Tourist Information–Madagascar

Madagascar is an island nation in theIndian Ocean on the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth largest island in the world. More than 1000 miles (1580 km) long and 350 miles (570 km) wide, Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. The most prominent feature rugged mountains should be parallel with the entire east coast. Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean 250 miles off the east coast of Africa across the Strait of Mozambique, south of the equator. Calling Madagascar an island almost seems unfair. Leaf forests, crystal lakes, caverns, and grassland savanna dot vast western plains, and the southern tip of the island is covered with majestic desert.
A nature lovers paradise, and his friend Maromokofro many give way to a narrow coastal plains. There, you’ll find great rivers, stunning waterfalls, and the remnants of an ancient rain forest. This sparsely populated land-area occupies more than twice the size of Great Britain, and crisscrossed by no fewer than six different micro-climates! Madagascar’s highest mountain, Mt. Maromokotro, an impressive tower of 9450 feet (2876 m) in the area north of the island. Eastern slopes of Mt. Garden of Eden as the wealth was filled with so much diversity in life and in geography it is unlike any other island anywhere on Earth. It is no exaggeration to claim that micro-continent, as some have called it, offers limitless opportunities for exploration. Indeed, every expedition into the mountains, its rain forests, valleys of its rivers, its coastal plains, prairie, caves, and deserts led to his discovery of somenew plant or animal species.
Madagascar consists of six different areas by various climate:
1. East. The Betsimisaraka, the second largest ethnic group in Madagascar, friendly, laid back and fun loving. Marie, once a haven of pirates and is now a much sought after destination for beach lovers, the East Coast, and especially the Masoala Peninsula with exceptional concentration of fauna and flora are unique, largely undiscovered, and must for lovers of serious nature. Cash crops such as coffee, vanilla, cloves, and all the tropical fruits grown on the East Coast, making the local population is generally more prosperous than in other regions of Madagascar. With the exception of Ile Ste. (Maroantsetra including both the North and East region because it is considered by many to be the remaining channels of pristine rain forest on the east coast of Madagascar.)
2. Southern Dry Forest. The area is very wide and varied is home to “the people of the thorns”Antandroy on the beach, for Vezo nomadic fishermen, and the Mahafaly famous for their funerary art. South accounted for the benefit of the unique vegetation where tropical moist forest meets the southern dry forest, and is the gateway to the famous Berenty Reserve, National Park Andohela, Beza Mahafaly, the Isalo National Park, and the boom town Ilakaka, where exceptional quality sapphire was mined at this time. While the extreme tip of Madagascar southestern surrounding Ft. Dauphin receives abundant rainfall, the southwestern tip of extreme rainfall have virtually none at all. This is known as the “Grand Sud” and is one of Madagascar’s most attractive regions: remote, harsh, deserted exotic plant with incredibly beautiful scenery, endless beaches clean sand dunes, and strange.
3. Western Dry Forest. This is the area of ??spectacular scenery with majestic baobabs and “forest” of karst peaks of the World Heritage site of Tsingy of Bemaraha. Sakalava people’s homes, large ethnic groups with African beliefs and customs of interest such as a spirit, tromba and the cult of royal heritage, the West is a large area with only remnants of forests, dry leaves that once covered the entire domain. It is hot and dry throughout the year and the two main cities, Majunga (Mahajunga) and Morondava the Malagasy favorite for beach holidays.
4. Southern Rain Forest. This is known as the “Grand Sud” and is one of the most attractive regions of Madagascar: lush virgin rain forests, magnificent granite rock formations, and exotic flora and fauna on the east side, and beautiful scenery, endless beaches clean sand dunes, and plant strange exotic on the west side. While the southeastern region of Madagascar receives abundant rainfall, the southwestern region of extreme rainfall have virtually none at all. South accounted for the benefit of the unique vegetation where tropical moist forest meets the southern dry forest and rain forest southern including Ranomafana and Andringitra National Park is newly developed.
5. North. Despite being the closest to the equator, very long dry season of seven months, was followed by intense rains from December to April, giving the area north of Madagascar, a separate identity. Sparsely inhabited but with a rich mix of ethnic groups: Antakarana, Sakalava, Tsimihety, Betsimisaraka and Antandroy, the area is isolated from the across the country by rugged mountains Tsaratanana. Secluded coves, tranquil lagoons, windswept promontories, wide pastures and rain forest height is much varied and offers a wide palette of landscapes, people, fauna and flora.
6. High Plateau. Outside the two main cities of Antananarivo (Madagascar capital) and Antsirabe (once a resort town / spa and is now an industrial center), the primary calling of agriculture because the soil is warm climate and fertile throughout the year in which each plant may be grown, except for tree cherries. Rural views of terraced rice fields along Route Nationale 7 from Antananarivo to Fianarantsoa prove the Merina people of Asian descent and Betsileo, Madagascar’s political and intellectual elite.

Ethiopia Tourist Information And Tourism:Top Sights

Ethiopia Tourist

Offering a rather refreshing lack of traditional tourist traps and the opportunity to bargain over most prices, Ethiopia provides much more than first meets the eye. The main attractions tend to be of a historical and religious nature, being particularly concentrated in Addis Ababa, where both the St. George Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Cathedral reside, completed in 1896 and 1942 respectively. Somewhat older and located in Axum, on the northern side of Ethiopia, the Old Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion and Treasury dates from the 17th century. In Gondar and of a similar age is the spectacle that is the World Heritage Site of Fasil Ghebbi, which is better known to tourists as the Royal Enclosure and comprises the Fasilades Palace and a series of magnificent castles. More information about Ethiopia Tourist Attractions.
There are some really extraordinary landmarks located in Ethiopia and most visitors find that their rigid preconceived ideas of this region of Africa are quite incorrect. The scenery around the Tisisat Falls couldn't be more lush and less desert-like, with the Blue Nile River cascading into the gorge below. Various ancient stone obelisks (stales) and monoliths are worth searching out in Ethiopia, with the best examples being found at Tiya and also at Axum, where the oldest are believed to date back some 5,000 years. In Addis Ababa, important local landmarks are in abundance, with the most photographed being the Lion of Judah Monument next to the train station, and the Menelik II Square, where a prominent statue of the city's proud founder stands. In the town of Lalibela, the series of churches elaborately carved straight out of the rock are quite a sight to behold, with the Church of St. George being particularly impressive and regarded by many to be the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. More information about Ethiopia Landmarks and Monuments.
Ethiopia's rich and rather surprising archaeological heritage and culture is well documented in a number of important museums. The National Museum of Addis Ababa is amongst the most popular and is famous for its important 3.5 million year-old 'hominid' skeleton, which is an ancestor of today's human race. Nearby and located on the southerly side of Meskel Square, the Addis Ababa Museum is packed with information about the political and economical history of Ethiopia. Also in this capital city is the Ethnological Museum and its wealth of religious paintings and artefacts. In Addis Alem, the Marian Museum is another highlight and contains various African costumes and treasures once owned by the rulers of this country. More information about Ethiopia Museums and Art Galleries.
A trip of two weeks in Ethiopia is barely long enough to scratch the surface of the huge quantity of sights and appealing destinations that should be investigated, since getting around can be quite time-consuming. If you are here for longer as part of an African adventure, then you might like to visit one of the surrounding countries. Kenya is especially enticing, with the closest attractions coming in the form of the Chalbi Desert, and the towns of Marsabit and Moyale. Bordering the western side of Ethiopia, Sudan is another enormous African country, with its town of Er Roseires being just 60 km / 37 miles away and its city of Kassala being a little further. Both Somaliland and Djibouti are very accessible from eastern Ethiopia and front the Gulf of Aden, while to the north, Eritrea and its beautiful Red Sea coastline is a little more difficult to explore. More information about Ethiopia Attractions Nearby.

Ethiopia Tourist Information And Tourism:Top Sights

Ethiopia Tourist

Offering a rather refreshing lack of traditional tourist traps and the opportunity to bargain over most prices, Ethiopia provides much more than first meets the eye. The main attractions tend to be of a historical and religious nature, being particularly concentrated in Addis Ababa, where both the St. George Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Cathedral reside, completed in 1896 and 1942 respectively. Somewhat older and located in Axum, on the northern side of Ethiopia, the Old Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion and Treasury dates from the 17th century. In Gondar and of a similar age is the spectacle that is the World Heritage Site of Fasil Ghebbi, which is better known to tourists as the Royal Enclosure and comprises the Fasilades Palace and a series of magnificent castles. More information about Ethiopia Tourist Attractions.
There are some really extraordinary landmarks located in Ethiopia and most visitors find that their rigid preconceived ideas of this region of Africa are quite incorrect. The scenery around the Tisisat Falls couldn't be more lush and less desert-like, with the Blue Nile River cascading into the gorge below. Various ancient stone obelisks (stales) and monoliths are worth searching out in Ethiopia, with the best examples being found at Tiya and also at Axum, where the oldest are believed to date back some 5,000 years. In Addis Ababa, important local landmarks are in abundance, with the most photographed being the Lion of Judah Monument next to the train station, and the Menelik II Square, where a prominent statue of the city's proud founder stands. In the town of Lalibela, the series of churches elaborately carved straight out of the rock are quite a sight to behold, with the Church of St. George being particularly impressive and regarded by many to be the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. More information about Ethiopia Landmarks and Monuments.
Ethiopia's rich and rather surprising archaeological heritage and culture is well documented in a number of important museums. The National Museum of Addis Ababa is amongst the most popular and is famous for its important 3.5 million year-old 'hominid' skeleton, which is an ancestor of today's human race. Nearby and located on the southerly side of Meskel Square, the Addis Ababa Museum is packed with information about the political and economical history of Ethiopia. Also in this capital city is the Ethnological Museum and its wealth of religious paintings and artefacts. In Addis Alem, the Marian Museum is another highlight and contains various African costumes and treasures once owned by the rulers of this country. More information about Ethiopia Museums and Art Galleries.
A trip of two weeks in Ethiopia is barely long enough to scratch the surface of the huge quantity of sights and appealing destinations that should be investigated, since getting around can be quite time-consuming. If you are here for longer as part of an African adventure, then you might like to visit one of the surrounding countries. Kenya is especially enticing, with the closest attractions coming in the form of the Chalbi Desert, and the towns of Marsabit and Moyale. Bordering the western side of Ethiopia, Sudan is another enormous African country, with its town of Er Roseires being just 60 km / 37 miles away and its city of Kassala being a little further. Both Somaliland and Djibouti are very accessible from eastern Ethiopia and front the Gulf of Aden, while to the north, Eritrea and its beautiful Red Sea coastline is a little more difficult to explore. More information about Ethiopia Attractions Nearby.

Visiting Chiswick House Gardens

Chiswick House Gardens, designed by William Kent and Lord Burlington in the 1720s and 30s are – as the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement – of immense importance in the history of Western art and culture. For the first time, a garden moved away from the straight lines and formality of Renaissance gardens in favour of natural curves and clusters. This Arcadian image of the English Garden would take Europe and North America by storm, its influence can be seen in landscapes from Villa Reale in Italy to Central Park, New York.

Over the past 300 years, the Gardens have been transformed from a great nobleman’s estate to a public park. The different areas within the estate (described below) each embody a distinct historical period and combine to deliver a beautifully illustrated history of Englishgarden design.

The end of the 20th century witnessed a slow decline in the fortunes of the Gardens as its vistas became overgrown and its paths struggled under the strain of over a million pairs of feet a year. The Gardens suffered because of the split management of the site, with Chiswick House being managed by English Heritage and the Gardens by the London Borough of Hounslow. Like most parks and gardens across the country, dwindling non-statutory local authority budgets meant that fewer resources were available.

Grass and hedges were cut but very little was done to the trees and woodland. The vigorous regeneration of self sown trees, following the great storm in 1987, prevented sufficient light penetrating to the woodlandfloors, choking-out the ground flora and leaving bare ground and muddy patches.

In 2005, English Heritage and the London Borough of Hounslow (although still closely involved) collaborated to form the independent Chiswick House and Gardens Trust to oversee the regeneration of the Gardens. The aim of the restoration was to reveal the cultural and natural heritage of the site as well as improve the facilities for visitors. Historic restoration was given precedence in the core area around Chiswick House and in the Italian Garden (see below) at the eastern end of the site. To the west of the artificial river, the woodlands are managed with the aim of increasing biodiversity, a meadow is being established and areas have been set aside for wild fowl. Important changes by Burlington’s successors were respected and conserved. Extensive consultation with present and potential visitors to the site has been important in guiding the project, to ensure the improvements meet the needs of today’s visitors.

The overriding ambition was to restore the special character of the Gardens, making them a source of beauty, inspiration and recreation for visitors from the local Chiswick community, London and across the world.

Visiting Malbork Castle

Work on Malbork Castle began in 1274 when the Teutonic Knights first arrived in Poland at the request of the Polish Royal family to help convert the pagan tribes in the area to Christianity. It took them about 30 years to build a small stronghold named St Mary’s City (in German: Marienburg).

In 1309 the Grand Master of the Order, Siegfried von Feuchtwagen, moved his office from Venice to Malbork castle, which turned the castle and surrounding town into the capital of the Teutonic state. New needs spurred castle expansion. After almost 40 years the original stronghold became the inner High Castle of the complex. Flanked with moats and walls, it became the main residence of the Teutonic grand masters and top ranking officials.

Construction of a Lower Castle,(The Bailey )began during the 14th and 15th century. It contained a Karwan (armoury), granary, storehouse, as well as St. Lawrence chapel. All of these buildings were surrounded by walls, towers and moats and connected with the defensive walls of the city.

During the Thirteen Years War of the late 1400's, Malbork castle was occupied by the Polish army and as a result of the signing of the Peace of Torun in 1466, the castle was handed to Poland and remained in Polish hands for the next 315 years.

With the ousting of the Teutonic nights, Malbork castle changed its function from monastery to fortress. The Royal starosta (governor) and his murgrabia (deputy governor) became the administrators.

Between 1626 and 1656, Malbork castle was occupied by Sweden and king Carl Gustaf ordered the castle to be surrounded with ground ramparts, very few traces of which still exist. The Polish never conquered the castle - it was given up as a result of a peace deal signed in Oliwa.

In May of 1644 the roofs of High Castle and some of its galleries caught fire and were destroyed. In 1647 the roof of the church was restored and in 1675, because of the slow rate of restoration, part of the vaulting collapsed in the chapter house. In the 18th century, by order of king August II, a new roof over the High Castle was laid.

In 1756-1767 a Jesuit college was built. The Jesuits then started restoring the church of the Holiest Mary Virgin. Restoration of the castle was limited to current repairs.

As a result of the partition of Poland in 1772, Malbork castle was occupied this time by the Prussian army. It became a barracks and was rebuilt to accompany the needs of the military. In 1799 Frederick William III ordered the role of the High Castle be changed to that of a military storage depot.

After withdrawal of the Napoleonic armies, in 1816, Administration for Restoration of Malbork Castle (Ger. Schloßbauverwaltung Marienburg) was established. From now on medieval castles came under the care of sensitive for beauty of the fortress restaurateurs, and they dynamically restored Malbork to its original state.

In 1881 the Prussian government decided to rebuild the church of the Holiest Mary Virgin in the High Castle. Restaurateurs continuously gained numerous funds for care and reconstruction of the castle until the beginning of the World War II.

The flag of Third Reich was displayed in the castle on May 1st, 1933 and became a place of celebrations for high ranking officers of NSDAP party. On September 1st, 1939, there was a ceremonial announcement of the return of the former territories of West Prussia to Germany. In May 1940 copies of the Teutonic Order's flags - Banderia Pruntenorum - were brought here from Wawel castle in Cracow.

The castle was severely damaged by warfare in 1945 with an estimated 50% of the castle being destroyed.

Starting in fifties the care of the castle was taken over by PTTK (Polish Tourist and Country Lovers Society).

In 1957 a celebration marking 500 years of liberation of Malbork was held. Its goal was to bring to the attention of the government, the state of the monument, which resulted in the establishment of a Castle Museum on January 1st, 1961. In 1997 the complex was entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Driving In Ireland Is A Sport All Its Own

Imagine a harsh, eerie moonscape with sporadic vegetation sprouting in bizarre places. The visitor’s center describes plant species ranging from artic to sub-tropical thriving within the cracks and crevices of this hostile, rocky terrain. Efforts to cultivate this land resulted in unending rock walls lining the narrow roads that were truly meant for horse and cart … not modern vehicles. Somehow, the cattle, sheep, and horses graze among the rocky fissures that were formed beneath the sea a million years ago. On the southwestern edge of The Burren, the Cliffs of Moher drop dramatically to the Atlantic Ocean and extend for five miles along the coastline. During north Atlantic gales, the pounding surf rivals nature’s drama seen along California’s Big Sur.

Visitors to Ireland expect to hear traditional Irish folk music and only the early-to-bedders will be disappointed. In Doolin, a village famous for Irish music, the musicians start playing around nine o’clock. We listened to live Irish music in Killarney, Limerick, Dublin, and places in between and it’s late before the entertainment begins.

In Limerick, we stumbled on the best Irish music during our trip. The Locke had an incredible band that creatively blended traditional Irish with Bluegrass music. Anyone familiar with Riverdance will understand how the first influenced the second. Dolan’s Pub featured various local musicians who came to jam with fiddles, flutes, guitars, banjos, even spoons. They treated us to great, spontaneous Irish music and we loved it. Dolan’s also owns a concert hall that offers a litany of performances by famous groups.

Driving in Ireland is a sport all its own. American auto insurers will not cover a rental car in Ireland; rental companies mandate their own insurance and it’s expensive. In a small car with manual transmission, I concentrated on opposite-side driving while trying to master Ireland’s answer to intersections … the infamous roundabout! Despite the awkwardness of left-sided driving, I soon became adept maneuvering through roundabouts because I encountered one every quarter mile in the city. On the open highway, drivers can travel almost five miles between roundabouts. Just to keep things interesting, some roundabouts also had traffic signals. Adding to the driving challenge are narrow roads through small towns where drivers park wherever they choose… halfway on the street… halfway on the sidewalks. Few cities have bypasses to circumvent traffic around the downtown area. Hour-long backups are typical in places such as Waterford where major cross-country routes funnel all traffic across a single two-lane bridge in the heart of city. Stretches of national highway are curvy, two-lane roads with no shoulders. Regardless, the speed limit is one-hundred kilometers per hour (62 mph) until drivers reach the next roundabout on the outskirt of a town or village.

Wait! There’s more. I thought the national highways were narrow until I traveled on regional roads. Oncoming carsNarrow winding roads bordered by rock walls or hedgerows are found throughout Ireland cannot pass without squeezing up to a hedgerow or a rock wall delineating the edge of the road. There is no space on either side of the road… zero, zippo, none. Fortunately, vegetation covers many rock walls. When a car brushes against vines, a driver knows that further yielding will cause serious vehicular damage. This is particularly helpful when the approaching vehicle is a tour bus, a sixteen-wheeler, or an oversized farm tractor pulling a flatbed full of hay. While the roads are riddled with hairpin curves, shared with bikers and pedestrians, used for cattle and sheep crossings, the typical speed limit is eighty kilometers per hour (50 mph). Years ago, visitors drove for miles without seeing another car. Those days are long gone, the current road system cannot handle the traffic, and the allowed driving speeds add to the danger. The next time you seek a thrill, forget the latest mega-ride at Six Flags. Just rent a car and go for a drive in Ireland.

Grampian Scotland

Have you been pondering lately the possibility of maybe taking a trip to a foreign country? If so, I would highly recommend that you look into going to either Grampian, Scotland or Aberdeen, Scotland as there are so many fun things to see and do there!

For starters, while staying in the Aberdeenshire area that encompasses the cities of both Aberdeen and Grampian, you should definitely look into going on one of their hot air balloon rides! This is a fantastic experience that you will not soon forget! Do you love castles and all things having to do with royalty? If so, I’m sure you will be thrilled to hear that famous landmarks such as Crathes Castle and Castle Fraser are just a few of the gorgeous sights that you can expect to see while on your ballooning trip!

Also, are you a big fan of the performing arts? If so, I would highly recommend that you check out His Majesty’s Theatre while visiting Scotland! Every night, there are top notch actors and actresses here that put on a great show doing everything from opera, pantomime, and musicals, just to name a few.
If you happen to visit Scotland during one of their warm seasons, going to Codonas which is located at Beach Boulevard would be great fun for the whole family! At Codonas you will find an outdoor amusement park that offers not only rides such as roller coasters, but they also offer arcade machines, bingo and ten pin bowling!
Another great activity in Grampian is quad biking. This can be enjoyed by anyone over the age of 16, this is for insurance purposes. Whilst better in the summer with dryer weather it can be done all year round. For the speed freaks amongst us, this is a lifetime must do. With the freedom of the track and in the company or your friends this is an great way to spend an afternoon or morning. I say afternoon or morning because youd have to be super fit to do a day of it, its very tiring. Do a search for Howie Irvine or House of Mulben. Both centres offer quad biking.

If you are an animal lover, and do you especially love marine animals? If so, you will be sure to enjoy going on a dolphin watching cruise trip through Aberdeen Harbour during your stay in Scotland! The view of the harbor is simply spectacular, and the dolphins themselves are quite stunning! Watching the dolphins play together as they swim near the boat is not only fun to watch, but it is also a very relaxing experience. Many times, the dolphins will even decide to do some acrobatic tricks which really are a fantastic sight to behold! Also, if you look closely during your dolphin watching cruise, don’t be surprised if you happen to spot a few other marine animals such grey seals and possibly even a minke whale!