Mists of the Mountains - The Australian rainforest

Those visiting Australia will find the country of Lamington National Park and O’Reilly’s Guesthouse an unforgettable experience. The Rainforest is teeming with wildlife accessible to guests during walks, hikes and 4WD bus tours.
O’Reilly’s Guesthouse is for those who love nature, history and adventure. Started in 1926, it greeted visitors on horseback with a warm bed and good food. Bernard O’Reilly, one of the operators of the Guesthouse, was known for his brave rescue of the survivors of the Stinson airliner, which crashed in 1937 near Mr. Throakban. This crash was immortalized in Bernard’s book, Green Mountains.
Today, the Guesthouse is rustically luxurious, and accommodates different types of travelers. It is set in the middle of Lamington National Park where there are miles of trails to explore. The vistas are spectacular, with treks for the stout hearted and the more leisurely hiker alike.
The different accommodation packages, the traditional and the eco-experience, are excellent no matter how one designs his visit. The Bithongabel rooms boast private bath, vaulted ceiling and private balcony overlooking the McPherson ranges. For those on a limited budget, the Toolona Rooms are for those choosing the European fashion with communal bathrooms. With no television or telephones, one rests in simplicity and peace far from the rushes of the world.
The Dining Room serves delicious gourmet cuisine. The schedule allows for weight gain with teas, meals and late night snacks, including alternative dining at the Bistro. The atmosphere is distinctively British as Morning and Afternoon Teas include cakes of some sort.
Following a cup of tea or coffee in the Dining Room, there are early morning guided birdwalks, where one looks for Satin and Regent Bowerbirds and hand feeds the King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas. These birds are numerous, large (nearly 24 inches high), and colorful (green/sapphire, black and yellow, orange and green, and crimson and blue, respectively). The Albert Lyrebird’s range is restricted to within 90km of O’Reilly’s, and a treat to see. One might also see a pademelon, a marsupial, come for some food spread by Michael O’Reilly, the guide.

For those who like to sleep in, guided walks or four-wheel drive excursions are available. Again, Host Michael shows the bus folks the cabin and hillside meadow where he grew up and farmed, before coming to work with his cousins at the Guesthouse. At the end of the road, while gazing at incredible vistas to the border of New South Wales and Queensland, Michael, makes the “billy” tea over an open fire, lays out cups and scones, and enlivens the discussions of American movies. He teaches everyone about the wildlife and plantlife, and to distinguish between the rainforest and the eucalyptus forest, where the division is distinct. Michael is a gentle soul, who has great love for the birds, animals and surrounding Park. He is a master host calling the guests by name.
After dinner, evening excursions take the adventurous on a walk to the Glow Worm Grotto, where phosphorescent worms glow along the rocks. The less energetic guest can take in a slide show, movie or talk in the Audio Visual Room. Or one can simply relax by the fire in the game room.
O’Reilly’s Guesthouse, in the Rainforest, surrounded by National Park, is an island of tranquility, where nature, simplicity and serenity reign.

“Let the mists of the mountains dissolve the pressures of a busy lifestyle and open your heart to the warm and friendly mood of O’Reilly’s.”

Seven Ancient Wonders of the World - Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Garden of Babylon, also known as the, Hanging Gardens of Semiramis, is one of the most venerated marvels among the seven wonders of world. Located in the east bank of Euphrates, South of Baghdad in Iraq.

The King Hammurabi is the most famous king of the Babylonian kingdom. The whole kingdom flourished under his rule. His son Nebuchadnezzar is the one who built the Hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven wonders of world. Nebuchadnezzar ruled the country for 43 years from 605 BC. He constructed impressive array of temples, palaces and streets. It is being told that he built this garden to please his wife, Amyitis. Amyitis, daughter of the king Medes seems to have had a passion for mountainous surroundings. There are some other accounts which say that this wonder of the world was actually built by the Assyrian Queen Semiramis.The ancient accounts of this hanging gardens (one of the seven wonders of the world) describes the structure to be a stairs like one. The Greek geographer Strabo, describes it as , "the garden consists of vaulted terraces raised one above another, and resting upon cube-shaped pillars. These are hollow and filled with earth to allow trees of the largest size to be planted. The pillars, the vaults, and terraces are constructed of baked brick and asphalt." The irrigation system was supposedly the complex part built on this gardens. This region had very scarce rains. Slaves were used to push the water upwards using some ancient method of irrigation. Of course there must be some exploitation of slave labor to maintain one among the seven wonders of the world. The gardens did not really hang on the roof using cables or ropes. But this name from the sense that it was built on the roof top. Some accounts state that the gardens are 400 by 400 feet and 80 feet high.

There is some controversy as to whether the Hanging Gardens were an actual creation or a poetic creation due to the lack of documentation of them in the chronicles of Babylonian history. In ancient writings the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were first described by Berossus, a Chaldean priest who lived in the late 4th century BC. These accounts were later elaborated on by Greek historians.
A newer theory proposes that the garden was actually constructed under the orders of Sennacherib, who took the throne of Assyria in 705–681 BC. During new studies of the location of Nineveh (Located on the eastern bank of the Tigris in ancient Assyria) his gardens were placed close to the entrance of his palace, on the bank of the river Tigris. It is possible that in the intervening centuries, the two sites became confused, and the hanging gardens were attributed to Babylon.

The Bablyon reflects a great depiction on the ancient arts as well. The image of the gardens is impressive not only for its beauty, but also for the engineering feat of supplying the massive, raised gardens with soil and water. The lush Hanging Gardens were extensively documented by Greek historians such as Strabo and Diodorus Siculus. However, these are not eyewitness accounts, and there is little first-hand evidence of their existence. Some circumstantial evidence gathered at the excavation of the palace at Babylon has accrued, but does not substantiate the apparently fanciful descriptions of ancient writers. Through the ages, the location of the Hanging Gardens may have been confused with gardens that existed at Nineveh, since tablets from there clearly show gardens.Yet, today, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon—with their blossoming flowers, ripe fruit, gushing waterfalls, terraces lush with rich foliage, and exotic creatures roaming about—may have been only a figment of the fertile imagination of Greek scholars and poets, or the boasts of returning soldiers.

Seven Ancient Wonders of the World - Pyramid of Giza

Egypt is a place any one would like to go for a vacation. Tourism is such a great money earner for Egypt. And when somebody travels, one of the most preferred place to visit would be the Cairo and the Giza city.
This is one of the largest pyramids in the world and considered to be one of the great among the seven wonders of the world. There are actually 3 Pyramids located in this place along with a Sphinx. The biggest of all is The Great Pyramid of Khufu and this is the only one among the seven wonders of world.
Location:These architectural marvels are found in Giza City which is located at the northern edge of the Giza Plateau, about 10 miles west of present day Cairo. Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the 5th largest in the world. Giza city was the necropolis of Memphis (of old Egypt). This whole Giza Plateau is situated west of the Nile, bordering Sahara Desert.
Hotels and accommodations can be found very easily in side the city of Cairo very easily.
Details:This place is a haven for 3 pyramids and a sphinx. The pyramids are Great Pyramid of Khufu, one of the seven wonders of world, Great pyramid of Khafre & Great Pyramid of Menkaure
If any body plans a vacation travel to Egypt, they must make sure to visit all the 3 Pyramids. A journey to Egypt would be incomplete without visiting them.

Great Pyramid of Khufu:This pyramid was built by King Khufu around 2560 BC. Khufu is the second Pharaoh of the fourth dynasty of rulers in Egypt. He was also known as "Cheops". Among all the 3 pyramids listed above, the Great Pyramid of Khufu is the only one pyramid in the list of seven wonders of the world.
This pyramid is believed to have been built over 20 years. When it was built its height was around 146 m. But now it is only 137 m. This was one of the tallest structures in the world till 19th century. It was covered with casings of stones to smoothen its surface. It probably is considered to be one among the seven wonders of world because of its sheer size.
The apex of the pyramid is missing and looks like it was never installed. The casings of the pyramids were removed by the Arabs during 14th century. The sloping angle of the sides is 51 degrees and 51 minutes. Each side is oriented towards one of the cardinal points of the compass that is north, south, east and west. This deserves a place among one of the seven wonders of world for its precision.
On the north face, is the pyramid's entrance. The King Khufu's chamber is located at the heart of the pyramid. The king's coffin is made of red granite, as like the interior walls of his chamber. 5 boat pits surround Khufu's Pyramid on the south and the east. Two of these are believed to be used by the Pharaoh during his life time. One boat is made into a Boat Museum. This is the only one existing wonder, among all the seven wonders of world.
Great pyramid of Khafre:Khafre is the son of Khufu and is also known as Rakhaef or chefren and is the second largest Pyramid on the Giza site. He ruled from 2520 - 2494 BC. He built the Khafre pyramid, the sphinx, the mortuary temple and the valley temple. This pyramid is the only one on the top of which the casing still remains.
The burial chamber underground contains a red granite sarcophagus with its lid. Next to this, a square cavity which is believed to have held the canopy chest containing the Pharaoh's viscera.
This pyramid was built approximately during the period 2558 - 2532 BC. Its base is 702 ft square and the height originally was around 143.4 m and now is 136.1 m. This is not one among the seven wonders of world.
Great Pyramid of Menkaure:Menkaure, also known as Mycerinus, ruled from 2490 - 2472 B.C. He built the smallest of the three pyramids at Giza, and is believed to be Khufu's grandson.
The height of this pyramid now is 62 m. To the south of this Menkaure pyramid, there are 3 small, minor and incomplete pyramids/tombs. One of them (the largest among the three), is supposedly built by Menkaure's principal wife. A coffin with bones of a young woman was found in the central tomb. This also is not part of the seven wonders of world.
Great Sphinx:This Sphinx is attached to Khafre's complex, north of Khafre's valley temple and with a separate temple of its own. This is a figure with a lion's body and a man's face, which is supposed to be the guardian of the necropolis. This is believed to be a manifestation of sun god.
How to reach there:The best way is to get to Cairo first. This could be through air or sea depending on the visitor's convenience. After that take a cab to Giza. In about 6-7 miles the Sphinx and Great Giza Pyramids should become visible.

Introduction To Tourism

The basic understanding to tourism refers to a person traveling from on place to another for his various purposes. To be specific, activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, religious or other purposes. It is a dynamic and competitive industry that requires the ability to constantly adapt to customers' changing needs and desires, as the customer’s satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly the focus of tourism businesses.

Types of Tourism:
Outbound Tourism
Outbound tourism is considered the most common and familiar type of tourism, when tourists from that particular country are visiting different places outside of their country for an instance, somebody who lives in England would be going outbound when visiting anywhere outside of England.
Inbound Tourism
Inbound tourism also known as 'incoming tourism', which refers to the travelers arriving in different countries on their own.
Incoming tourism is a valuable source of income for the country and the local economy, because it's not just the hotels and places of interests that benefit from the spending power of tourists. Money spreads out to benefit all sorts of local people, for an instance the money that goes to hotels goes to the wages of the waiters, chambermaids, receptionist etc, who then spend it on what they want to.
Internal Tourism
This type of tourism involves the, both resident and non-resident, of a country traveling in their country.
Domestic Tourism
This includes the inbound as well as the internal tourism which consists of staying in your own country but visiting a different city in which you do not live in.
National tourism
National tourism is the tourism of resident visitors, within and outside the economic territory of the country of reference. Internal tourists as well as the outbound international tourists

Sectors of Tourism
The tourism industry is divided into five different sectors:
Accommodation
Food and Beverage Services
Recreation and Entertainment
Transportation
Travel Services
The diversity of these five sectors shows that the career options in the tourism industry are unlimited. Depending on your interests and skills, you can work indoors or out. Places such as the office, an airport or out of your home are choices that can be made to get involved in tourism. You can have one career in the winter and another in the summer. In short, you can create a perfect career for yourself in the lifestyles where you see fit.
An accommodation is the lodging provided for travelers in hotels, motels, inns, cruise ship etc. There are special services provided for the tourists in every form of accommodations, such involves, pick-up and drop-off to the airport, tour bus with a guide and not to forget the special travel package for a mass group of travelers.

WHERE DID IT ALL START??

Traveling has been a form of understanding, curiosity, as well as a means of a get-away. It is not exactly defined how and where it all started. Not only humans are subjects to these specific phenomena, animals were also related to it since the dinosaurs’ times. Scientists have discovered the fossils of the same species of dinosaurs from one region to another. It has been proven that even before the human age; dinosaurs had also experienced such movement from one’s place to another’s. Up till this day, animals as well as plants have played a part in traveling. Simple as that, plants have the ability to move or be moved by a second party, it could be the wind, water or even animals.
Not only scientifically, religious studies have also mentioned traveling being present in the Holy Bible, Qur’an and in the Buddhist scripture. The studies are concerned with the movement of how humans began to settle from one place to another in order to prevent much conflict and to survive.
As inscribed in the Holy Bible, Adam and Eve were exiled from the Garden of Eden and they traveled on their own freewill and were the parents of all humankind. Thus, the descendants of Adam and Eve walk on this earth but they are not allocated at one place, disputes and conflicts made ways for the different paths created by humans. Even Jesus Christ and his followers traveled from one corner to another in Israel to spread the words of God. In the Buddhist Scriptures, Gautama Buddha traveled from his kingdom and made his way to a place near Bodh Gaya in India, where he found a suitable site for meditation. The Qur’an also mentions that, every year, Muhammad used to leave Makkah to spend Ramadan in the cave of Hiraa where he used to meditate and worship for self-purification. Religion is also the reason behind traveling from one place to another. These messengers of God were spiritual beings who are idols to many believers, up till this date people travel from one end of the world just to visit these messengers.
Although these days we see a lot of tourists from different countries and religions, it is not hard to notice that they are mostly the Westerns. We may even be curious about the fact that they are able to spend such money and time traveling when they should be busy working to make a living. According to history, the Americans and other Westerns discovered electricity, airplane and transportation; cars, train, buses etc. Such Inventions took their economy to heights and gave them the large amount of disposable income to splurge on luxurious vacations. Moreover, the airplane invented by the Wright brother in the early 20th century, 1903, astounded everyone; poor people, rich people, and especially the middle-class people. Usually it was fairly costly and only upper-class people could afford it. But as flights became more common, prices fell, and it almost reached a point where upper-middle class people could afford flights.

Travelling is a new phenomena. Tourism is the most recent and significant phenomena of the modern world. When people learn to differentiate between work and leisure, then tourism starts.

The word tourism did not appear in the English language until the early 19th century. Derived from the French word 'tourism'. The literal meaning is 'the practice of touring or travelling'.