2024-05 Canadian Rockies

Detailled description of the Canadian Rockies

The Canadian Rockies mountain range spans the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. With jagged, ice-capped peaks, including towering Mt. Robson, it's a region of alpine lakes, diverse wildlife and outdoor recreation sites. Yoho National Park is home to the massive Takakkaw Falls. Other national parks are Jasper, with the famously accessible Athabasca Glacier, and Banff, site of glacier-fed Lake.

The Okanagan Valley is stretching over 250 kilometers north from the US border down to Kelowna. It's known for its diverse landscape, culture, and abundance of delicious food and drink. 

Banff and Lake Louise area is a stunning region in the Canadian Rockies, located within Banff National Park in Alberta. It's an incredibly popular destination known for its breathtaking scenery, diverse outdoor activities, and charming mountain towns.

Jasper National Park is a the second-largest national park in Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife, and endless outdoor activities.

The National Park is dotted with pristine lakes, fed by glacial meltwater. Some of the most popular lakes include Maligne Lake, the second-largest lake in the Canadian Rockies, and Pyramid Lake, known for its stunning emerald green waters.

Detailled description of the Canadian Rockies

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2024-05 Victoria, Vancouver Island

Detailled description of Victoria and Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island off the mainland coast of British Columbia. It features diverse landscapes, including towering mountains, ancient rainforests, rugged coastlines with sandy beaches and rocky headlands, and inland lakes. Rich indigenous history and presence of Coast Salish peoples for millennia.

Victoria

The city of Victoria has retained a large number of its historic buildings, in particular its two most famous landmarks, the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel (opened in 1908). The city's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America, after that of San Francisco. The region's Coast Salish First Nations peoples established communities in the area long before European settlement, which had large populations at the time of European exploration.

Craigdarroch Castle

Visitors can appreciate the Craigdarroch castle’s stained-glass windows, intricate woodwork, ceiling murals and Victorian furnishings. There are numerous staircases, but no elevators. A self-guiding tour includes four floors of the castle and an 87-step climb to the tower, which offers stunning views of Victoria, the strait and the Olympic Mountains. An audio tour and an iPad tour also are available. 

Butchard garden

The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens that Jennie Butchart began to shape in 1904. She established, in the style of the grand estates of the period, several distinct gardens to evoke a range of aesthetic experiences. An abandoned limestone quarry was transformed into the dramatic Sunken Garden, a reflection of the early 20th-century beautification movement and an exceptional achievement in Canadian gardening history.
The gardens receive over a million visitors each year and have been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

Vancouver island

Cathedral Grove**, located in MacMillan Park, is one of the most accessible stands of giant Douglas fir trees on Vancouver Island. The park protects and preserves an internationally significant representative example of Douglas fir old-growth forest within the Coastal Western Hemlock Biogeoclimatic Zone. 

Tofino*** is a small town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It's located on the tip of the Esowista Peninsula in Clayoquot Sound, at the western end of Highway 4. Tofino is known for its natural beauty, including lakes, inlets, ancient rainforest, and sandy beaches. It's also home to many activities,

Detailled description of Victoria and Vancouver Island

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2024-03-22 Keelung, Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei

Detailed description of Taipei and Keelung

Taipei, the capital of Taiwan (pop. 2 500 000), is a vibrant metropolis that blends modern skyscrapers with traditional temples and markets. Taipei is home to a rich culture and history, dating back centuries.

Taipei 101 tower was officially classified as the world's tallest from its opening in 2005. It became the world's first skyscraper to exceed a height of half a kilometer.

The National Palace Museum houses one of the world's largest collections of Chinese art and artifacts, with over 690,000 pieces in its collection. The museum has one of the world's finest collections of jade carvings, dating from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty.

Bangka Longshan Temple is a Chinese folk religious temple dedicated to the Buddhist deity Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy), the temple gather diverse religious influences, incorporating halls and altars for other deities like Mazu (protector of seafarers) and Guan Yu (God of War).

Keelung

Keelung (pop. 372 000) is a port city in northern Taiwan that has small temples, a historic fort, local shopping and dining options, and a few hiking trails. While exploring Keelung can make for a relaxed day, the real purpose of Keelung is to serve as a gateway to Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, which is 18 mi/ 30 km inland.

Zhongzheng Park The white statue of Goddess of Mercy is 25-meter-high statue has become one of the characteristics of Keelung. The park overlooks Keelung City and the harbor. On the first level is a historic canon fort. On the second level is a Buddhist library, Martyrs' Shrine and Zhuputan Temple. On the third level visitors can see the entire Keelung and the ocean.

Gangziliao Fort is a popular tourist destination. Visitors can explore the fort's ruins, which include gun emplacements, tunnels, and barracks. The fort also offers stunning views of the Keelung Harbor and the surrounding mountains.

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Detailed description of Taipei and Keelung

 

2024-03-21 Hualien, Taiwan

 Hualien lies on the eastern coast of Taiwan, and it is the island’s 8th largest city with a population of 110,000 people. The city is both culturally and geographically fascinating, and you are sure to have a memorable travel day whether you choose to head into nature or immerse yourself in the city.  

Taroko Gorge has long since been considered Taiwan's top tourist attraction, and rightly so. Imagine a world sculpted by water and time, where towering marble cliffs rise majestically above a roaring river, shrouded in lush rainforest and echoing with the whispers of ancient legends. This is the wonder of Taroko Gorge, a 19-kilometer canyon in Hualien County, that holds the soul of the island in its breathtaking embrace.

The Changchun Shrine, also known as the Eternal Spring Shrine, is a memorial dedicated to the 226 workers who lost their lives during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway

The shrine itself is a traditional Chinese structure with red pillars and intricate roof carvings. It sits gracefully above the cascading waters of the Liwu River, offering views of the gorge's cliffs and greenery.

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Detailed description of Hualien

2024-04-05 BUSAN 부산, SOUTH KOREA

Detailed description of Busan 

Busan, South Korea's second-largest city with 3.5 million inhabitants, is nestled on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula. It has the largest port in the country (5th largest in the world), biggest department store in the world, beautiful beaches and mountains, spas, and tasty seafood dishes.

The vibrant seafood market in Jagalchi is the most famous seafood market in Korea.

And walking through the old part of the city such as the Gamcheon offers the cozy atmosphere. It is also home to many events and festivals, such as the Busan International Film Festival, one of the most famous film festivals in Asia.

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Detailed description of Busan 

2024-03-20 Ishigaki

Detailed description of Ishigaki.

Ishigaki is a sleepy Japanese island where you will find quaint lighthouses and beautiful beaches. It is a small island with an area of 85 sq miles/ 220 sq km with a population hovering at 50,000 residents. Ishigaki Port is the 5th most popular of Japan's cruise ports as of 2017, and 4th for port calls by non-Japanese ships.

Yoneko Yaki Kobo Shisa Farm

Kabira Bay

The transparent waters are full of coral reefs, making scuba diving the number one activity on Ishigaki.

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Detailed description of Ishigaki.

2024-03-24 Kagoshima, Japan

Detailed description of Kagoshima.

Kagoshima (600 000 hab,) is often compared with its Italian sister city Naples due to a similarly mild climate, palm tree-lined streets, relatively hot-tempered inhabitants and rumbling Mount Sakurajima, Kagoshima's Vesuvius.

The city has a rich history as the former seat of one of Japan's most powerful feudal clans, the Shimazu, who played a central role in the Meiji Restoration.

Sengan-en is a traditional Japanese garden and stately home located in Kagoshima, Japan. It was built by the Shimadzu clan, one of the most powerful feudal clans during the Edo period (1603-1868). 

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Detailed description of Kagoshima.