Posts Tagged ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites’

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Get a Chinese Visa to Visit the Tombs of Emperors

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site is the final resting place for some of China’s most powerful emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. These dynasties, which together lasted from 1368 to 1912, were China’s last two imperial dynasties. After the Qing Dynasty fell in 1912, it was succeeded by the Republic of China.

The tombs themselves, which are laid out according to ancient Chinese principles of fengshui, are impressive and richly decorated with carvings and statues. They are designed to look like imperial palaces, providing suitable housing for the spirits of emperors, empresses, and other members of the royal family.

UNESCO says that “The Ming and Qing imperial tombs are outstanding testimony to a cultural and architectural tradition that for over 500 years dominated this part of the world. By reason of their integration into the natural environment, they make up a unique ensemble of cultural landscapes.”

If you’d like to visit these tombs yourself, you’ll need a Chinese visa. Apply for an “L” visa if you’re planning to visit as a tourist. (more…)

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Kazakhstan Visa Requirements to Visit Saryarka

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

This week’s UNESCO World Heritage Site is rarely visited, but richly rewarding for adventure travelers and nature lovers.

Located in Kazakhstan, the Saryarka World Heritage Site consists of two separate regions: the Naurzum State Nature Reserve and Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve. The reserves encompass two very different environments: the grassy, windswept grasslands of the Kazakh steppe and wetlands surrounding both fresh and saltwater lakes.

UNESCO notes that these wetlands are “of outstanding importance for migratory water birds, including globally threatened species, among them the extremely rare Siberian white crane, the Dalmatian pelican, Pallas’s fish eagle, to name but a few.”

The United Nations’ World Conservation Monitoring Center notes that since the reserves are so isolated, they receive very few tourists. However, some organized tours are available and the reserves get about 254 visitors a year.

Of course, to travel to Kazakhstan, you will need a passport and a Kazakhstan visa. If you’re visiting as tourist, you’ll need the following documents to apply:

  • One visa application form
  • 1 passport photo
  • A cover letter explaining what you are planning to do in Kazakhstan and when you plan to be there. If you are staying for 30 days or less, you can write the letter yourself. However, if you are staying 30 days or more, your host to needs to get an invitation letter for you issued by the Kazakhstan department of foreign affairs.

Keep in mind that depending on your itinerary, you may need to get visas for other countries as well. RushMyTravelVisa can research your itinerary to make sure you have the visas you need for all the places you plan to stop along the way.

We can also make getting a Kazakhstan visa easier and faster. We’ll walk you through the application process, answer any questions you may have and expedite your application with the Kazakhstan Embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Kazakhstan visa today!

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Mali Visa Requirements to Visit the Cliff of Bandiagara

Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site is a stunning, enormous escarpment in Mali. The Cliff of Bandiagara is the sanctuary of the Dogon tribe. Visiting this region, you can see their unique earth buildings and learn about their culture firsthand. The UNESCO website explains:

“The Bandiagara site is an outstanding landscape of cliffs and sandy plateaux with some beautiful architecture (houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries and Togu Na, or communal meeting-places). Several age-old social traditions live on in the region (masks, feasts, rituals, and ceremonies involving ancestor worship).”

The Dogon people have an interesting history and many secretive traditions that are not supposed to be shared with outsiders. One of the problems with tourism, though, is that it can cheapen these cultural traditions, turning them into performances for tourists. Tourism has also encouraged the Dogon to sell their both their own cultural artifacts and the artifacts of long-gone tribes that lived in the area before they arrived. In a 2001 article in The Independent, African archaeology expert Tim Insoll explained that this is a problem because it makes it difficult and even impossible to learn about the history behind these artifacts:

“In Timbuktu and Gao, we have found 11th century Chinese pottery and beads from India,” he said. “These objects tell us that they were brought through the desert, probably from Cairo. Deprived of their provenance, they just become pottery and beads.”"

So, can you visit this UNESCO site ethically? Yes, but there are a few things to be aware of. First, get a good guide, preferably via recommendations from previous travelers to the region. If you’re on a guided tour, try to make sure that the company is reputable and that some money goes back to the community you are visiting. Second, be respectful of the people and the culture. Third, don’t buy any artifacts.

You also need to obtain the proper documents before traveling to Mali.  That means you’ll need a valid passport and a Mali visa. Here’s what you need to get a Mali tourist visa:

  • 2 completed Mali visa application forms
  • 2 passport-sized photos of yourself
  • If you are staying in a hotel, a hotel confirmation is required.
  • If you are entering on a tourist visa but staying with friends or family in Mali, you need an invitation letter from your hosts.
  • A copy of your International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever.
  • A copy of your round-trip itinerary
  • Your US passport

RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the documents you need for your trip. We’ll walk you through the Mali visa application process, answer any questions you might have and expedite your paperwork with the Mali embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Mali visa today!

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Indian Visa Requirements to Visit the Elephanta Caves

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

About an hour off the coast of the city of Mumbai, a small island in the sea if Oman is home to a series of stunning temple-caves. Nobody is quite sure who carved the Elephanta Caves of Elephanta Island, other than the fact that they worshiped the Hindu god Shiva. In fact, according to Wikipedia the local legend is that the caves “are not man-made,” but rather were carved by heroes from Hindu epics or perhaps by a powerful demon who was devoted to Shiva.

More down-to-earth theories credit the kingdom of the Konkan Mauryas or the Kalacuris. Whoever built them, the caves themselves are amazing. Surrounded by lush, tropical foliage, the caves form a cool, dark, retreat. Inside, intricate carvings and statues loom in the shadows. Unfortunately, many of them were damaged when the Portuguese took control of the island in 16th century. The Portuguese were ones who gave this island the name “Elephanta Island,” after a statue of elephant they found there. However, they apparently had no qualms about using the statues in the caves for target practice.

Even so, the artwork that remains is definitely worth a visit. The crown jewel of Elephanta Island is the Trimurti, a three-headed sculpture of Shiva that Wikipedia describes as a “masterpiece of Gupta-Chalukyan art.”

Describing the Elephanta Caves, UNESCO says that “here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions, particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave.”

To visit Elephanta Island, you’ll need an Indian visa before you can leave. If you are traveling as a tourist, see Indian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

RushMyTravelVisa can make the Indian visa application process much easier. We’ll help you complete the paperwork, reducing the chance of common errors that can delay your application. Then, we’ll expedite your application for the fastest processing possible.

Apply for your Indian visa today!

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Brazilian Visa Requirements to Visit the Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

Brazil is an amazing country. There are so many unique places to visit, it’s almost impossible to narrow it down to a specific destination. This week, we’re taking another look at Brazil as part of our UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Week series. This week’s featured World Heritage Site is the Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves.

The Atlantic Forest was once an enormous forest that blanketed the entire Atlantic coast of Brazil, extending inland even into Paraguay. However, it has been extensively logged and burned to provide land for agricultural use such as sugar cane farming. Now, the once-great forest has shrunk to just a few pockets, providing shelter to primate species like the marmoset , the lion tamarin and the woolly spider monkey. Other residents include the maned sloth, the jaguar and the porcupine.

Some parts of the Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves also have the most types of trees per hectare of any forest in the entire world.

Here’s how UNESCO describes the site:

“The site displays the biological richness and evolutionary history of the few remaining areas of Atlantic forest of northeast Brazil. The site reveals a pattern of evolution of great interest to science and importance for conservation. The fact that only these few scattered remnants of a once vast forest remain, make them an irreplaceable part of the world’s forest heritage.”

The most commonly visited part of the Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves is Porto Seguro, which gets about 70,000 tourists annually according to the Encyclopedia of Earth.

If you’d like to be one of them, you’ll need a passport and a Brazilian visa. Make sure to apply for your visa in advance; see Brazilian Visa Requirements for Tourists for details on what you’ll need.

RushMyTravelVisa can simplify the process of getting a Brazilian visa by assisting you with the paperwork to help you avoid common mistakes and expediting your application with the Brazilian Embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Brazilian visa today!

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Vietnam Visa Requirements to Visit Hoi An

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site is a gorgeous example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating back to the 15th through the 19th centuries. During those years, Hoi An was a famous port of call for traders searching for silk, spices, porcelain, traditional Chinese remedies, tea and other goods. Eventually, many merchants from China and Japan came to live in Hoi An full-time and brought their families.

The city ceased to be an important trading port after the 19th century, when silt made the Thu Bon River impassable for large ships. Now, it’s a beautifully preserved tourist town, with shops and hotels surrounding a traditional city center. The historic area, called Hoi An Ancient Town, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The UNESCO website calls it “an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international commercial port” and “an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port.”

One unique way that Hoi An has chosen to retain its old-fashioned atmosphere is to declare the 14th day of each lunar month, when the moon is full, “Hoi An Legendary Night.” On this night, there are no electric lights allowed in the city’s old quarter. Cars and motorcycles are forbidden, too. People walk, talk and play games bathed in the light of artfully designed lanterns and candles instead.

To visit Hoi An, you will need a Vietnamese visa. Make sure you apply in advance, well before starting your trip, as you must have your visa in hand before you arrive at the airport.

If you are traveling as a tourist, here are the documents you’ll need for your visa:

  • A valid US passport
  • A completed Vietnam visa application
  • A passport photo that’s no more than 6 months old.

Also, if your trip requires you to enter and exist Vietnam more than once, you must request a multiple-entry visa when you apply. If you don’t request a multiple-entry visa, you will be given a single-entry visa. and this could wreak havoc on your itinerary.

RushMyTravelVisa can speed up and simplify the Vietnam visa application process. We’ll take a look at your itinerary to make sure that you have the right documents for each step in your journey, and we’ll walk you through filling out the paperwork. Then, we’ll expedite your paperwork for the fastest processing available.

Apply for your Vietnam visa today!

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Belarus Embassy Requirements to See Mir Castle Complex

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in Belarus. Constructed in the latter part of the 15th century, Mir Castle Complex is like something out of a fairy tale. This stunning castle was expanded and updated in the 16th century, and contains Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements, including turrets, towers and a drawbridge.

According to the UNESCO World Heritage site,  ”Mir Castle is an exceptional example of a central European castle, reflecting in its design and layout successive cultural influences (Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance) that blend harmoniously to create an impressive monument to the history of this region.”

Want to check out  Mir Castle? First, you’ll need to acquire a visa from the Belarus embassy. Apply before your trip, as you will not be able to apply for a visa at the airport.  Here are the documents you will need to apply:

  • 1 visa application form
  • 1 passport-sized photo of yourself
  • If you are  going on a tour, you need a letter from the tour company confirming your reservation with them and your  itinerary.
  • If you are going alone, you need a hotel reservation from an authorized Belarussian travel agency. The agency will provide you with an authorization number for your application form.
  • If you are a former Soviet/Belarussian, you will also need to prove how you lost your Soviet/Belarussian citizenship. Generally, you can use the documents you used to get your US citizenship.
  • Your US passport

In addition to getting a visa from the Belarus embassy, if you have connections in other countries, like Russia, you may need additional visas for those countries. RushMyTravelVisa can assist you by researching your itinerary and walking through the steps to get each one of the visas you need.

Applying for a visa from the Belarus Embassy? Let us help!

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Armenian Visa Requirements to Visit the Monastery of Geghard

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site is a charming old monastery carved into the side of a mountain in Armenia. The monastery of Geghard dates back to the 4th century AD, when it was founded by Gregory the Illuminator, the man responsible for Armenia’s adoption of Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD.

However, most of the buildings in the monastery were built later. The main chapel, for example, was constructed in 1215 AD. The original 4th century construction consisted of rooms and chambers carved out of a cave that surrounded a sacred spring. Although the original cave cell housing the spring is still there, little else is left of the original monastery, as it was all destroyed by earthquakes or Arab invaders.

The monastery is home to an ancient spear, supposedly the spear that soldiers used to pierce Jesus’ side when he was being crucified. This relic gives the monastery its name: Geghardavank, which means “the monastery of the spear.”

If you’re going to Armenia, Geghard is definitely worth a visit. However, first you’ll need to obtain an Armenian visa. You can get your Armenian visa in advance or on arrival. If you apply on arrival, you’ll have a choice between purchasing a single-entry visa valid for 21 days for approximately $8 or purchasing a visa valid for 120 days for around $41 dollars. However, it’s not a bad idea to apply beforehand, as doing so will get you out of the airport more quickly.

To apply for an Armenian visa, you’ll need the following documents:

  • Your US passport
  • 1 Armenian visa application form
  • 1 passport photo
  • If your visit will be less than 120 days, that’s all you need. However, if you’ll be staying more than 120 days, you need an invitation letter from your host.

RushMyTravelVisa makes the process of getting an Armenian visa in advance easy and quick. We’ll also research your itinerary to make sure you get all the documents you need to travel, including any necessary transit visas for stopovers on the way to or from Armenia. We assist you with the application, help you gather your documents and expedite your application for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Armenian visa today!

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Chinese Visa Requirements to See the Temple of Confucius

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

As you probably already know, Confucius was an extremely influential Chinese philosopher. His philosophy emphasized the importance of honoring family and tradition, but also the importance of treating other people with kindness, empathy and respect. He lived from 551 to 479 BC. Although we don’t have any manuscripts written by Confucius, his teachings were preserved by his students and compiled into the Analects.

However, don’t bother reading the Analects if you’re looking for the short, pithy quotes that Westerners often jokingly attribute to Confucius. Per Wikipedia, here are some things Confucius actually did say:

  • “To know your faults and be able to change is the greatest virtue.”
  • “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.”
  • “Knowledge is recognizing what you know and what you don’t.”

For thousands of years, the Analects have been required reading for anybody who wishes to be taken seriously in Chinese society. So, it’s no surprise that a temple dedicated to Confucius, this week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site, has sprung up on the site of his family home. However, what may surprise you is the scale of the monument, which consists of around 100 separate buildings.

There is also an enormous cemetery, which holds the remains of Confucius and over 100,000 of his direct descendants. It’s really quite amazing, when you think about it!

To visit the temple and cemetery of Confucius, you will need a Chinese visa. Americans visiting China for tourism should apply for an “L” visa and have it in hand before leaving the US, as Chinese visas are not issued on arrival.

For more details about what you’ll need to apply, see Chinese Visa Requirements for Tourists.

RushMyTravelVisa can make the process of applying for a Chinese visa much quicker and less stressful. We walk you through the application process and expedite your visa with the Chinese embassy for the shortest processing times around.

Apply for your Chinese visa today!

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Mali Visa Requirements to Visit Timbuktu

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Like most American children, I grew up hearing the word “Timbuktu” used as shorthand to describe somewhere very exotic and very far away. I had no idea it was a real place until I got older and started studying geography-it might as well have been located in Never-Never Land. Timbuktu is real, and it’s actually located in Africa, in the country of Mali. This week’s featured UNESCO World Heritage Site, Timbuktu was once one of Africa’s most important centers of trade and learning.

Founded by a group of nomads sometime in the 10th century, Timbuktu was originally a place for them to camp with their cattle during the dry season. Over the centuries, it grew, and since it was located near the Niger River and the crossroads of trans-Saharan trade routes for gold, ivory, salt and slaves, it eventually became a rich and influential city.

The city of Timbuktu was at its peak during the 15th and 16th centuries, when it became a gathering place for Islamic scholars from all around the continent. However, in 1591 Morocco invaded and exiled or killed most of the scholars. Timbuktu never regained its place in the Islamic world, but many of its manuscripts were preserved along with three gorgeous mosques made from hardened mud which later inspired the style of Art Nouveau architect Antonio Gaudi.

To visit Timbuktu, you need a Mali visa. The following documents are required in order to apply for a Mali tourist visa:

  • 2 completed Mali visa application forms
  • 2 passport-sized photos of yourself
  • If you are staying in a hotel, a hotel confirmation is required.
  • If you are entering on a tourist visa but staying with friends or family in Mali, you need an invitation letter from your hosts.
  • A copy of your International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever.
  • A copy of your round-trip itinerary
  • Your US passport

One word of caution: The US Department of State currently has Mali under a travel warning due to the risk of kidnapping. There is a local branch of al-Qaeda that is active is especially in the northern regions of the country, so make sure to take proper precautions if you decide to go.

RushMyTravelVisa can help you apply for a Mali visa, as well as any other visas you might need for your trip. We’ll review your itinerary to ensure that you know exactly which documents are required; then, we can help you apply. We walk you through the application process step-by-step, and expedite your visa application at the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Apply for your Mali visa today!

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