Somewhere halfway between the capital city Zagreb and Zadar on the coast, and in the mountainous region of Licko-Seniska county, lies Croatia’s largest national park and the oldest national park in Southeast Europe. This lush valley of 16 turquoise interconnected lakes, laced together by a series of waterfalls, separated by natural dams of travertine, set in a deep woodland and miles of pleasant wooden-plank walks that follow the rumbling water is what makes this lake outrageously phenomenal. A place truly incredible and worth a million words… one of nature’s finest – The Plitvice Lakes.

Discovered In 1949, Plitvice composed of 19.5 hectares of woods, lakes and waterfalls became the first national park of the Republic of Croatia. In 2000, the national park was expanded by a further 102 km². The Plitvice lakes are enclosed by the Mala Kapela mountain in the west while the eastern side are enclosed by the Plješevica mountain, which also represents the border to Bosnia and Hercegovina. The two largest lakes of the park Prošćansko jezero and Kozjak cover about 80 percent of the overall water body area. These lakes by the way, are also the deepest with a depth of 37 and 47 meters respectively. The 16 lakes that can be seen from the surface are clustered into the 12 Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) and the four Lower Lakes (Donja jezera). Further, the lakes are renowned for their distinctive color ranging from azure to green, gray or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

30 years later, Plitvice Lakes National Park was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in recognition of its “outstanding natural beauty” thus declared it with all rights as the World’s natural inheritance. What sets Plitvice lakes apart from the other known lakes is the fact that they do not represent separated, stationary waters. “The lakes altogether have always been seen as one composed system of lakes.” And as a World Heritage Site, Plitvice maintains a pristine environment that is nearly primeval in its beauty. This is the reason why swimming in the lakes is strictly prohibited.

So when in Plitvice, you have three options for exploring the site – you can either walk through the park and look for wildlife as you hike, or take an electric boat to take you from one side of the lake to the other or ride on a shuttle bus (panoramic train) to take you to a particular route to the park. Whichever way you want it, they all offer different views and a different experience while in Plitvice. Best of all, Plitvice Lakes National Park is open all-year round.

Are you up for another great adventure of your life? Do you want to travel in one of the most famous tourist attractions apart from getting wet and wild? Let me tell you this. If Asia has the Great Wall of China, then your destination in Northern England is the Hadrian’s Wall.

What is Hadrian’s Wall? Tracing back the history, the wall is made up stone and turf fortification built by Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 122. The aim of construction is to protect Great Britain from ancient inhabitants of Scotland.

According to my research, the construction began in the east before proceeding to the west. The materials used that time are a type of igneous rock (referred to as the Whin Sill), limestone, turf, timber and clay. A number of full-sized forts are added to the length of the wall particularly in the areas of Housesteads and of Birdoswald. The extension holds at least 500-1,000 troops.

After the death of Emperor Hadrian, the great wall in Great Britain was abandoned. Thank God and portions of its remains still exist these days. In fact, the wall becomes a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.  

These days, several people choose to go here to experience the grandest experience of a lifetime. The nicest thing about Hadrian Wall is the fact that you can tour its 73.5 statute miles by simply riding your own bicycle. 

Planning your visit to Hadrian wall is easy. You can even book your accommodation and itinerary online. You know, getting around the entire wall is possible in various ways. One is through public transport such as bus and train. The other option is car or motorbike. If you want, you can choose to tour around using a bicycle. Cycling seems a great way of visiting numerous attractions within the area. If you do this, you can stop in every post and snap pictures in various angles. The main attractions to see in Hadrian wall include fourteen Roman sites, forts, museums, countless milecastles and turrets. 

For more questions and inquiries, you can also call for tourist information centers.  

Cortona is a small town situated in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany. Touring around this town can be more enjoyable if you choose to walk but if you are visiting churches and castles in hills, it is advisable to tour by car especially if you are traveling with little kids.

A pious person can surely enjoy his stay at Cortona due to the various churches surrounding the town. The most beautiful and most popular being the Santa Maria delle Grazie as this is included in the UNESCO World Heritage. Going inside this church, you’ll surely be amazed by its Gothic-inspired Nave. 

What more if you have seen the da Vinci’s famous work of art, The Last Supper. The church is also known for its brilliant semicircular angles known as the apse. The gothic-romanic apse was believed to be made by Donato Bramante.

Other churches you must explore in Cortona are II Duomo that offer free admission, Church of San Niccolo, of Santa Margherita, of San Domenico and of San Benedetto. 

After visiting churches, you need to proceed to museums. The city of Cortona houses two great museums, the Diocesan Museum (in Piazza del Duomo) and the Museum of Etruscan Academy. The former is tagged as the most important in Tuscany and the place you should be when you want to dig the masterpieces during the 14th and 15th century. The latter is of architectural significance due to its historic beginnings in 13th century. Just located on Piazza Signorelli, the Entrusan Academy is a seasonal museum worth your visit in April-October and November-March. 

Shopping is also fun in Cortona. If you know what you are looking for, you can find several large chain stores with rare and affordable goods. Here, gold and jewelry are sold in fair price. As you continue to tour the town, various clothing shops will meet your way. After shopping, you need to taste the city’s best sweet delights in Pasticceria Banchelli or drink a sip in Wine Bar La Casa Gialla. 

Another best thing in Cortona is its hotels and apartment. They are all over the small town and there’s no way why you can’t choose the one that fits your budget and lifestyle. The Hotel Italia and Alberto Ristorante Portole are only two of the fourteen of the most affordable rent-a-house and apartments in the city. There are twelve mid-range hotels and only one in the splurge department. The Casa Portagioia offers excellent services and accommodations at 170 Euros in peak seasons. 

Touring Mexico City is fun! Food is no problem due to various restaurants and cafes all around the corner. The Café Popular permits you to have a full meal priced at twenty five pesos only. At La Casa del Pavo, this small but unique restaurant gives you delicious entrees with charcoal-roasted turkey drumsticks at affordable prices ranging from 20-40 pesos.

Apart from food, Mexico City is also the land of fantastic landmarks, parks and museums. The Plaza de la Constitucion, being one of the largest squares in the world is a centerpoint of historic buildings you want to go and if you are a pious Catholic, you should see the Basilica de Guadalupe. The Basilica is referred to as the holiest place in America and the home of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Other noticeable landmarks in Mexico City are Torre Mayor, Coyoacan, Ciudaddela Crafts Market, Latinoamericana Tower and the city’s main campus, Ciuded Universitaria.

There are three national parks in the city namely the Chapultepec Park and Zoo, Xochimilco and Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi. In Chapultepec, there are educational museums around niching in technology, history, arts and anthropology. The Xochimilco has big waterways and flower gardens to offer and since 1987, the park is included in the UNESCO world heritage. The Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi centers on bars and restaurants, especially to the supporters Mariachi Bands.

Did you know Mexico City is the nest of largest number of museums in the world? If sculptures, jewel and handicraft interest you, go to National Museum of Anthropology. Modern and colonial of Colombian architecture, the museum is called Plaza de las Tres Culturas. Rufino Tamayo’s paintings, explore his museum situated in Chapultepec Park and Zoo. Historic arts and sculptures of Mayan and Aztec— go to Anahuacali Museum.

Food, culture and fun; Mexico City offers you with something at affordable budget.

This summer if you aim for an island adventure in Europe, try Croatia. With over a thousand islands spread around the Adriatic Sea, you’ll enjoy island hopping as you marvel at the natural beauty and the richness in culture that Croatia has to offer to all its visitors.

Located between South-Central Europe and Middle Europe, Croatia is the closest Mediterranean destination to central Europe, so if one wishes to escape from the hassle and bustle of the urban life, it only takes a 2-hour ride by plane from London or 45 minutes from Munich to this paradise. One may also travel by car or take its national ferry line, Jadrolinija. Once you get there, you’ll be amazed of how Croatia is so blessed with nature’s bounty. Thus, a perfect lace to relax and keep in touch with nature. Over third of Croatia is forested. Its densely wooden mountains and rocky coastlines in the Adriatic Sea are significant and amongst the best preserved in the world. In fact, certain places in Croatia like the Plitvice Lake and Dubrovnik’s Old City are listed as one of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over 5,800 km of Croatia’s coast is surrounded with wonderful beaches and resorts; crystal clear waters that lap the fine white sandy shores draws millions of tourists each year. Renowned beaches in Croatia for example is the Brela Beaches which entered into Forbes “top 20 beaches of the world” list. Aside from the beaches of Croatia, it is famous for its numerous national parks as well. Lonjsko polje as one of Croatia’s beautiful parks is rich in flora and fauna where rare birds species like the white tailed and short toed eagle nestled.

If you want to go offshore and explore Croatia’s historical sites then Dubrovnik is a must-see . Dubrovnik hosts many arts, musical and theatre events each year: the Dubrovnik Summer Festival for example is a superb event which lasts for an entire month. It gathered various artists – local and foreign – to entertain the public with their unique concerts and plays.

There’s a wide-ranged of activities here in Croatia perfect for all ages. Whatever your purpose are for visiting this country: it might be for a summer vacation, a weekend getaway with your family, or a honeymoon for newlyweds, your visit will indeed be a memorable one. This is why Croatia was nominated as one of the nine countries in Europe for “European Tourist Destination Of Excellence”.