Posted by Nick on July 4, 2010
Osaka, Japan’s Osaka Castle stands in the center of Osaka city. Surrounded by wide exterior moats and acres of gardens, though, it seems set apart from the busy metropolis with over 2.5 million residents. Visitors can take a tour of Osaka Castle all year, but the Cherry trees blossom in the spring.
History
Commissioned by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a man born a peasant in a Japanese village who rose to become master of Japan in 1590, Osaka Castle stands on the grounds where Japan’s Honganji Temple once stood. Building on the castle began in 1583. Recognized as a symbol of power and security, according to the Osaka Castle website, Osaka Castle survived over a hundred years of war including The Sekigahara War and the Winter Siege of Osaka, and hosted feudal lords from all across Japan and missionaries from all across Europe.
The Main Tower
Finished in 1585, Osaka Castle’s Main Tower contains gold appointments on furniture and fixtures, and a tea room with gold-finished walls and ceiling. Though the Main Tower finally fell in 1615, it was rebuilt several times over the years, with the Main Tower that stands today completed in 1931. According to the Osaka Castle website, the Main Tower was put on the list of Registered Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government.
Castle Museum
The museum at Osaka Castle holds historical artifacts from the 16th century, as well as screens and dioramas depicting historic events that happened in the castle itself, or in the city of Osaka. Items found in the castle museum include weapons, portraits and letters. Five separate films show the history of the castle and Toyotomi, with subtitles available in Korean, Chinese and English. The museum is housed in the castle’s Main Tower.
Exterior
Osaka Castle consists of 13 separate exterior structures. Aside from the Main Tower, the Japanese government recognizes each of the external structures of Osaka Castle, including the main gate, known as the Otemon Gate, the turrets, the gun powder storehouse and the stone walls, as “important cultural properties,” according to the Osaka Castle site.
Park
Surrounding Osaka Castle, Osaka Castle Park decorates the castle landscape. In the park, visitors find the Nishinomaru Garden, home to nearly 600 cherry trees, Ume Grove, which boasts over a thousand trees of different varieties, and the Grove of Remembrance, Omoide-no-mori. Admission to the park is free and draws not only tourists, but is also a gathering place for residents of Osaka.
Touring the Castle
The castle closes only December 28-January 1 of each year, according to the castle website. Hours are 9:00 am-5:00 pm, with the last admission to the castle at 4:30 pm, though hours may be extended during the spring and summer months. Before or after your visit to the castle, you can take the tram through Osaka Castle Park, which runs from one entry gate to the other, right past Osaka Castle’s Main Tower, walls and moats.
Posted by Nick on April 22, 2010
If you are traveling to New Zealand and looking for ways to get around, why not try rail travel?
Rail transport in New Zealand are available in between Auckland and Wellington in the North Island and between Christchurch and Picton on the South Island.
As you can see, passenger rail service is somewhat limited as rail transport in New Zealand is primarily for freight.
New Zealand rail travel tickets can be booked at Tranz Scenic and Adventure New Zealand.
Posted by Nick on March 30, 2010
Popular tourist places in West India include Mumbai, Goa, Rann of Kutch, the cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora and the Wildlife Sanctuaries in Gujarat.
Tourists can expect a temperate climate in West India, which leads to some nice flora and fauna. It also makes it perfect for wildlife sanctuaries.
In the West Indian state of Maharashtra is where you will find Mumbai. It is also home to the Elephant Caves, the Gateway of India, Aga Khan Palace, Aurangabad Caves and the rock cut caves at Ajanta and Ellora.
The West Indian state of Goa is home to pristine beaches, beautiful churches, magnificent temples and a wide variety of flora and fauna. Goa is the state that is best when coming to West India to just relax and enjoy the scenery. Famous beaches in Goa include Baga Beach and Anjuna Beach.
The coastal West Indian state of Gujarat is also home to some popular tourist spots. Besides being the home of Mahatama Ghandi, the state boasts spectacular beaches, ancient temples, national parks and the rich cultural heritage.
Posted by Nick on March 29, 2010
White Beach, Okinawa, Japan is a beach that you cannot get to unless you are in the military. White Beach, Japan serves as home to a military facility in Okinawa. This means only military tourists can access it.
The White Beach Recreation Center is a good place for families, as well as couples. There are cabins at the top of the hill that offer the best experience. There are camping spots, a pool, and water recreation items for rental. There are two main beach areas. The beach has a lot of coral and seaglass, so you will want to have water shoes to protect your feet.
Posted by Nick on March 3, 2010
Situated in the southwest area of the Indian Ocean is the volcanic island of Mauritius. It is home to beaches, coral reefs, Dutch ruins, top golf courses and first class cuisine that consists of French, African, Indian and Chinese. According to Lonely Planet, Mauritius is the most developed island of the Mascarene Islands. The local currency in Mauritius is the rupee. While the main language in Mauritius is Creole, you will find plenty of people the speak both French and English on the island. Booking your hotel to Mauritius is no different than booking a hotel in the United States.
Use Kayak.com to search for a hotel in Mauritius on several of the major travel booking websites at the same time. Kayak can search Travelocity, Expedia and Hotels.com all at the same time for you. This will allow you to see if one site happens to have a better price on a hotel that you are interested in booking. This is a great way to book a hotel if you are not familiar with what hotels are available in Mauritius. Other travel booking websites you can use to book include Booking.com and Orbitz.com. If you decide to book a hotel using one of these major travel booking sites you will have to pay in full for your booking up front. This means that you will not be able to make any changes to your booking or get a refund if you have to cancel the booking.
Book a vacation package that includes your Mauritius hotel with your airfare. For example, the Virgin Holidays website allows you to book a Mauritius vacation package that includes airfare from London’s Heathrow Airport. Only a deposit is required with this booking.
Contact the hotel directly to book if you already know where you can to stay. You can book direct by using the hotel website or by calling the hotel. Most people in Mauritius speak and understand English so you will not have to worry about a language barrier when you call. If booking directly online just go to the hotel website. For example, if you want to stay at the InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort you can go directly to the hotel website at ICHotelsGroup.com to book the hotel.
Arrive at the hotel with no reservation and book a room in person. As a walk-in you may end up paying a higher rate. You also risk showing up and there being no rooms available to book in your preferred hotel.
Priceline and Hotwire do not have any Mauritius hotels listed in their databases.
