Posts Tagged ‘Fascinating’

Hanoi City -Perfume Pagoda – Halong Bay ~ ‘The Historical, Fascinating Charm And Be A Part Of The Ocean Magic.!

Hanoi City -Perfume pagoda – Halong bay  Tour 3 days ~ ‘The historical, fascinating charm and be a part of the ocean magic.!

Code: PV – HN 32 – 12

Routes: Hanoi to its heritage

Duration: 3 day/ 2 nights

Feature: Alive with its tree-lined boulevards and lakes and its blend of French, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture, Hanoi is the jewel of Asia. Charming pagodas and the “36 streets and 36 wares” of the fascinating Old Quarter will vie for your attention. And, there are a multitude of other famous sights: the impressive Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Opera House, the Museum of Ethnology, the ancient Temple of Literature…
A great way to see spectacular Halong Bay is on a slow cruise through the seemingly never-ending bay of islands. Lay in the sun, enjoy a selection of the freshest seafood, and capture photograph after photograph.
Later take a more intense look of one of the islands, “get off the beaten track” at a more leisurely pace. Finish the day with an amazing night’s swim in the phosphorescent water. On board the Chinese Junk take part in boat-watching, sunset and sunrise. Actually be a part of the magic.

Itinerary in Detail:

Day 1: Hanoi city tour – the one thausand years

Depart at 8:00 am from your hotel by car. We will begin our day by visiting Uncle Ho, learning about his great life at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, and his residential place. Next stop is the nearby Temple of Literature. The site of Vietnam’s first University, built in twelfth century, to teach the royals the Confucius theory. Here we will also have a chance to see a traditional music performance. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant for a taste of authentic Hanoi Pho (noodle soup) . In the afternoon, choose one from the numerous museums or temples around Hanoi (Museum of Ethnology, Women’s Museum, History Museum or Quan Thanh Temple).

A late afternoon walk around Hoan Kiem lake and Hanoi’s fascinating Old Quarter for some great fun, shopping, and street side traditional food. This is your chance to be part of typical Hanoian style and its traditional Vietnamese culture. We finish our relaxing but informative day by attending a Water Puppet Show, a favorite experience for all visitors to Vietnam.We can help you get back to your hotel if you wish, but often our guests would just rather spend the evening enjoying a drink with a view of the city.

 Day 2: Perfume pagoda ~ ‘Heritage in culture.!

7h30 .The bus to pick you up at the hotel to take 2 hours road trip. Taking row-boat trip to visit that land on the Yen stream to Thien Tru. Then you will enjoy time to trekking go up and down visit the main cave so nice, step by step you will arrive Huong Tich cave on the top of the mountain to see Golden-Silver tree, rice stuck….One hour down. Have lunch at bottom mountain in restaurant beside.

PM : After lunchtime ,you will go to visit the Heaven Kitchen pagoda and to know about Buddhism ancient architectural at Le Dynasty. Then you will come back by row-boat trip and 2 hour road trip to Hanoi and arrive at about 18h30.

 Halong   ~ ‘Be a part of the ocean magic.!

Depart, 8:00 am, from your hotel to Halong city in our private car. After 3.5 hours driving and viewing simple, country side, rice paddy life, we arrive at the at port. Board your private boat, an authentic Chinese Junk and start your amazing cruise through this World Heritage Site. Lunch is served onboard, a selection of the freshest seafood. We visit “the amazing cave”, followed by a swim in the tranquility of Halong Bay and its emerald water.

We will cruise further into a quiet area where we will anchor and stay overnight. Dinner and relax as the sun sets. Then you are free to swim in the phosphorous water, retire to your cabin, or fall asleep under the stars amidst the magic of Halong on the top deck. (L,D)

Day 3: Halong – Hanoi

Wake up early in the morning for a great sunrise and a breath of fresh ocean air. Breakfast served on boat then we do a leisurely cruise through thousands of seemingly never ending islands. These are great opportunities to capture some amazing photographs.

We stop to visit a floating fishing village and listen to some legendary stories of the fishermen’s daily life. Take one last swim somewhere in the middle of the bay to refresh before cruising back to the Halong city pier. By noon we will be ashore and break for lunch at a local restaurant. Then we hit the road back to Hanoi. We arrive and finish our tour at your hotel by 5:00 pm. (B,L)

Prices ($US)

 Your price when;

Standard

Superior

Deluxe

you are 10 persons:

189 / person

205 / person

257 / person

you are 20 persons:

129 / person

145 / person

214 / person

Included: E.S. guide, private transport, private junk, admission fees, meal as specified: B for Breakfast; L for Lunch; D for Dinner.
Excluded: drinks, other personal expenses.
What to bring: Passport, towels, swimsuits, , change of clothes, sunblock, sunglasses & hat, insect repellent, flash lights.

Fascinating Historical Structures Attract Visitors to Malta

Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta, is a small country located on an archipelago consisting of seven islands located in the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, it lies to the north of Libya, south of Sicily, and east of Tunisia. It is considered a Southern European country and is a member of the European Union.

Although being an island country makes Malta a unique place to vacation, its history makes it fascinating. In Malta you’ll find what is believed to be the oldest freestanding structure in the entire world. It is an ancient megalithic temple called il-Ggantija, and it dates back to before 3500 BC. Another ancient temple, Hagar Qim, is located on a hilltop on the southern coast of Malta, which was built sometime between 3200 and 2500 BC.

The people who built the ancient temples either died out or moved on and the country was later colonized by the Phoenicians around 700 BC. The islands really began to develop, however, when the Romans took control of them in 218 BC. In fact, many of the old Roman structures still exist there.

Between AD 870 and 1091, Malta was ruled by the Arabs who introduced methods for growing citrus fruits and cotton as well as systems for irrigation. After the Arab rule ended, the Sicilian Normans moved in. Finally, in 1283 the County of Malta was established and so was the Maltese nobility. Many of the noble titles created at the time are still in use today.

In 1814 Malta was officially given to the British Empire as a result of the Treaty of Paris. Because of its location, it was an important port for trading ships. In World War II, Malta played such an essential role for ships that the Maltese people were awarded the George Cross by King George VI. A picture of the cross is still featured on a corner of the Flag of Malta.

Finally, on September 21, 1964 Malta was granted independence. For a time, Malta continued to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of Malta and had a Governor-General who acted on her behalf. Then, in 1974, Malta became a republic and followed a president as head of state.

In 1980, Malta declared its policy of neutrality. Since then, it has been the location of some important political meetings, such as President George H.W. Bush’s first meeting with Soviet leader Gorbachev in 1989, which signified the end of the Cold War.

The beautiful islands of Malta and their rich history attract thousands of vacationers every year. Fortunately, Malta is equipped with several hotels and holiday apartments to accommodate its many tourists.

Examples of hotels in Malta are:

Hilton Malta: This beautiful hotel that is part of the famous Hilton hotel chain is located at the heart of the Waterfront Development Portomosa. It features a stunning view of a yacht marina and a tree-lined promenade. The hotel offers onsite jet skiing, pool, and scuba diving.

Examples of holiday apartments in Malta are:

Villa in Zurrieq, Malta: This three bedroom villa sleeps up to six people. It is located on the southwest corner of the island close to historic sites. It is also just a short distance from swimming areas and the Marsa golf course.

The island nation of Malta offers so many fascinating things to see that you just may tire yourself out visiting them all. That’s okay though-you’ll find plenty of great places to stay at the end of your busy day.

Yosemite home to a fascinating Jewish past … and present

Yosemite home to a fascinating Jewish past … and present
When many Jews think of the Gold Rush, one thing that often comes to mind is Levi Strauss and his watershed invention — blue jeans.

Read more on The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles

Fascinating Cruise Trip in Halong Bay

Even if we hadn’t already spent a week in the bustle and hustle of Hanoi, the mist-shrouded limestone peaks of Ha Long Bay, echoing birdcalls and water lapping our ship would have been enchanting.

But by the time we arrived at this UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Vietnam’s Gulf of Tonkin, we badly needed a break from the mad motor-scooter traffic of the nation’s second-largest city, the swarming pineapple vendors and the ceaseless capitalist hustle. Three days of swimming, kayaking and just chilling on the deck of the Dragon’s Pearl, with drink in hand, were the ideal respite and one of the high points of our two-week trip to Vietnam in October.

We chose the cruise of Ha Long Bay because of its proximity to Hanoi and its World Heritage designation. Still, the 105-mile van trip takes almost half a day — Vietnam’s highway system is still a work in progress and buses and trucks share the road with darting motor scooters, bicycles and plodding water buffalo.

Ha Long City’s harbor, a gateway shipping port supplying this fast-developing region, is on the dreary side. In fact, I was having second thoughts about this trip as we dragged our suitcases along a rutted path past rusting, crumbling buildings to the ship, a deluxe junk. But once we were headed into the bay, the breeze and the view from the motorized Dragon Pearl’s top deck, along with our “welcome” glasses of iced tea, lifted my spirits. So did our cabin. Our room — like the 17 others on the junk — was small but contained plenty of amenities, including a king-sized bed, a minute bathroom complete with terry bathrobes and rubber flip-flops, and air conditioning, necessary to cut through the withering heat and humidity.

The first afternoon, our ship and several others dropped anchor at a deserted beach on the tiny island of Soi Sim, where we swam and lounged away the rest of the day. The water was calm and warm, but apart from the setting, this was the least memorable outing of our cruise. Escalating tourism in the region, perhaps because of its World Heritage designation, has generated litter and pollution. So, here, miles from anywhere, plastic drink bottles and candy wrappers floated in the water and washed up on the sand.A couple of hours later, we were back on board. With a school of silvery jumping fish as our escort, our ship headed northeast toward the Hang Luon grotto, where the Dragon Pearl dropped anchor for the night in the company of several other junks.

Before dinner, we hung out on the chaise lounges arrayed on the ship’s deck, watching as the peaks surrounding us turned a dusky blue and lights on the neighboring junks twinkled on. The scene reminded me of a cross between Hawaii’s Na Pali Cliffs and Washington’s Puget Sound.Our two evenings out on the top deck, trading stories and watching night fall, were among the few times I relished being outdoors in Vietnam’s blistering heat.

But the highlight of the trip was a kayaking tour on the second day. I had been dubious about this — I had never squeezed into a kayak before, and we were far out in the bay, close to the open waters of the gulf. I feared capsizing, not being able to keep up with the group and getting drenched if the threatening skies opened up.It was nothing like that. The five kayaks were led in and around cliffs and through grottoes, pointing out birds, plants and the cliffs where monkeys nest (although we didn’t see any). The skies held, and when we beached the boats at noon on an uninhabited island, the sun came out in time for a swim.

As for lunch, think “Fantasy Island,” that kitschy late-’70s TV series. Our table already was set on the sand when we pulled up — with white tablecloths and napkins — and although the white-suited Mr. Roarke was nowhere in sight, the ship’s kitchen crew was busy barbecuing fish and peeling dragon fruit, a dramatic red cactus fruit with mildly sweet white flesh, for another magnificent meal.

In fact, all our meals were extraordinary. Lunch and dinner aboard the ship were multiple-course, white-tablecloth affairs that usually included soup, locally caught prawns and fish, chicken, stir-fried vegetables and terrific tofu dishes. Breakfast was a buffet of fresh fruit and baked goods served outdoors on the ship’s middle deck. That afternoon, we paddled some more, at one point passing a lone fisherman casting his net. His wooden rowboat rocked gently. A teapot perched on the stern.

The next morning, our ship steamed to Sung Sot Cave, one of the area’s largest and most impressive limestone caverns, spanning 12,000 square yards inside. The entrance required a short hike up several flights of stone steps to a spot high above the bay. More steps led into receding chambers, past humongous stalactites and stalagmites that resembled giant sandcastles. Here, you can see water at work, dripping from the ceiling and pooling on the floor in ponds so still and mirror-like that it left me disoriented.

That afternoon, we headed to Ha Long Harbor for the return trip to Hanoi. Back in our French Quarter hotel, as the horns of a thousand motor scooters honked outside our window, I realized the cruise had given me a different impression of Vietnam. If Hanoi is like 4 million people on Red Bull, Ha Long Bay is where time stops, where the old ways of doing things endure and where it’s quiet enough to breathe deeply and hear fish leap from the water.