Asia, The Best Travel Destination

If the time has come for your vacation or a holiday getaway, read this article before making your plans. There are many places of great beauty and interest to be seen in the USA and Europe. But, whether transportation, touring, theme park, or food and lodging, it is expensive. This article is written for every traveler, whether a backpacker on a budget, or a first class - five star traveler.

Travel in Asia is inexpensive and opens the door to different cultural experiences. Planning can be for a short holiday, an extended stay, or choices of laying the groundwork for the ultimate stay, retirement. Nowadays, with so many opportunities to make money using the Internet it is not out of the question to "retire" early.

Medical Tourism in Asia growing in popularity. It is high quality and affordable. Just one of International standard hospitals in Bangkok serves 400,000 international patients annually, In the USA cataract surgery for one eye runs around $8,000. At a prestigious International hospital in Thailand cataract surgery can be performed on both eyes for around $2,500. It is possible to have quality medical care, and an Asian holiday, for a fraction of the cost of the same procedure in the USA.

Let us take a tantalizing glimpse at just some of the countries.

Thailand - Land of Smiles. Often referred to as the most exotic country in Southeast Asia. A visit to the Grand Palace in Bangkok for sure. Trips to a floating market or to the Bridge on the River Kwai. From pristine beaches in the Southern Islands to the Northern mountains with its waterfalls, elephants bathing in mountain streams, and Hill Tribe villages.

India - Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. India Gate, an imposing structure, has emerged as one of the most popular tourist spots in Delhi. The Red Fort Delhi, a masterpiece of architecture, is a popular spot. A trip to India would not be complete without a visit to Agra, famous as the site of one of the world's most romantic, graceful and photographed buildings, the Taj Mahal.

Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos - Three small countries neighboring Thailand. Each opens a different world of exploration. Cambodia - the highlight is visiting Angkor Wat, an architectural masterpiece constructed in the jungle in the early 12th century. Vietnam - is a varied country, offering beaches, mountains and hundreds of years of history from the ancient Cham Towers to remnants from the Vietnam War. Laos - savor the crafts, culture and hospitality of Laos with a river trip, visits to ancient temples, gorgeous palaces, and traditional villages.

Nepal - Adventure, travel, trekking, birding, wildlife, and cultural & overland Safaris. Take an air flight along the Himalayas and view magnificent Mount Everest. Nearby, discover the serene beauty of Tibet, the country which inspired the Dalai Lama. .

Indonesia - Jakarta, the capital city of the world's fourth most-populous nation. Bali is Indonesia's main holiday destination. Flores is a pretty lush green island with forests, palm and banana trees, rice fields and many volcanoes. Highlights are the three small offshore islands of "Gillis" that invite snorkeling, diving and relaxing. For hikers, a climb to the top of the volcano Rijani.

Philippines - An island nation comprising over 7,000 islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
Manila, the bustling capital has powerful reminders of the country's past, along with attractive parks, fine museums, and exhilarating nightlife. The Ifugao Rice Terraces
are a testimony to the early technological advancement of the Ifugao people. Take a jeepney ride to the market. Be brave, try balut, a Philippine delicacy. Go diving in the Visayas.

Singapore - Shopping on famous Orchard Road, the dream of every woman. The Night Safari at Singapore Zoo is fabulous. Chinatown, a little glitzy, but you can buy all the souvenirs you want there. Interestingly, one of Singapore's most beautiful Hindu temples is smack dab in the middle of Chinatown. Decide if a Singapore Sling is worth the hype in the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. There's more to Singapore than urban glitz, like rambling in the rain forest of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Japan - Tokyo is the capital city and home of the Imperial Residence and Emperor's Palace. Select a popular destination or region in Japan and explore its attractions. Ride the Bullet Train to the magnificent city of Kyoto. Visit Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park. Castles, temples, gardens, the list of top destinations in Japan is too long for this article..

Taiwan - Taipei, the country's booming, vibrant capital remains steeped in Chinese, Japanese and native Taiwanese cultures. Some of its most impressive sights include the Grand Hotel, topped by the largest Classical Chinese roof in the world, the Shihlin Night Market, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial with the National Theater and Concert Hall located directly across from each other on the grounds. A popular day trip is Tailuge (Taroko Gorge), considered one of the natural wonders of the world.

Hong Kong - the Pearl of East and jewel of The Orient. Nathan Road is lined with shops, restaurants, nightspots and cheap places to stay. If you're in Hong Kong with the little ones, they'll probably appreciate Ocean Park (aquarium), Water World (swimming pools and water slides), and of course Disneyland. If you're in Hong Kong for more than a few days, then there's plenty of outlying islands to discover.

It is often said that for the traveler that has seen it all and done it all, there is still Katmandu, Nepal. And, that too is in Asia!

If you do not visit Asia, you will be missing not only a paradise of affordable travel, but the chance to see an alternative living location. For retirees, it is luxury living for pennies, not just getting by on their pension. Asia, a paradise experience is waiting for you.

Brittany, the other France

The main point about Brittany is that its not France. Well, at least not France as we are used to seeing it. Cities in the east of Brittany – Fougeres, Dinan, Saint-Malo – do bear the resemblance of French antiquity, which can also be discovered in Burgundy or Aquitaine. By farther to the west the cities become less usual and less typical.

Let’s start with language. There are two languages used in Lower Brittany: guide-boards and signboards are written in French and the Breton language. This old Celtic language has the same routes as the languages on the other side of La Manche (the French name for the English channel) – Scottish and Irish. Houses also look like German ones.

Brittany is the only French province that does not have its own type of wine. Local people drink Celtic beer, which has a specific taste – tastes very different from Czech, Bavarian or British beer. This mead has the name you want to pronounce in a whisper – chouchen. Sparkling cider has the alcoholic content of 8 – 9 %. Well, there is a nice white wine produced in Nantes, which is formally a part of Brittany. But historically this place is Celtic. However, local wine is goes well with local specialties – oysters and mussels. Fourteen kilometers from Saint-Malo there is the world oyster capital – Cancale. Its coast is covered with taverns. You could stay here till the end of your life.

But, let us forget about this until we get older. Now we shall go to the far inland - the true Celtic Brittany. Cross the Paimpont forest (also known as Brocéliande), filled with tales about the Holy Grail, Arthur’s knights and magician Merlin. You could, for example, search for interesting road crucifixes. This is a real Brittany’s feature: many of these granite crucifixes stand next to the churches. Sometimes they form multi-figured compositions, up to 200 stone items.

When finding yourself in Brittany, it is hard to get rid of the impression that these truly Christian sculptures are the successors of ancient pagan megaliths – stone constructions erected 4-5 thousands of years ago. Scientists still dispute about their meaning but one thing that is quite certain is that they had no practical importance and were constructed as religious objects. Megaliths can be found all around Europe, but a great part of them is located in Brittany (Carnac, the small town in the south of the province, has long rows of these stones). Here, like nowhere else, you will feel the connection with time.

The idea that Brittany is located at the edge of Europe makes one feel agitated. It comes as no surprise that the most dashing corsairs come from Brittany. There are even two monuments found not far from Saint-Malo: one Robert Surcouf’s and the other commemorating René Duguay-Trouin. In 1534 the famous explorer Jacques Cartier set off from the shores of Brittany to discover the Saint Lawrence River, named Canada. Though his aim was to reach Asia. The similar story happened to Columbus, but this is another story.

Lotus Temple

Religious Places in Delhi, India

Birla Mandir / Laxmi Narayan Temple -- Also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, it is ideally located in central Delhi (Mandir Marg). This temple dedicated to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi and Lord Narayana (Lord Vishnu) was built in 1938 by the prominent Indian industrialist Raja Baldev Das Birla and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. The temple, built in Orissan style, has a large number of idols representing various gods of Indian pantheon. The well-grafted gardens need a special mention.

Bahai's temple / Lotus temple -- The BAHAI HOUSE,called as lotus temple,of worship is a marvel of modern architecture. It is made in the shape of a lotus.it is one of the major attractions for national and international tourists.it repesents the Bahai's faith which is an independent world religion, divine in origin, all-embracing in scope, broad in its outlook, scientific in its method, humanitarian in its principles and dynamic in the influence it exerts on the hearts and minds of men.

ISKCON Temple -- Built on a hilly place in 1998, the ISKCON Temple is a complex of temples. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, this elegant temple is one of the largest temple complexes in India. It has a large number of Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers.

Chattarpur Mandir -- Chattarpur Mandir is located beyond the Qutab Minar in Mehrauli. The temple dedicated to Goddess Durga, is built in South Indian style. The temple complex is spread over a large area with beautiful lawns and gardens. Though devotees visit these temples throughout the year, the main attraction comes during the Navarathri festival, when devotees come from far and near. During this time, there are special bus services provided to the devotees.

Bala Hanuman Temple -- This elegant temple stands on the south-eastern side of Ranmal Lake. The 24-hour chanting of the mantra 'Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram', which has been going on in the temple since August 1, 1964, has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Kalkaji Mandir -- Situated beyond the commercial complex of Nehru Place lies this temple dedicated to the goddess Kalika Devi. This domed twelve-sided Shakti Kalkaji temple, also known as Kalika or Kalka Devi lies on the same hill as the Baha'i temple. Its oldest section dates back to 1764 and additions were made in the mid-19th century; yet, most of the building is modern. This popular Kali shrine is at the heart of a village and the Hindu worship of its 'Mahants' (important sadhus) makes a fascinating contrast with the new faith of the Baha'is. Thousands of pilgrims throng the temple, especially in October during the nine days of 'navratra', when a huge fair is held over here.

Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir -- Digambara Jain temple dates back to the time of Aurangzeb's reign and is famous as Delhi's oldest temple. It is situated right opposite the Red Fort, at the entrance of the main road. It was built in 1658 AD, but modifications and additions are going on ever since, and it remains a haven of tranquility amidst the noisy and chaotic main street of Chandni Chowk. The temple authorities also run a Bird hospital & hundreds of pigeons and other birds are there in the temple complex.

Hanuman Mandir, Connaught place -- Situated on the Baba Kharak Singh Road (old Irwin Road) about 250m southwest of Connaught Circus, this temple is of little architectural importance. The residents of Delhi are, however, particularly devoted to it. The original temple appears to have been constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh about the same times as the Jantar -Mantar, but has undergone large scale renewals since then.

Nizam-ud-din Shrine -- This is the tomb of the famous sufi saint, Nizam-ud-din Auliya. Built on the way from Humayun's tomb, the premise of the shrine is a tank, which is surrounded by many other tombs. It is said that there was an argument between the rulers of Tughlakabad and the saint over building this tank. The saint had said that the city of Tughlakabad will never prosper and so did it happen. The tomb has been through several renovations ever since it was built. The present mausoleum dates back to 1562.

The complex of the shrine includes several other tombs, including that of the noted poet Mirza Ghalib (1786-1869), Amir Khusbru and the grave of Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan.
If you happen to be there at around sunset on Thursdays, don't miss out the extravagant performance of qawwali singers that takes place after the evening prayers.
Location: West of Mathura Road

St. James Church -- Located very close to Kashmiri Gate in north Delhi, St. James Church is the oldest church in the capital. It was built by James Skinner and consecrated in 1836. It is designed in a cruciform plan with the entrance towards the west and the altar towards the east (the standard norm in most churches the world over). The dome interestingly is very similar to the dome of Florence Cathedral in Italy that was the first renaissance structure built in the world. Porches on the north, south and the west provide the building with three entrances. The central portion of the church is an octagon with circular columns supporting the dome.

Aurobindo Ashram -- Again in the south of Delhi near the Indian Institute of Technology on the road to Mehrauli it has literature on the life of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and has an ashram where devotees can come to meditate. There is also some accommodation available for devotees of Sri Aurobindo.

Travel Guide -- Rome, Italy

Things to do before travelling to Rome

Book a hotel. Or an apartment, a bed & breakfast, a guest house. Even for the accommodation, advance will be your best friend: first come, first served, as usual. Rome is full of beautiful and comfortable hotels, and many other are flourishing all over the city, especially b&b. But Rome is the destination for thousand of tourists every year and in specific periods all these hotels are not enough to serve them all, especially if they want to lodge in the very centre of the city. Are you one of them? Then surf the web looking for the best accommodation in Rome, centrally located and cheap at the same time…it's going to be tough, especially if you stays in the sites in which you just bought your low cost flight: usually they just want to stay cheap and offer extra low prices, but to do so, they often offer average quality hotels and located at kilometres of distance from the centre.

Book a transfer. Did you choose the train before? Then you're done. Termini Central Station is already in the core of Rome. Just get off the train and enjoy the chaos and the magic of everyday life in the capital of Italy. But if you choose to come by air, well, ther's one more step yo have to take. Because so far you booked your flight to the airports of Rome, Fiumicino or Ciampino, and a room or an apartment waiting for you in the city centre. Well, you miss something in between. Book your car transfer in advance, if you don't want to waste any time queuing for a taxi or getting lost using public transports