Kathmandu - Impressive City of Nepal

I always dream for world tour, though selecting the best places to visit confuses me. After long research I decided to visit one of the most demanding and favorite tourist location Kathmandu. This capital city of Nepal country, Asia is turned as big attraction for abroad visitors. Yes! The visitor strength is increasing year per year in Kathmandu. In general, there are many tourism spots in the city like Lalitpur, Madhyapur Thimi, Kirtipur, Bhaktapur and many other small valley communities. The other formal names of Kathmandu are KTM and Tri-city. 

Now the key point for me to visit Kathmandu is, it is the most beautiful and peak station of Nepal. The altitude of Kathmandu is 1,400 meters from the sea level shaped in bowl design. City is bordered by four major mountains such as Nagarjun, Chandragiri, Shivapuri and Phulchoki. I know you will lose interest if I discuss more about the history or importance of the city. So no more wasting time of my readers I am going to discuss about the valuable attraction points of Kathmandu. 

Now the big surprise for my readers is there are nearly 448 tourist attractions in Kathmandu city and I am afraid that I will not be able to describe each place in this short note. However, I will present the major spots of Kathmandu so that you will not miss the valuable locations of the city.

Attraction of Kathmandu:

Boudhanath Stupa: People from Nepal are devotees to Gautam Budha and you will find the big stupa and temples of Buddha in whole Nepal. However, the impressive and most beautiful stupa per my visit is Boudhanath placed on top position by many travel experts. This imposing spot is believed as house of great sages. People also believe that last time of Gautam Buddha was spent in Kathmandu and his bones are placed in the city as well.  The believers list is longer of Buddhism in the country and visitors have to walk in the clockwise direction of stupa as a prayer part. 

Swayambhunath Temple: 2nd spot as traveler’s choice of Nepal is Swayambhunath temple. This holy spot is beautiful and surrounding is amazing as well. Mental peace and mantra sound is help the person to relax the mind. Here you will feel fresh and light mental status after few hours only. I mean if you have any mental stress or you are not comfortable with your present situation this temple place is best for you. Surrounding area is covered with valleys and greenery and that gives amazing feeling to the visitors. 

Kopan Monastery: 3rd location as per results is a monastery again a holy place famous for structural design, peace and sceneries. Kopan is listed as one of the big monasteries in the world and more than 100’s of monks and nuns are accommodated at this monastery. It is the best place for meditation and even people come to this place for stress relief and meditation courses. 

Garden of Dreams: In my opinion this is the heaven on earth, though a little crowded but best place to visit. It is the historical garden of Nepal at the middle part of the city. Because of its beauty it is named as Garden of Dreams so you can justify the importance of this place. 

Pashupatinath Temple: Nepal is counted as pure Hindu nation so you will find countless holy places in the country. One of the holy temples of Kathmandu is Pashupatinath the temple of Lord Shiva. Festivals are special time to visit this area as people celebrate the Shiva Ratri with full of excitement at this temple. 

Hanuman Dhoka Square: Next available spot is a world heritage site of Nepal known as Hanuman Dhoka Square. Large amount of monkeys are living here and temple of Lord Hanuman is special at this place. 

Welcome to My Yard: The place famous for temples, forts, ceremonies and cultural events is next spot to visit. You will find bustling lanes with some real magic at WMY. If you love shopping then WMY is top location for you in Nepal.

Basantapur Tower: A historical place famous for wonderful antiquities. The landmarks and lookouts closer to this tower are amazing. About the construction part it was built by Ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah and to reach the tower you have to attain to Kathmandu Valley.

Jaganath Temple: Lord Krishna temple is another spot for voyagers in Kathmandu also known as Jaganath shrine. This temple place is listed on 5th position by many holy travel portals as best spots of tourism in Kathmandu. The structure is old but still active and impressive site to visit. Cultural events are conducted at several intervals at Jaganath temple. Here the 17th century shrine is main to visit, over all a great site to visit. 

White Monastery: A must see spot of Kathmandu turned as best destination for the visitors. This beautiful place is offered by many travel agencies as well. White monastery is added as prime tourist destination of Kathmandu in packages of travel companies. 

Durbar Square: Here you will be able to visit monuments, shrines and animals dot. The spot is important as all Nepal Kings are crowned at this square at different intervals. 

There are countless other places to visit in Kathmandu like Pullahari Monastery, Basantapur, Budhanilkantha, The Crematoria, Thamel, Dakshinkali Temple, Kaiser Library, Kashthamandap, Buddha Nilkantha Temple, Kumari Chowk, Nagarjun Forest Reserve, Vajrayogini Temple, Babar Mahal Revisted, Bhimsen Tower, National Botanical Gardens, Sankhu Village, National Museum, Maru Ganesh Shrine, Degu Taleju Temple and many more. The list is longer and not possible to describe each place here. That will bore our readers so I have mentioned the important spots of Kathmandu in this short note. 

Climate Conditions:

Average temperature of city is from 20 - 28 degree Celsius throughout the year, though night becomes chill due to surroundings. Temperature in night is recorded as 2 degree the lowest in Kathmandu. If we go through records and information from the experts Kathmandu is the warm zone of Nepal.

How to reach Kathmandu?

By Air: Kathmandu International Airport is properly connected to many big nations because people reach this wonder place regularly specially for honeymoon. It is the only international air hub in Nepal positioned at 5.5 km distance from the city. Flights from Delhi, Qatar, Bangladesh, UAE and Bangkok are available in good quantity. Other abroad cities that are connecting Kathmandu through air are Sharjah, Chengdu, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Paro, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Kolkata, Seoul, Karachi and many more.

Domestic Flights: internal flights are available throughout the Nepal so if you are in the country then also you are getting chance to visit Kathmandu faster by getting the domestic air flights. You can even plan to other cities from Kathmandu if you have enough holidays. Commercial flights are accessible from/to Bhadrapur, Bharatpur, Bhairawa, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Dhangarhi, Nepalganj, Simara, Pokhara, and Tumling Tar. 

You will be surprised to know that there is no railway station in Kathmandu. However, you will get the private taxi and buses as transport mode in Kathmandu. 

By Bus: Nepal state transport is providing buses for travelers and that is the cheapest mode as well, but local people travel in buses so you might face the difficulty and full rush in the bus while traveling. Its better to hire the private prepaid taxi instead of state buses. Road conditions of Nepal are not perfect so taxi is again best option to travel in Nepal. Indian cities are having direct buses for Nepal so if you are reaching India then get to Patna, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kolkata or Lucknow to get direct bus for Kathmandu.

Important facts about Kathmandu:

City is cute and best to reach but you need to be careful when you are walking in the street. Nepal is not a developed nation and localities are having less income sources. If the taxi people asks for more tip or extra rent then don’t pay him as there is no tipping culture in Nepal. Water is a concern that need to be taken care and you should boil or either use the branded drinking water canes. Water infection is common in the city so be careful and use the boil or filter water only. Carry the map with you of Kathmandu when you are going for sightseeing so that you will be getting complete idea about the particular place.

Gulmarg - Indian Hill Station

“धरती पर कहीं स्वर्ग है तो वो कश्मीर है।“ This is the famous dialog that people say about Indian state Jammu and Kashmir. However, Kashmir’s maximum part is covered with high hills and snow. Our todays target for voyagers is Gulmarg that is one of the finest natural beauty spots of India. Gulmarg is the all-time favorite, though winter is chilled season and not easy for people to visit at such a period. It is the hill station popular for skiing event. If you have made your mind to reach this place, then you have to start your journey from Baramula (another hill station of Kashmir).

Gulmarg is located on LOC that separates the Pakistan from India. The view of Himalaya range is clear from this town. You must view the amazing pictures of this place before justifying that if the place is best to visit or not. The scenery, snow covered mounts, green valleys and twisted roads on hills are major attraction of this place.

Climate: the important factor that needs attention while planning for Gulmarg visit. If you want to enjoy the greenery and the rose valleys then you can visit the town from April to October. Snow fall and the snow-covered peaks are visible from November to February. Maximum temperature of Gulmarg is recorded around 33 degrees celsius, and average minimum temperature is -4 degree Celsius. You will be surprised the town got the lowest temperature of -38 degree few years back. It becomes really difficult for voyagers to stay in winter season.

If you go through historical evidence, the city is named after Goddess Parvati. Here the Gauri (Parvati) + Marg (Meadow) turns into Gulmarg. Literature meaning for this word is Meadow of Mata Parvati. Lord Shiva’s temple is located in the middle of Meadow. In an ancient period, Gulmarg was the prime location for Hindu rulers.

Gulmarg is absolutely reachable from Srinagar. If you are coming from abroad cities, then you can easily get the flights for Srinagar International Airport. Srinagar is the capital of Kashmir, and it is another tourist destination of India. The distance between Srinagar and Gulmarg is just 2 hours. Private taxi and buses are available from the outer area of Srinagar station. Tangmarg is the town comes between the journey of Srinagar and Gulmarg.

Nature lovers always look at the places that are full of beauty, scenery and stupendous valleys. Gulmarg is the Indian tourist place having amazing spots made by nature itself.

An attraction of Gulmarg:

Gondola: Initial place of Gulmarg is Gondola that is the breathtaking place famous for Cable Car and skiing event. Gondola is just 1 km away from city bus stand. Lift ride of Gondola separates it into two segments. One starts from Gulmarg to Kongdoor and other from Kongdoor to Apherwat. The average height of this lift is 2690 meters to 3090 meters.

Snow Events: If you are the sports lover and want to enjoy the skiing events, afterwards reach Gulmarg. This city is also having snowboarding events that make it special destination then other locations of India. In winter, the whole area gets covered with thick white sheet of snow. The natural slopes Gulmarg hills are perfect for skiing beginners. You can also enjoy the paragliding and some other sky events in this place as well.

Alpather Lake: Reach the next-best tourist place of Gulmarg established at the only gap of 13 km. It is the lake famous for serene and stunning view. Its shape is triangular placed perfectly with the picturesque surroundings of snowcapped peaks. The estates and gardens near the lake add charm to the beauty this place. Lake water gets a freeze in winter, though in summer you can enjoy watching floating ice pieces with flowing crystal-clear water.

Baba Reshi Temple: Constructed in 1480 dedicated to Muslim Saint Reshi Baba. Baba was the imperative person during the ruling period of Monarch Zain Ul Abidin. The structural design of the temple is similar to structure of Mughals and Persian architecture.

St Mary's Church: An important place of worship located in the shepherd's valley of Gulmarg. This church was constructed by the British East India Company around 150 years back.

Maharani Temple: Constructed in 1915 also known as Mohineshwar Shivalaya. The idol of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati is amazingly structured. Mohini Bai Sisodia was the constructor of this temple. It was built under the ruling of Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K.

Golf Club: Do you like to pay golf on high hills? Golf Club of Gulmarg was founded by British Government in 1911. The splendid green golf grounds are the best part to view in the club.

Travel options for Gulmarg:

By Air: Closest domestic and international airport for Gulmarg is Srinagar located at only 56 km distance. Flights for Srinagar are available from Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and many other cities of India.

By Train: Jammu Tavi railway station is the big rail hub to reach Gulmarg. It is located at distance of 290 km from Gulmarg.

By Bus: Srinagar is the capital having beautiful roads with greenery. If you really want to enjoy the Gulmarg, then go by road. Direct buses are available for Gulmarg from Srinagar, Sonmarg and many nearest towns of Jammu and Kashmir.

Gaumukh - India's Best Hill Location

Our prime world tourist place for today is Gaumukh. A place located in Uttarakhand State, India is turned as favorite destination for abroad travelers. Gaumukh is basically located under Uttarkashi region popular for Gangotri Glacier finishing point. River Bhagirathi is also originated from this area. Gaumukh is completely natural beauty spot having countless breathtaking spots. It lies closer to Tapovan meadow. 

This spiritual place of Hindu pilgrimage is visited by lots of local devotees who want to take bath in River Ganga. 

Gangotri is the town positioned closer to Gaumukh. The distance is just 18 km from Gangotri to Gaumukh. If you are adventure lover then you will get the chance of trek in Gaumukh. Moving clouds and now peaks are best view of area. 

A major attraction spot of Gaumukh is:

Meru Peak: First place in tourist attraction is Meru Peak that is the mountain lies in Garhwal region. People can view Himalaya ranges from this peak. Meru lies among Shivling and Thalay Sagar, though route is challenging so be careful if you are planning to visit the peak. 

Valuable information about Gaumukh (also known as Gomukh):

Reach Gangotri to attain Gaumukh. Frequent buses are available from Rishikesh and some other parts of Uttarakhand for Gaumukh. Distance between Rishikesh and Gangotri is just 299 Kms. Gangotri is important destination and the last station to reach Gaumukh through Haridwar by road.

Best time to attain to Gaumukh: It’s a hill area covered with snow all time. Summer is the best period for Gaumukh and you can reach the spot between April – June. Autumn is also suitable period starts from September ends in October. 

Summer is the best period to enjoy this hill area. Winter is completely avoided because temperature goes below 0 degree at such time. The average temperature of Gaumukh is 10 to 15°C in Summer and -5 to 10° C in Winter. 

Travel Tip: Carry one umbrella at least or get a raincoat because Gaumukh is unexpected place of weather. Sudden outpours can put you in trouble if you don’t have raincoat or umbrella. Hire the guide to know more about this best place of India. 

Attaining to Gaumukh

You can start your trip to Gaumukh through Delhi, Mysore, Ooty and some other big spots of India. 

By Train: Closest and end point to reach destination is Gangotri placed at 18 km distance. This nearest journey point itself is the big holiday spot of India. Closest big railway station for Gangotri is Haridwar located at 230 km distance. Trains for Haridwar are available from Delhi, Allahabad, Dehradun and lots of other big cities. 

By Air: Air Base for Gaumukh is Jolly Grant located in Dehradun City. Distance is only 229 km from Gangotri to Dehradun. It’s a domestic airport connected to almost every major city of India. You can get the flights from Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and many other big Indian cities. Reach this best world tourist place to make your holidays memorable. 

By Bus: State transport is available for destination and road is the finest mode of transport in Uttarakhand state. Maximum areas are hill stations so road is the topmost method of communication. Gangotri town is connected through road from Rishikesh, Haridwar, Mussoorie, Dehradun, Yamunotri and Tehri Garhwal. 

France

World is full of various locations where travelers can visit to make their vacations memorable. France is the nation of Western Europe becomes the initial country where every person wants to visit. The countryside is bordered from Belgium in north, Germany and Luxembourg in north-east, Switzerland in east, Spain in west, and Italy in south-east. In south direction of France the Mediterranean Sea is located. In west direction the nation is having long Atlantic Ocean coast.

France is always the world's mainly admired tourist target for many years. The strength of voyagers is increasing every year as 81.9 million people visited diverse cities of France in 2007 particularly for tourism. Some France cities are admired for greatest treasures such as Paris, Brittany, the Atlantic beaches, the French Riviera, French Alps, Loire Valley and Normandy. Wine and cheese of France are world famous gastronomy, though the history, fashion and culture are also dissimilar then other countries in the world.

Top cities of France where travelers can plan holidays are Paris (City of Light), Bordeaux (city of wine), Bourges (popular for canals, gardens and the cathedral church), Lille (northern city recognized for handsome city center and lively artistic life), Lyon (second big city), Marseille (3^rd city with harbor and seashore), Nantes (Greenest City), Strasbourg (historical city), and Toulouse (Pink City).

Few other spots of France are Camargue (largest rivers of Europe “deltas and wetlands”), Corsica (origin of Napoleon), Disneyland Paris, French Alps (hill spots), French Riviera (for resorts, golf and yachts), Loire Valley, Luberon, Mont Saint Michel, and Verdon Gorge (river canyon and picnic spot). The nation is having ample of world tourist places and voyagers can refer the online guide about France to attain these spots.

Few necessities that require entering France are mentioned below:

EEA, EU and citizens of Swiss can produce their passport if their visa is expired. Non-EU citizens from New Zealand and Australia can also stay in France by showing their valid passport. However, the stay permission is given by the government administrators.

People from different nations have to get visa and valid passport to enter France. South African people must carry their passport all the time and it should be valid for at least 3 months prior to visa expire. This mandatory condition is required to granting visa by Schengen.

Countless tourist destinations of France allow visitors to make holidays special. Few best spots are watching Mont Saint from Normandy, Yachts at Honfleur, and many more.

France and its lively cities are accepted for top tourist locations. Not only known but many unexplored regions are also having unique spots for tourist in France. Attaining in festival season is also best period for visitors in France.

Monaco Grand Prix: Sports lovers can plan of visit during the Grand pix sport event conducted in France.

Few spots are Eiffel Tower (Paris), French Alps (Rhone), Annual Film festival (Cannes), Thorens Glières' Castle, Wine Tours (Burgundy), and Paris Museum Tour.

Carnivals: attaining to France and not watching the carnivals is not good for visitors. Some big fests of France are Dunkerque Carnivals, Nativity in Paris, CIFF (Cannes International Film Festival) and the BDC (Bastille Day Celebrations).

Culture and Art Festivals: The INF (International Film Festival), JUAT (Jazz under the Apple Trees in Normandy), SSMF (Summer Solstice and Musical Festivals), and IFT (International Festival of Theatre) are few big cultural programs.

France is also popular for not having border controls among countries of Europe. Except Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Ireland and UK, France is not having particular LOC.

Attain France:

By Air: Paris is the Big City of France connected to every major country. The key IA (International Airport) is Roissy allow outsiders to enter France from abroad. CDG (Charles de Gaulle) is the main hub of Air France. Air France is the company managing intercontinental airlines of France. Terminal 2 is used by AF along with SkyTeam Alliance which manages the flights of Delta Air Lines, Dutch, Alitalia, Aeromexico, and Korean Air. Rest abroad airlines are using Terminal 1 of AF. The 3^rd terminal is utilized for contract bases flights. Reaching airport in CDG prior to 1 hour of flight is beneficial for voyagers. Domestic flights are accessible to travel from one city to other in France. Many domestic flights are using Orly as first airport and Paris as 2^nd airport. For transferring inside CDG travelers can utilize free bus service connected to every terminal of CDG. These buses are attaining to rail station, parking places and hotels of the airport. Airport of Orly and CDG are linked through local train so reaching air hubs is not difficult in France. Few low-cost air services are accessible for people care for budget. Volare and Ryanair are two cheapest air services of France having flights for various cities. However, maximum flights of both airlines reach Beauvais airport located at 80 kms distance from Paris.

By Boat: watching beautiful nation from water is dissimilar experience. France is reached by sea services from England and many other European countries:

1.       P&O ferryboat: the ship and boats are available from Dover to Calais.

2.       My Ferry: passenger boats are available from Dover to Calais.

3.       DFDS Seaways: cargo and traveler ships are accessible from Dover to Dunkerque.

4.       LD Lines: firm is having cargo and passenger boats from the Portsmouth to Le Havre.

By Train: Railway Company of France is SNCF offer direct service of train from maximum European nations to France. Tickets of train can be bought openly in the US from Rail Europe firm.

Mount Wellington- Australia

Earth is beautiful and the world tourist places are amazing. People always search for new locations to make their holidays memorable. Here small discussion about the world famous spot Mount Wellington is done. Mouth Wellington is located in Tasmania State, Australia. Hobart people refer the place as Mountain.

Mostly mount area is covered with snow which means travelers can enjoy the white hills anytime. The dense forests are also special spots of this area. 22 kms path of mount is narrow and travelers might get difficulty to cross them. Spectacular vision of city from peak is best experience.

Weather of Mount Wellington: Australia is famous destination for tourism but if the traveler is not known about the tourist locations then they might not enjoy the all spots of the location. Learning about the Hobart and its locations will help travelers to take pleasure of spot properly.

Weather of Hobart is attracting visitors throughout the year. However, winter becomes really cold in Mount Wellington and travelers must carry the worm clothes along in such season. Experts suggest warm clothes are always required in this place but in winter it becomes necessity to get such clothes.

Mount Wellington: the altitude of mount is around 1270 meters from the harbor of Hobart. Derwent River is also the major attraction of area. Wild experience of this place is amazing and travelers can get the experience in only 20 minutes by moving the city.

Once travelers reach the location they must watch the windiest spot located in Hobart. Here they can enjoy thrill-seekers ride. Windiest spot is having ample information about the creation of Mount Wellington. The good drive of 21 kms to peak is appreciated by visitors. Sub-alpine plants and trees of this location give panoramic view of Hobart city to voyagers. Some nearby tourist locations are South Arm, Bruny Island, Iron Pot and Tasman Peninsula.

Attractive spots in Mount Wellington area:

Cataract Gorge: this is the reserve created by natural sources. Reaching is possible in just two-minute drive from central Launceston area. This rare likely wonder place is first choice for voyagers in this location. Walking through tree branch glades is best activity at Gorge. The alluring developed parks in Gorge are finest spots to spend some time. Hang gliding is event conducted at this place so travelers will get countless things at single spot to make their holidays special.

Tasmanian is the region having ample of tourist locations. Mount Wellington is located in the same region so people reaching Wellington for vacations can take pleasure of nearby other locations. The key spots of Tasmanian are LCNP (Lake St Clair National Park) at Cradle Mountain, Flinders Island, Freycinet National Park, Gordon River, Hastings Caves, King Island, Mole Creek Karst National Park, Port Arthur, Salamanca Place, strahan and west coast, the nut at Stanley.

Adventure activities:

People can do abseiling, bicycle tour, mount biking, jet boat riding, diving, hang gliding, flying fox, off road tour, rock climbing, water rafting, surfing, kayaking and many other activities conducted in Wellington area.

People love outdoor activities can do camping, river cruising, fishing, golf, scenic flights, horse riding, gardens, sailing, wildlife safari, trekking and few more activities. Voyagers can also attain to historical spots of Wellington to learn about the past life of Tasmanian region.

For shopping there are galleries, stores and antique collection areas where people can visit and buy memorable products of Tasmanian.

Wellington Park is also world-known having stunning spots. People can do skiing and trekking of White Mountains near the park. The horse riding and biking are two other best options to take pleasure of such place. Reaching at peak of mount wellington allow voyagers to view the beautiful city as many peaks are having sightseeing location from the hills. 

Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls- Iceland

World is full of adventurous places and Iceland is one of them. The most astounding tourist spots made by nature in Iceland make it special and first choice for visitors. However, the climate is cold all the time so tourist must take their warm clothes while visiting the spot. Seljalandsfoss is the place in Iceland popular for waterfalls. The stunning images available on various websites can express the kind of waterfalls in Seljalandsfoss. This picturesque place is used in many books as well as calendars.

This stunning spot is located between Skógafoss and Selfoss at route 1 crossing. The huge waterfall on the Seljalandsá River drops from good height of 60 meters. Standing behind the waterfall is best feature of this place.

People around the corner are reaching Seljalandsfoss to watch the amazing waterfalls. However, there are countless waterfalls in Iceland but Seljalandsfoss is best among all.

Such waterfall is popular now and countless different angled images are available on the websites. People can easily learn about the place by watching such amazing images. Many other small waterfalls are available near this place which is again a best thing for visitors. Waterfall at Gljufurarfoss is amazing too which is just at walking distance from Seljalandsfoss.

Directions: road number 249 is directly crossing the spot, though distance is 28 kms from Skogafoss and 76 kms from Selfoss.

Attaining to Seljalandsfoss:

Reaching the Iceland is easy way to reach the tourist destination. The international airport of Iceland is properly connected to many big nations. Tourist can check the flights online for Iceland to attain the spot.