Saturday

Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Singapore You Must Visit(2)

6. Singapore Flyer


Tourist Attractions in Singapore


This is the world's largest Ferris current, high reached 165 meters. Offers you a breathtaking 360 ° panoramic view of Singapore and the region (opening early 2008). Located in Marina Bay, this vehicle is next to the Retail Terminal has three levels, with a wide selection of shops and food outlets. There is a central atrium that leads to a lush tropical forest, and an outdoor theater that will be a stage show. The Flyer affords great views of the Marina Bay Street Circuit of the Singapore Grand Prix as it is located beside the straight between turns 21 and 22, and near the pit area.

7. Singapore Science Centre


Tourist Attractions in Singapore


For young scientists and future science and technology experts, the Singapore Science Centre has been recognized that this world will surely stimulate your brain with over 850 interactive rides that describe the wonders and beauty of science. Hours: Science Centre (10.00 am to 18:00 pm); Omni-Theatre (10:00 am to 20:00 pm). Closed on Monday except holidays and school holidays.

8. National Museum of Singapore


Tourist Attractions in Singapore


National Museum of Singapore is Singapore's oldest museum with the spirit of innovation of the youngest and most innovative. Designed to be a public museum, the National Museum of Singapore prides itself with a sophisticated and diverse museum introduces ways of presenting history to redefine conventional museum experience. More than just a room for exhibitions and artefacts, the Museum will also distinguish itself through a challenging and vibrant festivals and events that will enhance creative power in the culture and heritage. National Museum was designed in Neo-Palladian and Renaissance style and consists of two rectangular parallel blocks, with a dome at the front of the building.

9. Little India Singapore


Tourist Attractions in Singapore


Little India is an ethnic neighbourhood found in Singapore that has Tamil cultural elements and aspects of other cultures. Little India lies to east of the Singapore River—across from Chinatown, located west of the river and north of Kampong Glam. Little India is more commonly known as Tekka in the local Tamil community. This is a great place. You can find lots of new things here. Start of stalls selling fresh fruit and sweets to India with unique stalls selling clothes and shoes with prices so cheap, you'll be dizzy with the choices available.

10. Marina Bay Sands 


Tourist Attractions in Singapore


Marina Bay Sands is one of the two Integrated Resort in Singapore's new in the open in 2010. After the Resort World Sentosa first operation in early April 2010. Marina Bay Sands is located in the Marina Bay area, joined with Singapore icons that had already stood up like a statue of the Merlion, Esplanade and Singapore Flyer. Marina Bay Sands has very complete facilities. Guaranteed you can find all you need to be available in this place without having to get out of this region such as casino, sand sky park, hotel, restaurant, cafe there is also a Food Kiosk that provides local flavor from the chicken rice, curry Indian team and sum up western-style roast chicken and sandwiches. In addition, the Marina Bay resort is a paradise for the shopaholic. Equipped with a luxury shopping centers are also a variety of world-class retailers and restaurants make this place is the biggest luxury shopping mall in Singapore.

Monday

Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Singapore You Must Visit(1)


Singapore could be an alternative for your vacation due to many fun tourist attractions in this country. Singapore has been recorded among foreign tourists as an attractive tourist destination. Singapore has a well-developed tourism industry, as a cosmopolitan city that highlight racial and cultural harmony. Cultural differences reflect a rich colonial history and the ethnic Malays, Chinese, Arab and India. For years considered a business center in Southeast Asia, Singapore has a thriving shopping area located in the district of Orchard Road. Filled with several shopping centers, this area also has many hotels, and is considered by many as the tourism center of Singapore.

Here are the top tourist attractions in Singapore you must visit :

1. Universal Studios Singapore
Tourist Attractions in Singapore


Universal Studio singapore become the top tourist attractions of Singapore. Universal Studios Singapore is located in the Resort World Sentosa, which includes the Integrated Resort has just opened officially in April of 2010. Each set foot in the various zones, you will experience a different feel. Universal Studios Singapore is divided into 7 zones, Madagascar, the Palace of Far Far Away from the world of Shrek was the first in the world, The Lost World where you can find a world of dinosaurs and Waterworld, Ancient Egypt - a world full of ancient Egyptian mummies, Sci-fi - a futuristic city and the last two zones of the theme of a famous city in America that is Hollywood and New York.  Universal Studios Singapore has over 30 restaurants and food carts, together with 20 unique retail stores and carts located around the park.

2. Singapore Zoo
Tourist Attractions in Singapore



Singapore Zoo is one of the major tourist attractions in Singapore. Supplemented by thousands of rare animals make kids would love to see the uniqueness of each animal that they had never seen their lifetime. At the time the sun began to set, you can enjoy a different atmosphere at the Night Safari. Singapore Zoo also provides a vehicle for children's play Rainforest Kidzworld. Wave of lively children waiting in the water play area, with themes such as wildlife parks wet dream! For the game more exciting, young and old can ride to the animal-themed carousel. This zoo has a different concept from other zoos. With open cages, all animals can live like in their natural habitat. You will see lions under a grove of trees, polar bears and Pygmy Hippos. Other attractions that are not less interesting is the Australian Outback, Fragile Forest and the Great Rift Valley. As a place of public entertainment, this zoo is also a vehicle for educating the visitors about the ecosystem and culture of tropical rain forests.

3. Singapore Botanical Gardens


Tourist Attractions in Singapore

This garden is located in the middle of town. This small forest is right next to Gleneagles hospital. Singapore Botanic Gardens has a fairly complete collection of plants. Plants is almost gone or going extinct direservasi here. For admission to the Singapore Botanic Garden is free of charge. This garden has an area of ​​approximately 64 acres, in this top tourist attractions you can enjoy the scenery and lush green trees. There is also a swan lake (Swan Lake), located not far from the entrance. The scenery was hard to find in the city of Singapore. The National Orchid Garden is the main attraction within the Botanic Gardens. Located on the mid-western side of the Garden, the hilly three-hectare site has a collection of more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids.

4. Boat Quay and Clarke Quay


Tourist Attractions in Singapore

Boat Quay and Clarke Quay are filled with restaurants, pubs and clubs, so the atmosphere here was crowded and mixed up, loud music to light jazz mixed into one. This place was visited by the builders clubbing, young executives who just got home from work, couples who want to enjoy a romantic dinner, and also many foreign tourists.

5. Singapore Flight Experience


Tourist Attractions in Singapore

Taste it ride or drive a Boeing 737-800NG aircraft the world's most popular and most successful aircraft - you can feel the flight with an experienced instructor who will help you through all aspects of aviation. With more than 20,000 airports around the world in a data bank and a full 180 degrees of visual and most advanced cockpit and the sound quality is very similar to the original sound truly unforgettable experience.


Friday

10 Top Tourist Attractions in India(2)

5-Harmandir Sahib 


Harmandir Sahib

The Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple is the main tourist attraction in Amritsar, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. Construction of the temple was begun by Guru Ram Dast in the 16th century. In the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh the upper floors of the temple were covered with gold. It’s a stunning temple, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television.


4-Jaisalmer 
Jaisalmer

Located in Rajasthan’s remote westernmost corner close to the border with Pakistan, Jaisalmer is the quintessential desert town. The yellow sandstone walls of the “Golden City” rise from the Thar desert like a scene from the Arabian Nights while the Jaisalmer Fort crowns the city. Uncontrolled commercialism has dampened the romantic vision of Jaisalmer, but even with all the touts and tour buses, it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in India.


3-Ajanta Caves 
Ajanta Caves

The Ajanta Caves are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the 2th century BC. The magnificent Ajanta caves were abandoned around 650 AD and forgotten until 1819, when a British hunting party stumbled upon them. Their isolation contributed to the fine state of preservation in which some of their paintings remain to this day. The well preserved murals depict everything from battlefields to sailing ships, city streets and teeming animal-filled forests to snow-capped mountains. The city of Aurangabad is the gateway to the Ajanta Caves as well as the equally spectacular Ellora Caves.


2 -Varanasi 
Varanasi 
Situated on the banks of the River Ganges, Varanasi is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In many ways Varanasi epitomizes the very best and worst aspects of India, and it can be a little overwhelming. The scene of pilgrims doing their devotions in the River Ganges at sunrise set against the backdrop of the centuries old temples is probably one of the most impressive sights in the world.


#1 of Tourist Attractions In India

The Taj Mahal in Agra is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built between 1632 and 1653 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Called “a teardrop on the cheek of eternity” it is one of the masterpieces of Mughal architecture, and one of the great tourist attractions in India. Besides the white domed marble mausoleum the Taj Mahal includes several other beautiful buildings, reflecting pools, and extensive ornamental gardens with flowering trees and bushes.





Wednesday

10 Top Tourist Attractions in India(1)

India is the world’s seventh-largest country stretching from the high mountains of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sands of the Thar desert. Its more than one billion inhabitants are divided into two thousand ethnic groups and speak over 200 different languages.
Conform its size and population, India has an almost endless variety of cultures, landscapes, monuments and places to explore. From the ancient ruins, fascinating religious structures, exotic cities and diverse landscape there is an endless collection of tourist attractions in India that will never cease to awe and fascinate the visitor.

10-Kerala backwaters 


The Kerala backwaters are a chain of lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast in the Kerala state. The Kerala backwaters are home to many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds and animals such as otters and turtles. Today, houseboat tourism is the most popular tourist activity in the backwaters, with several large Kettuvallams (traditional rice boats, now converted into floating hotels)ply the waterways.
 

9-Lake Palace



The Lake Palace in Lake Pichola in the city of Udaipur was built as a royal summer palace in the 18th century. Today it is a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the “Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces”. The Lake Palace hotel operates a boat which transports guests to the hotel from a jetty at the City Palace on the east bank of Lake Pichola. The palace became famous in 1983 when it was featured in the James Bond film Octopussy, as the home of titular character.


8Virupaksha Temple

The Virupaksha Temple in the city of Hampi started out as a small shrine and grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers. It is believed that this temple has been functioning uninterruptedly ever since the small shrine was built in the 7th century AD which makes it one of the oldest functioning Hindu temples in India.


7-Palolem


Palolem is the most southerly of Goa’s developed beaches and also one of the most beautiful. It is a natural bay surrounded by lofty headlands on either sides, resulting in a calm, idyllic sea with a gently sloping bed. For those who believe a beach cannot be paradise without a decent selection of cheap restaurants and good hotels, a dose of nightlife and plenty of like-minded people Palolem is the place to be.


6-Kanha National Park


Kanha National Park is among the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia and one of best places to catch a glimpse of a tiger in India. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel “Jungle Book” and make this one of the top attractions in India.


Saturday

Taj Mahal , Agra , India

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal,Agra,India

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is probably the most famous building in the world. Its picture has covered many magazines and travel brochures, and everyone has probably seen a picture of it, but nothing really compares to the real thing - the Taj Mahal looks a lot better in reality than on a picture.

Taj Mahal Minaret

Minaret

Even those who come to see the Taj with high expectations never fail to be overwhelmed by its beauty.
The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan to enshrine the body of his wife, Arjumand Bann Begum (Mumtaz Mahal) after she died in 1630 at Burhanpur in South India. The construction started in 1632 and was completed in 1653. The workforce of some 20,000 included craftsmen from Italy, Persia and Turkey. It is built by the bank of the Yamuna river not very far from the Agra Fort.

The whole structure is more than 55 meters high built in white and yellow marble. The Taj Mahal is flanked by two smaller red stone buildings, one a mosque and the other a rest house. Outside the walls surrounding the tomb, you'll be harassed by many hawkers, but the Taj and the surrounding gardens are haggler free, so even with the huge crowds visiting the mausoleum, it is a relaxing place. Most people spend several hours around the Taj or in the gardens, which are well maintained. The garden has a geometrical structure, and is believed to symbolize paradise.

To enter the mausoleum, you need to put a cloth around your feet like for any temple in India. You can rent it for a small fee just before the stairs leading to the tomb. If you want to go barefoot, you will certainly burn your feet on a sunny day due to the marble heating up under the Indian sun. Inside the mausoleum it is surprisingly chilly. The interiors are rather dark, and on first sight there's not much to see, but if you take a closer look you will see all the fine marble carvings decorated with many precious and semiprecious stones of any color (sapphire, topaz, coral,...) . If you're accompanied by a guide, he will certainly show you that a lot of the interior decorations are made of transparent marble. In the middle of the room inside the Taj, a screen of carved marble surrounds the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, also built exclusively in marble, with (calligraphy and other) inlay work.





Taj Mahal - Closeup 
Main Gateway 

Thursday

know India


The Republic of India, located in the south of Asia and comprising most of the Indian subcontinent, is the second most populous country in the world and is the world's largest democracy with over one billion people and more than one hundred distinct languages.
The Indian economy is the fourth-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity.
The name India is derived from Sindhu, the local name for the river Indus.
The country is called Bharat (pronounced as bhaarat; after the wise and pious King Bharata of ancient times) among Indians.
India borders Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan on land, with Sri Lanka and the Maldives just across the Indian mainland in the Indian Ocean.

Bharat Ganarajya National motto: "Satyameva Jayate" (Sanskrit: Truth Alone Triumphs) Official language; Hindi (+17 other nat. lang.)
Capital;
New Delhi
Largest City; Mumbai (Bombay) President; APJ Abdul Kalam Prime Minister; Atal Behari Vajpayee Area; 3,287,590 km² Population; 1,049,700,118 Independence; - Date From the British Empire August 15, 1947 Currency; Indian Rupee (INR) Time zone; UTC +5.30 National anthem; Jana-Gana-Mana National song; Vande Mataram National game; Hockey? Cricket Internet TLD; .IN Phone Calling Code; 91
History
The Indus Valley civilisation (also called the Sindhu-Sarasvati Tradition) is one of the oldest cultural traditions in the world, that goes back to at least 3000 BC.
The rock art tradition of India has been traced to 40000 BC in the art in Bhimbetaka in Central India and other sites.
According to the Aryan invasion theory, Aryan tribes from the northwest of India invaded about 1500 BC, and their merger with the earlier inhabitants created the classical Vedic culture.
Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th were followed by incursions by European traders beginning in the late 15th century.
It is noteworthy that the above-mentioned Aryan Invasion Theory is now being widely challenged with the use of modern & scientific tools such as satellite imagery from NASA.
Events mentioned in the Vedic texts have been astronomically calculated to date back to the 5th millennium BC.
By subjugating the Mughal empire in the 19th century, the British Empire had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands.
Mostly non-violent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru led to independence in 1947.
The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan.
Pakistan occupied two non-contiguous areas, and a civil war between West and East Pakistan in 1971, in which India eventually intervened, resulted in the sedition of East Pakistan to form the separate nation of Bangladesh.
Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output.

Politics
India is a Union of states with an increasingly federal structure.
Officially it is declared as The Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic of India.
India has as head of state a president, whose duties are largely ceremonial.
The president and vice president are elected indirectly for 5-year terms by a special electoral college.
Their terms are staggered, and the vice president does not automatically become president following the death or removal from office of the president.
Executive power is centred in the Council of Ministers (cabinet), led by the prime minister.
The president appoints the prime minister, who is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority.
The president then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the prime minister.
India's bicameral parliament consists of the upper house called 'The Council of States' (Rajya Sabha) and the lower House called 'The House of the People' (Lok Sabha), both of which were established by the Constitution of India.
The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha.
The legislatures of the states and union territories elect 233 members to the Rajya Sabha, and the president appoints another 12.
The elected members of the Rajya Sabha serve 6-year terms, with one-third up for election every 2 years.
The Lok Sabha consists of 545 members; 543 are directly elected to 5-year terms.
The other two are appointed by the president.

States and territories
India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 union territories and the national capital territory of Delhi:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.

Geography
   
Located on the Indian subcontinent, India consists roughly of three major parts; in the north the massive Himalayas mountain range (with the highest point being the Kanchenjunga at 8,598 m) and the Indo-Gangetic plain (with deserts in the western end), and in the south the extensive Deccan plateau.
The latter is part of a large peninsula in between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west, with both being part of the greater Indian Ocean.
India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari and the Krishna.
A small part of the upper course of the name-giving Indus lies within Indian territory.
The Indian climate varies from tropical monsoons in the south to more temperate climate in the north.

Economy
India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services, including software.
In fact, India's software exports alone are around $10 billion(2003).
However, a quarter of the population is still too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet.
India's international payments position remained strong in 2001 with adequate foreign exchange reserves, and moderately depreciating nominal exchange rates.
As measured by GDP in US Dollars, India's 2002 output of $481 billion ranked it 12th in the world.
As measured by GDP on Purchasing Power Parity basis, India's 2002 figure of $2.66 trillion makes it the fourth largest in the world.
Growth in manufacturing output has slowed, and electricity shortages continue in many regions.
India has large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language; India is a major exporter of software services and software workers.

Demographics
India is the second-most populous country in the world, with only China having a larger population.
Language, religion, and caste are major determinants of social and political organisation within the highly diverse Indian population today.
Hindi, in the Devanagari script, is the only official federal language and individual states and territories have adopted 17 other co-official languages.
These are the Dravidian languages of Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu, and the Indo-Aryan languages of Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Nepali, Konkani and the classical language of Sanskrit.
Many other languages belonging to both groups are spoken as well.
English, though only an associate or 'link' language, is still widely in use in law and government, particularly in the higher echelons.
Although 83% of the people are Hindus, India is home to the world's second largest Muslim population.
Other smaller religious minorities include Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, jews and Parsis.
The caste system once reflected Indian occupational and religiously defined hierarchies.
Traditionally, there were four broad categories of castes (varnas), though they consisted of thousands of castes and subcastes, whose relative status varied from region to region.
The caste system was an important social factor for most Indians till the early 1900's.
The embracement of the lower castes into the mainstream community was brought about by Mahatma Gandhi who called them "Harijans" (people of God).
Presently, India has tough laws against discrimination on the basis of caste.
There is a policy for the socio-economic upliftment of the erstwhile lower castes, by the provision of free education till graduation, reservation of admission seats in institutions for higher education, a 50% quota in government jobs and faster promotions.
However, caste remains a significant factor in the political life of the country as well as in some social customs such as marriage.

Culture
Indian culture is an expression of the numerous and successive waves of influences in the subcontinent with the Northern part of India being subjected to this more than the South.
What follows constitutes just a small sample of a vast tradition.
In music, two important forms are the Carnatic and the Hindustani, the former from South India, a much purer form and the latter from North India deriving a lot from Muslim influences.
In literature, oral and written forms prevail.
Apart from the Vedas which are a sacred form of knowledge, there are other works such as the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha, treatises such as Vaastu Shastra in Architecture and Town planning and Artha Shastra in political science.
Urdu poetry is an example of a linguistic synthesis.
The literature of the Sangam period in Tamil is renowned.
Many dance forms exist in India - Bharata Natyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali, etc., mostly they have a narrative form, telling stories.
Other forms such as street theatre and puppetry are also found.
Festivals can also be included as part of Indian culture because they are a way of life in India.
There are many of them -Diwali, Vijayadasami, Pongal, etc., they are not only religion-based but also include those glorifying important stages in a person's life, seasonal cycles, etc.
Indian science was advanced in ancient times - Aryabhatta and Bhaskara were important scientists who studied planetary motion.
The Arabic numerals are actually an Indian contribution.
Traditional dresses in India include the Sari (Saree), Salwar Kameez, Dhoti and Kurta.
In cuisine, rice and wheat form the staple diet.
Some popular dishes include Thali- a full fledged meal, Dosa, Idli and Chapati.
Movies are an integral part of everyday life in India, most notably the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for their commercial bases, and Bengali and Malayalam for its artistic leanings.
Though each region has a specific culture, in recent times there is a growing tendency to merge boundaries and imbibe aspects from other regions.
Also, with increasing globalization, and due to the liberalisation of the Indian economy in the early 90's, there has been influence of Western culture.
So there is Indi-pop in music , Hinglish or Tanglish- English flavoured with terms from local language used most prominently in fields such as advertising, pizzas with indigenous spices, experimental dance and theatre forms, and so on.
The invasion of cable TV has spawned an entirely new popular culture.
Apart from these historical and context specific forms, what an Indian sees as important in Indian culture are abstract qualities such as hospitality, family values, acceptance and toleration of differences, resilience and co-existence.

Sports
As far as sports are concerned, though not India's national sport, cricket is a very popular game today and India's size has made it the game's financial powerhouse.
Some other popular sports - hockey, tennis, chess. (Chess is supposed to have originated in India).
Some traditional indigenous games -kabaddi, gilli-danda.

Wednesday

Top 10 attractions (places to Visit ) in Sicily

Sicily, or Sicilia in Italian, is the largest Island in the Mediterranean Sea. It's mainly known as the cradle of the Italian mafia, but just thinking of Sicily as 'mafia-island' would almost be considered a cultural cruelty. Sicily boasts five of the biggest archeological Unesco sites, has several excellent, Blue Flag-rated beaches and has 11 Michelin-starred restaurants, just to cite a few numerical details.
What makes the island different from the rest of Italy is its multicultural society, having been ruled by Asians, Africans and Europeans. As a result, Sicily is home of a stunning selection of architectural splendors, dating from ancient Greek and Roman times to impressive Baroque cathedrals and monasteries. Historic sights, such as the Val di Noto and Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica, attract visitors from throughout the world.
During a visit to the island, you will be surprised by the many facets of Sicily's enchanting landscapes, often wild and untouched, but always charming in their simplicity. A special mention goes out to Sicilian beaches due to its coasts which surpasses 620 miles (1,000 km) -- or even 931 miles (1,500 km), if the smaller islands are included!
This 'top 10 places to visit in Sicily' (also make sure to check out this Top attractiona for Tuscany) starts in the Sicilian capital Palermo, and will take you across the island to Lampedusa, which is the southernmost part of Italy. 

1. Palermo -- The historical markets (Vucciria, Ballarò, il Capo, Borgo Vecchio)


If you want to have a taste of the authentic Sicilian life, take a trip to one of Palermo's markets! Locals and tourists alike come to peruse and shop for fresh vegetables, fish and fruit, possibly tasting the food specialties as breads and cheeses, but definitely taking part in the ritual of strolling around the narrow medieval streets and buying something "slow food km 0". Vucciria, Ballarò, il Capo, Borgo Vecchio are the main street markets of Palermo and each one has its unique characteristics.

2. Aeolian Islands


The Aeolian Islands are a volcanic archipelago with not only rugged coasts, caves and cliffs, but also splendid views, thermal resorts, water sports, good fishing and, of course, sandy beaches. It consists of seven main islands (Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stomboli, Alicudi and Filicudi) and the are frequent ferries from and to the islands many during the summer. The largest island is Lipari, which is also the most crowded during the hot Sicilian summers. 

3. Tindari 


Tindari is a small town in the province of Messina, a place of pilgrimage but also the site of an ancient Greek town. Well-known for the poem written by Quasimodo, Tindari hosts the famous Sanctuary of the Black Madonna and a large archaeological site. Founded by Dyonisus in 396 BC, the beauty of Tyndaris is still present in its ruins: the original Greek walls, but most of the remains are on the north-western sea-facing side, and Roman typical habitations and baths with wonderful floor mosaics. 

4. Etna


Located on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania, Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe, visible also from the moon. It recorded very large lava flow and, from ancient times, it is considered a sacred mountain. It is possible to organize interesting trips to and around the mountain Etna which offers stunning panoramas which embrace the complete landscape of eastern Sicily. 

5. Siracusa


Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian language) is one of the main historic cities of Sicily. Located in the southeast corner of the island, it was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greek. It is worth visiting for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres and architecture, but also because it was the birthplace of the mathematician and engineer Archimedes. The ancient Siracusa is also listed by Unesco. It includes Ortigia, the ruins of the Temple of Athena, a greek theatre and a roman amphitheatre.

6. Val di Noto


The cities of south-eastern Sicily, which are also often referred to as the late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto (or Noto Valley), are Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli. Listed by Unesco in 2002, they were rebuilt in 1693 after a terrible earthquake. The best period to visit the Val di Noto is in spring, especially during Easter with many religious and emotional processions.

7. Piazza Armerina e Villa Romana del Casale


Piazza Armerina is a Sicilian commune, precisely one of the so-called "Lombardic" towns, due to its dialect which notably differs from the main Sicilian dialect. Strolling around Piazza Armenia offers the chance to admire some of its houses, which show Norman or Gothic architecture. An additional point worth visiting is Villa Romana del Casale, characterized by impressive mosaics. Villa Romana is a Roman estate located about 3 km to the southwest of the city centre and has been declared a World Heritage Site.

8. Agrigento -- Valle Templi and Scala dei Turchi


If you visit Agrigento, an ancient and still fascinating Greek colony of Magna Graecia, you can not miss both the Valle dei Templi and Scala dei Turchi. Included in the UNESCO Heritage Site, Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples in English) is not only one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, but also one of the main national monuments of Italy. Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, very famous because of its unusual white colour. Scala dei Turchi beaches are also some of the best in Sicily yet are not crowded.

9. San Vito Lo Capo (Zingaro Nature Reserve)


The tourist location of San Vito Lo Capo is among the most popular destinations in Sicily, very busy during the summer months. It is part of the Zingaro Nature reserve and its long coastline boasts five Blue Flags, thanks to the beauty of the sea and the many services offered along the beaches. It is located at the foot of Mount Monaco, between San Vito and Solanto, easily reachable from Trapani and Palermo. In September, San Vito Lo Capo is home of the "Cous Cous Fest", a tribute to the Mediterranean food & wine tradition.

10. Lampedusa (Pelagian Islands)


Lampedusa, the largest of the Pelagian Islands, is the southernmost part of Italy. Lampedusa, Linosa and Lampione are the three main islands of the archipelago, also called in Italian "Isole d'alto mare" . Lampedusa is located about 200 km from the coast of Sicily, between the island of Malta and Tunisia. It has rugged coastlines, sandy beaches and coves protected by cliffs and long ridges

 Hope you you enjoyed reading my post & found it useful 

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