Barcelona is the city in Spain and is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Europe. The cultural offerings of the city draw visitors from all over the world. Barcelona is renowned for its contemporary architecture. The architecture of Barcelona is one of its kinds and is really a beauty to behold. There are over 45 famous museums in Barcelona. The works of architecture by famous architect Antonio Gaudi is one of the biggest attractions in Barcelona. Apart from the architecture there are several spectacular beaches. You can come to these beaches and bask under the sunshine enjoying the sight of the tides lashing on the sea shore. You can feel the magnanimity of the sea sitting on the beaches.

There are many museums at Barcelona whose contents are from the most ancient periods. A visit to the City History Museum that is housed in a medieval building will tell you the history of the city. There is a Roman ruin in the basement of the city that is really interesting. It also comprises the Museum-Monastery of Pedralbes, one of the best examples of Catalan Gothic architecture. The Museum-House Verdaguer is dedicated to the poet Jacint Verdaguer. The Museum on the History of Catalonia was opened in 1996. A visit to this museum will tell you the story of Catalonia since prehistoric times. The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, more widely known as MACBA gives an insight on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. It also includes foreign works. The works of Joan Miro are found in the museum of the Fundacio Joan Miro, along with the guest exhibitions from other museums around the world. The Picasso Museum features early works by Pablo Picasso and his “Las meninas” series. The Fundació Antoni Tà pies holds a collection of Tà pies works.

Here are the top five famous tourist attractions in Barcelona, Spain:

La Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi:

A Giant Temple designed by the master architect Antonio Gaudi. This building has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years (depending on funding and resources) to go before it will be finished.

Much controversy surrounds the building of the Sagrada Familia. Today new construction materials are being used which, some feel, Gaudi himself would not have used.

When you visit the building you will see the contrast in the stone colour between the front and back of the building. Also the actual style of construction appears somewhat different between the new and old parts of the building.

Website: www.sagradafamilia.org

L’ Aquarium de Barcelona
The largest aquarium in Europe, it contains 21 glass tanks positioned along either side of a wide, curving corridor. Each tank depicts a different marine habitat, with emphasis on everything from multicolored fish and corals to seagoing worms to sharks. The highlight is a huge “oceanarium” representative of the Mediterranean as a self-sustaining ecosystem. You view it from the inside of a glass-roofed, glass-sided tunnel that runs along its entire length, making fish, eels, and sharks appear to swim around you.

Website: www.aquariumbcn.com

Poble Espanyol de Montjuic or The Spanish Village

Poble Espanyol was created to give vistiors an overview of all of the different people of Spain. This Spanish village contains representations of all of the cultures, lifestyles and craftmanship of Spain. It is a charming town and the craft stores are unique and diverse. Guided tours are offered. It would be better to book the tour in advance because you will get a one hour tour rather than a 1/2 hour tour for the same price if you book at the door. While you’re there, take a walk across the street from the entrance and enjoy the beautiful view that overlooks Barcelona.

Website: www.poble-espanyol.com

La Pedrera – Casa Mila

Another building designed by Antonio Gaudi. The building is definitely without a straight line. It looks really magnificent and overwhelming some say it is like waves of lava or a sand-dune. Everything breaks our understanding of conventional architecture. The most astonishing is the roof with lunar appearance and dreamlike landscape. The building is again a more of a sculpture than a regular building. Critics might remark on its detachment from usefullness. This is ART, not blocks of flats, for Christ’s sake.

This house was amazing. It was inspired by the mountains surrounding Montserrat and the apartments themselves resemble cave dwellings. when you go up onto roof you can see the Sagrada Familia in the distance. Wait a bit and photograph the Sagrada Famila framed by one of the arches on the roof.

Barcelona Zoo
The great zoo of Barcelona was founded in 1892 and remains as popluar as ever. Its most famous resident is the only albino gorilla in captivity. Other highlights at the zoo include dolphin shows and and killer whale show. The adventure playground seems like a great place for kids.

Website: www.zoobarcelona.com

References:
Barcelona Tourist Guide
Barcelona Travel Guide

The top Tourist Attractions in Paris are:

Eiffel tower

The Eiffel tower has come to symbolize the city. This historical monument was built during 1889 as the centerpiece of the World’s Fair. Try to climb to the top of the Eiffel tower and have a magnificent view of the city below.

Website: www.louvre.fr

The Louvre

The Louvre is a world famous art museum and was once the residence of kings. the Louvre’s most popular piece is Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” It was established in 1793, and is one of the oldest museums in Europe. Its collections spans from the birth of great civilizations up to the 19th century.

Website: www.louvre.fr

Musee d’Orsay
One of the world’s most-visited museums, the Musee d’Orsay houses the largest collection of painting, sculpture, and decorative objects produced between 1848-1914, showcasing many of the most remarkable works of the early modern era.

Website: http://www.musee-orsay.fr

Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral is arguably the most stunning gothic cathedral in the world—and is undoubtedly the most famous. Conceived in the 12th century and completed in the 14th, Notre Dame Cathedral was the very heartbeat of medieval Paris. After a period of neglect, it recaptured the popular imagination when 19th-century writer Victor Hugo immortalized it in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

Website: www.cathedraledeparis.com

Sacre Coeur and Montmartre

With its unmistakeable white dome, the Sacre Coeur sits at the highest point of Paris on the Montmartre knoll, or butte. This basilica, which was consecrated in 1909, is best-known for its garish gold mosaic interiors and for its dramatic terrace, from which you can expect sweeping views of Paris on a clear day. Take the funicular up with a metro ticket and stop off at Sacre Coeur before exploring the winding, village-like streets of Montmartre.

Website: www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com

Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées

The Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris’ most visit attractions. This monument is devoted to one of France’s most fearless leaders, Napoleon Bonaparte. A visit to the Arc de Triomphe gives visitors a chance to see this architectural wonder, as well as a fabulous view and photo vantage point on the Champs Elysees. Here is a guide to visiting Paris’ Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile. The arch brings in 1.4 million visitors each year.

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During World War II, much of Intramuros was damaged by bombings from both Japanese, Filipino and American soldiers who besieged on it.

In 1945, Japanese soldiers who had occupied the islands, invaded the site of Intramuros, killed many civilians and Filipino soldiers; destroying most of the original buildings contructed. Almost 100,000 people died during the liberation of Manila. Intramuros was in ruins after the war and the only structure that survived was the San Agustin; almost no other buildings remained standing.

Intramuros has been restored for the tourists. Today, it houses a museum, art galleries, an open-air theatre, fine restaurants, craft shops and souvenir stalls. It also keeps a park lush with tropical flora and homing pigeons. The park, Puerto Real, is the venue of Saturday musical performances during dry months.

Here are some of the historical spots than can be seen inside Intramuros:

fort santiago Phillip II

baluarte de san diego

casa manila

oldest church san agustin

manila cathedral

Map:

References:
Intramuros

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Keukenhof (pronounced [?kø?k?n?h?f], in Dutch: Kitchen Court), also known as the Garden of Europe is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world’s largest flower garden. According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, there are approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) flower bulbs planted annually at the park. [1]

Keukenhof is located in South Holland between the towns of Hillegom and Lisse, south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam. It is accessible by bus from the stations of Haarlem or Leiden.

The flower garden was the idea in 1949 of the then-mayor of Lisse, a small town south of Amsterdam. The idea was to have a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids which will help the Netherlands as it is the world’s largest exporter of flowers. Keukenhof has been the world’s largest flower garden for over fifty years.

Keukenhof is open annually from the last week of March to mid-May. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather. In 2008 the Keukenhof will be open from March 20 to May 18.

Guided Tour

Keukenhof organises guided tours daily.Obviously you can make a stroll through our park on your own. If, however, you intend to visit Keukenhof in a group, you can also select an organised guided tour. You will then get an explanation on the history, background information on the planting and you will hear all kinds of interesting information that you would normally miss. Are you coming with a foreign group? No problem, we provide organised guided tours in Dutch, English, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese. It costs ? 125.00 per group of maximum twenty persons. This includes VAT and excludes admission. A walk through the park takes approximately 2 hours.

Map:

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Keukenhof
Stationsweg 166a
2161 AM Lisse
Telephone: +31 (0) 252 465 555
Fax: +31 (0) 252 465 565
e-mail: info@keukenhof.nl

References:
Keukenhof Official website

Tourist features of Jeju.
- Mild climate. Jeju is in subtropics and is excellent place for active tourism – not too hot and not too cold.
- Pure sea and air with a favorable ecology. The island has no manufacturing; most income of local people is tourism, agriculture and fishing. Jeju is one of the most unpolluted places in Asia, ecology is by a high priority here and development of many places is strictly controlled. Many possibilities for water sports: scuba-diving, sea kayaking, windsurfing, parasailing…

– Unique nature: beautiful rocky seaside, picturesque beaches with colorful sand, many blooming trees in winter, spring and summer, diverse underwater world and lush vegetation.

- Compact location of local sights. On a relatively small territory of 1.845 sq km Jeju has many places for sightseeing. On Jeju you can visit several (but not all) exotic places and sights just in one day, and transfers take from 10 min to 60 min.

Transportation:

Bicycle: Given Jeju’s wide expanses, bicycling here is much safer than in most of Korea. Many of the roads have sufficient room to ride along the edge, and some even have special bike lanes- not just a painted line between you and traffic, but a separate road with curbs between you and the drivers. Unfortunately, many of the local residents are convinced that the bikes lanes were actually built especially for them to dry their seeds and herbs, so in some places you may have to take short detours onto the road.
Boat: The ferry terminals in Jeju City has daily boats to Busan, Yeosu, Mokp’o, Wando, Noktong, and Incheon on the mainland, as well as several boats to Japan (see the Jeju Port section for schedules). Several other smaller ports have boats to the outlying islands of Kapa-do, Mara-do, Piyang-do, and U-do.
Bus: The bus terminal in Jeju City has buses to numerous destinations around the island. Most do circuits between here and Seogwip’o or Jungmun Resort on the south coast, stopping at various points of interest along the way. Several Jeju City buses criss-cross the city. The main bus is #100, running between the airport and the port, passing the bus terminal and most major hotels. Major hotels and tourist agencies run 1- and 2-day tours around the island.
Car: Several rental car agencies have various models for hire, starting from around W35,000 per half day.
Plane: Jeju International Airport has several flights daily via Korean Air and Asiana to Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Jinju, Kunsan, Gwangju, Mokp’o, P’ohang, Ulsan, Yecheon, and Yeosu. Domestic flights have an airport tax of W3,000. It also has international flights to Japan: Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo.

Map:

Korea Tourist Destination Jeju Island
References:
Discover Jeju
Life in Korea

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The world’s first wildlife park built for visits at night, the Night Safari is not like any ordinary zoo illuminated by the night or a modern version of nocturnal houses found in many zoos around the globe.

Nestled in 40 hectares of lush secondary forest, the Night Safari offers guests the unique experience of exploring wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. Through the use of subtle lighting technique, guests are able to view over 1,000 nocturnal animals of 100 species in vast naturalistic habitats.

The birth of the Night Safari is a result of a combination of factors. The overwhelming response to night tours conducted at the Zoo in the late 1980s indicated a demand for wholesome night entertainment. Displaying tropical animals at night seemed ideal since 90% of them are nocturnal and, therefore, most active after dusk. Moreover, Singapore is blessed with sunset taking place punctually at 7.30pm, dependably cool nights and little rainfall. These operational advantages make outdoor night attraction perfect.

The Night Safari took four years to plan and three years to construct. It was officially opened on May 26, 1994 by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Map:

Night Safari Tourist Destinations Singapore
Address: Mandai Road, Singapore 729826
Ph : 6269 3411, Fax : 6367 2974
Email : info@zoo.com.sg
Website : www.nightsafari.com.sg

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Widely known as one of the finest swimming destinations in the world, Boracay is blessed with unsullied fine talcum powder-sand beaches. Its tranquil crystal clear waters are perfect for swimming, sailing, fishing and sunbathing. Boracay also boasts of sapphire seas and spectacular sunsets. Countless hidden coves dot the island and tall coconut trees line up along the beaches.

Boracay lies at the northwest tip of Panay, in the west Visayas region, off the Sibuyan Sea. The island is made up of little communities: Yapak in the north, Balabag in the middle, and Manocmanoc in the south. Hilly elevations up to 100 meters above sea level characterize Yapak and Manocmanoc. Intertwining trails link the small villages together but many sometimes lead to lush tropical jungles.

To get to Boracay, one has to book a flight to Kalibo, the capital of Aklan province. Air-conditioned coasters or public buses offer one-hour-and-a-half drive to Caticlan where one can board a motorized banca for a 30-minute trip to Boracay.

Here are some Travel Tips in going to Boracay:

1. Wear SHORTS!!! Don’t be like those corporate geeks who need to be carried by the boatmen because their office pants will get wet. You will be walking into knee to waist deep of water when you get to Boracay Island.

2. Bring Slippers. Tho you can buy them anytime at the market, it still pays to bring those sturdy off-road strap ons. Your plush basketball shoes wont feel and smell right with all those sand in them. Don’t think it’s not fashionable at the airport either, because it is, and security inspectors will love you for not giving them a hard time to look for things inside your shoes.

3. Travel Light. Its best if you can have all your things fit in a backpack. Don’t bring your leather luggage, they will get powdery white with sea salt and ruin the leather. Most of the things you need are available at the island stores.

4. Bring your medicines. Common sense huh? It will be tragic if your asthma inhaler will not be available on the island drugstore.

5. Wear light cotton clothes. They’re cooler.

6. Use Credit Cards. At the island, visa and mastercard is widely accepted, and there is even a center where you can get “cash advances in peso”. If you’re using an international $ card, you will be amazed at how far your dollar can go. (cause you will normally be billed in Philippine Peso)

7. Be friendly. There is no place for grouchy people in Boracay. The locals, even a 5 year old kid will smilingly greet you “Good morning”, when you pass by, it wouldn’t hurt to exchange hi’s and hello’s…it’s simply one of the friendliest places on Earth.

8. Buy Souvenirs. Nothing is more annoying than friends arriving from Boracay without even a single “pasalubong” for you. The market is a sure hit for bargain hunters, small intricately carved and hand painted fishes and dolphins are amongst the favorites.

9. Get a good package and competent travel agent. Highly recommend is www.interisland.com.ph, unbeatable packages all the time!

10. Bring a loved One. Every moment will be best enjoyed if you share it with someone you love.

Map:

Boracay Island
References:
Boracay History
Visit Boracay
Boracay Beach Resorts
Travel Tips

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