Khao Sam Roi Yot (Thai: เขาสามร้อยยอด) is a marine national park in Sam Roi Yot district, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand. It covers 98.08 km², of which 20.88 km² are marine areas. The park was established in 1966, and was the first coastal national park of Thailand.
Geography The name Khao Sam Roi Yot means Mountains with 300 peaks, which describes the landscape of the park quite well. The limestone hills are a subrange of the Tenasserim Hills that rises directly at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand, with the highest elevation Khao Krachom 605m above sea level. Between the hills are freshwater marshes. However several of these marshes were converted into shrimp farms, as only 36 km² of the total 69 km² of marshes are part of the national park. 18 km² of these marshes are scheduled to be declared a Ramsar site.
Two white sand beaches are located within the park namely Hat Laem Sala and Hat Sam Phraya. Hat Laem Sala is 17 km away from the park's head quarters and can be reached from the village Ban Pu either by boat or by climbing up and down over a hill for nearly 30 minutes.
Rare animals in the park include the Mainland Serow (Nemorhaedus sumatraensis), Dusky Langurs (Trachypithecus obscurus), as well as many bird species. In the ocean occasionally Irrawaddy Dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) show up.
History Phraya Nakhon cave with the Kuha Karuhas pavillon The area of the Khao Sam Roi Yot was probably the site where King Mongkut convened with European guests on August 18, 1868 to observe a total solar eclipse. The king was very interested in astronomy and had calculated the date and location of the eclipse himself. However he contracted malaria during that event, and died shortly later.
Later kings also visited the area, especially the Phraya Nakhon cave. The cave consists of two caverns, illuminated by the collapsed roofs. For the visit of King Chulalongkorn in 1890 the Kuha Karuhas pavillon was built inside the cave. Later King Vajiravudh as well as the current king Bhumibol Adulyadej visited the cave. The national park was created on June 28, 1966. It was enlarged on April 1, 1982.
Legends on Khao Sam Roi Yot The giant Mong Li and his wife, who lived on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand, had promised their daughter independently to Chao Lai and the emperor of China. When the daughter became old enough to marry, both future husbands arrived at the same date.
Mong Li then cut his daughter into two halves. Chao Lai turned himself into a hill, while the traditional fruit basket to be presented to a Buddhist monk has turned into the Khao Sam Roi Yot mountains. The islands Ko Chang and Ko Kong on the other side of the gulf were the elephant and the ox-cart with the wedding presents. Nom Sao Island is the part of the daughter's breasts and Ao Sam Roi Yot, Ko Ram Island and Nom Sao Island's silhouette, seen from certain angles, look like a person resting in the middle of the sea. There is a Goddess shrine on Nom Sao Island that is a popular attraction.
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Arches National Park Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.
The park is located just outside of Moab, Utah, and is 76,679 acres (31,031 ha) in area. Its highest elevation is 5,653 feet (1,723 m) at Elephant Butte, and its lowest elevation is 4,085 feet (1,245 m) at the visitor center. Forty-three arches have collapsed due to erosion since 1970. The park receives 10 inches (250 mm) of rain a year on average.
Administered by the National Park Service, the area was originally created as a National Monument on April 12, 1929. It was redesignated as a National Park on November 12, 1971.
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Bagan (Burmese; MLCTS: pu.gam, IPA: [bəɡàɴ]; formerly Pagan) is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Burma (Myanmar). From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day. The Bagan Archaeological Zone is a main draw for the country's nascent tourism industry. Read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan :: travel.sanook.com ::
Bajina Bašta (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајина Башта, pronounced [bâjina bǎːʃta]) is a town located in the western mountains of Serbia. The town lies in the valley of the Drina River at the eastern edge of Tara National Park. It is the administrative seat of the Bajina Bašta Municipality in the Zlatibor District. The population of the town, according to 2011 census, is 9,133 inhabitants, while municipality has 26,043.
The Drina (Cyrillic: Дрина, pronounced [drǐːna]) is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed. Its name is derived from the Latin name of the river (Latin: Drinus) which in turn is derived from Greek (Ancient Greek: Dreinos).
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Uluru (/ˌuːluːˈruː/), also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; 450 km (280 mi) by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to a plethora of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.
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To Sua Ocean Trench , Upolu, Samoa To Sua Ocean Trench is located in Lotofaga village .To sua literally means a Giant Swimming Hole. 30 meters deep and is accessible via a long ladder to the pool Overlooking the ocean is a beach called Fagaoneone meaning white sand whereas opposite is a lava field with blow hole, tide pools and walking paths along the rocks near the ocean’s edge.
ประเทศซามัว
รัฐเอกราชซามัว (ซามัว: Malo Sa‘oloto Tuto'atasi o Sāmoa; อังกฤษ: Independent State of Samoa) หรือที่เรียกกันทั่วไปว่า ซามัว (ซามัว: Sāmoa; อังกฤษ: Samoa) เป็นประเทศที่ประกอบด้วยหมู่เกาะอยู่ในมหาสมุทรแปซิฟิกตอนใต้ ชื่อในอดีตคือ เยอรมันซามัว ระหว่างปี พ.ศ. 2443 ถึง พ.ศ. 2457 และ ซามัวตะวันตก ระหว่างปี พ.ศ. 2457 ถึง พ.ศ. 2540
Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind. The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built in only five years through the blessings of HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and the colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers. The complex was inaugurated on 6 November, 2005.
Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades.
For the first time ever in the world witness the heritage of India in all its facets, insights and beauty at the Swaminarayan Akshardham through its mandir, exhibitions, verdant gardens and other attractions.
Swaminarayan Akshardham (Gujarati: સ્વામિનારાયણ અક્ષરધામ, Devnagari: स्वामिनारायण अक्षरधाम) is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, India. Also referred to as Delhi Akshardham or Akshardham, the complex displays millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture, spirituality, and architecture. The building was inspired and developed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham.
The temple, which attracts approximately 70 percent of all tourists who visit Delhi, was officially opened on 6 November 2005 It sits near the banks of the Yamuna adjacent to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village in eastern New Delhi. The temple, at the center of the complex, was built according to the Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra. In addition to the large central temple crafted entirely of stone, the complex features exhibitions on incidents from the life of Swaminarayan and the history of India, an IMAX feature on the early life of Swaminarayan as the teenage yogi, Nilkanth, a musical fountain on the message of the Upanishads, and large landscaped gardens. The temple is named after a belief in Swaminarayan Hinduism.
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Methoni Castle, Southwestern end of the Peloponnese, Messenia, Greece. Ottoman/Venetian fortress in Methoni's port. Nowadays the walls of the fortress, even though in ruins, continue to be impressive. The castle of Methoni occupies the whole area of the cape and the southwestern coast to the small islet that has also been fortified with an octagonal tower and is protected by the sea on its three sides. Its north part, the one that looks to land, is covered by a heavily fortified acropolis. A deep moat separates the castle from the land and communication was achieved by a wooden bridge. The Venetians built on the ancient battlements and added on and repaired it during both periods that they occupied the castle.
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คาซา บัตโล่ มีชื่ออีกอย่างหนึ่ง ซึ่งชาวบ้านที่นั่นเรียกกันว่า...... Casa dels ossos แปลเป็นภาษาอังกฤษได้ว่า House of Bones หรือ บ้านกระดูก คงเป็นเพราะการออกแบบของเกาดี้ที่ทำตัว ระเบียงด้านนอกให้เป็นหัวกระโหลก และออกแบบองค์ประกอบ บนอาคารบางส่วนให้เป็นรูปกระดูก ดั่งที่เห็นกันอยู่ในภาพข้างบนนี้
Casa Batlló (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkazə βəʎˈʎo]) is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled in the years 1904–1906; located at 43, Passeig de Gràcia (passeig is Catalan for promenade or avenue), part of the Illa de la Discòrdia (the "Block of Discord") in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Spain. Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta y Joan Rubió also contributed to the renovation project.
The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It was originally designed for a middle-class family and situated in a prosperous district of Barcelona.
The building looks very remarkable — like everything Gaudí designed, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work. It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís) that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George (patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudi's home), which has been plunged into the back of the dragon.
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Chapada Diamantina National Park, State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil.
The Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina in Portuguese) is a 1,520 km² national park in the Chapada Diamantina region of the State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. The park is located between 41º35’-41º15’W and 12º25’-13º20’S; about 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia. Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century.
The park was created in the 1980s in response to growing ecotourism.
The region is semi-arid, however it has no shortage of water, from the many rivers and streams. On average, the altitude of the park is between 800 and 1000 metres above sea level, although parts are as high as 2000 metres above. In this place is located the highest point of state in Pico do Barbado with 2,036 meters. The park is typified by hills, mountains, valleys and monoliths, with few plains.
Many cave systems were formed by the rivers that run through the region. Several of these rivers run red due to tannin in the water. Both gold and diamonds have been found there
The flora and fauna are highly varied. Although there are few large mammals, there is a wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects and small mammals. The flora mainly consists of small scrubland bushes, orchids and cactus.
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The Island of Gaiola (Isola della Gaiola) looks beautiful and serene. However it has a gloomy history and the locals feel that the island is jinxed as many past owners of the sole villa on the island had faced misfortunes and/or met with unnatural death. The villa now lies abandoned.
The island which is located on the southern edge of Posillipo, along the Gulf of Naples is actually group of two very small islets very close to the coast. One of the islet has a large residential villa and the second islet which lies within few metres of the first is uninhabited and connected to the first by a small rocky arch bridge.
In early 19th century, the island was inhabited by a hermit known as "The Wizard". Actual date of construction of the villa or its past history is not known however in 1920s it was owned by Hans Braun, who was murdered by some unknown persons and his body was found wrapped in a carpet. A short while later his wife drowned in the sea. Another of its owner Maurice Sandoz, pharmaceutical industrialist committed suicide in Switzerland. Another resident owner Gianpasquale Grappone suffered failure of his insurance company. Gianni Agnelli the head of Fiat had also owned the villa. His only son also committed suicide as he was not interested in his fathers business. After his son's untimely death Gianni had started grooming his nephew Umberto Agnelli to run Fiat however Umberto also died of some rare cancer at the young age of 33. Thereafter the villa remained empty.
The house at one time or another was also owned by multi billionaire Paul Getty and by the Norman Douglas famous author of "Land of the Sirens", however they never stayed in the villa. Douglas considered it a cursed island, with beauty that hides restless fate.
The bridge which connects it to the second islet is a thin bridge and looks like a natural arch connecting the two. However I couldn't find any information about it whether it is really natural or has been built in such a way to look natural. May be some of my readers can provide information about it.
นครเปตราได้รับลงทะเบียนจากองค์การยูเนสโกให้เป็นมรดกโลกเมื่อปี พ.ศ. 2528 โดยกล่าวอธิบายไว้ว่า "เป็นหนึ่งในสิ่งที่ล้ำค่ามากที่สุดของมรดกทางวัฒนธรรมแห่งมวลมนุษยชาติ" (one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage) ปัจจุบันสามารถเดินทางเข้าไปโดยอาศัยม้าเท่านั้น
Petra (Greek "πέτρα" (petra), meaning stone; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans,[2] it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor[3] in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning poem by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage".Petra was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the "28 Places to See Before You Die."
World’s largest swimming pool The San Alfonso del Mar resort seawater pool in Algarrobo, Chile has been officially declared the largest swimming pool in the world, according to the Guinness World Records.
San Alfonso del Mar is a private resort located in Algarrobo, Chile, about 100 km (60 mi) west of the capital Santiago.It is notable for having the Guinness world record for the largest swimming pool in the world. It has been attracting tourists since it opened in December 2006.
San Alfonso del Mar. San Alfonso's pool is one kilometer, or about 3/5's of a mile long. The pool covers an area of 19 acres that holds 66 million gallons of seawater.The pool, developed by Chilean company Crystal Lagoons, uses water pumped, filtered, and treated from the Pacific Ocean to supply to the pool. Development
While early estimates put the total cost of construction at about US$ 3.5 million for the pool alone, more recent, and perhaps accurate estimates are in the area of $1.5 to 2 billion USD total for construction and almost $4 million USD in annual maintenance.The pool has been frequently reported as having a depth of 115ft, the actual depth of the pool is 11.5ft (3.5m).
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Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب,Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 m (1,053 ft), it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world. Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship. Sometimes incorrectly referred to as "the world's only seven-Star hotel", its star rating has been often debated.
Muriwai, also called Muriwai Beach, is a coastal community located on the west coast of North Island, New Zealand. It is also home to a large colony of gannets.
Location It is approximately 17 km West of Kumeu, 42 kilometres Northwest of Auckland city, at the southern end of an unbroken 50 kilometre stretch of beach which extends up the Tasman Sea coast to the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour. One of several popular beaches in the area (others include Piha and Karekare), it experiences a population explosion in summer when Aucklanders head to the sea.
Statistics At the 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings: The census usually resident population count for Muriwai Beach was 2,037, a change of 14.3 percent since 1996.The median income of people in Muriwai Beach is $24,500, compared with $19,500 for Rodney District and $18,500 for all of New Zealand. The unemployment rate in Muriwai Beach was 5.3 percent, compared with Rodney District percent for 5.1 and 7.5 percent for all of New Zealand.
Activity Surfing is the main pastime at Maori Bay/Muriwai. Other pastimes enjoyed at Maori Bay include paragliding and hang gliding, especially when the prevailing souwesterly wind provides favourable conditions. Fishing is also popular, although dangerous in many places. Bush walking is encouraged, with boardwalks in place. Driving along the beach is popular, especially at fishing contest time, although vehicles have been mass stranded in past years. Sand yachts are available for hire at the local beach store. There are also many mountain bike trails up in the pines, mainly downhill and freeride trails. The beach was used extensively for motor racing from the 1920s through to the 1940s.
Geology Sand and Rock (sedimentary), Older volcanic material, with many concretions and layers in the cliff walls. A blowhole plays often. The shore platform is also well jointed, with the main rock type being piha conglomerate.
Black sand beach It is also unique because of its black sand, caused by the iron content derived from the ancient volcanoes in the area. The majority of the black mineral sand is carried up the west coast from Mt Taranaki through the process of longshore drift. This sand is igneous material that was eroded from the volcanic area. Despite this, the area has retained much of its natural beauty and isolation.
Muriwai Beach Regional Park Much of the land at the southern end of the beach is part of the Muriwai Beach Regional Park. Maori Bay (to the south) is separated from Muriwai Beach by a steep cliffs and rocky nesting areas that are home to the region's only gannet colony. The site of the gannetry has been identified as an Important Bird Area, by BirdLife International.