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VPG-DVD-117 - MARRAKESH Marrakesh, the 'red pearl' of Morocco was founded by Youssef Ben Tachfin in 1602. It is one of the country's four Royal Cities. Up to the beginning of the 20th century the city was a trading centre for both the north of Morocco and the Sahara and the monarchs of various dynasties made Marrakesh their capital city. The large souks of Marrakesh's Medina are divided into numerous sections and stock just about everything known to Man! In spite of the city's apparent calm there is much activity and the traffic is surprisingly well disciplined. Marrakesh has the largest souks in Morocco. As well as shoes and clothing they stock all the necessities of life and of course bargaining and haggling are the norm! Daily life in the souks is dominated by trade. They are a vital meeting place and trading centre for the farmers of the High Atlas. Those who wish to experience Moroccan daily life can do so here and a stroll through the narrow alleys taking in the city's sounds and aromas explains far more than any travel guide. Place Jemaa El-Fna is the 'Square Of The Beheaded' and is Marrakesh's most famous attraction with snake charmers, musicians and storytellers. In 2001 the Square Of The Beheaded was designated by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. Built in 1158, the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosquee is the symbol of the city. The seventy seven metre tall sandstone minaret served as the model for the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat and most of it was built by Spanish prisoners of war. Marrakesh is an historic bridge that unites both urban and nomadic cultures - an exotic gateway to Africa and a captivating window to Europe!
Vista Point MARRAKESH Morocco
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m32s
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VPG-DVD-233 - ZANZIBAR Zanzibar is a paradise-like island just off the Tanzanian coast. An island of spice and exotic aromas, sultans' palaces, harems, shining white beaches and fiery red sunsets. The ancient oriental city of Zanzibar derived its name from its many old stone buildings. Charming and mysterious they have witnessed much of the island's dramatic past and the tangled architecture of coral stone and shell lime serves as a fascinating backdrop to this colourful city that is strongly influenced by an Arabian way of life. In the north of the old town is one of the island's most beautiful buildings, the Ismali Dispensarium. It was built by a wealthy Indian businessman and was originally a hospital with an adjoining pharmacy. Today it contains a cultural centre. The house of the infamous Tippu Tip who was once Zanzibar's biggest slave trader, has not yet been restored. He was an extremely unpleasant man who sent his servants into the African bush to catch slaves who were later sold in Zanzibar Livingstone House was built in 1861. The famous missionary and explorer once resided there prior to going on his final expedition. He was frequently the guest of Tippu Tip who offered Dr. Livingstone various maps that were based upon his slave routes. A tropical paradise just off the African coast with the flair of the Orient, historic architecture and the colours of Africa. Zanzibar is most assuredly a legendary and fairy-tale island of global culture.
Vista Point ZANZIBAR...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
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VPG-DVD-153 - TUNIS Tunis is the capital of Tunisia and this 'Paris' of North Africa is a metropolis with a long history. In the centre of the medina the domed roof of the souk encircles the Olive Tree Mosque the spiritual centre of the old town. The central market district dates back to the Hafsidic and Early Christian period. Here there's something for everyone, many of the goods being skilfully crafted under the watchful eye of prospective purchasers and while strolling through the markets it's like being part of an Arabian fairy-tale with all the magic of the One Thousand And One Nights. The tall, octagonal minaret of the Sidi Youssef Mosque is an example of Tunisia's earliest Syric building design and opposite is the Dar El Bey, former palace of the Turkish monarchs. Dar Ben Abdallah is a splendid palace that dates back to the 18th century and since 1975 has incorporated a folklore museum that is well worth a visit. A large cool courtyard is dominated by a central marble fountain and surrounded by both residential and official rooms. The lavish lifestyle of the 19th century is on full display in numerous rooms with precious furniture and crystal chandeliers as well as beautifully attired life-size dolls. Today Bardo is an elegant suburb of villas but in the 19th century the Turkish Beys built their palace district within it and the former harem today contains the majestic Bardo Museum. Tunis has all the wonderful atmosphere of this region's historic and colourful past.
Vista Point TUNIS Tunisia
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m21s
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VPG-DVD-137 - RABAT Rabat is the capital of Morocco and also its royal seat of power. The main residence of King Mohammed the Sixth is a fascinating modern metropolis. Along with its monumental works of art the fourth oldest of the Makhzen cities is also one of Morocco's most important. Cafés and workshops reflect daily life and most of the city's souks are divided into specialised areas with items such as leather goods, blankets and carpets for sale: and with a little haggling it's possible to purchase quality handicrafts at a very modest price! The Kasbah Des Oudaias was built by Yacoub El Mansour in the 12th century. It is located at Rabat's most elevated point and is like a village within the city. The eight metre high wall once protected the Kasbah and its inhabitants and the fortress is inhabited to the present day. Barred windows create an Andalusian ambience. The Kasbah is one of the most popular though most expensive addresses in Rabat. Throughout the centuries the Moroccan coast was dominated by pirates but the might of European colonialists put an end to their dubious activities. The mausoleum of Mohammed the 5th was built in 1967 and the tomb complex contains a mosque, a mausoleum and a small memorial that contains images of the king. At the end of the 12th century Yacoub El Mansour constructed the largest mosque in the Maghreb. At a height of sixty metres its minaret was taller than any other in North Africa. Four hundred columns support the prayer room and it has fourteen gates. Rabat is a fascinating capital city and royal residence. An exotic world that lies between both occident and orient.
Vista Point RABAT Morocco
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m35s
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VPG-DVD-150 - MEKNES Meknes is one of Morocco's four royal cities and became famous due to its megalomaniac monarch, Sultan Moulay Ismail who is also known as Morocco's Sun King. The cruel and despotic sultan made Meknes the mightiest fortified city in North Africa. Moulay Ismail had an army of a hundred and fifty thousand men who were stationed at each of the country's main strategic points. Included in his royal household was a harem of six hundred wives of various races as well as countless children and a large retinue of African slaves. His former residence, the Heri and Dar El-Ma Complex, contained fifty palaces that were divided by way of gardens, barracks and stables in which there were twelve thousand horses. The Medina of Meknes is a World Heritage Site and contains both medieval and modern architecture. The old town consists of the Ville Imperiale, the ruins of the palace complex and also the Medina with it residential and commercial districts. It also includes the former Jews Ancien district and the Nouveau Mellah that is now known as Riad. The Medersa Bou-Inania is one of the most important buildings in the Medina. Its courtyard contains a shell-shaped well that is used for ritual bathing. The ground marble and alabaster stuccowork is decorated with objects made with fine spatulas. The Great Mosque was founded by the Almohads but was altered during the time of the Meridis and provides a close insight into the world of Islam. The Berber tribe of Meknassa first gave this city its name but following thousands of years of dramatic history the former royal city of Meknes remains an enigma to the present day.
Vista Point MEKNES Morocco
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m18s
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VPG-DVD-163 - MARSEILLE Marseille is the oldest city in France and its largest commercial harbour in the Mediterranean. It is believed that in 600 B.C. travellers from the Greek town of Phokis founded the autonomous town of 'Massalia'. In the Middle Ages the city's main harbour was used by the crusaders to embark on their journey to Jerusalem and it rivalled those of the maritime republics of Genoa, Pisa and Venice. One of Marseille's main landmarks rises high above the harbour, the seafarers' church of Notre-Dame-De-La-Garde. It towers above the city like a fortress and on its bell tower is a gilded ten metre high figure of the Virgin Mary. Several hundred yachts of all sizes crowd into the old harbour where there is often little room for the comings and goings of modern day sailors. It is difficult to imagine that once near-starving slaves were forced to use their last ounce of strength to row their master's galleys into the harbour. Modern harbour complexes require a great deal of space as is well demonstrated by Marseille's new harbour and after Rotterdam it is the second largest in Europe. Two mighty fortresses overlook the harbour: the northern Fort Saint-Jean is the oldest and was used by the Order Of The Knights Of Malta; the Fort Saint Nicolas stands guard over the southern side of the narrow harbour entrance and was built in the 17th century. The tiny island of Chateau D`If was made famous due to a novel by Alexander Dumas, The Count Of Monte Christo. A small museum features many items related to this classic novel and visitors can search for the hole in the wall through which Edmond Dantès is said to have entered the Abbé Faria. A boat trip from Cassis leads to one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Europe: Les Calanques a unique nature reserve. Shining white limestone cliffs plunge more than four hundred metres into the deep blue sea and extend for twenty kilometres. Marseille - France's wonderful gateway to Africa!
Vista Point MARSEILLE France
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m32s
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VPG-DVD-125 - JOHANNESBURG Johannesburg is the commercial centre of South Africa. Since gold was first discovered, everything has revolved around money and from the 50th floor of Africa's tallest building, The Carlton Towers, there is an all-engulfing view of the city's narrow streets and jungle of concrete and glass. The African Museum is a contemporary building and one of South Africa's most exquisite landmarks, it contains a large variety of geological exhibits and detailed accounts of the city's past surface mining that gave rise to the country's massive gold rush. The resistance to apartheid is also illustrated, as well as that of the history of Africa's native inhabitants who journeyed from present day Botswana to the south of the country. Gold Reef City is a large historical theme park that features the Johannesburg of pioneering times and focuses on the clothing, houses and entertainments of the country's golden years. On display are some of the old mining wagons that the workers used to transport the precious rock from the unforgiving mines and there's also a chance to see the liquid gold as it is turned into bullion and processed as gold coins. In contrast to Johannesburg, Pretoria grew at a calmer pace and has developed from a Boer farming municipality into South Africa's administrative capital. Located on a hill is the Vortrekker Monument that is a reminder of the Boers' Great Trek and, in 1830, the crucial battle in which they defeated the Zulus. Sun City is a magnificent fantasy world full of African ambience and the Sun City Hotel is the casino that made Sol Kerzner the richest man in South Africa, whereas the futuristic Cascades Hotel derived its name from its wonderful setting of waterfalls, pools and lush plant life. Johannesburg and this whole region of South Africa is THE sunshiny place to be!
Vista Point JOHANNESBURG...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m34s
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VPG-DVD-198 - GRANADA Since the 7th century B.C., Iberians, Romans and West Goths settled in Granada but it was during Arab rule that the city first gained prominence. Sixty thousand Muslims once lived in the old Moorish city complex on the hill above the ancient district of Albaicin.1 Granada has a truly unique and captivating atmosphere, one that has inspired poets, musicians and countless travellers from all over the world. A lively and contemporary university city and at the same time the guardian of an historic past that draws in a multitude of tourists keen to experience its special charm. In the narrow valleys between the Alhambra and Albaicin Hills the gentle River Darro makes its age-old journey toward the city centre and the houses along the riverside have been restored to a high standard with typical wooden balconies, decorated façades and barred windows. The Banos Arabes are ancient Arab baths that date back to the 11th century. The mighty La Alcazaba Fortress rises up from the top of a hill and is separated from the rest of the Alhambra by huge walls. The city extends to the plains below and in the background are the snow-covered mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The huge Torre De La Vela Watchtower is the highest point of the complex and was the first building of the Nasrides Dynasty. The Alhambra served as a military headquarters, administrative centre and royal residence until the expulsion of the Moors by Christian militia. The interior of the Alhambra is like a hidden treasure that lies expectantly beyond plain red walls, waiting to be discovered. The most famous of the courtyards is the Lion Yard of which the well and ornate arcades took several years to complete. The fiery south of Spain is a fantasy world situated between Europe and Africa. A land of passion and ancient culture: Granada is its shining pearl set amid the evocative landscape of Andalusia.
Vista Point GRANADA Spain
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m39s
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CASABLANCA Casablanca, a city of many faces, Oriental yet also modern. From a former Berber settlement to today's commercial metropolis. Around eighty per cent of Moroccan industry is concentrated in Casablanca, the country's financial, technological and commercial centre and also Africa's largest seaport. Jutting into the sea is the Hassan The Second Mosque. 'It was He who created Heaven and Earth in six days!' This paragraph from the Koran inspired Hassan The Second to build his momentous mosque that extends for nine hectares, a superlative construction that could comfortably accommodate the entire Petersdom in Rome. Casablanca is a large city surrounded by many ancient villages where life has changed little since ancient times. The Place Mohammed The Fifth is the centre of Casablanca and is located between the old Medina and the new town with its large residential districts. Several administrative buildings, mosques and Art Deco buildings are situated in the vicinity of the Place Mohammed and there's also a pedestrian-only shopping mall. The head offices of numerous banks, insurance and commercial companies are located within the modern and flamboyant city centre with its imposing skyscrapers. The souks contain a labyrinth of alleys and each usually has its own speciality. The souks are the perfect place for those who wish to experience typical Morocco as the aromas and sounds of their narrow alleys are far more descriptive than any travel guide. Casablanca captivates all those who experience it. This former coastal city of seafarers and pirates is today both lively and contemporary with all the atmosphere and flair of a bygone time.
Vista Point CASABLANCA...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m35s
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VPG-DVD-164 - CARIBBEAN ISLANDS Haiti is the starting point of this journey in the Caribbean. Since the time of Columbus it has been the European idyll of paradise set amid a distant ocean. But beyond the dream is the fact that its original inhabitants were wiped out and replaced with African slaves. Now independent states have gradually emerged from the dark shadows of an inglorious past. They inhabit a tropical world, an exotic Caribbean island that consists of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Arawak Indians named the island, Hayti, Land Of Mountains, and later Columbus changed the name to Hispanola. Wonderful beaches and golden sand, tropical rainforests that reach almost to the sea and crystal clear turquoise water - a perfect place to relax in one of the most beautiful regions in the world. Jamaica is another Caribbean paradise and its second largest city, Montego Bay, is the starting point for tourists from all over the world. Harmony Hall is the name of an immaculate manor house situated on a turn of the century plantation, and James Bond Beach was once the winter retreat of English author, Ian Fleming. Kingston is the capital of Jamaica and the island's political, economic and cultural centre, a former pirate stronghold that is a lively mixture of joie de vivre and reggae. Nassau is the capital of New Providence Island and is only one of more than seven hundred islands in the Bahaman archipelago. It is visited by huge cruise liners that can seen from everywhere as they overshadow the city's buildings and on each side of its tranquil streets the city's pastel coloured houses look like something from a confectioner's shop. Next, Havana, the Caribbean metropolis that for many years has become somewhat run down and neglected. But nowhere else are the cocktails mixed better! Finally, Trinidad, where time seems most definitely to have stood still! Cuba and the Caribbean, a melting pot of colonial culture and an overgrown and abundant Garden of Eden.
Vista Point CARIBBEAN...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m12s
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VPG-DVD-155 - CAPE TOWN Located on the southern edge of Africa and lying at the foot of Table Mountain, the metropolis of Cape Town is certainly one of the world's most beautiful cities, an exciting combination of Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. In the park-lined Government Avenue and Queen Victoria Street there's a wonderful collection of well-restored Victorian houses and the Anglican St.Georges Cathedral is where Archbishop Desmond Tutu protested against Apartheid. Part of the historic harbour is the Victoria And Alfred Waterfront. In 1860, Prince Alfred ordered construction of a new harbour basin, followed by the Victoria Basin that contained two watchtowers. Today, the whole of the old port is an internationally-styled entertainment and shopping complex. The two large water tanks in the harbour's Two Ocean Aquarium contain around 3,000 examples of sea life from the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In the adjoining South African Maritime Museum there are examples of the city's historic ships, its fishing industry and details on the construction of its outstanding harbour. Robben Island is situated 11 km. off the coast and in the 16th century the Dutch used it as a prison. During apartheid, political prisoners were incarcerated there, the prison's most famous inmate having been Nelson Mandela who spent 18 years of his 28 year sentence on the island. After the closure of the prison, in 1997 the South African government opened both the island and its former prison to the public. Thus the face of Robben Island changed from being a place of terror and suppression to one of pilgrimage, a symbol of resistance and also a major tourist attraction! The Cape Of Good Hope is the southernmost tip of Africa and since1936 this section of the Cape Peninsula has been a nature reserve. Cape Town and its environs are completely different to the normal expectations of Africa. No desolate bush land reaching to the horizon and no life-threatening wild animals. But it's certainly another remarkable and beautiful dimension to South Africa's magnificent Garden Of Eden!
Vista Point CAPE TOWN...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m34s
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VPG-DVD-183 - ANDALUSIA Andalusia in southern Spain is a fantasy land situated between Europe and Africa. In Algarrobo, a white village close to the coast, time seems to have stood still. A place of both inspiration and contemplation. Since Phoenician times the earlier 'Malaca' was a busy trading port that was defended by the Castillo De Gibralforo. The Cathedral, also known as 'La Manquita', symbolises a catholic victory on the former site of a mosque. On the edge of the city centre is the Moorish fortress of Alcazaba that was once a fortified residence on the hills of Castillo. The second largest city in Andalusia also became known as the birthplace of its famous son, world famous artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Since the 1950's the modern coastal resort of Torremolinos has attracted mass tourism with a numerous variety of huge hotel skyscrapers, bars and restaurants. In the hilly inland area of the Costa Del Sol is the pretty white mountain village of Mijas. A small hilltop bullfight arena shines bright white along with the houses of the surrounding area. Marbella, the prima donna of the Costa Del Sol, serves as a rendezvous for the stars of stage and screen and a leisure resort for the international jet set. Another short excursion into the mountains near the coast leads to Casares, a sleepy mountain village crowned by the ruins of a Moorish Castle. During the Roman Carthaginian Wars Cadiz played an important role as a trading centre. After the Moors, came the Normans and in 1262, the city fell into the hands of the Christian king, Alfonso. Dreamy harbour towns, cultural metropolises with a Moorish past, Christian buildings and white villages. Beauty in the Garden Of Eden -- that's Andalusia!
Vista Point ANDALUSIA Spain
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 158 days ago
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Runtime: 1m35s
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