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Khajuraho Travel Guide – Khajuraho Tourism and Tourist Places

December 31st, 2011

Khajuraho mainly attracts the tourists for its group of temples. In the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is located. It is well known for its temples and sculptures. The monuments of Khajuraho are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It shows exceptions artwork and craftsmanship. Usually the main points of attractions of Khajuraho are the temples. The Khajuraho temples follow the shikhara style. In these temples the main deity is placed on a sanctum in the centre of the temple. Originally it was believed that there were 80 Hindu temples out of which only 22 remain.


We can reach to Khajuraho from all parts of the country by road, rail and air. From Delhi, its location is about 600 kilometers. The nearest airport is Jhansi where many airlines fly at extremely cheap rates. The main mode of transport which connects Khajuraho to the remotest corners of India is the train.


Some of the important tourist attractions in Khajuraho include


Western Group of Temples: These are the largest and the richest of all temple groups.


1. LakhmanaTemple – It is the oldest and finest of the western group of temples. This temple is named after the ruler who built it.


2. Kandariya MahadeoTemple – They are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.


3. Devi JagdambaTemple – This temple is dedicated to the Goddess (devi). The Garbha griha has a huge image of the Devi of the Universe who is also known as Jagdambi.


4. Chaunsat Yogini – It is the only granite temple in the Khajuraho group.


5. ChitraguptaTemple – This temple is dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and it faces eastward to the rising sun.


Eastern Group of Temples


1. ParsvanathTemple – It is famous for exquisite carvings in detail and it is largest among the group.


2. GhantaiTemple – It is a famous jain temple.


3. AdinathTemple – It is dedicated to jain saint, adinath.


4. BrahmaTemple – It is one of the oldest temples of Khajuraho.

Southern Group of Temples


1. DulhadevTemple – It lies to the south of Ghantai temple and it is the last temple of Khajuraho.


2. BeejamandalTemple – It is near the Chattarbhuj temple as well as a ruined temple.


3. ChattarbhujTemple or The JatkariTemple – This temple is built in 1100A.D. This is well known for its architecture. This temple is facing west and has to take 10 steps to reach the sanctum.


The other attractions are Khajuraho Dance Festival and Light and Sound Show at Western group of temples.

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Shanghai Travel Guide For Travelers

December 30th, 2011

Shanghai is main economic hub of China. It is located at the far eastern part of China. The huge multicultural city is standing next to the yellow river. The city was used to be a small village of fisherman initially, but now has surfaced as the top mega city of the world.


The city witnesses the great boom in tourism due to its prosperity, ever changing life style and beautiful historic sites. The life in Shanghai is a unique amalgamation of east and west. The city truly reflects the life style and culture of far eastern nations. It offers a wide range of sights and sounds compound with huge shopping prospects.


This year Shanghai is hosting Expo 2010, which comprises of colorful festivals, exhibitions and fairs from March to October 2010.


Must Visit Sites


A few must visit sites are mentioned below:


The Bund is located at the middle part of Shanghai. It is an old historical area with beautiful buildings. Walking by its main road, you will find amazingly beautiful river on one side and multinational banks, financial centers and consulates on the other.
City God Temple is famous for its unique sculpture. Originally, it was a temple where people were used to come to pray for their bright future. Nowadays, City God Temple is not just a temple but it means the whole area surrounding the temple. Here, you will view the marvels of Chinese architecture, beautiful tea houses and much more.


Pudong is the eastern part of Shanghai. It is the financial center of the city. This area is full of remarkable skyscrapers. One of the most wonderful buildings is Orient Pearl Tower. Garden bridge is also a wonderful site of the city.


Climate
Shanghai has sub tropical climate, summers are usually warm with high level of humidity and occasional rains. In winters, temperature can be dropped to -120 C. March, April, May, Sep, Oct and Nov are the months in which climate remains moderate.


Getting into Shanghai
Shanghai has two international airports; Pudong International airport and Hongquio International airport. The Pudong International is China’s 2nd largest airport. Roaming around in the city is very easy due to its most advanced transport system. It has fast moving trains, metros, buses and taxis. All the public transport is easily accessible if you have Shanghai Public Transport Card. You can buy these cards from service counters of all metro stations and use them at airport, tourist centers, fuel stations and anywhere. The card comes in different categories; some cards are refundable and some are not, but you can reload every card.


If you are coming for a short visit then better not to use card; you can move around by taxis, metros, and trains very easily. The fares of each transport facility vary according to distances. Moreover, there are sightseeing buses which are perfect if you love to look around the famous spots.


Dining Out
Shanghai offers a wide variety of food, cuisines and sea foods. Meat usually means pork here. Traditional Chinese cuisine has sweet and sour taste, and is excellently delicious. Other than Chinese food, you can find international food chains and beverages here. Name any continental food and you would find it in Shanghai.


Accommodation
Accommodation is easily available in Shanghai. The rates depend upon the services you require. From top international hotels to the beautiful motels catering low budget travelers, all provides clean and safe environment. Shanghai is a traveler friendly place; come and explore.

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Hong Kong Travel Guide – Favorite Tourist Spots in Hong

December 28th, 2011

Hong Kong Travel Guide – Favorite Tourist Spots in Hong Kong (Part 1)

Most of the tour groups will include these 3 places into the sightseeing itinerary – The Peak, Star Ferry and Temple Street Night Market.


Victoria’s Peak is one of the most famous tourism spots and as well as local’s favorite in Hong Kong. It is situated on the Hong Kong Island and it is also the highest spot on the island. Standing at the top of the Peak, you can embrace one of the best night views of Hong Kong and hence Hong Kong earned its fame and glory as the Pearl of the Orient.


The most common transport to access to the Peak will be the Peak Tram. You can purchase a tram ticket from the lower terminus, which is merely a 10 minutes walk from the J2 exit of the Central MTR (Mass Transit Railway) station, or Bus 15C from the Star Ferry, by cash or Octopus Card. You can also top up the ticket to gain access to the Sky Terrace, the highest point on the Peak, which allows you to have a 360 degrees view of the Hong Kong Island and even to some of the small islands around it.


Other than its spectacular views during the day and night, you can also have a great shopping experience at the Peak Galleria, where you can grab good bargains and great souvenirs. There are also many restaurants that serve various cuisines with great atmospheres and dining experiences.


The famous Madame Trussauds wax museums have one of its flagships on the Peak too. You can visit the museum and you can find wax figures of many famous local Hong Kong artistes as well as international stars.


Star Ferry is one of the most significant and representative landmarks of Hong Kong. Its ferries commute between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island since 1888. Though the road tunnels that are built beneath the harbor has brought an alternative way to shuttle between these two islands, many commuters still prefer to take the ferry.


It is also very popular among the tourists as they can take some leisure time off to see the great views at both sides of the banks. The only time where the ferry service is terminated is when typhoons hit Hong Kong. The cost of this transportation is very low, the upper deck’s fare is HK$2.20 while the lower deck’s fare cost merely HK$1.70.
This is one of the cheapest bargains you can get to see the panoramic views between the two banks.


The ferry has almost no traffic conditions to obstruct the traveling time, while the intervals are 10 only minutes apart. It is especially beautiful when you see the sun setting down behind the skyscrapers. The operating hours is between 7am to 11pm, just the best operating time for a typical Hong Kong resident.


Hong Kong is famous for its nightlife and Temple Street Night Market , situated in Yau Ma Tei, is one of the most popular night markets in Hong Kong. Locals spend their nights hanging out with friends there while tourists find it interesting as the night market sells a wide varieties of merchandise.


You can find souvenirs, shoes and bags to hand phone accessories, mostly replica watches and counterfeit products but in high quality, and even pirated CDs, DVDs and so on.


However, you must take extra precautions to your bags and valuables as the walking paths tend to be quite narrow and it is a great chance for the pickpockets especially when there are many people squeezing past each other all the time. The best way to watch out for your valuables are to put them in front of you rather than carrying on your back.


You can also easily find local food there, and these food stalls are known as the ‘Dai Pai Dong’. They sell from local snacks to seafood and freshly cooked food. You can definitely experience being a local when you will find strangers sharing the same table as you and they are not at all shy to spit out the bones of the chicken just in front of you.


The other activity you have to take note of is the Cantonese Opera street performers. Cantonese opera has a long history way back in Hong Kong, known as ‘Yuet Cok’. Each opera reveals a touching story and you will get to know the local culture and history through these operas.

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