Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is the most awe-inspiring sight in the city of Jaipur. It is also known as ‘Palace of Winds‘ because of its windows that allow the wind to flow in keeping it cool. There are 953 stone-carved screens or windows in the palace.

In earlier times, the royal ladies were not allowed to give public appearances. The palace was constructed to let the ladies of the court view the daily activities in the streets and the areas in the vicinity, without being noticed by anyone. The palace is an extended part of a huge complex. The stone-carved screens, small casements and arched roofs are some of the features of this popular tourist spot. The monument also has delicately modeled hanging cornices. Just like the other monuments of Jaipur, the palace is also constructed in pink and red colored stone.

The palace stands at a height of 15 meters. The frontal of the Hawa Mahal appears as if it is just a frame and there is nothing behind it. The top three storeys comprise of just one room each. The base of the palace has two courtyards. The front of the palace is embellished with semi-octagonal bays, finials and domes, and intricately carved grills made of sandstone.

Some people say that the shape of this monument resembles the crown of Lord Krishna. The palace looks appealing just from the outside. The interior section is deprived of architectural ornamentation. The chambers are very simple and have pillars to reach the upper part of the monument. Interestingly, the entry to the palace is from the rear side and not from the front. The palace also has an archaeological museum.

• Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built the Hawa Mahal in 1799.
• Hawa Mahal is a five-storied building.
• Lal Chand Usta designed the monument.
• The monument has undergone extensive and expensive restoration in recent years.

Hawa Mahal is located in the heart of Jaipur, on a big road intersection known as Badi Chaupad. If you are coming from abroad, you can fly to Jaipur International Airport. Alternatively you can fly to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. From here either take a taxi, or reach Jaipur via domestic flight to Sanganer Airport, Jaipur. If you wish to visit Jaipur using rail transport, then from Jaipur railway station, you will have to either take a bus or taxi to reach the monument.

As summers are very hot in Jaipur, a trip to the Hawa Mahal must be made in spring, fall or the winter season.

The monument opens from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm everyday.

The entry fee for the Hawa Mahal is Rs. 10 per Indian and Rs. 50 per foreign tourist.

Near by Attractions  :  Tripolia Bazaar, Shesh Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, Swargsuli Tower, Monkey Temple, Sisodia Rani Palace and Garden, Jaipur Zoo, Raj Mandir Cinema and Royal Gaitor Tumbas.

Read More

Ashtarak

Ashtarak in Armenia is an important industrial region in the country. It is located by the River Kasagh and is the capital of the famous Aragatsotn Province. Ashtarak in the Armenian language means tower or fortress.

Armenia has beautiful lush green surroundings and a plethora of sightseeing options that you can visit while you are in the place. While you are touring the land, make sure you visit Ashtarak.

A legend says that three sisters who lived in Ashtarak fell in love with the same man, Prince Sargis. The two elder sisters committed suicide in favor of the youngest one. When the youngest sister saw her sisters dead, she also threw herself into the george. After this incident, Sargis became a hermit. Later, three churches came up at the edge of the gorge, named after the colors of the sisters’ dresses i.e. apricot-orange, red and white.

These are the Karmravor (reddish), a church that contains a tambour which belongs to the 7th century. This has been built in the honor of the Mother of God. The two other churches are Tsiranavor (apricot-colored) which dates back to the 5th century and Spitakavor (whitish) which dates back to the 14th century. St. Mariane is the biggest church in the town. It was built in the year 1281. This is centrally located and is cross-shaped. 

Another site that is definitely worth visiting is the bridge that has been constructed over the River Kasagh. This was built in the year 1664 and has a total of three arches which are unequal in size.

Besides these sightseeing options, you would also have the option of engaging in some shopping while you are on tours to Ashtarak. This is an industrial town and there are many products that are available in the town. You are sure to come across different varieties of products and shopping would surely be a pleasurable activity. You can also go to the restaurants and bars that are located in the town and taste their fare. The availability of exotic local food is sure to make you feel delighted.

• Ashtarak covers an area of 7.5 sq km (2.9 sq mi).
• This city is located at an elevation of 1,110 meters above sea level.
• The city was first mentioned in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 17th century.

The nearest airport to Ashtarak is Zvartnots International Airport (EVN / UDYZ). It is located at a distance of 31 km from the center of Ashtarak. You can hire a marshrutka (shared taxi or minibus) or a taxi to reach Ashtarak.

June and September are ideal months for visiting Ashtarak as there is no rain and the temperature is also mild.

Nearby Attractions: Hovhannavank Monastery, Surb Hovhannes Church of Byurakan, Tegher Monastery, Amberd, Vahramashen Church and Etchmiadzin Cathedral. 

Read More

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Tierra del Fuego National Park is located on the Argentine island of the same name, which is a part of Patagonia and the Andes. Tierra del Fuego, meaning land of fire, is a triangular island that is part of both Chile and Argentina. The National Park contains coastal forests where visitors can enjoy nature as well as hiking, climbing, fishing, kayaking and other outdoor activities. The natural beauty of this park is characterized by waterfalls, mountains and glaciers, and many species of wildlife.

The National Park houses two kinds of forests characterized by Lenga and Guindo trees. The peaks also have valleys with rivers and lakes of glacial origin.

For the facilities of the visitors, many trekking paths have been built inside the Park. They can be followed to make your tour easy. Here are some of the attractions at the Park:

Black Lagoon: It can be reached by covering only 400 m. area on Route 3. The peat makes its color dark.

Meet the beavers: Climbing around 400 m. up to Los Castores stream, you can see the dams system built by beavers that is adversely affecting the environment. They cut down the trees to make dams, which, rather provoke floods in some parts of the forest.

The Lookout Point: You can directly reach Lapataia Bay by walking on route 3 for panoramic views of the bay.

Animals and Birds: Canadian beaver, black eye-browed albatross, steam duck, chungungo otter, diving petrel, guanaco and red fox are some of the animals and birds that can be spotted in the National Park.

Walk the De la Isla path: If you love to stroll on the beach shores, then this 8,000-metre walk around the Cormoranes archipelago, right along the shores of Lapataia and Ovando would be a great idea.

You can camp beside Lago Roca and a few other free campsites with basic necessities in the Park. The visitors are allowed to make fires in the designated campsites. However, as this is a protected area, they must extinguish the fire carefully before leaving the campsite.

• Tierra del Fuego National Park was established on October 15, 1960.
• It covers an area of 630 square kilometers (243 square miles).
• It is the country’s only park that boasts an ocean shoreline.

Located on the southern tip of Argentina, Tierra del Fuego is the southernmost national park in the world. The park can also be accessed from Chile, from the park entrance that borders the country, though additional permits may be required. The park can be accessed by car (or even bicycle) or train. The End of the World Train (El Tren de la Fin del Mundo), which was once a freight line and a prison train, is the southernmost train in the world, and now transports visitors into the national park. Rio Grande Airport is the nearest airport. If you choose to travel by bus, then you need to pay Ar$100 per person, for the round trip.

The rainiest season at Tierra del Fuego is from March to May, and rain and fog are frequent in the temperate climate of the region. Summer temperatures tend to be warmer and may be a better bet, but the park is scenic in the foggy weather as well.

The Park opens throughout the week at 8:00 am.

Nearby Attractions: Chile, Ushuaia, Argentina, South Pole, Beagle Channel and Pipo River Cascade.

Read More

Cueva de las Manos

Cueva de las Manos, meaning “cave of the hands” in Spanish, is a series of famous paintings on the walls of caves. Located in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina, the cave paintings date back to between 9,000 and 13,000 years ago, and were created by the hunter-gatherer people who resided in Patagonia. These communities were some of the earliest in South America, making this site very important. The caves were inhabited by several waves of people, though the most recent of these were probably ancestors of the Tehuelche people around 700 CE.

Archaeologists have found that the cave dwellers used pipes carved from bones to spray paint the cave walls, using their hands as stencils to create hundreds of silhouettes of their hands in varying shades of red, purple, yellow, and brown. Most of the hands are left hands, suggesting that the artists were right handed, and painted their own hands.

There is also art featuring humans and animals in hunting scenes, with the indigenous guanacos and rheas, as well as abstract designs like shapes and zigzags. The hunters are depicted using bolas, their traditional hunting weapons.

The cave paintings date back to around 7370 BC.

The main cave is 24 meters (79 feet) deep and 10 meters (33 feet) high, but the interior slopes upwards, so the back part of the cave is only 2 meters (7 feet) high.

The entrance to the main cave is 15 meters (49 feet) wide.

The color pigments are made from iron oxides (red and purple), kaolin (white), natrojarosite (yellow) and manganese oxide (black).

Cuevos de las Manos is situated in the valley of the Pinturas River in Patagonia. The caves are part of the Santa Cruz province of Argentina, about 163 kilometers (101 miles) south of Perito Moreno. The region is characterized by canyons and cliffs, and the distant caves must be reached by road, either by car or by bus, and visitors must take a tour to view the caves.

The temperate climate makes this a destination for much of the year, though as an outside site, it should be avoided during the full sun, and the middle of winter. Spring and summer are the best times to visit the caves.

Nearby Attractions: Bajo Caracoles, Parque Nacional Perito Moreno, Tierra del Fuego, El Chalten

Read More

Los Glaciares National Park

Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina welcomes a large number of tourists from all over the world, offering multiple choices to visit it almost throughout the year. The park covers more than 600,000 hectares of landscaped area and is endowed with picturesque scenery. The park offers a serene atmosphere and beautiful landscape. The sights of the park will surely enthrall you.

The major highlight of the park is the Perito Moreno Glacier that is formed by huge moving ice blocks. You could see and admire the glacier on a lake excursion. Glaciar Perito Moreno ranks among the few stable glaciers in the worldwhich is growing and moves slowly. People usually like to visit the park at the Peninsula de Magallanes where they can view the slow movement of the Perito Moreno Glacier from boardwalks and platforms placed at a safe distance. You must also watch the floating icebergs in the area.

Los Glaciares National Park also has a number of lakes like Lake Viedma and Lake Argentino and the Fitz Roy Mountain, besides the beautiful glaciers. These lakes are fed by thawing glaciers. It is an ideal place for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. The park offers plenty of activities for tourists such as climbing, sport fishing, trekking and exploring the flora and fauna of the region. The place is also loved by bird watchers and you may even spot flamingos. The forested region has lenga and beech trees.

Diverse fauna at the park includes varieties of fishes, amphibians and reptiles, birds, mammals, invertebrates, introduced or exotic species and special value fauna species, such as the Heumul or South Andean Deer.

Other glaciers that you will see on a visit to the Los Glaciares National Park, enveloped by the Onelli and Bertrand mountains are Upsala, Spegazzini and Onelli. These glaciers rise 5,000-feet (1,500 m) above sea level.

• Los Glaciares National Park was established in 1937.
• The park was a declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1981.
• Los Glaciares National Park is the second largest park in Argentina.
• The park has 47 large glaciers and 200 small glaciers.

Los Glaciares National Park is located in the area known as Austral Andes in Argentina, in the south west of Santa Cruz on the border with Chile. You can reach the park by plane, bus or car. El Calafate International Airport in El Calafate is just a few kilometers away from the Park. Daily flights operate from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. Taxi and bus services are readily available from both Buenos Aires and El Calafate to reach the park.

The best time to visit the park is from November to March when the weather is pleasant.

Entry to the park is free of cost. You need to pay a certain amount for guided and boat tours.

Nearby Attractions: Tribus del Sur, Mount Fitz Roy, Tehuel Plaza, and Helsingfors Hosteria.

Read More