Saturday, 30 October 2010

China





China is one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations
The People's Republic of China (PRC), established in 1949, commonly known as China, has control over mainland China and the largely self-governing territories of Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999).
The Republic of China (ROC) established in 1912 in mainland
China, now commonly known as Taiwan, has control over the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, the Pratas island group, and a few other outlying islands.
In the 1950s, change to economic policies in Taiwan transformed the island into a technology-oriented industrialized developed economy after a period of high growth rates and rapid industrialization. In mainland China, in the 1970s, reforms known as the Four Modernizations modernized the agriculture, industry, technology and defense, vastly raising living standards, and making the PRC one of the great powers.
Historically, China's cultural sphere has extended across East Asia a
s a whole, with Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems being adopted to varying degrees by neighbors such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Through its history, China was the source of many major inventions. It has also one of the world's oldest written language systems.

China Hotel was built in 1979 by the Hong Kong listed conglomerate Hopewell Holdings Ltd (controlled by Sir Gordon Wu) under a novel contractual agreement that came to be known asBuild-Operate-Transfer, a means of building and operating joint ventures with local authorities in China. This arrangement allowed a foreign partner to build a facility at its own expense, operated it for an agreed length of time to generate a return on its investment, then hand it over to a local partner at no cost.

China Hotel first opened on the 18th of June 1984 and became the first hotel managed by Marriott in Mainland China in 1998. China Hotel became China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel.

In 2008, the hotel was fully renovated and offers 850 Guest rooms.


Marriott China Hotel Guangzhou (Guangzhou Zhongguo Dajiudian) is a five-star hotel located in the heart of the city, close to the railway station, the China Trade Exhibition Center, Baiyun International Airport and the Yuexiu Metro station.The China Hotel, managed by Marriott, offers 1,013 rooms and suites, ranging from standard accomodations to business rooms and presidential suites, all specially designed to combine elegance and functionality.
The Forbidden City is the world's largest surviving palace complex and covers 72 ha (178 acres). It is a rectangle 961 metres (3,153 ft) from north to south and 753 metres (2,470 ft) from east to west. It consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms. The Forbidden City was designed to be the centre of the ancient, walled city of Beijing. It is enclosed in a larger, walled
area called the Imperial City. The Imperial City is, in turn, enclosed by the Inner City; to its south lies the Outer City.
The Forbidden City remains important in the civic scheme of Beijing. The central north-south axis remains the central axis of Beijing. This axis extends to the south through Tiananmen gate to Tiananmen Square, the ceremonial centre of the People's Republic of China. To the north, it extends through the Bell and Drum Towers to Yongdingmen.[29] This axis is not exactly aligned north-south, but is tilted by slightly more than two degrees. Researchers now believe that the axis was designed in the Yuan Dynasty to be aligned with Xanadu, the other capital of their empire.
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups. Several walls have been built since the 5th century BC that are referred to collectively as the Great Wall, which has been rebuilt and maintained from the 5th century BC through the 16th century. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall was built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.



Saturday, 14 August 2010

San Alfonso del Mar

It is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, had a 115ft deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water.

The Guinness Book of Records named the vast pool beside the sea in Chile as the biggest in the world.

But if you fancy splashing out on one of your own – and you have the space to accommodate it – then beware: This one took five years to build, cost nearly 1billion and the annual maintenance bill will be 2million.

The man-made saltwater lagoon has been attracting huge crowds to the San Alfonso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile’s southern coast.

Its turquoise waters are so crystal clear that you can see the bottom even in the deep end.




Chile’s monster pool uses a computer- controlled suction and filtration system to keep fresh seawater in permanent circulation, drawing it in from the ocean at one end and pumping it out at the other.

The sun warms the water to 26c, nine degrees warmer than the adjoining sea

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

Interior of Burj Al Arab


The marketing technique of self-declaring the 7 star title has worked very well. Burj al-Arab became one of the most wanted destinations, and not only in the United Arab Emirates. To keep objectivity, the hotel is officially 5 star deluxe. The service and the unseen luxury definitely makes it stand out of the other 5 star hotels. The service includes private chauffeur with Rolls Royce or BMW 7, private reception desk every floor, helicopter pad (helicopter trips to the center of Dubai or to the Dubai International Airport), restaurant located 200m above the sea level, with amazing view on the city. The hotel offers free entry to the Wild-Wadi Water Park as well

Burj al-Arab has the most luxurious interior imaginable. Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International was responsible for the interior design. The most expensive materials were used throughout the building.

There is no exact data about the cost of the hotel, but rumours say that the return of investment could be 100 years, although the nights at Burj al-Arab start at $1000. The Royal Suite costs $28000 per night



There are 202 duplex suites in the hotel, the smallest suite starts at 169 m², and the largest is 780 m². Each suite has floor to the ceiling windows with spectacular views on the Persian Gulf

Every suite has sumptuous living and dining area, and office facilities.


They are equipped with 42 inch Plasma screen TV, and everything is automated and can be controlled via remote.



The list goes on, like 13 pillows to choose from and similar thoughtful care for the guests


There is huge variety of brilliant, elegant restaurants that offer much more than the average.

Al Mahara (The Oyster) let you enjoy your meal next to a large circle aquarium.
The Skyview you with an unforgettable experience 200m above the sea-level.

If that is not enough, there are 8 more restaurants to choose from


While Burj al-Arab lies on a small artificial island, Emirates Palace is surrounded by a spectacular garden with multiple swimming pools and amazing fountains. The hotel kept the traditional arabic architectural style.

The Burj al-Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 feet). The atrium is formed between the building's V-shaped span.


The atrium dominates the interior of the hotel, and takes up over one-third of interior space.
It can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which, at 38 stories, was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s


The tower that resembles the sail of dhow, became the world’s tallest hotel with the height of 321m in 1999, and the iconic tower of Dubai. The construction took 6 years (1994-1999)

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

Cape Verde Islands







The Republic of Cape Verde is located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of West Africa. Cape Verde is a former Portuguese colony, comprises ten inhabited and several uninhabited volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Their population is of mixed African and European descent. The group of Cape Verde islands includes: Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista, Sao Tiago, Brava, Fogo and Maio.

This new holiday hotspot is so exotically unusual, coming here is one big magical mystery tour. The Cape Verde islands are opening up to tourists, especially holiday makers searching for a rich blend of fresh holiday experiences. Even the Cape Verde people are unique, being a cultural mix of their two nearest neighbors – Senegal and Brazil, this combination is most obvious in the ever-present Cape Verde music; a scintillating hip-swinging fusion of Samba and Salsa sprinkled with tribal African. It's the destination for those in the know.


Some reasons to visit The Cape Verde:
* Glorious sandy beaches and clear waters
* Rich history and culture
* Fantastic water sports
* Excellent for walkers of all levels
* Deep sea blue water fishing


Ten barefoot island paradises wait to whip your breath away. Each one is dramatically different, from bounty-like blond sands backed by jungle-like scenery to volcanic monochrome landscapes peppered with pastel-painted towns. The beaches are mind-bogglingly gorgeous and the colorful blend of cultures from Africa, Portugal and Brazil will have you charmed from the moment you arrive.


Fall in Love With Cape Verde Again and Again
When you own a timeshare in this exciting vacation destination,
you'll be able to return every year to experience the rich culture,
beautiful natural surroundings and fun-loving attitude of this beloved,
if little-known, vacation destination.
Cape Verde is not a place that you can come to know and love
with just one vacation.

There is so much to do, see and experience in this beautiful island
off the coast of Africa,
that multiple vacations are almost a necessity
if you're looking to immerse yourself
in the unique culture of these islands.

As you return year after year
you'll begin to feel less and less like a tourist
and more like a Cape Verde native.

Friday, 1 January 2010

Montmorency Falls,Quebec

The Montmorency Falls (French: Parc de la Chute-Montmorency) form a large waterfall in Quebec, Canada. The falls are located in the borough of Beauport, Quebec City, about 12 km from the heart of old Quebec City.

The falls, at 84 meters (275 ft) high, are the highest in the province of Quebec and 30 m (98 ft) higher than Niagara Falls. The basin at the foot of the falls is 17 m (56 ft) deep. The falls are at the mouth of the Montmorency River where it drops over the cliff shore into the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the western end of the Île d'Orleans. The falls were given this name in 1613 by Samuel de Champlain. He named them in honour of Henri II, duc de Montmorency, who served as viceroy of New France from 1620 until 1625.

There are staircases that allow visitors to view the falls from several different perspectives. A suspension bridge over the crest of falls provides access to both sides of the park as well as a spectacular view. There is also an aerial tram (Funitel) that carries passengers between the base and the top of the falls. In the summer the park hosts an international fireworks competition with the falls as a backdrop.




Montmerency suspension bridge






Stairs taking visitors to the source of the Falls


Travel Pictures