Go Travel Go!

By Huiya Chen

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, is by the Qiantang River at the Southern end of the Grand Canal on the east coast of China. As one of the seven ancient capitals in China, Hangzhou is famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritages. In the Yuan Dynasty, the famous Italian traveler Marco Polo described Hangzhou as “the finest and most splendid city in the world.” The ancient Chinese saying has it “There is a paradise in the heaven, and down on earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou”.

A trip to Hangzhou would be incomplete without a visit to West Lake. West Lake is symbol of Hangzhou as well as one of the most beautiful sights in China. The beauty of the West Lake lies in the lingering charm that survives the change of season in a year, of hours in a day, and of different weathers.

Besides the scenic West Lake, traveling in Hangzhou, you will unveil the stock of surprises at these places:

Lingyin Temple: Originally built in 326, Lingyin Temple is the largest and most splendid Buddhist temple in Hangzhou. It houses a large collection of Buddhism treasure and relics which is of great research value of Buddhism development. The Mahayana Hall of Lingyin Temple displays China largest wooden sculpture of the Sleeping Buddha, which is 9.1 meters high. Lingyin Temple was listed as a cardinal provincial historical and cultural site and is considered a leading centre for Chinese Buddhist culture research.

Six Harmonies Pagoda: Originally built in 970AD, the Six Harmonies Pagoda is considered a masterpiece of traditional Chinese architecture. Situated on the top of the Yuerun Mountain, the Pagoda is 59.89 meters in height and has eight floors. The ceiling of each storey carved and painted with flowers, birds and animals which looks exquisite and delicate. Upon ascending the pagoda, visitors can get a panoramic view of the Qaintang River and the bridge on it.

Grand Canal: China’s legendary man-made waterway, the Grand Canal, links Beijing in north with Hangzhou in south. The Grand Canal, like The Great Wall, is a marvelous project in the history of Chinese civilization. Taking a boat trip along the canal offers tourists a panoramic view of the landscape of typical river towns, including arched stone bridges, riverside ancient buildings and breathtaking scenery.

A trip to Hangzhou also is easily combined with a visit to Dragon Well Tea Plantation. Hangzhou Dragon-Well tea is ranked amongst the top brand in China. The National Tea Museum is situated in the Dragon Well Tea plantation. The building complex in ‘Jiang Nan water-town’ is a perfect example of ancient Chinese civilian architecture. Here you can learn the history of Chinese tea, tea drinking customs, tea utensils used in past dynasties, and the knowledge surrounding tea culture, and even the complicated process of picking and roasting tea leaves.

Recommended Tour with Hangzhou including:

• Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai
  Arrive in Shanghai. Be met at the airport & transferred to your hotel.

 

 

• Day 2: Shanghai
  Visit the Yu Yuan Garden, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Old French Concession, the Bund and the Nanjing Road.

 

 

• Day 3: Shanghai - Suzhou
  Take a soft sea train to Suzhou, Visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Hanshan Temple and the Tiger Hill Park

 

 

• Day 4: Suzhou - Hangzhou
  Take an express bus to Hangzhou, visit the Lingyin Temple and you can choose Huaiyang Cuisine as your optional dinner.

 

 

• Day 5: Hangzhou
  Visit the West Lake, Six Harmonies Pagoda, Huqingyu Traditional Pharmacy and Tea Museum.

 

 

• Day 6: Departure Hangzhou
  Free at leisure until to be transferred to the airport for your next destination.

China tour - Professional China Tour Operator with tailor made service. Come with us to see China with your own eyes and touch this ground with your hands. All services are private and in small group with English speaking tour guide and license driver.

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Hangzhou China

By Penny Church

Beaches: From huge stretches of golden sand hugged by craggy honeycomb cliffs in the Algarve to small coves and rolling waves on the north and Silver coasts.

Nightlife: The Portuguese like to party so the clubs and bars are open until dawn. Spot celebs at Vilamoura’s marina bars, join in the party at Lisbon’s Alcantara docks or listen to haunting fado in a family-run restaurant.

Food: The Portuguese dine late and like to linger over their meals. Typical dishes include bacalhau (salted and sun dried codfish) served countless ways, caldo verde (green cabbage soup), cabrito (roast kid) and seafood cataplana (fish stew).

Wine: There are wine-growing regions all over the country, the best known being the Douro in the north, where rich reds and port wine are produced in the cellars of Oporto, the Alentejo and Minho, famous for the white, lightly sparkling venho verde.

Architecture: Outstanding examples of Baroque, Medieval, Manueline and Neoclassical architecture can be found all over Portugal. Visit Oporto’s Se Cathedral, Lisbon’s Jeronimos Monastery, Viana’s Old City Hall and Sintra’s Pena Palace.

Cities: Portugal has an abundance of UNESCO heritage cities with the historic centres of Oporto, Evora and Sintra leading the way. Lisbon buzzes with museums, historic monuments and fashionable bars and restaurants.

Nature: Tour the north and Douro Valley for spectacular scenery and steeply terraced vineyards and the Algarve for scented orange groves, spectacular Monchique mountains and Ria Formosa national park. There are 12 national parks in Portugal.

History: Did you know that the Algarve was a Moorish province for 500 years or that the Portuguese were among the great explorers during Europe’s Age of Discovery with Prince Henry the Navigator leading the way?

Shopping: Colourful markets selling leather goods, embroidery and brightly-coloured hand-painted tiles and ceramics are everywhere. You’ll find department stores in Lisbon and large cities.

Touring: Hire a car and tour the ‘Real Portugal’ in the north, staying in a pousada (a building of historic interest) along the way. Head inland to the Alentejo plains or north to the Serra da Estrela mountains.

So - a holiday in Portugal offers a land of fabulous sandy beaches backed by dramatic honey-coloured limestone cliffs and neatly-terraced vineyards producing vintage port and robust wines. Sleepy white-washed villages nestle in the hills not far from the Algarve’s holiday resorts while vibrant historic cities bustle with life and brim over with culture and history. With plenty of discount flights to Portugal to be had from all over Europe, now is the time to think of your Portugeuse idyll.

Penny Church, writes for the map-based holiday destination and flight finder Travelwhere. With Travelwhere, you can find cheap flights to Portugal along with a wealth of additional information - including the Portugal holiday brochures of specialist tour operators.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Penny_Church
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Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal

The Ocean Blue Golf & Beach Resort is located in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and it’s only 35 minutes away from the Punta Cana International Airport. It is an all-inclusive resort, which means that you don’t need to worry about anything because almost everything, including all your meals, is already included in the price. Once you arrive at this hotel you will be sure that you made the right decision.

One of the biggest concerns that many tourists have is about how the room or suite will look like, if it will be big enough or very comfortable. Well, you should know that the Ocean Blue Punta Cana Resort has 296 junior suites, 72 junior deluxe suites, and 6 honeymoon suites. Each suite includes all the commodities you need to make your vacation experience even better. To give you an idea of how comfortable suites are there, this is what you will find : telephone, cable TV, hair dryer, air conditioner, one (king size) bed or two (queen size) beds, ceiling fan, a beautiful balcony, Jacuzzi, safety deposit box, and a mini fridge, just to mention a few.

Did you know that one of the most common questions that guests have in mind is how are they going to spend their vacations? Well, the answer is very easy. Tourists can just simply relax, spend most of the time by participating at the activities available at the resort, go shopping, or even plan a trip to go visit the cities nearby.

There are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy at the resort. Beach volleyball, scuba diving, snorkeling, tennis, basketball, horseback riding, and aerobics are an example of how many sports you can practice there. If you are looking for other activities, then the swimming pool might be the answer. There are also Jacuzzis, a spa, sauna, a game room, and more.

With so many things to do, it’s time to think where are you going to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well, fortunately this will not be a problem here because there are seven a la carte restaurants to choose from : Bucareno, which specializes in seafood, El Bodegon, La Brasa Caribbean Grill, Margarita Mexican Restaurant, La Casa de mi abuela, I Mascherati Di Venezia Italian Restaurant, and Route 66 American Restaurant. There are also areas where you can have snacks at any time. In addition to this, you can find 10 bars, some of them located at the restaurants.

For families with children there is available baby sitting service for a small fee. Children from ages between 4 to 12 can have fun at the Kids Club and for teenagers from ages between 12 to 17, the Teens Club is a great place to meet new friends.

If you are planning a trip to Punta Cana and haven’t decided where to stay yet, the Ocean Blue Punta Cana is the resort you are looking for.

The author is a contributor to puntacana-travelguide.com

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