Tag Archives: Travel

IAO VALLEY STATE PARK, MAUI

Posted on by Jenny

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

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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

The Great Edinburgh Castle – Scotland

Posted on by Jenny

edinburgh_castle

Visit to the spectacular Edinburgh Castle and get a feel of the royal medieval Scottish history, culture and heritage Edinburgh Castle begins on the rock on which Edinburgh Castle stands. The rock was formed 70 million years ago.Edinburgh Castle started to develop into a royal fortress during the govern of David I from 1124 to 1153.Edinburgh Castle continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most important fortresses in the Kingdom of Scotland. Edinburgh Castle has been involved in many historical conflicts, from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century, up to the Jacobite Rising of 1745.

The Castle became a military base in the later 17th century. Castle was declared as a historic monument in the 19th century and the castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland, and is Scotland’s second-most-visited tourist attraction

Description and Attraction in Edinburgh Castle

National War Museum of Scotland
Newly re-opened museum with six galleries of exhibitions that explore over 400 years of the Scottish military experience. You can see here wide range of military artefacts, such as uniforms, medals and weapons.

St. Margaret’s Chapel
The tiny St Margaret?s Chapel, the Royal Apartments and the Great Hall, built by James IV in 1511, are other impressive parts of the castle to explore and it?s the oldest building in the castle.
Mons Meg
Mons Meg is over 550 years old, one of the world?s oldest bombard guns.? However, its great weight made it impractical to drag around in battle so by the 1650′s it was retired to Edinburgh castle where it was fired to salute the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to French Dauphin, Francis.
Half Moon Battery
The Half Moon battery is an impressive part of the castle’s defenses, giving the cannons a wide angel of fire behind a tall, sloping insurmountable wall. Its build in between 1573 and 1588.
Royal Palace and Crown Square
These are the former Royal apartments, and were the residence of the later Stewart monarchs.It was originally known as Palace Yard built in the 15th century but was renamed after the discovery of the Scottish Crown Jewels in 1818. The palace contains the Royal Apartments as well as the small room where Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI.
Crown Room
The Scottish Honors are on display in the Crown Room at the Palace at Edinburgh Castle.

The Crown- The crown was remodeled by James V in 1540.

The Sceptre-It was gift from the Pope to James IV in 1494.

The Sword of State- It was also gift from pope to James IV in 1507

Black Forest – Germany

Posted on by Jenny

black_forest_germany

The Black Forest or Schwarzwald is one of the most attractive and visited international tourist destinations in Europe with almost 10 million visitors per year. If you love nature, you will absolutely admire the Black Forest in Germany. The black forest is called that because all the trees put together make it look black.It was already named one of 28 finalists in an international contest to decide the seven wonders of the natural world.

The Black Forest is one of the beautiful regions of Germany, with mountains and hills, green valleys and open fields. The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) is a wooded mountain range in Baden-W?rttemberg, southwestern Germany. The Black Forest is an area of mountains and forest 200 kilometers long and up to 60 kilometers wide but forest has an area of approximately 12,000?km2 which borders France in the west, Switzerland in the south, the Swabian Alb and Lake Constance in the east, and the Kraichgau region in the north.

The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 meters (4,898 ft) and others mountain are Feldberg, Herzogenhorn, Belchen, Spieshorn, Schauinsland, Kandel, Hochblauen and Hornisgrinde.

There are many rivers in Black Forest include the Danube, the Enz, the Kinzig, the Murg, the Neckar, the Wiese and the Rench.

Freiburg and Baden-Baden cities are popular tourist destinations on the western edge of the Black Forest, Towns in the forest include Bad Herrenalb, Baiersbronn, Freudenstadt, Furtwangen, Gengenbach, G?tenbach, Sasbachwalden, Schramberg, Staufen, Titisee-Neustadt, Hausach and Wolfach.

Black forest germany

The Vogtsbauernh?fe is an open-air museum that shows the life of sixteenth or seventeenth century farmers the region, featuring a number of reconstructed Black Forest farms. The German Clock Museum in Furtwangen shows the history and art of the clock industry and of watchmakers. Also Black Forest is famous of traditions. Almost every valley has its own distinct rituals. Traditions in the Black Forest mean far more than simply costumes and dances.

Black Forest is also famous for traditions. Almost every region has its own distinct rituals. You will find cultural highlights throughout the entire region, ranging from the folk drama festival on Germany?s biggest open-air stage in ?tigheim to the Schwarzwald Musikfestival- the Black Forest music festival ? with numerous acts in 25 villages and cities throughout the entire Black Forest

The Antelope Canyon – Arizona

Posted on by Jenny

Antelope-canyon-arizona

Antelope Canyon is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. Actually there is two antelope Canyon’s Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon located on either side of route 98. Antelope Canyon looks more like an oil painting than a rock formation. It is on of the most visited canyon in the southwest America.

Upper Antelope Canyon

The upper canyon also known as Corkscrew Canyon. The entrance is a narrow curved only a few feet wide. Once you enter inside, the temperature drops as Antelope Canyonmuch as 20 degrees as the visitor enters one of the most beautiful of all natural formations. The sunlight filtering down the curved sandstone walls makes magical environment, constantly changing patterns and shadows in many subtle shades of color. Some sections of the canyon are wide and bright, while others are narrower and more cave-like, with no light reaching the sandy floor

Lowe Antelope Canyon

Lower Antelope Canyon, called Hasdeztwazi, or “spiral rock arches” by the Navajo.The lower canyon is longer and deeper than the upper section, but also more challenging, requiring climbing down ladders in some places to Antelope-Canyondescend several sheer drops. Lighting is better in the early hours and late afternoon.

Antelope Canyon is not visited without of guided tours, in part because rains during monsoon season can quickly flood the canyon. On August 12, 1997 eleven tourists were killed in Lower Antelope Canyon by a flash flood.

Fee Description

Both Antelope Canyon are charge separate entry fees of about $18 per person.

The Flam Railway – Norway

Posted on by Jenny

Fl?m

The Flam Railway is one of the world?s steepest railway lines on normal gauge. The twisting tunnels that spiral in and out of the mountain are manifestations of the most daring and skilful engineering in Norwegian railway history. The Flam Railway runs from the mountain station at Myrdal on the Bergen Railway, down to Flam station by the Aurlandsfjord.

The Flam Railway was completed in 1944 after a construction period lasting 20 years. Eighteen of the line’s 20 tunnels, which have a total length of 6 km, were built by hand. Trial operations started in 1940 with small steam locomotives, but the line was not fully electrified until 1944.

Today the Flam Railway is one of Norway’s major and most spectacular tourist attractions. The train journey provides some of Norway’s wildest and most magnificent scenery. On the 20 km-long train ride you can see rivers that cut through deep ravines, waterfalls cascade down the side of steep, snow-capped mountains and mountain farms cling dizzily to sheer slopes. There are 11 main stops along the line. Starting from Flam and ends at Myrdal station.

The first stop is at Lunden, where you start to get a glimpse of some beautiful mountainous scenery

The next stop is at Hareina, where you get to see some of the mountain farms, as well as the lovely Rjoande Waterfall. You are already at 48m above sea level.

The journey continues to Dalsbotn, where you enter two tunnels, followed by a stop at Berekvam. You are now at 343km, so quite a climb. This is actually the half way point on the line, between Flam and Myrdal. At Berekvam there Nutshell-Flam Railwayare also double tracks, so the trains returning from Myrdal came pass.

Continue on to Blomheller, where you can see the location of the dangerous Trolla Avalanche that plummets down the mountain each winter.

Next up is a stop at Kardal where yet more waterfalls are in view, as well as a tiny hamlet. The train is now at 556m above sea level.

Kjosfoss the next stop and is the main stop that passengers off load the train at, and in fact the train stops for 10-15 minutes at this location to allow time for photographs of the breathtaking Kjosfoss Waterfall – and in fact the water Kjosfossen-Flma Railwayfrom here flows down to the nearby power station- providing hydro electric power for the railroad.

Past Reinunga, and then on to Vatnahalsen, where you can start at the Vatnahalsen hotel and enjoy yet more views over the Flam Valley. At this point the train is at 811m above sea level.

The final destination is then reached at 866m at Myrdal, where passengers can, if they wish, link to the main Oslo Bergen rail line

Fee Description:-

A single ticket for a adult currently costs 230Nk (approx $38) whereas a return ticket costs 330Nk (approx $54).