Author: Gill Dewar

Where in the World Vietnam

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Vietnam:

Where is this Palace situated?

Its the Presidential Palace Hanoi, Vietnam
 
Constructed in 1900 by French architect Auguste Henri Vildieu, was intended to be Ho Chi Minh’s official residence but the Vietnamese leader had opted for a traditional Vietnamese stilt-house instead. The three-storey, mustard yellow building features 30 rooms built in colonial French architectural style, an orchard, carp pond, and a 91-metre long boulevard surrounded by lush gardens.
 
The Presidential Palace is a yellow three storey building constructed in Renaissance and Beaux Art style. The French colonial rulers had a civilizing mission and believed that European architectural styles were superior to traditional Asian housing design. The building has no Asian architectural feature. The building stands behind strong wrought iron gates with sentry boxes on either side.
 
The palace is surrounded by expansive grounds including an alley with mango trees that leads to a humble structure on stilts occupied by Ho Chi Minh. After independence, Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the presidential palace and chose to stay in the servant’s quarters till his small cottage was constructed in the grounds.
 
The cottage called uncle Ho’s cottage or the Nha San Bac Ho, is designed like the traditional houses in North West Vietnam that offered shelter to revolutionaries during their struggle for independence from the French rulers.
 

Where in the World Qatar

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Qatar:

Do you recognise this amazing building?

Its the National Museum of Qatar, Doha
 
A series of colliding discs form the external shell and define the internal programme of Atelier Jean Nouvel’s National Museum of Qatar, which is based on a mineral formation called the “desert rose”.
 
The project led by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel is located on a prominent site within a newly developed civic quarter that connects it with other cultural institutions including I M Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art.
 
More than a decade in the making, the National Museum of Qatar is designed to tell the story of the country’s history and its ambitions for the future.
“This is a 21st-century museum that allows you to experience the exhibits in three dimensions,” said the architect at the museum’s inauguration. “It aims to be a destination for people from around the world that reflects the contemporary spirit of Qatar.”
 
The building’s dramatic shape is inspired by the desert rose – a mineral formation created when minerals crystallise below the surface of a salt basin into an array of flat plates resembling rose petals.
 

Where in the World Oman

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Oman:

Where is the beautiful and exotic looking oasis?

Its in Oman.

Wilāyat Wādī Banī Khālid is in the Northern Governorate of the Eastern Region of Oman.
 
Located about 126 mi (203 km) from Muscat, and 120 km (75 mi) from Sur, the province has a wadi which serves as a destination for tourists, that is Wādī Banī Khālid.
 
Wadi Bani Khalid is one of the best-known wadis in the Sultanate of Oman.
 
Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year. Large pools of water and boulders are scattered along the course of the wadi. As a geographical area, the wadi covers a large swathe of lowland and the Hajar Mountains.
 

Where in the World Jordan

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Jordan:

Did you know that one of the oldest capital cities in the world was once called Philadelphia? 
 
Do you know where this is?
 
To say Amman in Jordan is an old city is an understatement. Excavations around Amman’s Citadel have turned up artefacts that suggest inhabits settled there as far back as 3500 BC.
 
Some of the oldest known references to the city, Rabbath-Ammon (Great City of the Ammonites), are in the Old Testament. It was King David’s Army that destroyed the city of Rabbath-Ammon (also in the Old Testament) leaving it in complete ruins and thus laying the groundwork for the renaming.
 
Fast forward several hundred years and the city was now under the rule of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (283-246 BC), king of Ptolemaic Egypt. It was during his reign that the city underwent a major reconstruction and thus in his honour was renamed Philadelphia!
Amman is the capital and largest city of Jordan. It is the residence of the king and the seat of government.
 
The city is built on rolling hills at the eastern boundary of the Ajlūn Mountains, on the small, partly perennial Wadi Ammān and its tributaries.
 

Where in the World Israel

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Israel:

Do you recognise this iconic hotel?

King David Jerusalem Hotel in Israel is one of the “Leading Hotels in the World,” universally acknowledged as the most famous of all Jerusalem’s hotels.
 
With its fusion of contemporary luxury and rich history, the King David Jerusalem Hotel in Israel blends the splendour of a bygone era with modern luxury.
 
Superbly located overlooking the Old City walls, minarets and domes and breath-taking vistas, this is the ultimate place to stay when you are in Jerusalem.
 
This multi-award-winning stately hotel has hosted international leaders and celebrities, and takes pride in treating guests like royalty and in offering all the amenities and luxuries you demand from a luxury hotel.
 

Amazing travel fact Israel

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Israel:

Did you know you can rappel down 80m (262 feet) through a vertical ‘chimney’ made of salt, and reach the bottom at altitude 400m below sea level?
 
Amazing right?
 
And its in the Dead-Sea, Israel.
 
And the place is called ‘The Colonel’s Cave’.
 
One great adventure, and you don’t even need to have prior experience with rappelling.
 
This salt cave is a natural miracle of the world and to get a close acquaintance with the salty mountain you cannot find a better candidate.
 
The entrance to the cave is decorated with the 80-ty meters deep well which continues with the underground meandering channels. In every corner one can discover a fabulous wealth of the cave- thin threads of white stalactites, salty “snow” under feet, crystals in a form of electric outlets. Salty walls shaped as “wings” sound like bells and sparkle with myriads of lights like a precious stones.

Cave Colonel is the same temperature all year round (+25°С) which makes it a warm shelter from a cold winter winds and natural air-cooler in a hot Dead Sea summer.

This underground world is available only for a few, so the glory of “elite” is waiting for anyone who decides to visit Colonel.

 

Amazing travel fact Montenegro

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Montenegro:

Did you know that there is a canyon in Europe, which is 1300 meters deep and 82 kilometres long? It’s the deepest canyon in Europe and It also has the largest zip line.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know to which country we need to travel in order to see this canyon?
 
Flowing through Montenegro and a part in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tara River is a creation of two rivers in the Komovi mountains in Montenegro – Opasanica and Veruša.
 
In some parts, the walls of the Tara Canyon are 1.333 m deep, making it the second deepest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon on the River Colorado, but the first canyon in regards to its beauty. Known as the “Tear of Europe”, the Tara River is 158 km long, has 14 different rivers flowing into it, 7 from each side and has 69 rapids on that path.
 
Another interesting feature is the cascades. The loud noise of the cascades can be heard even in the upper parts of the canyon. There are over 40 cascades on the Tara river, the most important being Crna Vrela, Bijela Vrela, Djavolje Lazi, Sokolovina and Bijeli Kamen. The most important spring that flows into the Tara river is Bajlovica Sige waterfall, which crashes into Tara with 100 liters of water per second, falling from the Bucevica cave which is over 30 m high and an astonishing 150 m wide!
 
Tara river takes pride in being on the UNESCO’s list of protected areas in the “Man and Biosphere” program from 1977 because of its diverse flora and fauna! A lot of animals call Tara canyon their home, such as trouts, huchens, graylings and other types of fish, birds like hawks, eagles, capercaillies, griffon vultures etc, then bears, wolves, foxes, chamois, and the rarest of them all in these areas are otters swimming in the Tara river. In the valleys of the Tara Canyon, there are certain herbs and trees that date all the way back to the ice age. Forests are rich with oaks, ashes, birches, beeches, and black pine trees.
 
Most of the year the water level is a class 3-4, only in the spring when the snow melts, and when there are heavy storms in a short period of time, the river is a class 5-. The average temperature of the water is 8° C, and it is drinkable throughout the whole stream.
 
 

Where in the World Montenegro

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Montenegro:

Where is this spectacular bay situated?

The Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
 
Is located in the northern part of Montenegro, close to the border with Croatia and open to the Adriatic Sea.
 
The quarter-of-a-mile-wide Verige Strait is the gateway to the bay. It was narrow enough to act as protection against invaders during the bay’s history, with a string of fortified cities built inside the bay by the Venetians. But it’s also wide enough to let cruise ships through, which has opened up the Bay of Kotor to a new stream of visitors.
 
It is often called Europe’s most southernmost fjord. And it certainly looks like one, with towering peaks and a rocky coastline dotted with pretty waterside towns.
 
But both the water and the climate are more Mediterranean than Scandinavian. The bay’s not actually a fjord either, but rather a ria – a submerged river valley made up of four connected bays making up a butterfly shape which stretches inland from the coast.
 
But the scenery is as stunning as any ‘proper’ fjord, and when you add in bags of history and culture then you can see why Kotor has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site.
 
So if you’re visiting Montenegro, you must include the beautiful Bay of Kotor.
 
 

Where in the World Dubai

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Dubai:

Did you know that Dubai held 220 records in 2019?
 
Amazing right?
 
There’s nothing they love more in Dubai & the UAE than setting a new world record!
 
In fact, so many world records are being set in the country that they’ve placed a full-time Guinness World Record judge in the UAE to handle the workload, after all, there’s a lot of scrutiny that needs to go into a world record.
 
The most astounding and obvious in Dubai, you can’t look past the Burj Khalifa, the largest man-made structure in the world.
 
Standing at an incredible 828m (2,716.5 feet), it is the world’s tallest building as well as holding the record as:
• Tallest freestanding structure in the world (to its very tip, with spire, 829.8m)
• The building with the highest number of stories in the world (163 floors)
• The highest outdoor observation deck in the world (Level 124&125 + Level 148)
• The highest restaurant in the world (At.Mosphere on level 123 – 441.3m high)
• The highest lounge in the world (Levels 152-154 – 585m)
• Tallest service elevator in the world (504m – 1,654 feet)
 

Where in the World Abu Dhabi

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world, Amazing Facts.

blank

Abu Dhabi:

Did you know where there is a “Gold to Go” machine, which spits out 24-karat gold in 320 forms, from gold bars and coins to wearable jewellery in varying weights? 

After a single-day test run in a Frankfurt train station, the world’s first gold bar-dispensing ATM opened to much fanfare in the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi in 2010.
 
Since its debut in the UAE, a small but mighty array of these counterintuitive little machines have cropped up around the world – arguably the most fitting of which can be found in the lobby of Las Vegas’ Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino.
 
Guarded by armoured guards, these glittering ATM spit out 24-karat gold in 320 different forms, from gold bars and coins to wearable jewellery, in varying weights. The customer simply has to operate a touch screen to make his selection, pay with cash or credit, and watch his booty pop out of the machine packaged in a sweet-looking black case.
 
 

Amazing Travel Fact Abu Dhabi

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Abu Dhabi:

No doubt, everybody has heard about the leaning tower of Pisa. But did you know that there are thirteen leaning towers in the world? In fact, there is one, which was the world’s fastest man-made leaning building.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see this architectural marvel?
 
It is indeed the Capital Gate Building in Abu Dhabi.
 
Capital Gate is an iconic leaning skyscraper located in Abu Dhabi adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
 
At 160 meter (520 ft) and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and leans at an astounding 18 degrees to the west, four times than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the “World’s furthest leaning man-made tower.”
 
To make this possible, the central core of the building slants in the opposite direction to the lean of the structure, and it straightens as it grows. The building sits on top of a 7-foot-deep concrete base with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The steel exoskeleton known as the diagrid sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 100 feet underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.
 
 

Where in the World Greece

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Greece:

Where is this hilltop monastery?

Meteora, Greece
 
The site where the monasteries of Meteora, were built, is said to serve perfectly their purpose.

The monasteries stand on some huge natural sandstone pillars that were mould into their bizarre shape by the winds and the time. Up there, the monasteries seem to hover between earth and heaven, an illusion that makes monks and visitors feel close to the celestial world. These cone shaped pillars prove the artistic nature of Nature.

According to the 19th century geologist Alexander Philipson, they were created after huge amounts of material piled up in this area where a huge prehistoric river was flowing towards a vast lake which covered today’s Thessaly.

When the waters drained into the Aegean Sea and the valley of Thessaly was revealed, these rocks emerged and the millennia along with the extreme weather conditions formed them into their today’s shape.

The first evidence of ascetic life in Meteora dates back in the 10th century, when some hermit monks chose the caves and the hollows in the pillars’ walls to lead an ascetic and reclusive lifestyle. In 1160 A.D. the “Scete of Stagoi Dhoupianis” was found, which is considered to be the first attempt of an organized monastic community.

However, it needed more than two centuries for the first monastery to be built. In 1356, Athanasios Meteoritis, a monk from Aghion Oros, came to Meteora and built on the top of the largest cliff the “Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of Jesus” or “Great Meteoron”. From then on, these huge rocks were named after this exact monastery and took the name “Meteora”, which in Greek means: an object that levitates.

Travel to Greece

 

Where in the World Lebanon

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Lebanon:

Of which country is this city the capital?

Lebanon is located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea consisting of a narrow strip of territory and is one of the world’s smaller sovereign states. The capital is Beirut.
 
Though Lebanon, particularly its coastal region, was the site of some of the oldest human settlements in the world it was not until 1920 that the contemporary state came into being.
 
In that year France, which administered Lebanon as a League of Nations mandate, established the state of Greater Lebanon. Lebanon then became a republic in 1926 and achieved independence in 1943.
 
Lebanon shares many of the cultural characteristics of the Arab world, yet it has attributes that differentiate it from many of its Arab neighbours. Its rugged, mountainous terrain has served throughout history as an asylum for diverse religious and ethnic groups and for political dissidents.
 
Lebanon is one of the most densely populated countries in the Mediterranean area and has a high rate of literacy. Notwithstanding its meagre natural resources, Lebanon long managed to serve as a busy commercial and cultural centre for the Middle East.
 
 

Where in the World Panama

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Panama:

Which country does this flag belong to?

Panama
 
The flag of Panama was made by María de la Ossa de Amador and was officially adopted in 1925. The Panamanian flag day is celebrated on November 4, one day after Panamanian separation from Colombia, and is one of a series of holidays celebrated in November known as the Fiestas Patrias.
 
The first flag proposed in 1903 consisted of thirteen horizontal stripes of alternating red and yellow, with a blue canton containing two golden suns, joined by a narrow line to depict the oceans to be united by the Panama Canal. However, this was not accepted by the Panamanian leader, Manuel Amador Guerrero, whose family designed a new flag.
 
The stars and quarters are said to stand for the rival political parties, and the white is said to stand for the peace in which they operate. Blue was the colour of the Conservatives and red was the colour of the Liberals.
 
 

Amazing Travel Fact Panama

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts, Where in the world.

blank

Panama:

Did you know that there is a city, which is the only capital in the world with its own lush rain forest?
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to visit this beautiful spot?
 
Lots of cities have parks, many of which are absolutely amazing. The unique thing about Panama’s Parque Natural Metropolitano is that it’s the biggest wildife refuge and forest environment within city limits.
 
Panama City is the only national capital city containing a rainforest within city boundaries. Panama City’s rainforest is the second largest in the Western Hemisphere.
 

Where in the World Ecuador

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world, Amazing Facts.

blank

Ecuador:

Where does the famous Panama Hat originate from?
 
Despite their name, Panama hats have never been made in Panama. They originated in Ecuador where they are made to this day. Historically, throughout Central and South America, people referred to Panama hats as “Jipijapa,” “Toquilla,” or “Montecristi” hats (the latter two phrases are still in use today).
 
Their designation as Panama hats originated in the 1850s, when Ecuadorian hat makers emigrated to Panama, where they were able to achieve much greater trade volumes.
 
The name “Panama hat” was further reinforced by President Theodore Roosevelt’s trip to oversee the construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt used his natural ability to drum up publicity by posing for a series of photos at the Panama Canal construction site in 1906.
 

Where in the World Colombia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Colombia:

Where is this beautifully coloured street?
 
Its in Salento, Colombia
 
It’s known for its coffee estates and verdant scenery.
 
East is Cocora Valley where lofty wax palm trees, a national symbol, are home to rare parrots. The town is a gateway to the snow-capped peaks of Los Nevados National Natural Park, to the northeast. In Salento, Calle Real has colorful buildings and craft shops. El Mirador is a viewpoint just northeast of town.
 
Tourists love Salento for its “back in the day” original charm and the peacefulness that seems to come with it. This relaxed vibe is not often found in Colombia and therefore Colombians love to visit Salento as tourists themselves!
 
Salento is a really colorful town with many of the historic buildings painted in bright colors. Salento is gorgeous and makes for some great photo opportunities.
 
The main drag is Calle Real, which is full of artesanías (local craft stalls) and restaurants. At the end of the street are stairs leading up to Alto de la Cruz, a hill topped with a cross. From here you’ll see the verdant Valle de Cocora and the mountains that surround it. If the skies are clear (usually only early in the morning), you can spot the snowcapped tops of the volcanoes on the horizon.
 
 

Amazing Travel Fact Colombia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts, Where in the world.

blank

Colombia:

Did you know that there is is a valley that is home to the world’s tallest palm trees? They grow as tall as 200 feet. You have to go through a cloud forest in order to get there.

Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to see these very tall trees?
 
It is indeed in Colombia.
 
High in the Colombian Andes in Los Nevados National Natural Park, you’ll find the Valle de Cocora, a valley that’s home to the world’s tallest palm trees. These towering trees—called wax palms—grow as tall as 200 feet, and are sheltered in a protected range.
 
To get to Valle de Cocora, you must first embark on a six-mile hike. From the small outpost of Cocora, you’ll find a loop trail that leads into a cloud forest, where rain falls almost every day.
 
Colombia, unsurprisingly, is considered one of the world’s 17 “megadiverse” countries—nations that harbor the majority of the Earth’s species.
 
 

Where in the World Chile

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Chile:

Where is this huge hand?

“Mano del Desierto” sculpture: A monumental work by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal is located in the vast Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
 
The larger-than-life hand towers an impressive 36 feet (11 meters). It’s taller than an NFL goal post and nearly as high as a yellow school bus is long. The nearest city of Antofagasta, still some 46-odd miles away, lays claim to the imposing structure.
 
Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal was asked by the townspeople to create a monument for the vast region of Atacama. And so he created the “Hand of the Desert,” protruding starkly from the sand and reaching for the brilliant blue sky.
 
The meanings of the monument are unknown. Some say it is meant to be a reminder that humans should be humbled by nature and the elements. Others are convinced it is a display of humans rising against the odds.
 
 

Amazing Travel Fact Brazil

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Brazil:

Did you know that there is a desert where each year amazing blue lagoons appear from about January to June? Filled with clear warm water, the lagoons look spectacular. Come October, winds whip through and the pools disappear without any trace, only to reemerge the following season.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see these lagoons?
 
Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.
 
Until about September, these pop-up pools become a unique seasonal attraction. It’s almost as if nature made pop-up pools of clear, warm water for visitors. The water has been recorded up to 87 degrees Fahrenheit, providing a relaxing experience for anyone who made the voyage.
 

blank


Private Facebook group
for the travel industry

Travel Talks Platform Group


5.8k members

Travel Talks Platform for the travel industry

Follow the travel news – Traveltalksplatform is the number 1 news site to stay updated on amazing travel facts, the latest news, events, incentive ideas, MICE news, job opportunities and shows.

Specially composed for the travel industry, you will find the latest travel facts at your fingertips.

Submit



Subscribe

Stay updated about the latest travel news worldwide

blank

The latest airline news, hotel news, cruise news and MICE news in your inbox:
Stay updated about
the latest travel news worldwide

 

 

Copyright © 2021 e-motions international

disclaimer:

We assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.