Tag - tourists

Extreme Tourism Destinations: North Korea

Extreme tourism is that the latest trend in vacationing. Several tourists are sick of ancient vacation destinations are seeking thrills that your typical vacation location merely cannot offer. Several of those places is also scary or maybe dangerous but for several travelers that’s a part of the allure. While there are varied places to expertise extreme tourism, this guide will go over one of the most remote and unknown, the East Asian nation of North Korea.

PyongyangNorth Korea is one among the foremost closed and forbidden countries on the world. One of the last remaining Communist dictatorships, North Korea could be a totalitarian police state with very little to no freedom of data or movement. Any guests to North Korea are subject to monitoring during the entirety of their visit and aren’t allowed to deviate from the official government tour in any manner below penalty of immediate deportation or maybe imprisonment. Even famed journalists aren’t immune from prosecution, Laura Ling, a journalist with Current TV was imprisoned by the North Korean government for two months in 2009 for illegal entry into North Korea and were only released after intervention by former president Bill Clinton.

The official government tour of North Korea encompasses variety of sites, mostly related to North Korean information. one of the foremost outstanding locations could be a huge sculpture of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, settled on Mansu Hill. Another stop on the tour is that the U.S.S. Pueblo, that is an American warship which was captured by the North Korean government and now used as an anti-American propaganda museum. This theme is repeated constantly throughout the tour and variety of different sites are dedicated to opposing South Korean, Japanese and American propaganda. The Ryugong Hotel is not on the government tour but it is visible from nearly anyplace in the capital town, Pyongyang. This building is probably the foremost picture within the country. The building dominates the skyline of the capital and resembles a vast pyramid. One other highlight of the govt tour could be a visit to the North/South Korean DMZ or Demilitarized Zone, which is the dividing barrier between North and South Korea.Songam Cave

North Korea isn’t a straightforward country to enter. People from certain countries, as well as Japan and South Korea are strictly illegal from coming into the country. There are not any international flights into North Korea aside from occasional flights from Russia and China.

In order for the average Western traveler to enter the country one should first visit Southern China and apply for a visa at the North Korean embassy and either take a ferry or flight into Pyongyang. When entering North Korea an excellent deal of things don’t seem to be allowed to be brought into the country, as well as powerful cameras, GPS devices, cell phones, any printed literature and plenty of, more things. Before traveling to North Korea be sure to consult the North Korean consulate website for a complete and updated list of banned items. Bringing contraband into North Korea may result in very severe consequences and may not be tried.


Image by D-Stanley Under Creative Common License.

 

Kedarnath – The place of holy destination

Kedarnath, a city in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, is called when one of the ancient rulers, King Kedar. . Famous due to ancient Kedarnath temple, it’s one of the noted Char Dham sites and conjointly one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in India. The temple is known to have been built by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century. In a recent tragic event in 2013, the town of Kedarnath was severely affected due to the sudden flash floods in the region. The temple together with the city is known to have suffered the worst damage ever.

Kedarnath Tourism

Kedarnath is considered as one of the most sought-after holy destinations. The Kedarnath Temple is devoted to Lord Shiva, and has a large number of pilgrims visiting the shrine every year.

There are also the majestic peaks of Kedarnath at 6,940 m and the Kedar Dome at 6,831 m, amongst other peaks of the Himalayan range.

Kedarnath has something to offer to all types of tourists from nature lovers, to adventure seekers, to pilgrims.

Some of the must-see places in the town of Kedarnath include: Kedarnath Temple, Udar Kund, Hans Kund, Bharo Nath, Navdurga Mandir, Shankaracharya Samadhi, Ishaneswar Mahadev Temple and Ret Kund.Kedarnath temple

Best Time to Visit

Kedarnath experiences very harsh winters, that last for 6 months from the month of Nov to Apr. Due to heavy snowfall, the temple is closed for 6 months, as living in Kedarnath becomes impossible, so the locals conjointly shift their base to near villages. The region experiences monsoons from July to August, and landslides are known to affect tourism, making it unfavorable as a vacation spot. Hence, the best time to go to Kedarnath is during summers, particularly between could May till October.

Being a famous traveller spot, the city is flooded with shops, particularly around the Temple. You’ll be able to buy images and portraits of the Kedarnath Temple, or Lord Shiva and Parvati. Other than religious things, you will find a lot more in those small shops, such as: Rudraksh accessories, Crystals, Saligrams, Herbs, Precious stone.

Eating out

Eating choices are often very limited in Kedarnath. Though there can’t be found any big restaurants, but the small eateries or dhabas serve decent vegetarian food. The restaurants in Kedarnath serve only vegetarian food, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the region.

Enjoy the fantastic Kedarnath – The place of holy destination!

Places to See in Nainital

Naina Lake

The meaning of ‘tal’ is lake and also the city of Nainital is called after this lake. The lake is pear formed and is encircled by green mountains. It is the key attraction of this hill station. The lake attracts lots of tourists who come back and luxuriate in boating, yachting, or paddling n the lake. As night descends the lake reflects the lights from houses and hotels surrounding the lake making it appear magical.Naina Lake

Naina Devi Temple

The Naina Devi temple is a necessary place of worship in Nainital. Placed atop the Naina hill, it attracts lots of devotees annually. It’s believed that Goddess Sati’s eyes fell at the exact same spot where this temple is constructed. The temple is reached by mounting to the highest of the Naina hill. Apart from the main idol of Maa Naina Devi, inside the temple there are two idols, one of Mata Kali Devi and the other of Lord Ganesh.

Naina peak or China peak

Placed at an altitude of 2611 m, it is the highest peak of Nainital. About 6 km from the town, a horse ride or trek can take you to the Peak. The Naina Peak gives magnificent panoramic view of the snow capped Himalayas and an excellent view of the Nainital city.

The Mall Road

The Mall road stretches from the north end to south end of the lake and is the famous and busiest road of the town. The road has many street shops, shopping centers, banks, hotels, restaurants etc. During peak season vehicles are not allowed to enter mall road so that commercial activities keep going on smoothly.

Dorothy’s Seat

Placed on Ayarpatta hill at 2292 m, Dorothy’s seat is dedicated in the memory of Dorothy Kellet. After her death in a plane crash, her husband built a memorial for her at this place. As her favorite spot, the hill spot was chosen and stonework was built here, hence the name ‘Dorothy’s Seat’. The local name for this spot is Tiffin Top as it used to be popular for picnics during the British Raj. From here the visitors can view the beautiful green neighboring countryside.

Snow View Point

Located at an altitude of 2270 m, one will reach here by foot or taking an option of the ropeway. From the top one will see the breathless views of snow capped mountains and may conjointly visit the small temple dedicated to Dev Mundi. Further ahead is the Gadhan Kunkyop Ling Monastery.

The Governor’s House

Governor's HouseBuilt for the Governor of North West Province, presently it is the residence of the Governor of Uttarakhand and additionally is a house to state guests. A prior permission is mandatory for the stay. It is a well maintained lovely property with swimming pool, golf links and a grand garden.

Enjoy the fantastic places to see in Nainital!


Image by Anirudh – Singh,sanjoyg Under Creative Common License.