Thailand

Thailand is a wondrous kingdom, featuring Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife, and spectacular islands. Along with a fascinating history and a unique culture that includes delectable Thai food and massage, Thailand features a modern capital city, and friendly people who epitomize Thailand’s “land of smiles” reputation.

Thailand is often referred to as a golden land, not because there is precious metal buried underground but because the country gives off a certain lustre, be it the fertile rice fields of the central plains, white sandy beaches or the warm hospitality of its citizenry.

Important places to visit :

North: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Sukhothai

Northeast: Buriram, Khon Kaen, Loei, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai

Central: Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Hua Hin

East: Chonburi, Rayong, Trat, Pattaya, Koh Chang

South: Krabi, Phang-Nga, Phuket, Ranong, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Trang, Koh Samui, Phi Phi Islands

Turkey

Turkey is a vast and varied country boasting incredible landscapes and natural wonders bordered by four different seas. Well known as a great destination for relaxing beach holidays, it also offers many sporting activities, some of the world's most important ancient monuments, welcoming Turkish hospitality and a delicious and varied national cuisine. Istanbul is also gearing up to be European Capital of Culture 2010 so it has never been a better time to visit this magical city!

There's an enormous variety of things to see and do ranging from water sports to mountain trekking, archaeology to night-clubbing and river rafting to raki drinking. Whether you leave Turkey with magnificent carpets, amulets to ward off evil, belly-dancing tips, an appreciation of its history, or just a tan, you're likely to want to go back for more.

Important places to visit :

Ankara
Turkey's capital is a sprawling urban mass in the midst of the Central Anatolian steppe. It's very different from the Ottoman town of Angora which preceded it on this site, a quiet place where long-haired goats were raised and their fleece knitted into fluffy jumpers. Since 1920 when Atatürk set up his provisional government here, Ankara's main business has been government but several significant attractions make it worth a short visit.

Most visitors head straight for Hisar, the Byzantine citadel atop the hill east of the old city, and the nearby Museum of Anatolian Civilsations. A couple of km to the south is Atatürk's mausoleum, a monumental building, spare but beautiful, that echoes the architecture of several great Anatolian empires. The Presidential Mansion is preserved as Atatürk used it, with decor and furnishings of the 1930s including billiard table and cigar-and-brandy nook. There's a lot of ancient history around too. Roman Ankara was a city of some importance, and Roman ruins are dotted in amongst the mosques and monuments of Muslim Anatolia. Most of the cheaper hotels and restaurants are in old Ankara, a km or so northeast of the train station.

Antalya
Antalya is the chief city on Turkey's central Mediterranean coast. As well as several km of pebble beaches and a historic Roman-Ottoman core, Antalya is a good base from which to explore the quieter beach towns and more spectacular ancient cities of the region. Side, 75km (47mi) east of Antalya, is the increasingly popular beach town once chosen by Mark Antony and Cleopatra for a romantic tryst. Alanya, 115km (71mi) east of Antalya, is another sea-sun-n-sand joint with a mini-Miami feel.

Patara is a party town a few hundred km south-west of Antalya. The beach here is a simply splendid 20km (12mi) long and there are Roman ruins in amongst the dunes. You'll have to do your sunset-watching elsewhere, however, as the beach closes at dusk to give sea turtles access to their nests. The towns along the Mediterranean coast are all linked by bus and dolmus services (especially frequent in summer).

Bodrum
Bodrum is the South Aegean's prettiest resort, with a yacht harbour and a port for ferries to the Greek island of Kos. Palm-lined streets ring the bays, and white sugar-cube houses, now joined by ranks of villas, crowd the hillside. Boating, swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving are prime Bodrum activities. At night Bodrum's famous discos throb, boom and blare, keeping much of the town awake until dawn. Both Turkish and foreign visitors complain about the ear-splitting cacophany, but the local attitude seems to be, 'If you wanted peace and quiet, why did you come to Bodrum?'. If this sounds like your kind of town, you can grab a bus to Bodrum from just about anywhere - it's 4 hours to Izmir by road. There are frequent ferries to Kos in summer, and a hydrofoil to Rhodes between May and September.

Ephesus
Of Turkey's hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Indeed, it's the spunkiest classical city on the Mediterranean. Ephesus was Ionia, a flourishing cultural centre during the Greek Empire, and a busy provincial capital during Roman times. Ionia's Temple of Diana was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World, and the city was generally renowned for its wealth and beauty. Sts Paul and John took up the quill in Ionia and the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her twilight years here. A walking tour of the ruins will take at least half a day, and if you're here in summer, start early, because it gets stinking hot by high noon. Places you'll come across include the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, in which seven persecuted youths slumbered for two centuries, then woke up and ambled down to town for a meal; the colossal Harbour Gymnasium; the grand marble-paved Arcadian Way; the impressive Temple of Hadrian and a scattering of Roman fountains, pools, brothels, libraries and public toilets.

Selçuk, a town of 25,000 people with more than its fair share of nagging touts, is the main tourist centre for the region. There's a beautiful museum in the centre of town and a fair swag of Roman, Christian and Muslim sights including the St John Basilica and a Byzantine Aqueduct. Izmir is the closest transportation hub. Frequent trains and buses trundle the 1-hour trip to Selçuk which is a mere 3km (2mi) from Ephesus.

Istanbul
Straddling the Bosphorus, its skyline studded with domes and minarets, Istanbul is one of the truly great romantic cities. Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it hums as Turkey's cultural heart and good-time capital.
The heart of historical Istanbul is Sultanahmet, the district centred on the Byzantine Hippodrome in the oldest part of the city. Best explored on foot, most sights are within easy walking distance of each other. If the pace does get too much, a çay bahçe (tea garden) is never too far away.

Ukraine

Ukraine is one of the largest and most varied countries in Europe, Ukraine takes in the spectacular Carpathian Mountains in the west, the history-rich central plains and the stunning Black Sea coast in the south. The Crimean Peninsula, ethnically more Russian than Ukrainian, remains a huge draw for holidaymakers from Russia every summer.

Ukraine is bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and east; Belarus to the north; Poland, the Slovak Republic and Hungary to the west; and Romania and Moldova to the southwest. It is a varied country with mountains in the west, plains in the center and the Black Sea views to the south. The north of the state is dominated by forests. Its other two main features are wooded steppe with beech and oak forests and the treeless steppe. The River Dnieper divides Ukraine roughly in half, and flows into the Black Sea.

Important places to visit & Things to do

CRIMEAN RESORTS
Crimea is a fascinating region to explore, as well as a great place to spend a vacation. Across the centuries it has attracted settlers such as the Greeks, the Venetians and the Genoese - all of whom founded cities along the coast and inter-married with the local people. Crimean resorts is a prime vacation destination for millions of tourists from all over the world. Crimean health resorts are famous for their mineral waters as well as wines. Private enterprise is flourishing and well-stocked shops and good restaurants are the norm.

CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS
Carpathian Mountains are considered to be the Green Pearl of Ukraine. It is one of the most popular resorts and tourist centers of the country. A beautiful mix of natural areas, forests, meadows, shepherds and humans living in harmony with nature is what makes the mountains so sttractive to tourists! An original nature of territory, beauty of its Alpine meadows and woods, rough rivers and mountain lakes, soft climate, curative mineral sources, the historical and architectural monuments can attract everyone to themselves. Thousands of tourists and people who like travels and adventures come here. The Ukrainian Carpathians are relatively gentle peaks that rise as high as 2061 m (Mt. Hoverla). The largest resorts are located in Slavsko, Bukovel, Tysovets, and Dragobrat. Some of the smaller resorts are in Krasiya, Dolyna, Beskid, Polyana, Synevir, Yaremche, Verkhovnya, Kosiv, and Yavoriv.

KYIV, THE CAPITAL OF UKRAINE
Kyiv (also known as Kiev), a scenic city of close to 3 million people situated on the Dnipro River, is the bustling capital of Ukraine. Ancient Kievan Rus, which reached its greatest period of ascendancy during the 11th and 12th centuries, was a center of trade routes between the Baltic and the Mediterranean. The city of Kyiv and the power of Kievan Rus were destroyed in 1240 by Mongol invaders and the lands of Kievan Rus were divided into principalities located to the west and north: Galicia, Volynia, Muscovy and later, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia. Once a powerful force on the European scene, Ukraine's fate in modern times has been decided in far-off capitals. As a result, modern Ukrainian history, for the most part, has been defined by foreign occupation.

LVIV
Lviv is a very poetic city steeped in legends both ancient and relatively new. Narrow medieval streets paved with stones, architectural decoration done in different styles – all preserved in its original form. In ancient times Lviv was the capital of a mighty Slavic state called the Galicia-Volyn principality. Being a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and then Poland contributed to the formation of the city’s unique image. In spite of all the whims of history the city has not lost its Ukrainian spirit, and thank God, Lviv’s delicate architecture has not suffered from monstrosities of the Soviet Era. So it is no wonder that the central part of the city is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage.

ODESA
Odesa is referred to as the "Pearl of the Black Sea" is the 3rd largest city in Ukraine, the largest city along the Black Sea, and the most important city of Ukraine for trade. Odesa's mild climate, warm waters and sunlit beaches attract hundreds of thousands of people year around. Its shady lanes, beautiful lightly pastel buildings and cozy squares impart to the city a certain air of intimacy.

YALTA
Steep mountain peaks serve as a lovely backdrop for Yalta the jewel of the Crimean peninsula. There is no surprise that the writer Anton Chekhov chose to live in this seaside resort—it seems to be a combination of Carmel California the French Riviera and Greece. Yalta (pop. 80 000) has exemplary resorts museums and beaches.
Places to see in Yalta: Livadia is the former Romanov vacation home used for the World War II conference of Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt. Chekhov’s former residence has been turned into a museum; inside one can find the writer’s medical bag (from his days as a doctor) and the piano Rachmaninov played when he visited.

KAMYANETS-PODILSKY, UKRAINE
Kamyanets-Podilsky, one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, is considered a phenomenon of great cultural importance. A rocky island skirted by the tight loop of the Smotrich River flowing in a picturesque canyon, served as a unique pedestal on which over more than a thousand years both well-known and anonymous masters created a miracle in stone. Kamyanets-Podilsky is striking for the harmonious blend of landscape and architecture.

CHERNIHIV
Chernihiv has known human settlement for over 2,000 years. The region comprises a very important historic region, notable as early as the Kyivan Rus' period, when the oblast' cities of Chernihiv and Novhorod-Sivers'kiy were frequently mentioned. The city of Chernihiv was the second most important Ukrainian city during the Rus' period of Ukrainian history, often serving as a major regional capital.

SOPHIEVKA DENDRO PARK
Uman dendro park Sophievka is the world's landscape architecture masterpiece of the end of 15th and the beginning of19th centuries. The park is spread over the territory of 154,7 h. and is situated at the outskirts of the ancient town Cherkassy, Uman region. It is considered to be the standard of the landscape composition of water, land, architectural works and sculptures. This masterpiece, which was created in the shortest period of time, still astounds the imagination of visitors. Unique sceneries, exotic plants and rare trees, sky-blue ponds, fountains and cascades, grottoes and antique sculptures…all this you can see visiting the park.

POLTAVA
Located between Kharkiv and Kyiv in Ukraine, Poltava is best known as the site of a 1709 battle between a coalition of Cossacks, led by Mazepa, and the Swedes (Charles XII) against the Russian army of Czar Peter I. The subsequent Russian victory in battle established Russia’s prominent position in Europe and consequently Ukraine’s decline.

The battlefield and its monuments are the major draw. Places to see in the town include the October Park, the gun-barrel-shaped Column of Glory and the Spassky Church, which is actually an outer shell protecting an earlier, wooden church inside.

U.A.E

The United Arab Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday, sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, an intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment.

One of U.A.E's greatest visitor attractions is its superb shopping. The city draws large numbers of shopping tourists from countries within the region and from as far afield as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. As an open port with low import duties, U.A.E retail prices are reasonable and the variety of products available is virtually unrivalled. With enormous construction and development in various industries,

As time goes on, UAE attractions keep growing in number and size. Though there are many natural UAE attractions found throughout the country there are also an amazing number of man-made attractions that have drawn a lot of attention to the region. The desert is the largest natural attractions comprising a huge land mass home to a number of hearty animals. There aren’t too many mammals that can survive the harsh desert heat but there are some that have survived well over the years. Honey badgers, gazelles, the sand cat and a strong species of fox all still survive in the sweeping desert.

Vietnam

Vietnam has exerted itself to be a favorite destination of more and more tourists. There’s a Hanoi elegant with friendly people, a Sapa with colourful-dressed minorities, a Halong Bay with amazing caves listed on UNESCO World Heritage. There’s a Hue romantic with palace and rain, a tranquil Hoi An where you can have clothes made in one day, a Danang dynamic by Han river. There’s a Nha Trang with best bays of the world, a Saigon busy and modern like Newyork, a Mekong-delta with fascinating floating market. The North, Centre, and South of Vietnam all bear a deep cultural trace, which remains in tourists’ memories for years. With everything from mountains to seas, from cold to hot weather, from city to countryside, Vietnam has everything you may come up with!

Important places to visit :

Hanoi
Capital and the second largest city of Vietnam, just about everywhere but especially the Old Quarter with good local atmosphere, the French Quarter and Hoan Kiem lake area. 

Sapa
Surrounded by beautiful scenery, Sapa is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the views.  Sapa is an awesome place for adventurous activities from trekking, cycling to motorbike trips to explore the mountainous region and visit the villages and markets of the ethnic minorities. 

Halong Bay (an UNESCO World Heritage)
Undoubtly among the most popular tourist destinations of Vietnam offering both for the magnificent views of the bay and the relaxing boat trips.

Hue
As the former capital of the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site, and a trip to Hue is not complete without a visit to the ancient citadel and imperial palace.

Danang
The fourth largest city, Danang offers tourists with an ideal natural location, surrounded by mountains, rivers, and the ocean, including the Hai Van pass to the north, the South China Sea to the east, Ba Na mountains to the west, and the Son Tra Peninsula with Nui Son Tra (Monkey Mountain) to the northeast.

Hoi An
Hoi An is known not only for its old-world atmosphere and architecture but also for its cheap tailors, quaint restaurants serving delicious Hoi An specialties, and relaxed atmosphere, as well as the nearby beach.

Nha Trang
lies in a beautiful bay on the south central coast of Vietnam. Nha Trang is also known as one of the best places in Vietnam for snorkling and diving, and tours are arranged year-round, although visibility is worse during the rainy season.

HCMC
Set on the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh is a sprawling city, with myriads of rivers and canals, although most tourists spend most of their time in the central districts.

Oman

Amid the ever-changing states of the Arabian Gulf, Oman offers a refreshing reminder of a seemingly bygone age. Overdevelopment has yet to blight its most spectacular landscapes and cultural traditions remain remarkably undiluted, making the sultanate one of the best places in the Gulf to experience traditional Arabia. Quiet stretches of coast are shaded with nodding palm trees and dotted with fishing boats. Mudbrick villages nestle amid sprawling date plantations or cling to the sides of remote valleys.

Craggy chains of towering mountains are scored with precipitous canyons and rocky wadis, while the wind-blown dunes and gravel plains of the great inland deserts stretch away into the distance.

Important places to visit :

Jebel Akhdar Villages
The mountain villages of Oman’s Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) are perched precariously on the edge of sheer cliffs and command some of the most memorable views in the country. Here, at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, the climate is much cooler than the rest of Oman and amongst the desolate rock are pockets of ‘mini Edens’ where exotic fruits grow on steep terraced fields – a total contrast from much of the country. The Jebel Akhdar is the location of the stunning easy going ‘Four Villages’ trek (2 hrs).

Nizwa Livestock Market
Nizwa’s colourful livestock market is a spectacle full of human interest which no visitor to Oman should omit. Every Friday morning the ancient capital of Oman’s interior becomes a hive of activity as cattle, sheep, and goats are auctioned amongst scenes of great excitement. Hundreds of local men in their elegant long dishdashas and distinctive kuma hats, along with brightly dressed ladies, attend the event and unwittingly upstage the livestock in this timeless and fascinating scene.

Wahiba Sands
The elegant rippling dunes of the Wahiba Sands are the quintessential image of Arabia for many visitors. Made famous by the explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger in the 1950s, and covering an area the size of Wales, this enormous sand sea with dunes rising up to 150 metres provides a feast of aesthetically satisfying geometrical designs. The opportunity to spend a night or two in the wilderness and experience the peace of the desert and magnificence of the night sky should not be passed up lightly.

Muscat
Muscat is one of the most interesting and attractive cities of the Arabian Peninsula and was declared Arab City of Culture for 2012. The heart of the old city is ringed by an amphitheatre of jagged bare rocks and is dominated by two imposing 16th century Portuguese fortresses. Museums housed in old mansions and forts tell the history of Oman, while Muttrah’s souq is packed with the exotic wares of the orient, and the marble clad Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque presents a magnificent example of modern Islamic architecture. With an afternoon to spare, the chance to take a Dolphin watching cruise is hard to resist.

Wadi Bani Awf
Serpentine Wadi Bani Awf winds dramatically through the Hajar Mountains connecting the coastal Batinah plain with the country’s interior and is widely considered to be the best off-road driving experience in Oman. This rugged mountain valley has incredible mountain scenery and presents stunning photo opportunities almost at every turn. A truly unforgettable drive!

Wadi Nakhr Gorge
Popularly known as the “Grand Canyon” of Oman, Wadi Nakhr cuts dramatically into the belly of Jebel Shams, the highest mountain in the country (3,005 m), and is one of Oman’s great natural wonders. This amphitheatre like chasm plunges down for over a kilometre to the valley floor below and is best viewed either from the observation point high up on Jebel Shams, or from the stunning ‘Balcony Walk’.

Bahla Fort
One of Oman’s four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the pottery centre of Bahla is the site of a hugely impressive, and recently restored, fortress of pre-Islamic origin which attests to the power and ingenuity of the medieval Banu Nebhan tribe. Bahla town is protected by a wall over 8 miles long which was once guarded by a special detachment of slaves.

Ras al-Jinz Turtle Beach
Ras al-Jinz is the most important nesting site of the endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) on the Indian Ocean. Here, thousands of turtles return annually to the beach where they hatched to lay their eggs thereby creating what is arguably the finest natural spectacle in Oman. The best time to see turtles laying their eggs is between June and August. September to November are the best months to see both laying and hatching. Turtles arrive at Ras al-Jinz throughout the year but tend to avoid the beach at full moon.

Musandam Fjords
One of the most scenic and least developed areas in Oman, the Musandam Peninsula is known for its spectacular rugged mountains and fjord-like sunken valleys which have led the area to be called “The Norway of Arabia”. One of the great attractions of visiting Musandam is taking a relaxing dhow cruise into Khor ash Sham to explore the dramatic ‘fjord’ with its incredibly sheer cliffs and crystal clear water. The combination of amazing scenery, swimming, and possibly spotting dolphins make this excursion truly unforgettable.

The Frankincense Coast
Located some thousand kilometres to the south of Muscat, the southern Omani province of Dhofar is the home of frankincense. Scenically it comes as a great surprise since it catches the southwest monsoon and is very different from northern Oman. Between July and early September, during a season known as the ‘khareef’, coastal Dhofar is almost miraculously transformed into a land with lush pastures, flowing rivers, and waterfalls. Quite unlike any other part of Arabia!