The Tiger's Nest Travel Guide

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The broad Paro valley is the entry point for all visitors flying into Bhutan on the national carrier, Druk Air. As the plane takes a dramatic sweep into Paro, the flight captain usually warns relieved passengers not to worry if the aircraft’s wings appear to be almost touching the mountainsides. Paro lies at an elevation of 2,280m.

Places to visit include the Paro Dzong, the National Museum housed in a round fortress called the Ta Dzong, and the ruins of the Drugyal Dzong, a 17th century fortress that used to keep invading Tibetan forces at bay, destroyed in fire in 1951.

The Tiger’s Nest or the Taktshang is one of the most popular spiritual heritage sites, perched precariously on the rock face of a sheer cliff 2950m above the ground. It is a short climb of 1.5 hours to 2 hours to the top. For those less inclined to climbing, you can catch a good bird’s eye view from the bottom of the monastery

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Waitomo Glowworm Cave, New Zealand

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World renowned and a magnet for both local and overseas visitors, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves occupy a high placing in the New Zealand vacation wish-list.

The glow worm, Arachnocampa luminosa, is unique to New Zealand. Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as our expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance.





The Waitomo Glowworm Caves were first explored in 1887 by local Maori Chief Tane Tinorau accompanied by an English surveyor Fred Mace. Local Maori people knew of the Caves existence, but the subterranean caverns had never been extensively explored until Fred and Tane went to investigate. They built a raft of flax stems and with candles as their only lighting, floated into the cave where the stream goes underground.

As they entered the caves, their first discovery was the Glowworm Grotto with its myriad of tiny bright lights dotting the cave ceiling. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they saw a multitude of lights reflecting off the water. Looking up, they discovered that the ceilings were dotted with the lights of thousands of glowworms. Debris and logs littered the waterway, but by poling themselves toward the embankment they were able to leave the raft and explore the lower levels of the cave. Here they found themselves surrounded by the glorious cave decorations.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for any traveller. Enjoy the world famous boat ride under thousands of magical glowworms and become a part of over 120 years of cultural and natural history.

More info: http://www.waitomo.com/waitomo-glowworm-caves.aspx

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Canada's Hotel De Glace

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Skip trying to build an igloo yourself. Canada's Hôtel de Glace, built exclusively of ice and snow, does it for you.


At the beginning of December each year, workers build the entire hotel's rooms and columns, furniture and sculptures out of ice and snow. For the opening this January, when the hotel celebrates its 10th anniversary, workers used 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice.



Hôtel de Glace opened Jan. 4 and will remain open until April 4 for overnight stays, public tours, corporate events, weddings, art exhibitions and film and TV productions.




The hotel is in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, 23 miles from Quebec City and 149 miles from Montreal. Quebec's winter temperatures can range from minus-13 degrees Fahrenheit in February to 41 degrees in March.

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Spotted Lake

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During the summer, peculiar white, green and yellow spots appear on this salty lake in British Columbia.

The explanation: When the lake water evaporates during the summer, natural walkways form on the lake from crystallized mineral deposits. The spots, made up mostly of magnesium sulfate, vary from white to green based on the mineral composition. The Okanagan Indians considered the lake sacred for its therapeutic qualities.

The Okanagan nation owns the lake, which is closed to visitors, but the spots can easily be viewed and photographed from Highway 3, which runs next to it.

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Bolivia Travel Guide

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Bolivia, landlocked at the heart of Andean Latin America, remains something of a well-kept secret. Throughout the country's colonial history, Bolivia was known as 'Upper Peru', until after Simon Bolivar led the country to independence in 1825, when it was named in his honor.

Today, those who venture beyond the mass tourism of neighboring, modern-day Peru will find a country offering a far more authentic take on Latin American culture. While upscale hotels and international-standard restaurants do exist, there are also plenty of long bus journeys along mountain passes, rough-and-tumble jeep trips across empty landscapes and chilly nights in low-frills hotels under llama-wool blankets. The infrastructure may need some work but the country's innate charm lies in its staggering breadth of contrasts: the clash of indigenous and European culture, the sweep of landscape from jungle to high-altitude mountains and the diversity of activities from adrenaline sports to ancient monuments.



With around two thirds of the population being of indigenous origin, the authentic culture has not been watered down. Native religions, dialects, clothes, music and medicines all form part of the daily life on the street. While the Spanish influence is strong in the colonial architecture, most notably in Sucre, Bolivia has remained close its roots, electing its first-ever indigenous president, Evo Morales, in December 2005.



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Mammoth Ski Resort

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One of the world's leading ski resorts, Mammoth's north-facing slopes spread over one of the biggest ski areas in North America. The resort began in the late 1930s thanks to the efforts of pioneer Dave McCoy, who went on to build Mammoth up to its current global status and attracting more than 1.5 million visitors annually.

In the last decade McCoy was helped by resort developers Intrawest who took a stake in the resort (recently sold on when Dave retired in 2005, aged 90) and began to build a full resort base village where previously most lodging was down in the town of Mammoth Lakes. A long-planned gondola link to Mammoth Lakes has also been built, cutting out the need for a drive up to the base area car parks and most recently a ski run back down too.



Mammoth's great snow record means that the ski area offers one of the longest ski seasons in the world, typically opening in the first half of November and staying open into June, although it has reached August in the past.

Although the resort's facilities in terms of the number of shops and restaurants are not quite on the scale of South Lake Tahoe, Aspen or Vail, they are more than adequate, and the ski mountain is certainly a match.

Location:

Mammoth is located on the eastern edge of California's Sierra Nevada range and to the east of Yosemite National Park (access road closed in winter), inland from a point midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on North America's west coast.


Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/ski/mammoth#ixzz171cVObZ9

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Montevideo Travel Guide

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Worlds Travel Guide

Montevideo






Perched on a peninsula jutting out into the River Plate, Montevideo's mix of Old- and New-World charms has been captivating visitors for centuries.

The city’s Ciudad Vieja (Old Town) is a throwback to the past, with narrow cobblestoned streets, historic buildings and atmospheric plazas. Across the mouth of the River Plate, pavement cafés are plentiful, particularly around the pedestrianised avenue Peatonal Sarandí.

Moving east, Montevideo’s city centre boasts wide, tree-lined avenues, soaring skyscrapers and the bulk of the city's accommodations, while the long seafront promenade known as La Rambla is dotted with clean beaches either side of the upmarket neighbourhood of Carrasco.



Montevideo is a curious mixture of old-fashioned formality and laid-back South American style. Uruguayans may seem reserved at first, particularly if you're coming from Argentina where people are much more openly effusive. This thin veneer soon wears away, however, revealing a warmth and curiosity that makes the locals the highlight of many people's visit.



Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/montevideo#ixzz16w41E5Ip

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