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VPG-DVD-116 - SINGAPORE Singapore is a city of gardens and the heart of South East Asia. Its history began in 1819 with Stamford Raffles, a young official who worked for the British East India Company. Raffles estimated that the natural harbour was perfect for trading ships and so he bought the land from the Sultan of Johor and founded a trading settlement. As a free port, Singapore attracted trading ships from all over the world and today four million people live here on an area that covers 640 square kilometres. In June each year there is an exciting boat race in Marina Bay known as the Dragon Boat Race that features magnificently painted dragon boats with hand-carved heads and tails accompanied by the sound of frenetic drumbeats. Dating back to colonial times, British influence is omnipresent, whether the Cricket Club or the Parliament, traditional English spirit rules despite Singapore's Independence. The World Famous Raffles Hotel is situated in the Colonial District near to the Singapore River. In the hotel's Ashanti Bar it was customary to throw expired peanut shells directly onto the floor and at the same time to reverently sip a Singapore Sling, the national drink. The Singapore Zoo is one of the finest in the world in which the animals can roam freely, their territory being surrounded by a landscaped ditch. Approximately 2800 animals live in the spacious enclosures and even those from the world's coldest regions can be observed both below and above water, thanks to cleverly designed viewing areas. A complete mix of ethnic cultures, there's Chinatown, Little India and the Arab Street Quarter in which there are mosques, women wear burqas and there is all the hustle and bustle of a bazaar. Singapore is an exotic city of skyscrapers, a cultural melting pot and the exciting gateway to South East Asia!
Vista Point SINGAPORE
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m42s
Views: 18  | Comments: 0
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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: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m32s
Views: 23  | Comments: 0
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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: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 21  | 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: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m38s
Views: 20  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-172 - YUCATÁN It is in Uxmal where historic Mexico is at its most beautiful and that our journey through the millennia begins, along the Yucatan Peninsula, land of Maya culture. The Cuadrángulo De Los Monjas comprises four buildings with many entrances that lead into various small rooms, typical of Puuc architecture. The forty two metre high Fortune Teller Pyramid is situated in the centre of the complex and the main entrance to the Nuns' Quadrangle dates back to the 9th century and is flanked on both sides by columned halls. Since the 10th century the remains of the Pre-Columbian architecture of Chichen Itza have combined two cultures, the Maya and the Toltecs. The total number of steps that lead up to the temple, including those on each of its four sides, number an amazing three hundred and sixty five - one for each day of the year! The facades of its buildings are adorned with mosaics. Geometrical ornaments alternate with images of numerous deities and the heads of fantastic animals. Today, the Isla Del Cozumel, an island close to Yucatan, is the destination of luxurious cruise liners that lay anchor so that passengers can enjoy the local scenery. Whether feathered or scaled, the abundant variety of Yucatan's animal kingdom is a fascinating sight both above and below water. The turquoise coloured water of the bay makes it possible to view the seabed to a depth of thirty metres. Women in traditional costume prepare tortillas: what Cortez once referred to as a 'corn pancake' is today an international favourite. Daily routine is just as it was hundreds of years ago and each season of the year determines the daily work of the rural population. Ancient culture and snow white sandy beaches, this is the YUCATAN Peninsula!
Vista Point YUCATÁN Mexico
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m37s
Views: 19  | 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: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m27s
Views: 18  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-217 - WACHAU Our journey across Wachau begins in Stein, a town district of Krems, one of the oldest cultivated landscapes in Austria. The sole 'Gateway Into The Wachau' is a unique region of the Danube between Krems-Stein and Melk. A total of a hundred and thirteen houses encapsulate the medieval city that was built along the Steiner Road on the banks of the Danube. Today the town's facades and entrance-ways are decorated in traditional style and compliment the impressive Renaissance splendour of the buildings. A little further on and the river valley narrows and becomes even more beautiful. The blue-white church tower of Dürnstein proudly welcomes those who visit the town. It is a landmark of the Wachau. This small medieval town nestles picturesquely along the rock walls above the Danube and it lives and breathes the history that made it world famous. The beauty of the landscape is overwhelming. Colour dominates the soft hollows between the rocky slopes that flank the Danube Valley and the shining green of the summer months leads to a spectacle of colour that leads up to the wine harvest, a true spectacle of nature! Thirty-six kilometres of the Danube Valley with magnificent cities, castles and historic ruins, a Baroque monastery and an old vine-growing culture. The Wachau, a priceless gem situated alongside the far-stretching waters of the Danube.
Vista Point WACHAU Austria
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m20s
Views: 17  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-135 - TUNISIAN OASIS Gabes is the beginning of a journey through what is the fascinating oasis of Tunisia that contains all the mystique of the Orient: art, culture, history and endless desert horizons. The Ghorfas of Medenine boast a variety of souvenir shops and in the past the multi-floored mud buildings served as dwellings and storage areas for the semi-nomads of the region. A Ghorfa is a collection of buildings that form part of large complexes with hundreds of buildings grouped together around large courtyards. Surrounded by desert is the sleepy village of Douz that was once a thriving camel trading centre. Now it contains markets and is also the location of the famous Sahara Festival. The Torra Ruins in Mansurah are a further highlight of the journey across the Tunisian oasis. The sun beats down relentlessly on the boundless Sahara and individual palm trees appear as green guardians of the oasis. Tozeur, the 'Eden Of The Desert', is a safe haven for almost twenty villages. Its unique architecture is highly impressive and the walls of its houses consist of loam bricks that form geometrical patterns. Nefta's new town with its nearby souk quarter is situated in the east. On the western side is the older district with its sacred buildings and twisting alleys. For more than a thousand years the town has been the religious centre of a mystic Moslem sect known as the Sufis. As the shadows of evening begin to fall and the light of the setting sun illuminates the Tunisian oasis in a spectacular purple light this everything combines to make this a most memorable and atmospheric experience.
Vista Point TUNISIAN...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m38s
Views: 20  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-148 - VILLE DE QUÉBEC On behalf of the French crown, in 1608 Samuel De Champlain established a fur trading post from which originated Québec, a city that today looms over the Saint Laurence River like a majestic fortress. It is the birthplace of French culture in North America. With its small towers and green glimmering roofs the Chateau Frontenac majestically watches over the city. The castle like hotel was built and lavishly furnished in 1894 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and in 1943 was the rendezvous for the allies who met to prepare for the Normandy Landings. Québec's upper city is encircled by a four kilometre long fortified wall that was alternately built upon by the French and the English. In former times, various gates barred entry to the fortress but today they are wide open and welcome visitors into the well preserved old town. Designed by master builder Baillairgè in 1844, La Cathedrale Notre Dame De Québec was Canada's first Catholic cathedral. The Baroque dome of the basilica demonstrates the splendour of Catholic Church design while the altar captivates with its rich detail and paintings of the Holy Mother. The Funiculaire connects the upper city with the lower, the Quartier Petit Champlaine that was the country's first settlement. The train station looks like a mediaeval castle and its large hall seems to be the grand entrance chamber of a palace. The station's anterooms contain huge windows while its ceilings display colourful glass images. Canada's oldest city has successfully retained its deep and historic roots and has sensitively linked them to the needs of the modern world. Québec is truly a sparkling gem of French culture in North America.
Vista Point Town Of...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m22s
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VPG-DVD-209 - SIEM REAP Siem Reap is a relatively small town three hundred and fifteen kilometres north of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Here, growing tourism has created a boomtown because Siem Reap is close to Angkor, the ancient capital of a huge and mysterious jungle realm. The Temples Of Angkor are the remains of various religious buildings that were built by more then ten kings of the Khmer realm between the 7th and 16th centuries A.D. The gigantic roots of kapok trees cling to the moss-covered walls of the temple complex and everything is dominated by the encroachment of nature. The monastery was once home to five thousand including more than two thousand monks and over six hundred female dancers who played an important part in the sacred rituals and ceremonies of that time. The fishermen on the tributaries of the Tonle Sap live peacefully together in large families. They are not particularly interested in commerce or trade as their lives are dominated by Buddhism. In the Middle Ages Angkor was the largest city in the world. The majestic silence amid the temples and dense jungle vegetation seems to highlight Angkor's immortal splendour and its magnificent contribution to Asian history and culture.
Vista Point SIEM REAP...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m27s
Views: 15  | 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: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m31s
Views: 19  | 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: 114 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 12  | Comments: 0
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