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View Requirements >- Thai Visa Requirements to Visit Doi Inthanon National Park
- Chinese Visa Requirements To See Smurfs and Pandas
- 5 Reasons to Get a Brazilian Visa
- Ethiopian Visa Requirements to Visit the Mysterious Ruins of Tiya
- Vietnamese Visa Requirements to Visit Hanoi
Author Archive
Thai Visa Requirements to Visit Doi Inthanon National Park
September 12th, 2010
In the late 19th century, King Inthawichayanon ruled a city-state called Lannathai in what is now northern Thailand. An early environmentalist, the king was concerned about the preservation of the hill country forests that were under his rule. According to Chiangmai-chiangrai.com, Thai folklore referred these forests as the "home of the Phiphannam, the 'spirit who shares water." Now, modern hydrology has shown us that these forests are the source of all of the rivers and streams in Central Thailand.
When King Inthawichayanon died, he requested that his ashes be deposited on top of Doi Inthanon. The area is now a national park, and both the mountain and the forests that surround it are protected, just as the king would have wanted. According to Norman Rubin of Bootsnall.com:
Doi Inthan
Chinese Visa Requirements To See Smurfs and Pandas
September 11th, 2010
Chengdu, China, is already quite famous for its giant panda sanctuary. However, the Chinese government would like to boost tourism to the region and apparently those pandas, as adorable as they are, are not drawing enough tourists. So, what is China's solution? Smurfs!
Yes, those little blue mushroom-dwellers are getting a new lease on life: in China. The Wall Street Journal reports:
The beloved, animated blue creatures — famous for their white caps, cheery theme song, and proclivity for using the name of their race as a verb — are moving to Chengdu, where development firm Chengdu Teda Sino-Europe Construction and Smurf-brand owner IMPS plan to open a Smurf theme park, according to a report from DTZ Asia Property Market Update.
With investment of 20 million yuan, or about $2.9 m
5 Reasons to Get a Brazilian Visa
September 9th, 2010
The largest country in South America, Brazil is also a land of contrasts: bustling cities are surrounded by impenetrable rainforests, dry savannas border the largest wetland on earth, and mountains tower over sandy beaches. There are a million reasons to go through the hassle of getting a Brazilian visa. Here are 5 of them:
Carnaval- Brazil is perhaps most famous for its Carnaval, where, in preparation for Lent, Brazilians try to squeeze 40 days of partying into a day (or two or three, depending on the region.) Carnaval is marked by spectacular parades, lots of samba dancing, and lots of beer and other alcohol.
Rio de Janeiro- Rio is the most popular city for tourists in South America, and for good reason: The city is beautiful and lively, surrounded by mountains and white-sand beach
Ethiopian Visa Requirements to Visit the Mysterious Ruins of Tiya
September 3rd, 2010
In the wild grasslands of Southern Ethiopia, imposing stone monuments mark the site of an ancient burial ground, this week's featured UNESCO World Heritage site. The monuments at Tiya in Ethiopia consist of 32 large slabs of stone called stelae. The stones are etched with swords and other symbols. Who built this place? Nobody knows-according to UNESCO, "They are the remains of an ancient Ethiopian culture whose age has not yet been precisely determined."
Other nearby sites of interest include Hera Shetan crater lake and a formation of naturally ordered stone blocks at nearby Agesoke.
American citizens traveling to Ethiopia need passports and an Ethiopian visa. If you're flying in through Bole International Airport, you may attempt to get an Ethiopian visa upon arrival. But consider
Vietnamese Visa Requirements to Visit Hanoi
September 2nd, 2010
Vietnam has come a long way since the war. Although the Communist party still rules the roost, the country has become increasingly welcoming to foreigners and is now a popular destination for Western tourists. In fact, Gadling's Stanley Stewart recently visited Hanoi and found it to be a wonderful, timeless city:
War and communism have preserved Hanoi from fifty years of progress. There are moments when it seems like the lost city of Asia, the one you can never quite find, the great teeming, squalid, fascinating metropolis of Marlene Dietrich films and 1930's novellas. The modern age has transformed Shanghai. Hong Kong and Bangkok are jammed with traffic and skyscrapers. The lanes of Old Peking have given way to boulevards wide enough for tanks. Hanoi alone has retained its street urchin
