Mount Emei can easily be one of those places that simply restore your energy, chill out your mind and feast your eyes. As a UNESCO World Heritage, Mount Emei is an attractive blend of scenic natural beauty and great cultural significance as it’s the place where Buddhism was established for the first time on a Chinese territory. It spread throughout East from here.

The mountain is located in central Sichuan Province and is a reward for the eyes as it includes a diverse topography that ranges from high peaks to scenic valleys, hills and deep gullies. All of these make the place one that should be on everyone’s must-see list.

As for the flora to be found here, the place is a real feast for all those in awe of the mother nature surrounding us. The diverse vegetation includes 1,000 year old trees, 3,200 plant species, 1,600 species of medicinal plants and ranges from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. The number of endemic species exceeds 100.

A perfect place for meditation and relaxation of mind

The area of Mount Emei is home to 2,300 animals as well. 157 of the species to be encountered here are endemic and 29 under natural protection. One can see here internationally threatened species like the grey-hooded parrot bill, the Asiatic black bear, the Tibetan macaque, Asiatic golden cat, the lesser (red) panda, the mainland serow among others.

A trip to Mount Emei is not only about admiring nature’s diversity and richness but it’s a journey in a land of Buddhist history that began over 2,000 years ago. This led to the accumulation of a very rich Buddhist cultural heritage that includes cultural relics, tombs, temples, Buddha statues, ritual spaces, architectural heritage and a good many number of stone carvings out of which the Giant Buddha of Leshan stands out. The impressive statue is the largest Buddha statue in the world being 71 m high. It was carved out of a hillside back in the 8^th century and has ever since impressed and attracted many Buddhists as well as tourists interested in finding out more about this religion. The giant statue looks down at the Minjiang, Dadu and Qinqyi rivers.

Buddhism is the word to describe the area

The World Heritage area of Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha covers 15,400 ha and 17.88 ha respectively. The place is fraught with Buddhist culture and highly important ancient architecture. Since it is one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains, the area was established as a “Scenic Area” back in 1982.

Those looking for a place of strikingly beautiful scenery and religious history, should definitely try this stunning area of Mount Emei. You can relax in this realm of Buddhism, admire the rich flora and fauna, fill your lungs, eyes and mind with history, religion and scenic nature.

Leshan Giant Buddha statue

Mount Emei

Mount Emei

Mount Emei Buddhist temple

Mount Emei Buddhist temple

Mount Emei stunning views

Mount Emei where nature shows its ultimate

The Leshan Giant Buddha Statue

The Leshan Giant Buddha Statue

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Well, there are a few symbols of the city that have gained international fame like the 7 star luxury hotel, Burj Al Arab or the Tower of the Arbas and Burj Khalifa or the tallest man-made structure in the world. But what we have here today gives the place a totally new image. It’s Dubai swimming among clouds. So, if you happen to be at the right time, Dubai offers you the possibility to walk above the clouds.

How’s that possible? Take a trip to one of the tallest buildings there, the Tower of Arabs, reach its 85^th floor and you can get a new view of the famous city. Ok, so you may say that this is not that much of a big deal. You are very likely to change your opinion after checking the pictures below. What you get is incomparable. A whole city dressed in clouds, the impressive buildings piercing the clouds and still looking so small next to them.

Dubai view from above

Thanks to German photographer Sebastian Opitz, we can now enjoy such a view. It wasn’t easy to capture this momentous occasion as the thick fog we see is so rare in Dubai. Actually, it occurs only a few times a year and evaporates quite rapidly. Tons of patience and dedication are needed besides a good camera and impressive photography skills.

Dubai view from above

So, Opitz got up at 4 a.m., took a trip to the 85^th floor of the well-known building and skillfully captured these almost surreal images and moments. And that is definitely something you don’t see every day. You can see such a different world from up there. Well, we can only thank Opitz for offering us the possibility to see how Dubai looks from the above when the clouds are dancing with the tops of the skyscrapers. Enjoy!

Dubai view from above

Dubai view from above

Dubai view from above

Dubai view from above

Dubai view from above

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Egypt

Your middle east traveling will not complete until you have given Cairo, Egypt a shot. If you’re into architecture, history and archeology, this is one of the best places for you to be. The pyramids will simply take your breath away! While the mosques will calm you down. The churches and the temples come along with architectural significance as well! Besides, you must pay a visit to Giza, Abu Simbel, Luxor, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada during your trip to Egypt.

Egypt

Jordan

Do you want to pay a visit to one of the seven wonders in the world? Then Jordan is just the place for you because it has Petra or Wadi Musa which is a traveler’s heaven and one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It has a Monastery called Al Dayr and a treasury namely Al Khazna which is two thousand years old.

Jordan Petra City

United Arab Emirates

Do you want to get back to the present and have a dash of colors and lights in your life? You must hit Dubai, UAE then. This is the place of warm and sunny day and bright and colorful night. Be it taking a camel ride in the desert or be it enjoying some belly dancing, you can do them all while you are in Dubai. Dubai is also famous for its fabulous fountains, tasty cuisine and Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on planet earth!

United Arab Emirates Dubai

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Know the Eateries

If you are looking for saving some money, you can do that in food. I am not telling you to upset your stomach by dining in the cheap ones. Just try to find some pricy and classy restaurants near your luxurious hotel so that you can save some “Five Star” bills on your food without forfeiting the quality. You can almost save up to 25-40% of your food cost!

Bargain!

One of the most important things that you need to do in Dhaka is bargaining. Don’t get me wrong, I am not asking you to bargain while buying something from a fixed priced shop in a high class shopping mall. But at a place like Banga Bazaar or someplace else where the export quality garments are sold, you should be ready to bargain. Keep your wallet safe, try to stay with the crowd but keep a safe distance. Dhaka people are usually friendly and helpful but not all of them are saints right? So, it’s better if you keep a healthy distance.

Dhaka city

Hire a Ride from a Reputed Company

A ride can be a real trouble in Dhaka. Yes, there are always cabs, auto rickshaws and rickshaws for you to ride. Yet, it would be smart of you to ask your hotel for a rental ride which surely will cost you more that regular cabs but will be very secure. Don’t share your ride with any stranger and don’t allow a hitchhiker in your car. Keep the hotel’s and the driver’s number handy as well.

Parliament of Bangladesh, Dhaka

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Bottle Tree, Qalansia Beach and Lagoon, Socotra Island, Yemen Wallpaper

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Borobudur, Java, Indonesia Wallpaper

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Although it is a small country, Israel offers a variety of tourist attractions and activities.

Climb Masada

Masada, the fortress from the Dead Sea, was built one century BC and became known after the Roman siege over a group of Jew refugees. The latter isolated themselves on Masada after the end of the war between the Romans and the Jews, but the immediate attack lead to the suicide of those that had locked themselves in the fortress.

The rock is at 470 meters altitude, and the plateau is surrounded by a 4 meters thick wall. Masada is part of UNESCO heritage.

Masada

Explore Tel Aviv

Although Israel is considered to be a religious state, Tel Aviv is a modern city, known especially for its night life, for the clubs and bars that attract many tourists from all over the world.

Tel Aviv is part of the top 10 cities renowned for their night life.

Tel Aviv

Shopping on Ben Yehuda

Ben Yehuda is a famous street in Jerusalem, some sort of crowded market, where you can buy food, fresh fruit and souvenirs. The tens of shops and the crowd which you have to get by will make you feel like you are in a true modern metropolis.

Ben Yehuda

Visit the stone chapel

The stone chapel is very important for the Arabs that live in Jerusalem. The Muslims think that this is the place where Mohamed rose to heavens.

The stone chapel is one of the first Muslim architectures and is the third most important sacred place for Arabs besides Mecca and Medina.

Visit the old town

The old town (Jerusalem) offers many tourist and religious attractions, such as Al Aqsa Mosque, The temple mountain, The West wall and the Holy tomb church.

It is divided into 4 quarters: the Jewish quarter, the Christian quarter, the Muslim quarter and the Armenian quarter, so you will be impressed by all the options the old town has to offer.

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The Famous Red Fort

The famous Red Fort or locally called “Lal Qila” is the most famous sight for any tourist who is visiting New Delhi for the first time. This is a world heritage site promoted by UNESCO, so you can get an idea that this construction must be something that worth it. I mean, take a look at the ancient Mughal fort that was constructed by Emperor Shahjahan in as far back as 1639 A.D. This is the same emperor who built the famous Taj Mahal as well. The architecture of the Red Fort is just amazing and this is why it is one of my favorite attractions in New Delhi.

Red Fort

The India Gate

Now we come to my second favorite sight in New Delhi – the famous India Gate. Well, to get the true beauty of this memorial, you have to be a true Indian – because this is actually a war memorial that was built as a tribute to honor the fallen soldiers of India during the Afghan Wars and in WWI. However, I still feel this is one of the best attractions in New Delhi, because although I’m not an Indian still this is a place that attracted me most after the Red Fort as this shows a tribute in a great way that I have rarely seen – especially the way the construction was done is just phenomenal.

India Gate

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First things first, let me take you to the endless possibilities of shopping clothes with satisfaction. Thanks to the garments industry of Bangladesh, every year millions of garments products are exported worldwide and of course, some are left for distribution inside the country. The biggest advantage of having such garments industries in your homeland is that you get to buy the best possible things at a least possible price. This is what brings me to YOU! I mean, as a tourist, if you go there – suppose in Dhaka, you can find literally thousands of shopping options that are on par with the best quality garments in the world. Let me give you an example, in Dhaka you can get a top quality leather jacket for 7000 BDT (the local currency) which means you can get it for $88. The same jacket, when exported to the US markets, will cost you around $180 to $220 – so, I think you know what I am talking about! Also, if you are willing to buy from local non-brand shops, you can get it for less than $30!

Bangladesh Shop

As for shopping the optical discs, you can get any DVD/CD for about a $1. I have heard that most of the tourists who go there shop a pile of CDs and DVDs because it is just that cheap!

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The first thing that came to my mind is that why India didn’t make it to the top? I mean, I have heard a lot about this country and since the colonial time, this country has flourished in ways that may not have been possible for most countries. So, when I checked out India’s ratings, I found that while Sri Lanka has an average life expectancy rate of 72.4 years, India has only 64.7 – so that’s a big blow. Plus, in terms of literacy rate also, India falls behind Sri Lanka’s (over 90%) literacy rate with an average of 66% (closely followed by Bangladesh with 53.5%).

Flood in Bangladesh

Now, as for the other countries, it is expected that the average life expectancy of post-war Afghanistan would be low and with a 43.8 years rate, this country justifies this assumption. The rest of the countries have a more or less same life expectancy – with Bhutan’s being 65.6, Pakistan’s being 65.5, Bangladesh’s being 64.1 and Maldives’ being 68.5.

On the other hand, according to GDP ratings, Bhutan surpasses Sri Lanka with a healthy $5,212 but the latter also follows closely with a $5,026. Countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are far behind in this category.

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