons. Thailand, through the two cities Bangkok and Tron, has a lot to offer to cultural  lovers  and through the beaches and landscapes that it has, it  can satisfy the tastes of all  nature lovers.

Thailand can enchant with various activities such as: 

-here you can delight sun and beaches all throughout the hole year but one of the best months to visit Thailand is november;

 -thai traditional food will impress even the best chefs;

-the Buddhism will impress you with its  beautiful temples and cultural diversity specific to this religion;

-night-life, which was one of the reasons that attracts many young tourists throughout the hole  year,  is varies from night clubs to many great beach bars;

- for lovers of shopping, Thailand offers a variety of markets where you can find the most  interesting and the funniest  holiday souvenirs;

If i couldn`t convince you with the arguments that i  have brought till now, i hope that in  the next gallery of photo  you will discover  the beauty of this exotic country that is worth to see it at least once in lifetime.

The Transfagarasan, Romania

The Transfagarasan is one of the most famous roads in Romania, and even in Europe, due to the height at which it was built, beautiful landscapes and many switchbacks. The road is spectacular because it crosses the Fagaras Mountains, the highest mountains in Romania so Transfagarasanul reaches an altitude of 2042 meters, is the second road in Romania as altitude, after Transalpina Road.

The spectacular road was built between 1970-1974, with huge efforts from the soldiers and workers who have managed to create a road in the mountains. Lives lost were many. Official number of dead was 40, but people who worked on this road tell that the number of the dead is the number of hundreds.

Sights include Balea Lake and Balea waterfalls, Vidraru Lake and Vidraru Dam, waterfall Goat, Goat Lake and Goat Massive, Poenari Castle. Add to this the Ice Hotel at Balea Lake, only open during the winter, and hiking trails surrounding massifs Transfagarasan.

Balea Lake is the maximum height of the Transfagarasan and is a glacial lake that is formed in a depression surrounded by high mountain ranges.

In winter, when the Transfagarasan is closed, access to Balea Lake is by cable car from Balea Waterfall Cottage. All winter, for three months, works Ice Hotel at Balea Lake, one of the few ice hotel in Eastern Europe. The first hotel was conducted in 2006 and since then the tradition is repeated every year. The hotel is built in the form of an igloo, has about 16 rooms, and there is a bar built in ice. The experience of spending a night here is unique, being the only inconvienent cold and warm clothes,  but considering the uniqueness of the hotel, is worth paying.

The  Vidraru Dam  was opened in 1966, after 5 years it took to build and which involved many human sacrifices. It is the highest dam in Romania, with a height of 166 meters but the largest arch dam in the country. The inauguration was the 5th arch dam in Euope and ninth in the world. The engineers pride who built the dam  is the power plant Vidraru, that is being placed underground in massive fortress at a depth of 104 meters. From the dam can practice bungee-jumping site.

The Vidraru Lake was created in 1965 to produce electricity, has a length of 14 km, maximum width is 2.2 km, a total area of ​​870 hectares and a depth of 155 meters. Over the lake and dam dominate Prometheus statue, erected on Mount Pleasant depicts the mythological hero Prometheus with a lightning bolt in hand, a symbol of electricity.

The Goat Lake is located in the Fagaras Mountains 45 minutes from cottage Balea, at an altitude of 2230 meters, at the foot of massive Goat, and has a depth of 11 meters and a beautiful blue color. In the southern part of the lake there is a plateau suitable for camping, which offers a wonderful view of the mountains.

The Poienari Castle is the latest tourist attraction on Transfagarasan. The Castle was the residence of Vlad Tepes (also called Vlad Dracul or as it is known as Dracula) and was built as a fortress against the turks. There is a staircase with 1,500 steps leading up to the fortress. Unfortunately all you can see are thick walls and landscapes with Fagaras mountains To climb nearly 1,500 steps takes time and patience.



In conclusion, the Transfagarasan offers many natural attractions and is perfect for mountain lovers. I hope you enjoyed our ride on Transfagarasan and if you are interested in other things about this destination please tell me.

Wildlife in Himalayan Mountains

The wild life of Himalaya is very diverse.The region is a paradise for nature lovers. The different wild life sanctuaries and national parks are the home for rare species. The types of flora, which are common in the Himlayan region, are pine, fir, oak, rhododendron, deodar and juniper. Regarding wildlife, snow leopard, blue sheep, elephants, tigers, wild boar, crocodiles and musk deer are seen mostly in the different parts of the Himalayan Mountains.

In the north of the Himalayan Mountains the temperature falls below freezing point and its extremely cold. That`s way during the cold winter, most of the animals migrate to the lower regions of the Himalayas while others like marmots and brown bear choose to hibernate. The iak is living mostley in the cold desert.

In conclusion, the Himalayas is a very harsh environment and that`s way some  animals have to be well equipped to survive.

One of the most beautiful animals in the Himalayas is snow leopard. He is a member of cat family and is a predator of other creatures that lives in this region.

Snow leopards show several adaptations for living in a cold, mountainous environment. Their bodies are stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss. Their paws are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow, and have fur on their undersides to increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss. Snow leopards' tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance, which is very important in the rocky terrain they inhabit.

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The Himalayan Yak  is a long-haired bovid characterised by long shaggy hair and living in areas in which there is much grass and lichen. People living in the Himalayas depend considerably on the yak for both food and transportation.  For this reason, the Yak is usually farmed in  herds. 

The herds consist primarily of females and their young, with a smaller number of adult males. The remaining males are either solitary, or found in much smaller groups, averaging around six individuals. Although they can become aggressive when defending young, or during the rut, wild yaks generally avoid humans, and may rapidly flee for great distances if any approach.

The bharal or Himalayan blue sheep is a caprid found in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan and Bhutan.

Bharals move in herds of 10 or more, with males forming separate herds outside of mating season.Bharal are active throughout the day, alternating between feeding and resting on the grassy mountain slopes. Due to their excellent camouflage and the absence of cover in their environment, bharal remain motionless when approached. Once they have been noticed, however, they scamper up to the precipitous cliffs, where they once again freeze, using camouflage to blend into the rock .

The Himalayan forests are not so lush and green but they have a different charm. In the Terai region variety of wildlife can be seen .Different kinds of birds like the Monal Pheasant are also seen in areas of eastern, central, and the western region of the Himalayas. Even rare species are also found here.

In conclusion, not many places in the world can charm you like the Himalayas.  Not every place gives you the reason to visit there every season. Spring and summer is the best time to visit as the flowers are in full bloom during this time to welcome the visitors with a burst of colors. 

References

 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yosemite National Park, California

Located in central California, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 and draws four

million annual visitors.Yosemite Valley is open year-round, but much of the remaining park is closed in late autumn because of snow and re-opens in mid to late spring. Open-air tours around Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias are available. Many people enjoy short walks and longer hikes to waterfalls in Yosemite Valley, or walks amongst Giant Sequoias in the Mariposa, Tuolumne, or Merced Groves. Others like to drive or take a tour bus to Glacier Point (summer-fall) to see a spectacular view of Yosemite Valley and the high country, or drive along the scenic Tioga Road to Tuolumne Meadows (summer-fall) and go for a walk or hike.

In addition to exploring the natural features of the park, visitors can also learn about the natural and cultural history of Yosemite Valley at a number of facilities in the valley: the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, the adjoining Yosemite Museum, and the Nature Center at Happy Isles. There are also two National Historic Landmarks: the LeConte Memorial Lodge (Yosemite's first public visitor center), and the world-famous Ahwahnee Hotel. Camp 4 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Rock climbing is an important part of Yosemite. Camp 4, a walk-in campground in Yosemite Valley, was instrumental in the development of rock climbing as a sport, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Climbers can generally be spotted in the snow-free months on anything from ten-foot-high (3 m) boulders to the 3,300-foot (1.0 km) face of El Capitan. Classes are offered by numerous groups on rock climbing.

Bicycle rentals are available in Yosemite Valley spring through fall.Water activities are plentiful during warmer months. Rafting can be done through the Yosemite Valley on the Merced River. There is also a swimming pool available at Curry Village.

In 2010, Yosemite National Park was honored with its own quarter under the America the Beautiful Quarters program.

Here is a photo guide for all to see what landscapes offer this amazing park:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995, the first-ever property to be included in the cultural landscape category of the World Heritage List.This inscription has five sites: the Batad Rice Terraces, Bangaan Rice Terraces (both in Banaue), Mayoyao Rice Terraces (in Mayoyao), Hungduan Rice Terraces (in Hungduan) and Nagacadan Rice Terraces (in Kiangan), all in the Ifugao Province, the Philippines.

The rice terraces of the Cordilleras are the only monuments in the Philippines that show no evidence of having been influenced by colonial cultures. Owing to the difficult terrain, the Cordillera tribes are among the few peoples of the Philippines who have successfully resisted any foreign domination and have preserved their authentic tribal culture. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wave, Arizona-U.S.

The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in the United States of America near the Arizona-Utah border, on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria Canyon on the Colorado Plateau.

The Wave is comprised of sandstone dunes that have calcified vertically and horizontally, turning into compacted rocks over time.

While the rocks have been hardened, they are still susceptible to damage. Only 20 visitors a day are allowed to walk through the ravine, and permits are required. The permits are issued through online. The tour guides are available for hire

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It is famous among hikers and photographers for its colorful, undulating forms.

Hawaii- a dream destination

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches and oceanic surrounding, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike

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Hawaii offers six romantic islands, tailor-made for two. Spend the day sharing in adventures from watching the sunrise atop Haleakala to watching the sunset from Waikiki Beach. When the day is done, sip champagne while relaxing to the rhythmic ebb and flow of the ocean. Tomorrow there are beaches to explore. Sunsets to chase. Surprises to stumble upon. You’ll see why the special moments of your trip to Hawaii become even more memorable when they’re shared together.

Waimea Bay is widely known as the birthplace of big wave surfing. Waimea’s big winter waves subside in the summer, for perfect beach conditions. 

One of the most popular landmarks in Hawaii, Pearl Harbour is the largest natural harbor in the state and also the only naval base in the United States to have the distinction to be recognized as a National Historical Landmark. Pearl Harbour offers visitors a variety of ways to learn about the history and the events of the past.