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BMTimes >> International Destinations
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
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Sri lanka Travel, Part I - COLOMBO
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If you take a satellite view of Sri Lanka you will understand why the island country is referred to as the jewel of the Indian Ocean. It looks a perfectly carved out teardrop emerald floating in the vast expanse of the blue-green waters. Not for nothing did Sir Arthur C. Clarke claim that Sri Lanka was the ideal vantage for viewing the universe - "The Island of Sri Lanka is a small universe; it contains as many variations of culture, scenery, and climate as some countries a dozen times its size . . . I find it hard to believe that there is any country which scores so highly in all departments - which has so many advantages and so few disadvantages." A unique blend of scenery, culture and history has enabled the country to maintain a steady focus on sustainable tourism in spite of having faced several setbacks caused by man, economy or nature.
Irrespective of differences in their cultural background, Singhalese, Tamil, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim locals are all imbibed with a sense of national pride and are always ready to let tourists get a share of the Sri Lanka experience.
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Finland - The Land of the Midnight Sun
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Finland is probably not one amongst the most heavily promoted overseas travel destinations that you will come across. But the 'Land of the Midnight Sun' is an enchanting place if ever there was one. A Finland trip may be considered a true escape from everything you are familiar with, not to mention the drudgery of daily chores and ensuing fatigue. The tourist destinations in Finland epitomize the essence of this land of seasonal contrasts and pristine natural surroundings. The cities of Finland, which chiefly constitute the list of attractions, are Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio and Porvoo.
The capital city, Helsinki is a wonderful place and may be reached from any part of the world. It is referred to as the 'Daughter of the Baltic' for its several kilometres of coastline. It is well connected by train, bus or car just in case you are travelling from a neighbouring city. The many popular tourist attractions in the city including some famous churches and museums that may be covered conveniently by advanced facilities of communication. The visitors can move around in the city by taking a bike, taxi or car.
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Abu Simbel - A story told by time
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![abu-simbel-2[1]_400645340625210_1.jpg](returnimageBMTimes.aspx?flname=abu-simbel-2[1]_400645340625210_1.jpg&contId=1808)
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Egypt happens to be an extremely popular destination for the world traveller not only from the point of view of its historic assets but also on account of its purely exotic treasures. The great temple of Abu Simbel along with the Giza pyramids comprises the most easily identifiable image of ancient Egypt to the rest of the world. Abu Simbel lies south of Aswan on the western bank of the Nile and the temples were first reported by J. L. Burckhardt in 1813. Tourist interest in Abu Simbel has geared up since then and the temple visit is generally packaged with a relaxing cruise on the Nile, which the traveller has to traverse in case he is taking a water route.
Historical Background and Architecture
The set of two temples, that is Abu Simbel is located near the border of Egypt with Sudan. It was constructed in the 13th century BC for the pharaoh Rameses II and there is a statue of him seated with three gods within the innermost part of the rock-cut temple that is the sanctuary. The temple's entrance is dominated by four enormous seated statues of the Pharaoh (each over 67 feet high) of which one has been damaged in an earthquake.
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