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VPG-DVD-109 - BALI Bali - island of the gods and gateway to Paradise -- a relatively small island, east of Java across the Bali Strait. In recent years, luxurious hotel complexes have appeared, tastefully re-creating the island's ethnic traditions. The capital of Bali, Denpasar, is the commercial centre of the island with good shopping facilities and a fascinating variety of entertainment. Colourful dance and drama play an important part in the lives of the Bali people and almost every village has its own dance group, the favourite dance being the Barong. In the north of the island, the 1800 metre high Gunung Batur volcano is still active, its slopes covered in lava fields that extend deep into its crater. Hindu temples abound, the Kehen being one of the most beautiful terraced temples in Bali and the Pura Besakih, the most revered. As in ancient times, rice is still cultivated in the traditional way and ox and plough traverse the fields. Sun drenched beaches, cloud-kissed volcanoes, exquisite ethnic architecture and dreamy temples - it's no wonder that Bali is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in East Asia.
Vista Point BALI Indonesia
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m48s
Views: 36  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-157 - YUNNAN Kunming is located in the Chinese province of Yunnan in south west China. The Buddhist temple of Ykan Ton Si dates back to the Tang Dynasty. The design of the city's largest temple complex was influenced by many diverse ethnic groups. The highlight of the complex is a lake in the middle of which a number of bridges lead to an octagonal pavilion. The Temple Of Total Penetration (yes, that's it's name!) is a tranquil and peaceful haven amid the busy alleys of Kunming's old town. In the west of Yunnan Province there are magnificent views from Xi Shan Mountain across Dian Lake and nestling among the rocks there are numerous temples that were once the scene of ritual sacrifice. On the downward journey the temples loom larger and larger while earthenware images of Buddha depict various stages of life. Yunnan's most famous site is the unique Stone Forest of Shi Lin. Its limestone rock originated from a long since dried--up ocean when the elements set to work on creating its fantastic and bizarre forms. The most amazing formations were given dramatic names such as The Sea Of Fire, Dragon's Tooth and Heavenly Sword. Pagodas, columns and strange flowers appear to rise from the rock and to facilitate access, tunnels and paths have been cut into the rock face. The Venice Of The Far East is the nickname of the ancient Chinese city of Lijiang in the northwest of Yunnan Province. The picturesque centre of the old town of Dayan is an architectural gem. Three rivers and several small creeks flow through the historic cit and there are various splendid stone bridges date back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Buy Shan is a typical village of the region. Just as it was hundreds of years ago with farmers slowly leading their ox wagons through the village. The houses were built over a period of more than two hundred year between the Ming and Qing Dynasties in 14 and 16 A.D. Yunnan Province - place of simplicity, exquisite culture and spectacular natural wonders!
Vista Point YUNNAN China
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m38s
Views: 26  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-203 - YANGON Yangon is a river city and the capital of Myanmar. A country surrounded by India, China, Laos and Thailand with a fascinating mêlée of tribes and cultures plus a tranquil harmony of churches, pagodas, Hindu temples and mosques. Here, contrast is all, and that makes Yangon unique! The Chaukhtatkyi Pagoda contains one of the largest prone Buddha statues in the world. Its length makes up for its lack of artistry as it is seventy metres long. Over six hundred monks live in the adjoining monastery that was founded in 1907 for the study of Buddhist scripts that are known as 'Palikanums'. Three seasons determine the climate of this subtropical country: the cool of winter, the heat of summer and the monsoons when it rains for most of the afternoon and entire regions are flooded. But then follows the lush green sight of endless paddy fields. In Yangon the early morning is the best time to travel to the nearby city of Bago which was once the capital of the Second Burmese Realm. It was thought by Europeans to be the most magnificent city in the East, a fact highlighted by its many splendid monuments. The city of Yangon is like travelling back in time to the colonial days of British Rangoon and hopefully this fascinating city will continue to be a golden fairy tale behind a tantalising bamboo curtain!
Vista Point YANGON Myanmar
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m27s
Views: 27  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-231 - VIENTIANE Since the sixteenth century Vientiane has been the capital of Laos and is situated in the heart of Indochina. The city originated at the point at which the first navigable section of the Mekong River joins with the Gulf Of Thailand. Vientiane was once a group of rural settlements and even today contains several village-like districts each with its own temple and traditional marketplace. At the end of the nineteenth century the French began to renovate the city's most important buildings and made Vientiane the administrative capital of their new colony and gave it a French look. There are some fascinating places to visit outside the city such as the Cultural Park Of The Laotian People, a large area on the banks of the Mekong River. Historic Vientiane also has some fine reconstructed buildings such as the Wat Impeng on the western bank of Pagoda Street. Artistic wooden carvings on the windows and doors, along with the paintings and stucco work on the walls, feature various legends from the life of Buddha. Some signs of affluence are beginning to appear and in future years Vientiane may become yet another Asian metropolis with skyscrapers, smog and manic rush hours. It is now poised to leap into contemporary times as it gradually emerges from its atmospheric curtain of bamboo.
Vista Point VIENTIANE Laos
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m29s
Views: 20  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-212 - TAIPEI Taipei is a pulsating metropolis in the north of the South Asian island state of Taiwan, a land of gods, spirits and temples. With around three million inhabitants it is the largest city in Ilha Formosa, a beautiful island that is located a hundred and thirty kilometres from the Chinese mainland. The famous Grand Hotel is the most impressive building in Taipei and is in the typical Chinese palace design of the Ming Dynasty. The large interior hall of the fine building is supported by massive red pillars and it features a magnificent open staircase with marble banisters. The south western edge of the city was where wealthy trader, Lin An Tai, once had a huge residence. It is one of the most well preserved examples of a building in the style of a classical southern Chinese residence and designed according to the strict rules of Feng Shui and Chinese Geomancy. The Confucius Temple is a place of contemplation and a replica of the Temple Of Qu Fu, Qu Fu having been the home town of Confucius. A large wall surrounds both the temple and its inner courtyard. This silent place is one of five temples in Taiwan dedicated to the great Chinese philosopher who founded a religion that even today has many followers. Taipei is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, a modern Asian metropolis that is full of ancient traditions as well as futuristic flair.
Vista Point TAIPEI Taiwan
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m22s
Views: 18  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-191 - SICILY Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and the most diverse region in Italy, a land of gods and natural forces and a place of ancient cultures. Catania in the north east of the island is Sicily's second largest city that has been strongly influenced by earthquakes and also the volcanic activity of Mount Etna. It is believed that Greek settlers from Chalkidi founded it and some centuries later it was conquered by the Romans, and later the Arabs brought the city a new wave of prosperity. Noto is a charming town with around twenty thousand inhabitants and it is one of the most beautiful enclosed Baroque towns in Sicily. However, many of Noto's historic buildings have been neglected for many years and are thus in somewhat less than perfect condition. The Catedrale Di San Nicolò also fell into disrepair as a result of continued neglect and this caused both its dome and part of its roof to collapse in 1996. A proud and mighty volcano rises above eastern Sicily. Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, is the undisputed ruler of this fascinating Mediterranean island. The snow on the summit region of Etna obscures the fact that deep within the volcano is an unimaginable natural furnace with a temperature of around a thousand degrees Celsius. Marsala was given its name by the Arabs who called it 'Marsal-Allah', 'God's Harbour'. The monumental city gate is a reminder of the landing of Giuseppe Garibaldis on the 8th of March, 1860. In the mountain area close to Palermo, another wonderful city featured on our journey, is the picturesque town of Monreale, a townscape that for more than eight hundred years has been dominated by a single building. Monreale Cathedral was built due to a struggle for power between the Bishop Of Palermo and the Norman King, William. Sicily is exquisite. An ancient island of both discovery and pleasure.
Vista Point SICILY Italy
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m31s
Views: 27  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-197 - SHAN STATE North of Burma's central plains is the exotic and fascinating Shan State, a beautiful landscape in South East Asia located on the eastern side of Myanmar. Once forty Shan monarchs ruled there but they lived in hostile times as Burmese kings and Chinese warlords fought against them to gain control of their fertile land. We begin our journey at Inlay Lake. The magical beauty of this body of water has attracted and fascinated people since time immemorial and this unique lake is home to the Intha people. The next leg of the journey leads to a far more tranquil section of the lake that features floating gardens that are around a hundred metres long and two metres wide and consist of a densely interwoven carpet of water hyancinths. Mandalay, 'The City Of Art', is located in the centre of Shan State. It was founded in 1857 and up until the British conquered it in 1885 it was the capital of the kingdom of Burma. The Mahamuni Pagoda is the centre of worship and is also where the Mahamuni Buddha is kept, the country's most highly worshipped Buddha statue. Around twelve kilometres beyond Hsipaw is the legendary Bagyo Pagoda. Surrounded by a magnificent wall it is thought that the sanctuary is more than seven hundred years old. An important festival takes place each year around Tabaung, the time of the full moon in February and March, and is the highlight of the town's cultural calendar. The Shan people in the north of Myanmar have most certainly retained their cultural heritage and Shan State is an exotic combination of both nature and culture and a land of beauty and joie de vivre!
Vista Point SHAN STATE...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 18  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-187 - PATAN Patan is a city of a thousand golden rooftops. The former royal city is situated in the thirty kilometre long Kathmandu Valley, Nepal's national treasure. It is located to the south of Kathmandu and its official name is Lalitpur, 'The Beautiful City'. Around a hundred and sixty thousand people live in what is almost tantamount to an open-air museum that transfers all who travel there to another world. It is dominated by more than a hundred and fifty former monasteries that have since been transformed into family homes. Legend has it that the main image of worship, Shiva Linga, within the Kumbheshvara Temple was the point around which the city was built. The upper floors of the temple are more narrow and slender than is customary. They look like a delicate adornment of the roof rather than the more usual tapering tower structure. Due to its splendid carvings the Vishveshvara Temple is well treasured among the other pagoda temples in Durbar Square. In 1990 it collapsed during a monsoon but has since been completely restored along with its countless ornate wood carvings. The Bala Gopala Temple is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of Malla architecture. It is thought to be a replica of a sanctuary in the Indian Mathura. Here, the god Krishna spent his youth as a herdsman, thus the name of the temple contains the words Bala and Gopala that mean 'Child' and 'Herdsman'. Patan is the second largest and oldest city in Kathmandu Valley, the heart of the country's traditional arts and crafts and a truly atmospheric gem of evocative architecture.
Vista Point PATAN Nepal
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m32s
Views: 24  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-220 - OSLO Although the Norwegian metropolis of Oslo is a modern city it continues to be inspired by the lively spirit of its past traders, fighting men and seafarers. The unique capital city of the Vikings is full of both culture and sport, including a royal castle, various museums, ancient churches and world famous sporting events. It has nine hundred years of history. The conference rooms of the city's government are decorated with frescos and paintings by Munch, Krogh, Revold and Rolfsen and each year on the tenth of December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony takes place. West of the harbour basin is Akerbrygge, a city quarter that was created on the site of a former shipyard and which features some unusual architecture where glass, metal and red brick dominates as in the style of London's Docklands. The Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum features the long history of Norwegian navigation. Various figureheads are exhibited and it is no surprise that most of them are female as seafarers have always chosen to be protected by goddesses! In the Kontiki Museum, the filigree balsa river boat is on display. Thor Heyderdal sailed across the Pacific for one hundred and one days in the Kontiki, from Peru to Polynesia. This city is a royal residence and a cultural capital of Europe and is the oldest of Scandinavia's capital cities and the greenest metropolis on the European continent. A place of joie de vivre, independence and a colourful past!
Vista Point OSLO Norway
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m29s
Views: 21  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-123 - NEPAL At the foot of the huge peaks of the Himalayas is Pokhara and it is from here that we begin our journey through Nepal. At one time this high valley contained seven fresh water lakes named Pokhari and they gave this holiday paradise its present day name. In the past, Pokhara was an important trading link between India and Tibet but the trading of salt and wool came to an end after Tibet closed its doors to the outside world. Its population is extremely tolerant and both the Buddhist and Hindu faiths coexist side by side. A safari by elephant is a real adventure as the mahuts skilfully lead the ambling giants through the bush. Travelling through the jungle on the back of an elephant offers good protection from rhinoceroses and other predators. Kathmandu is a melting pot of both race and religion, a metropolis in the heart of the Kingdom of Nepal. In the centre of the city is the ancient palace of Hanuman Dhoka. More than seven hundred thousand people live in the metropolis of Earth's most ancient kingdom. It was only a few decades ago that ancient Nepal opened up its borders. Until then, due to the command of the ruling Gurkha Dynasty, the 'Home of the Divine' was totally isolated. Patan is Nepal's second largest city and has retained much of its original character due to its three hundred monasteries and temples. It is also one of the oldest settlements in Kathmandu Valley and during the 15th century was the capital of one of three kingdoms. Two huge lions guard the entrance of the former royal palace that originated from a monastery complex. Bhaktapur is the third ancient regal city of the thirty kilometre long Kathmandu Valley that has always been a prosperous trading route between China, Tibet and India. Our journey through this fairytale land ends at the foot of the mighty Himalayas amidst a wonderful world in which the gods are still very much alive!
Vista Point NEPAL
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m20s
Views: 29  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-189 - MANDALAY Mandalay, 'The City Of Art', is located within the centre of Myanmar, that was formerly known as Burma. It was founded in 1857 and up until the British conquered it in 1885 it was the capital of the kingdom of Burma. Two thousand four hundred years after the death of Buddha , King Mindon ordered the one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants of Amarapura to relocate here. The well preserved Shwe Inbin Monastery is one of the last examples of the traditional monasteries whose splendour once made Mandalay famous. The complex has all the architectural elements of a typical Burmese monastery but it is its beautiful wood carvings that are the most striking. To the north of the city is the two hundred and thirty six metre high Mandalay Mountain that dominates the plains below. The tree covered mountain is dominated by the towers of many temples and as Buddha once lived on this mountain it is considered to be extremely sacred and thus contains several pagodas and shrines. Amarapura, the 'Immortal City', is situated in the south. It was the first of the country's royal cities and today it is a small town in which its inhabitants earn their living from weaving. On the western hills are some of the most elegant and splendid monastery complexes such as the Umin Thonzeh Pagoda where forty five Buddha figures stand in a semi-circle, dignified and benign. Once known as the Centre Of The World and today the religious and financial centre of the region, Mandalay lies at the heart of Burmese culture.
Vista Point MANDALAY Myanmar
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 17  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-145 - KYKLÁDES Otherwise known as The Pearls Of Greece, the Cyclades Islands are located in the heart of the South Aegean that flows around its former centre, the holy island of Delos. Of more than two hundred and twenty islands, only twenty-five are populated. Situated in the centre of the Cyclades group of islands, Mykonos is a former pirate village and for some years has been a meeting place for artists, V.I.P.'s and the international glitterati. Five old windmills dominate the picturesque bay of Mykonos. In earlier times the town's millers supplied flour to soldiers, merchants and even pirates. A special attraction is the district of Little Venice, the style of its buildings serving as a reminder of when the Venetians took possession of the island. Delos is known as the Pompeii of the Aegean and its deserted temples, public buildings, houses and streets still conjure up the atmosphere of this once-flourishing cultural and trading town. On Naxos, the largest of the Greek islands, the Greek gods have created a masterpiece of nature with bubbling springs and gently-flowing streams, colourful fields and fertile valleys and an abundance of water, fruit and vegetables. Santorini is the most southerly of the Cyclades islands and the location of the mythical lost island of Atlantis. It's also a breathtaking island paradise of rock, lava, sea and light. The unique proportions of Santorini are due to a natural disaster that had a devastating effect when over 3,500 years ago a volcanic eruption sank most of the island beneath the sea. Was it not the Greek god, Poseidon, who threw a handful of rocks onto the seabed that took root and created the Cyclades? It is no wonder that these dreamy islands are a place of myth and legend!
Vista Point KYKLÁDES...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 199 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m30s
Views: 23  | Comments: 0
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