Posts Tagged ‘Destinations’

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SeaWorld San Diego California

February 12th, 2010

 SeaWorld

SeaWorld was founded in 1964 by four students of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). They originally had the idea of building an underwater restaurant but it’s not technically feasible then they decided build a marine zoological park on 22 acres (89,000 m2) along the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego.

SeaWorld San Diego is located just north of downtown, on Mission Bay. Come celebrate the wonders of the sea at SeaWorld San Diego. Experience Shamu’s show Believe, and thrilling rides like Journey to Atlantis, Shipwreck Rapids and Wild Arctic. SeaWorld San Diego is pure California fun. SeaWorld ranked fourth among the Top 10 theme parks in California, SeaWorld sits on a beautiful bay overlooking San Diego’s oceanfront

It’s a year full of fun at SeaWorld with seasonal events such as Summer Nights that sizzle with high-energy nighttime shows and fireworks. Feed and touch dolphins and bat rays, and get up-close to beluga whales, polar bears, sharks and penguins. We can promise you visiting in SeaWorld San Diego is the life time memories.

Attractions

Believe Shamus Show-: At the heart of every being lays a spirit of wonder. Feel it come to life in our most sensational show ever. Believe. A captivating and visually stunning new Shamus show that transports your heart to the edge of wonder. Believe takes guests on a journey in which anyone believes they can connect with these magnificent mammals. This inspirational new show reflects the close relationship SeaWorld trainers have with the killer whales, as well as amazes guests with a series of exciting new behaviors.

Journey to Atlantis-: Challenge the power of the sea on the Journey to Atlantis water coaster. Ride a mythical rush through uncharted waters where mysterious mists and unpredictable drops lurk around every turn. Journey to Atlantis twists you around serpentine turns, plunges you down eight stories of adrenaline-pumping exhilaration and drenches you in mystery. Take excitement to new heights on Journey to Atlantis

Dolphin Encounter-: Want to touch, feed and train a dolphin without getting wet? SeaWorld’s® Dolphin Encounter is your dream come true. Go with a SeaWorld trainer to an exclusive area where you can touch, feed and interact with friendly dolphins. You’ll experience the thrill of a lifetime in this intimate, small-group experience.

 Shark Encounter -: Come face-to-face with sharks of all shapes and sizes at the Shark Encounter. This 280,000-gallon attraction features a 57-foot, walk-through acrylic tube running the length of the sharks’ habitat. As you travel through the sharks’ amazing world, you can view hundreds of fascinating sand tiger, bonnethead, blacktip and whitetip sharks.

 Forbidden Reef-: Touch and feed California bat rays as they glide though the water. Travel down under the waves and get face-to-face with moray eels. Take an up-close look at hundreds of these exotic creatures in their mysterious world of underwater caverns.

Operation Hour-: SeaWorld is open year around.

How to Reach-: SeaWorld is located off Interstate 5 in San Diego. The Metropolitan Transit System offers daily bus service from the Old Town Transit Center to SeaWorld via routes 8 & 9. Bus service is approximately a 15 minute ride and four miles away.

 

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Fiordland National Park-New Zealand

October 30th, 2009

mitre_peak

Fiordland National Park was establised in 1952 and is the largest park in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Fiordland is located on the south-west of the South Island of New Zealand .The Park is administered by the Department of Conservation and park. It is home to a myriad of natural gems, including coastal fiords, majestic Fiordland lakes, Milford Sound, Milford Track, Lakes Manapouri, Te Anau, Monowai, Hauroko and Poteriteri.

Vegetation and Wildlife

The wildlife in this area includes dolphins, seals and birds. Introduced species include mice, rats, hare and deer. Among the birds are the Kakapo, the only flightless parrot in the world. Also there is the kiwi, which is native to New Zealand. The Park is heavily forested with nothofagus trees, a large variety of understory shrubs and ferns being present; examples of the forest floor vegetation include Crown Fern, Blechnum discolor

Highlights:

Ice has carved islands from the mainland, leaving two large uninhabited offshore islands, Secretary Island and Resolution Island. Several large lakes lie within the park’s boundaries, notably Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri, Lake Monowai, Lake Hauroko, and Lake Poteriteri. The Sutherland Falls, to the southwest of Milford Sound on the Milford Track, are among the world’s highest waterfalls.

Activities:

Fiordland is world-renowned as an outstanding outdoor activity heaven, for trout fishing, hiking, camping, kayaking, boating, sailing, and diving.The park is a popular destination for alpine climbers and especially for trampers, with the Milford, Kepler, Hollyford and Routeburn Tracks all in or close to the park.

Magnificent Milford Sound
Described by Rudyard Kipling as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ Milford Sound is always spectacular. Feel the mist of the waterfalls, look for seals on the rocks and marvel at the steep sides of the fiord.

The deepest fiord
At 421 meters, Doubtful Sound is the deepest of New Zealand’s fiords. It’s a haven for nature, with resident bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and penguins. Kayak tours and eco-cruises reveal the mysteries of the fiord.

Wonderful walks
Three of New Zealand’s ‘great walks’ are found in Fiordland – the Routeburn, Milford and Kepler tracks. For those with less time, a range of short walks lets you dip into the wilderness for a few hours.

Helicopter hunting

Helicopter hunting is also very famous in the Park. Park authority allow to visitors for hunting.

Accommodation

There is a range of accommodation options in the park and around the park.There are more than 50 hikers’ huts in the park. ‘Great Walks’ huts are found on the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks, and these provide a higher-than-usual level of comfort. More basic huts are available on the other tracks.

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IAO VALLEY STATE PARK, MAUI

October 28th, 2009

IaoValley 

The Iao valley state park is located in West Maui, Hawai’i and covered 6.2 acres of area.Valley has great historical significance a thousand years ago, Hawaiians gathered at `Iao Valley to celebrate and honor the bounty of Lono, god of agriculture, during the annual makahiki festival. But it was here in 1790, at the Battle of Kepaniwai, that King Kamehameha clashed with Maui’s army in his quest to unite the islands. Kamehameha defeated Maui’s forces in a ferocious battle that ultimately changed the course of Hawaiian history

Park also famous for rainforest .Good time to visit in raining on Maui as the waterfalls off of the cliffs here are spectacular!

 Attractions

Iao Needle

Iao Needle (see left), a volcanic monolith 2,250 feet (686 m) high, soars nearly straigt up 1200 feet from the valley floor. This is widely considered a lookout for warriors of Maui and the view from the bottom is quite impressive

Hiking

Visitors clamor to witness the striking natural beauty of the region. It’s a great place for those wanting to hiking.

Garden areas

A small garden area lies near the stream that shows examples of native Hawaiian plants and also plants imported by the original settlers of the islands.

There is many different plant species available here. This is where the guided walks help if you want to know everything regarding these plants.

Nature Center

Near the entrance of Iao Valley State Park there is a nature center with a small store and nature exhibits. The guided hikes mentioned above start from this location.

Heritage Gardens

Kepaniwai Park’s Heritage Gardens (established 1952 and restored in 1994), has honored the multicultural history of the island of Maui. It is a nice place and if you are there must see and walked around.

Opening Time

Park open from 7am to 7pm

 

Fact and Features:

  • Restroom facilities
  • Paved parking lot in State Park
  • No drinking water
  • Easy hiking trails
  • For an excellent view of the ‘Iao Needle, follow the paved pathway along the stream leading from the State Park parking lot
  • Bring mosquito repellent
  • The top of the ‘Iao Needle is often hidden behind clouds so get there early for the best view

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Eye of the Sahara Mauritania

August 17th, 2009

The-Richat-Structure-Maur-Adrar-Desert-Mauritania-1024

Eye of the Sahara called Richat Structure has a diameter of almost 50 kilometers (30 miles). Placed in Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a country in northwest Africa. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast.

This spectacular landform in Mauritania in the southwestern part of the Sahara desert with a diameter of 30 miles huge and can be visible from the space. Called Richat Structure or the “Eye of the Sahara” the formation was originally thought to be caused by a meteorite impact but now geologists believe these features were formed by an uplift and subsequent erosion from wind and water. However, why the Richat Structure is circular remains a mystery.

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The Swiss Alps – Switzerland

August 13th, 2009

Skiing in the Swiss Alps

The Alps, the greatest mountain range in Europe. The Alps contain some of Switzerland’s most dramatic landscapes. Lay at the heart of the Alps, Switzerland shares the mountain range with France, Italy and Austria and provides winter and summer time enjoyment for skiers, snowboarders, walkers and climbers. This spectacular range, with its sharp and high peaks always covered with snow, is a stunning travel and sport destination in both summer and winter.

A big portion of this rocky belongs to Switzerland. The Alps cover 65% of Switzerland’s surface area (41,285 km²), making her one of the most alpine countries. But the fact that Switzerland covers only 14% of the Alps total area. Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world, with a unique blend of cultures and people speaking four languages (Swiss German, French, Italian and Romansh).

swiss-alps

There are many glaciers in Switzerland and one their popular train which passes these scenic glaciers is called the Glacier Express. The Swiss Alps are the source of the snow-fed rivers Rhine and Rhone that flow across Europe

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