Categories
- Alerts (7)
- Country-Specific Visas (80)
- Destinations (176)
- Government Regulations (12)
- Important Documents (4)
- Uncategorized (8)
- Visa Processing (23)
- World Heritage Site of the Week (62)
Need a Passport?
RushMyPassport.com can expedite your passport renewal or expedite a new, second, lost, damaged, stolen, or child passport in as quick as 1 day.
View Requirements >- Russian Visa Requirements to Visit the Coldest City in the World
- Visit Brasilia with a Brazilian Visa
- Visit a Human Termite Colony with an Iranian Visa
- Panama Visa Requirements for Tourists
- Indian Visa Requirements to Visit the Elephanta Caves
Author Archive
Russian Visa Requirements to Visit the Coldest City in the World
November 27th, 2010
Winter is here, and most people are thinking about migrating south. But if you're one of those intrepid (some might say crazy) souls who welcomes the cold weather, I have just the destination for you: Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world.
Located in Siberia, Yakutsk grew from an icy patch of permafrost into the relatively thriving city that it is today based on two things: the quantities of precious metals and jewels hidden deep under the permafrost and Russia's habit of sending political prisoners to labor in Siberia.
So, how cold is cold? According to the Independent, "in local parlance, temperatures in the minus 40Cs are described as "cold but not very cold." Average "highs" in January are in this range.
Why would you visit Yakutsk, anyway? Well, first of all for the bragging
Visit Brasilia with a Brazilian Visa
November 27th, 2010
Brasilia, the capital of Brazil and today's featured UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an interesting city that's definitely worth a visit, especially if you have an interest in architecture.
Brazil has had 3 different capitals since the country was settled by Europeans: Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and finally Brasilia. Brasilia was constructed in the center of the country with the express purpose of becoming a new, modern capital for the country and encouraging settlement of Brazil's interior.
Inspired by the urban planning philosophy of French architect Le Corbusier, Brasilia was designed by its architects, Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa, to be an idyllic metropolis where traffic would flow so smoothly that traffic lights would be unnecessary. Of course, as Robert Burns once famously wro
Visit a Human Termite Colony with an Iranian Visa
November 21st, 2010
Iran is home to what must be one of the most interesting villages in the world: Kandovan, the "human termite colony."
All of the houses in the village are made out of stone, hollowed into natural cone-shaped towers that really do look like giant termite colonies. A recent post on Environmental Graffiti explains how these towers came to be:
"Built out of volcanic ash and debris spewed during an eruption of Mount Sahand, these rocky structures were compressed and shaped by natural forces into cone-shaped pillars containing pockets. They have been eroded by the elements over the years into their current shapes."
As you may have imagined, these fantastic houses are a major tourist attraction. One of them has even been turned into a 5-star hotel, named, appropriately enough, the Rocky Hot
Panama Visa Requirements for Tourists
November 21st, 2010
With its pristine, quiet beaches, Panama is one of South America's best-kept secrets. According to Gadling, only about a million tourists visited last year. However, as word gets out about everything the country has to offer tourists, that may soon change.
In fact, according to the New York Times, more and more Americans are even relocating to Panama to start their own businesses.
Despite the recent good press, for the time being Gadling says that "There's just enough tourist infrastructure here to keep vacationers occupied -- white water rafting, zipline excursions and fishing expeditions abound -- but you'll bypass the glut of chain restaurants, overpopulated coastlines and horrific traffic (outside of Panama City, of course) that typify so many other tropical destinations."
Wan
Indian Visa Requirements to Visit the Elephanta Caves
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 Portugue
