Top best holiday places in the world

Mirny Diamond Mine-Siberia

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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second largest man-made hole in the world (surpassed only by the Bingham Copper Mine in Utah) is a diamond mine located on the outskirts of Mirny, a small town in eastern Siberia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excavation on the pit began in 1955, and today it is 1,722 feet (525 meters) deep, and 3,900 feet (1.25 kilometers) across. Stalin ordered construction of the mine to satisfy the Soviet Union's need for industrial-grade diamonds following the war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The harsh, frozen Siberian landscape made working on the mine a difficult proposition at best. Jet engines were turned on the unyielding permafrost in order to melt it; when that failed, explosives were used. During its peak years of operation, the Mirny mine produced over 10 million carats of diamonds annually, a good percentage of which were gem-quality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although open pit mining has ceased in the pit, mining work is continuing by underground methods. The massive 20-foot (6 meter) tall rock-hauling trucks that service the Mirny mine travel along a road that spirals down from the lip of the hole to its basin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though it has been said that the airspace above the mine is off-limits to helicopters, after "a few accidents when they were 'sucked in' by downward air flow" there is no evidence to substantiate the claim.</span></div>
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Mirny Diamond Mine-Siberia

The second largest man-made hole in the world (surpassed only by the Bingham Copper Mine in Utah) is a diamond mine located on the outskir...

The remains of the SS Ayrfield in Homebush Bay-Australia

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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Homebush Bay</b> is a bay on the south bank of the Parramatta River, in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The name is also used to refer to an area to the west and south of the bay itself, which was formerly an official suburb of Sydney, which has now become the suburbs of Sydney Olympic Park, Wentworth Point and part of the neighbouring suburb of Lidcombe. Homebush Bay is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Auburn.  Homebush and Homebush West are separate suburbs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">The bay has natural and artificial shoreline on the southern side of the Parramatta River between the former suburb of Homebush Bay and the suburb of Rhodes. The bay was contaminated with dioxin and other chemicals by Union Carbide group which led to commercial fishing bans in most of Sydney Harbour and health advisories about limiting the quantity of fish eaten from the Parramattta River. Fishing is prohibited in Homebush Bay for health reasons. Other contamination includes phthalates, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT and heavy metals.</span><span style="line-height: 11.666666030883789px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">The eastern shore of the bay was remediated starting in 2008 to remove about 75% of the dioxin from the bay. Remediation was completed in mid-2010.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"><b>History:-</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homebush was established in the 1800s by the colony's then assistant surgeon D'arcy Wentworth. According to local government historian Michael Jones, "Wentworth is popularly credited with having called the area after his 'home in the bush', although Homebush is also a place in Kent.<span style="line-height: 1;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"></sup></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the 20th century Homebush Bay became a centre of heavy industry, with large scale land reclamations to accommodate industrial facilities. When industrail operations scaled down, the bay became a dumping ground for a large range of unwanted material - from waste to broken up ships, even toxic industrial waste. Union Carbide had manufactured chemicals, including Agent Orange, on the site and dioxins produced as a by product were buried in landfill or left in drums.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A drive to regenerate and rehabilitate the bay began in the 1980s. This led to the construction of Bicentennial Park, including a program to regenerate some of the mangrove wetlands and saltmarshes which existed around the bay pre-development. In preparation for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, it was decided to site Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush Bay, which spurred the further regeneration and rehabilitation of the bay. A range of residential and commercial developments also began around the bay, including the development of a large shopping centre and residential district on the eastern shore.</span></div>
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The remains of the SS Ayrfield in Homebush Bay-Australia

Homebush Bay is a bay on the south bank of the Parramatta River, in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Austra...

Chatillon Car Graveyard in Belgium

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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Carme, Tahoma, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.60256004333496px;">In the forests near Chatillon, a small village in southern Belgium, lie between 100-150 dilapidated and decaying cars.</span></div>
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During World War II, a number of American troops were stationed in Chatillon. Urban legends claim that when the war ended, the troops being sent home didn’t have the money to ship their vehicles back with them, so they hid them in the Belgian forest.</div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-2" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19895" height="399" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-2.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">In a small forest near the village of Chatillon located in Southern Belgium, lies a graveyard of abandoned vintage rusty cars. All of these cars once belonged to US soldiers that were stationed in the region. Nobody knows how they managed to acquire these wonderful cars right in the middle of World War 2. When the war ended, all the troops were sent back home, the cost of having all of their cars shipped was too costly. In the end, they decided to leave all of the cars in Belgium, one by one each of the cars were driven and parked, hidden from the foliage of the forest. Not a single car was shipped back. </span></span><br />
<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">There were about four car graveyards around the forests of Chatillon with approximately 500 abandoned vehicles. Only one remains today. Nature has reclaimed the vehicles and over time, corrosion, decay and looting from locals and car collectors have destroyed these one vintage beauties.</span></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-3" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19896" height="398" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-3.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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The story goes that, after the war ended, departing US soldiers hid their cars in the forest due to the cost of shipping them overseas. Plans to retrieve the vintage vehicles at a later date were never realised, and the cars steadily deteriorated as the decades passed.</div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-5" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19898" height="397" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-5.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-6" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19899" height="398" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-6.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-7" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19900" height="398" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-7.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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Left to the mercy of the elements, souvenir hunters and enthusiasts on the lookout for spares, their rusting shells gradually became part of the forest. But over the years, more cars have been added to the corroding collection, explaining why many of these vehicles don’t actually fit the wartime story, and most likely rendering it an urban myth that has blown a pile of old wrecks out of proportion.</div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-8" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19901" height="399" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-8.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-9" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19902" height="400" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-9.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-10" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19903" height="399" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-10.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-11" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19904" height="399" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-11.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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Today the vintage vehicles make for an unusual sight in the woodland – hardly the most environmentally friendly auto collection, but nonetheless one that has been woven into the fabric of the local landscape.</div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-12" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19905" height="390" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-12.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-13" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19906" height="368" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-13.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span class="pibfi_pinterest " style="display: inline-block; position: relative;"><img alt="chatillon-car-graveyard-14" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-19907" height="399" src="http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/home/twamoran/urbanghostsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chatillon-car-graveyard-14.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="600" /></span></div>
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Chatillon Car Graveyard in Belgium

In the forests near Chatillon, a small village in southern Belgium, lie between 100-150 dilapidated and decaying cars. During World ...

5 Things To Do In Phuket On Your Honeymoon

5 Things To Do In Phuket On Your Honeymoon

So you’ve decided Phuket is the place you’ll discover with your better half. Easy on the pocket, close to India and scenic beyond words. T...

How To Plan A Romantic Holiday In Amalfi Coast, Italy

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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth 1: </strong></em>Amalfi Coast is way out of budget.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth Buster: </strong></em>Just because it’s a favourite destination with the rich and famous doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. There’s no travel that good planning can’t afford. Trust me, I’ve done it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth 2: </strong></em>A day trip is all you need for Amalfi Coast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth Buster: </strong></em>Unless you are on a super tight schedule, a day trip to Amalfi is not enough. I gave it three precious days in my Italy itinerary of 17 days and felt like I could have stayed forever!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t believe me? Read on and decide for yourself.</span></div>
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<img alt="Amalfi-Coast-Positano-View" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10858" height="513" src="http://travel-ideas.makemytrip.com/uploads/Welcome-to-Amalfi-Coast.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="770" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you wondering what this is about, let’s start with a quick introduction. After sharing details of my honeymoon sojourn part deux, I thought it’s only logical to share where it all began. I went to Italy for my honeymoon (woohoo!). Much to my parents’ dismay, my husband and I spent more time researching our holiday than planning the wedding. We looked up every travel portal and spoke with every friend’s friend who had ever set foot on the Italian soil. Here’s a sneak peek into one of the most special chapters of my Italy diaries.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Why Amalfi Coast?</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it’s just so beautiful. It looks like it’s straight out of a fairy-tale. Amalfi Coast is a stunning coastline in Southern Italy with steep cliffs that drop right into the sea creating a dramatic union of land, sea and sky. What adds to the charm are the lemon groves winding down the luxurious villas leaning out over the edge. No wonder it’s a favourite with writers and poets!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Located just about two hours from Naples, you will also cross the ancient town of Pompeii, which was destroyed after the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The coast itself has a number of towns, the popular ones being Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>10 Things You Didn’t Know About Italy</b></span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Is A Day Trip Enough?</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Often, people plan a day trip to Amalfi from Rome (costing 217 Euros) or Naples (costing 85 Euros). The overall cost usually includes a trip to Pompeii followed by a coach tour to the coast with about one hour free in one of the towns. While this option works well if you are short on time, I strongly recommend spending at least one night by the coast if you really want to do justice to your travel.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">How To Reach?</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you do decide to stay here, you will have the following three ways to reach.</span></div>
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<img alt="Amalfi-Coast-Drive" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10859" height="513" src="http://travel-ideas.makemytrip.com/uploads/Amalfi-Coast-Drive.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="770" /></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Hotel Pick Up</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first option is to ask your hotel to send for a pick up at Naples. This is of course very convenient but much more expensive than if you were to take public transport. For some perspective, our hotel in Positano offered to pick us up from Naples at a charge of 100 Euros each way. Alternatively, they also offered to pick us up from Sorrento (the base town connecting Naples and Amalfi Coast) at a charge of 45 Euros each way.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Train + Bus</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both my husband and I love using public transport. No, not because we are stingy! We love the whole local experience, travelling with the locals, asking for directions, finding a new place all by ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our journey started with the Circumvesuviana Train that goes from Naples and takes you to Meta di Sorrento. Remember, this is not your fancy Euro Rail, this is a cheap (and dirty!) but safe and efficient way to reach the coast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you reach Sorrento, which is the base of the cliff, there is a regular bus service called Sita Bus (don’t ask me why) which goes every half an hour to all the towns all the way to the top. So we took the “Sita Bus” to Positano. Obviously, this doesn’t drop you right up to your hotel. For that, you need to take another internal red bus till the hotel. It might sound a little complicated, but it’s really not. To give you an idea, we left Naples at around 9 am and checked into our hotel at Positano before lunch. Easy breezy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Naples to Sorrento via Circumvesuviana Train</span>: 4.10 Euros <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Sorrento to Positano via Sita Bus</span>:1.60 Euros</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Self-Drive</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third option is to rent a car and drive yourself. This is also a great option because the drive up the cliff is spellbinding. Just make sure you find a hotel that allows free parking, otherwise you would end up paying a lot for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Do You Know The 3 P’s Of Italy?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had booked a hotel called Conca D’Oro in Positano for two nights. At first I was a little disappointed because we had to climb an awful lot of stairs with our luggage to actually get to the hotel. But after much whining, all my complaints dissolved as soon as I stepped into this cosy little family-run property. The hotel was beyond beautiful and we had the most gorgeous sea facing balcony in our room. The morning welcomed us with clouds gliding through the window and nights were spent gazing at the stars twinkling over the sea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Honeymoon Tip:</em> Hotels across the world are very nice to newlyweds. The staff here gave us a complimentary bottle of champagne when they found out that we were on our honeymoon! #cheapthrills</span></div>
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<img alt="Amalfi-Coast-Positano-Sea-View" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10860" height="513" src="http://travel-ideas.makemytrip.com/uploads/Amalfi-Coast-Positano-Sea-View.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="770" /></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My Itinerary</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent months planning our Italy itinerary which we are very proud of, so for those of you planning or dreaming of a trip to Amalfi Coast, here are the details.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 1: Positano</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After checking into our hotel, we headed out immediately to paint the town red. We stopped for lunch and had one of the best (and most expensive!) pizzas of the trip. Meals here in general are more costly than in say Rome or Florence. Then we just walked around and went to the beach. The town is quite small so you can easily cover all of it on foot in less than a day. But it’s so gorgeous that you can just soak in the views for hours. There isn’t much nightlife, so it’s best to catch a good dinner, buy some delicious (and very reasonable) Italian wine from the local grocery and take it back to your hotel for a relaxed time.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 2: Capri-Anacapri And Sorrento</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we had planned to visit the islands of Capri-Anacapri. The ferry to the islands leaves from Sorrento so we had to take the bus back. Because we were running a little late, the lady at our hotel told us a ‘shortcut’ to the bus stop was through a staircase close to the hotel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A word of caution:</em> If an Italian tells you to take the ‘stairs’ be careful because in Italy stairs are like streets, long ones. This one seemed to never end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, don’t buy a tour from anyone on the ferry. It started raining and we bought a tour for 30 Euros each and ended up feeling quite cheated because the coach just took us up and down the island, which we could have easily done ourselves for one-fourth the price.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it was raining we couldn’t go to the Blue Grotto, which otherwise is a must-do attraction from Capri. But we managed to explore both Capri and Anacapri with their little churches, boutiques and cosy little coffee shops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the evening we took the ferry back to Sorrento and spent a few hours exploring this town. Sorrento is busier compared to Positano and is a convenient hub for tourists because of its easy accessibility. There are a lot more reasonable restaurants and quirky geletarias that you can choose from. I even managed to shop for some clothes here!</span></div>
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<img alt="Amalfi-Coast-Capri-Island" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10862" height="513" src="http://travel-ideas.makemytrip.com/uploads/The-beautiful-island-of-Capri.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="770" /></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 3: Amalfi And Ravello</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the third day while we checked out from our hotel, we were planning to spend the day exploring the rest of the coast. So we left our luggage at the concierge and went back to the bus stop (this time not from the ‘shortcut’!) and took the Sita to Amalfi. The drive is just so beautiful that it leaves you speechless. The town has a lively vibe with people relaxing by the sea or walking by the main market area. Since we were feeling particularly enterprising, we decided to take the bus up to Ravello. I must confess that being an obsessive literature enthusiast I also wanted to see Ravello because this was a favourite with both Virginia Woolf and DH Lawrence. Yes, it is beautiful, but my loyalties remain with Positano.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, we headed back to Sorrento and then Naples. But somewhere up there, maybe in the narrow staircase, maybe in the clouds, I left a piece of my heart behind.</span></div>
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How To Plan A Romantic Holiday In Amalfi Coast, Italy

Myth 1: Amalfi Coast is way out of budget. Myth Buster: Just because it’s a favourite destination with the rich and famous doesn’t mea...

Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain

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The <b>Banpo Bridge</b> (Korean, Hanja) is a major bridge in downtown Seoul over the Han River, South Korea, connecting the Seocho and Yongsan districts. The bridge is on top of Jamsu Bridge, forming the upper half of a double-deck bridge; it is the first double deck bridge built in South Korea. During periods of high rainfall, the Jamsu Bridge is designed to submerge as the water level of the river rises, as the lower deck lies close to the waterline. The bridge was built as a girder bridge and was completed in 1982.</div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Moonlight_Rainbow_Fountain">Moonlight Rainbow Fountain</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">The</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span><b style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Moonlight Rainbow Fountain</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">(</span>Korean<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">) is the world's longest bridge fountain</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">that set a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span>Guinness World Record<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">with nearly 10,000</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span>LED<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">nozzles that run along both sides that is 1,140m long, shooting out 190 tons of water per minute. Installed in September 2009 on the Banpo Bridge, former mayor of Seoul</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span>Oh Se-hoon<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">declared that the bridge will further beautify the city and showcase Seoul's eco-friendliness, as the water is pumped directly from the river itself and continuously recycled. The bridge has 38 water pumps and 380 nozzles on either side, which draw 190 tons of water per minute from the river 20 meters below the deck, and shoots as far as 43 meters horizontally.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Dotum, 돋움, Gulim, 굴림, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;">The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain operates from April to October, with 20-minute shows five times daily from Monday to Thursday, six times on Fridays and seven times at the weekend. In addition, Banpo Hangang Park hosts the "Moonlight Square Cultural Weekend" event every Saturday from 7 - 8:30 p.m. from May to October, featuring a variety of musical styles including classical music with commentary, acappella, popera, jazz, brass bands and orchestras.</span></span><br />
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Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain

The Banpo Bridge (Korean, Hanja) is a major bridge in downtown Seoul over the Han River, South Korea, connecting the Seocho and Yongs...

Tabacon Hot Springs Costa Rica

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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">If you trek to </span>Arenal Volcano<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> to witness its looming presence for yourself, save time to bathe in the Tabacón's luxurious thermal springs. With its serene flowing waterfalls, tropical foliage, and mineral-rich natural springs, it's no wonder the Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort costs a pretty penny. But its distinguished springs and spa treatments will leave you swooning.</span><br />
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"Like everybody I have only praises for the thermal pools. But on top of that I loved the lush gardens, the beautiful variety of flowers along the winding pathways," raves one TripAdvisor user. The springs comprise 97 percent rain water and three percent magma. And next to the thermal baths, you'll find Tabacón's top-notch Grand Spa, which boasts volcanic mud wraps, coconut and coffee exfoliations, and meditation trails.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">There are many naturally occurring hot springs around the world, many affiliated with volcanic activity. In Costa Rica, there are </span><strong style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">hot springs</strong><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> of different temperatures, flow volumes and mineral content that can be found in the regions around the </span><strong style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Arenal, Irazu, Miravalles and Rincon de la Vieja Volcanos, </strong><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">and others in the Orosi Valley or near Ciudad Quesada in San Carlos.</span></div>
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But the perfect combination of volume, temperature and mineral content (low sulfur content to prevent strong odors) that is present in <strong>Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort</strong> is unique in Costa Rica and worldwide.<strong> Hot springs</strong> are considered a natural expression of Earth's inherent energy. Geologically, Tabacon Resort's thermal natural springs are 97% rain-based and 3% magma-based. Rainwater enters the earth through fissures on the surface and is then heated by magma found in the earth's core. Once heated, the waters rise to surface, taking with them minerals found in the earth's rocky stratus.</div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 3 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-689" height="399" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_3.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_3" width="600" /></div>
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There are three thermal springs that naturally surface and flow in the property at 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Total volume generated by the three springs is 80 liters per second (approximately 20 galons / second). In total, there are five different springs that exist throughout the property, with temperatures ranging from 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). There are two main branches to the thermal river that flow through the gardens, and one cold river spring that flows down from the rainforest<strong></strong>. Two more springs are captured for cold water consumption for guest use in the resort.  <strong>Tabacon </strong>was the first <strong>Hot Springs resort</strong>open to the public in the Arenal Volcano Region, and is still the top rated, most acclaimed and publicized luxury Hot Springs and Spa resort in Costa Rica.<br />
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Many <strong>hot springs resorts in the Arenal Volcano </strong>Region and around the world drill for underground wells and depend on pumps and mechanical systems to fill their pools. Others re-circulate the water and re-heat with gas or other energy means. <strong>Tabacon is COMPLETELY natural.</strong> Water flows by gravity throughout the property, forming in-river pools, waterfalls, and cascades and filling in the pools throughout the resort. An <strong>eco-friendly and carbon neutral resort</strong>,<strong></strong>Tabacon places a big emphasis on turning the guest experience a close encounter with nature.  These characteristics make the Tabacon Hot Springs the first to open to the public and the <strong>best known luxury hot springs resort in Costa Rica</strong>.</div>
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Don’t skip the Grand Spa that provides a number of massage therapies and treatments.</div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 4 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-690" height="449" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_4.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_4" width="600" /></div>
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As the underground <strong>Tabacon River </strong>flows through the magma in the volcano, the springs absorb minerals. Hot springs provide many benefits stemming from various chemical, physical and biological effects, the most notable is relaxing tense and tired muscles. Hydrotherapy in Tabacon is included in the resort rates.  Other medical benefits from visiting hot springs include:<br />
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The chemical effects are related to the minerals and other substances in the water, which are transferred to the skin and bloodstream through osmosis.</div>
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The physical effects are due in large part to the water temperature, which helps dilate the skin, thus improving oxygen flow in the tissues that are being treated. The heat also encourages the flow of natural sedating substances in the body, encouraging muscle relaxation. Altogether, these effects create of a sense of wellbeing.</div>
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The biological effects are produced by the hydrothermal flora and fauna, integrating micro and macro organisms in a complex union. This effect is called "biogleas" and is composed of thousand of different species which strengthen the skin's defense systems, helping it to repair itself from external attacks such as aging.</div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 6 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-692" height="401" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_6.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_6" width="600" /></div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 7 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-693" height="400" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_7.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_7" width="600" /></div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 8 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-694" height="436" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_8.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_8" width="600" /></div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 9 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-695" height="450" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_9.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_9" width="600" /></div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 10 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-696" height="450" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_10.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_10" width="600" /></div>
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<img alt="Tabacon Hot Springs 11 Tabacon Hot Springs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-697" height="450" src="http://www.mousetravel.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Tabacon_Hot_Springs_11.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 4px;" title="Tabacon_Hot_Springs_11" width="600" /></div>
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Tabacon Hot Springs Costa Rica

If you trek to Arenal Volcano to witness its looming presence for yourself, save time to bathe in the Tabacón's luxurious thermal ...

Beautiful View Of White Sands National Park

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<span style="color: #444444;">The White Sands National Monument is known as a U.S. National Monument positioned around Twenty-five kilometres south west of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Dona Ana County inside the state of New Mexico. National Monument lies a vast sea of glistening snow white dunes that continually draws visitors from across the world. The monument contains the world’s largest gypsum sand dune field — 275 square miles of fine white sand, formed by the prevailing winds into large ridge-like dunes.  In its first year the park attracted 12,000 people, and today as many as 600,000 people visit the park annually.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park  White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-326" height="630" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Weathering and erosion breaks the crystals into sand-size grains that are carried away by the prevailing winds from the southwest, forming white dunes. The dunes are constantly being moved to the southwest and reshaped by these winds.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 1 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-327" height="675" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_1.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_1" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Because gypsum is a water soluble mineral, and is often carried by rivers away to the sea, a ideal coincidence of environmental conditions must exist to create a gypsum dune field. In additional to the snow white color, that turns elegant shades of pink and purple in the right light, gypsum sands differ from silica in being smoother and much less abrasive.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 2 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-328" height="675" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_2.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_2" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">In contrast to some other desert sands, it’s cool to the touch, because of the high rate of evaporation of surface moisture it comes with the sands reflect, rather than absorb, the rays of the sun. The gypsum doesn’t readily convert the sun’s energy into warmth and for that reason can be walked upon safely with bare feet, even during the hottest summer season. At 1185 m over sea level, around 442 total square kilometers of dune areas and is regarded as the earth’s largest surface deposit of gypsum. In places accessible by car, children often use the sand hills for downhill sledding.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 3 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-329" height="647" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_3.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_3" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">The Big Dune Nature trail, located on the edge of the dune field, allows for close observation of many of the plants and animals adapted to life there. Animals are especially active early in the moring and at dusk.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 4 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-330" height="654" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_4.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_4" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">A lot of the wildlife of White Sands have developed night time practices to avoid predators and the desert temperature. A lot of fauna located at White Sands, such as lizards, pocket mice, crickets, toads, and beetles, own evolved white forms which are camoflauged because of their environment. Nevertheless, of the forty-four species of animals, twenty-six species of reptiles, six species of amphibians and almost one hundred groups of insects recorded on the monument, the vast majority possess regular coloration.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 5 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-331" height="642" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_5.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_5" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Through mid-April to mid-June desert wildflowers may be regularly be found in bloom. The claret cup cactus bloom through late April through mid-May, although cholla cacti begin blooming in mid-May. Several wildflowers grow in Fall, generally from mid-August till as late as November.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 6 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-332" height="506" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_6.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_6" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">A number of the sand hills are high and steep enough to offer a great ride on the plastic tobaggan or maybe sled. Although many tourists try sledding on anything from carboard boxes to trash bags, you will want to carry your own sled for the greatest adventure.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 7 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-333" height="675" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_7.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_7" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Dune photography is ideal in the morning and evening once the sun is low on the horizon, creating fascinating shadows over the dunes. Camera meters could be tricked from the white sand, so it’s smart to meter slightly higher than what is reported by the light meter to stop getting the sands seem grey.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 8 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-334" height="598" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_8.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_8" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">There is no lodging within the monument, but the town of Alamogordo, located 15 miles east of the park, has several hotels.</span></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 9 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-335" height="600" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_9.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_9" width="900" /></div>
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<img alt="white sands national park 10 White Sands National Park" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-336" height="602" src="http://www.travelycia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/white_sands_national_park_10.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 5px auto 1.625em; max-width: 100%; width: auto;" title="white_sands_national_park_10" width="900" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; line-height: 19.5px;">The History :- </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">The first exploration was led by a party of </span><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">US Army</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> officers in 1849.</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"> </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">The </span><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">Mescalero Apache</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> were already living in the area at the time. Hispanic families started farming communities in the area at </span><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">Tularosa</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> in 1861 and at </span>La Luz<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;"> in 1863.</span></div>
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Creating a national park in the white sands formation goes back as far as 1898. A group in El Paso had proposed the creation of "Mescalero" National Park. Their idea was for a game hunting preserve, which conflicted with the idea of preservation held by the Department of the Interior, and their plan was not successful. In 1921-1922 Albert Bacon Fall, United States Secretary of the Interior and owner of a large ranch in Three Rivers near White Sands, promoted the idea of a national park there, an "All-Year National Park" that, unlike more northerly parks, would be usable year-round. This idea ran into a number of difficulties and did not succeed. Tom Charles, an Alamogordo insurance agent and civic booster, was influenced by Fall's ideas. By emphasizing the economic benefits, Charles was able to mobilize enough support to have the park created.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">On January 18, 1933, President Herbert Hoover created the White Sands National Monument, acting under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906.</span><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 11.666666030883789px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">The dedication and grand opening was on April 29, 1934</span></div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Life_as_a_National_Monument">Life as a National Monument</span></h3>
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Tom Charles became the first custodian of the monument, and upon his retirement in 1939 became the first concessionaire, operating as White Sands Service Company.</div>
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The Headquarters building (also called the Visitor Center Complex) was constructed of adobe bricks as a Works Progress Administration project starting in 1936 and completed in 1938. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"></sup></div>
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The Monument is completely surrounded by military installations (White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base) and has always had an uneasy relationship with the military. Errant missiles often fell on WSNM property, in some cases destroying some of the visitor areas. Overflights from Holloman disturbed the tranquility of the area.</div>
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In 1969 the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish introduced oryx into the Tularosa Basin, intending them to be hunted for sport. The oryx had no natural predators; they invaded WSNM and competed with the native species for forage.</div>
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In 1996, increasingly problematic alcohol abuse by students on spring break led to a ban of alcohol use in the monument during the months of February to May.</div>
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Beautiful View Of White Sands National Park

The White Sands National Monument is known as a U.S. National Monument positioned around Twenty-five kilometres south west of Alamogordo i...