Top 5 Places to Visit in Romania

Romania is a Balkan country which was near to Soviet bloc once and at different times it was ruled over by people of Italy, Hungary and Ottoman Empire. Want to take a look at old cities of Europe, go and visit Romania.  Reputed to hold ski resorts, expanding art houses and last but not the least its notorious resident, Count Dracula make this country an enigmatic one.

Sighisoara

Sighisoara is located in Transylvania and is famous for its superb architecture. Romania was ruled by Hungary in 12^th century AD when the king invited German Saxons to defend its frontier. What you see today is the remnant of a flourishing trading society that used to stay in pompous citadels. The fort-city was extended during the 14^th century. A medieval festival takes place every year in July. 1556 built Clock Tower is one of the landmarks of the city that is 64 meters high.

Sibiu

Once a province of Hungary, Sibiu is notorious with its dark history of vampires and Dracula but you’ll rather not find any at present. The Grand Square is still in use from 15^th century and is an immensely popular tourist spot. Baroque buildings that include Brukenthal Palace stores number of old artifacts and is the proud owner of an old, prestigious museum. You can visit hundreds of years old remnants of citadel palace.

Brasov

Brasov is a multi-colored city that displays modern dynamic city life as well as old world charm with finishing touch of fascinating natural beauty. It is surrounded by impressive Carpathian Mountains and with favorable spots for winter sports. Brasov is a famous mountain resort. Reputed skiers as well as amateurs come and visit ski ranges of Brasov. The narrowest lane the ‘Rope Street’ is a beautiful part of the country and visitors usually come here too.

Painted Monasteries

North-eastern part of Romania houses one of the most picturesque attractions in the form of ‘painted monasteries’ of Bucovina. Exterior of the monasteries are painted with medieval age’s frescoes portraying saints’, Jesus’ life scenes, demon’s images and hell and heaven. Well preserved monasteries are located in Patrauti, Moldovita, Suceava, Humor, Probota, Voronet and Sucevita. 

Sinaia

Mountain resort town of Sinaia is built up around the monastery that was named after Mount Sinai. This site is popular with tourists and contains first Romanian copy of Bible. Tourists indulge in various recreational activities through hiking in the months of summer and downhill skiing in the months of winter. King Charles Ist’s summer home is a popular tourist spot, known as the Peles Castle. Sinaia is known for its vibrant flowers which are prohibited to pick up.

Romania is famous for its natural beauty as well as for its beautiful people. It has a mysterious charm and to know more about it please visit our travel blog sites. Give in your comments, we appreciate them tremendously.

The Wonders of Napa Valley

Napa Valley vineyards are amazing places to visit as amidst the natural splendor, the opportunity to taste exquisite quality wines is among a few of its mind-blowing experiences. 

One of the most economically sound state of USA is California. Amidst many of its charms, Napa Valley is the star attraction among the first class oenophiles. Located just across a driveway of 90 minutes from San Francisco, the valley has many world class vineyards. Vineyard trips are finding many patrons and if you have not been to one then you should because whether or not you love wines is not important. The spectacular locales where these vineyards are located are simply marvelous and are captivating enough for a nature lover. Let us make an important ‘what to do list’ in Napa Valley.

 

• Celebrating nature- The whole landscape is dreamy with rolling hills, stellar climate, luxurious resorts and inns. One of the primary things to do here is admiring natural bounty and the ideal place to begin this task is the ‘Land Trust of Napa’ that protects the 55,000 acres of property which has some amazing spots for biking, hiking or kayaking. Guided tours are available in seasons. You may opt for the 15 mile hike trip along the magnificent Dunn-Wildlake and the Dunn-Ranches that is available during seasons.
• Discovering the hot springs- Many hot springs are located in Calistoga and a bath in one of them is regarded to give amazing health benefits. It is comprised of a hot water bath infused with natural minerals, peat and rich volcanic ash. Amidst a land property of 16 acres, Indian Springs Resort is located behind the groves of palm trees. Here 4 on-site geysers are located with hot mud soaks.

 

• Visiting the iconic wineries- If you are a first time visitor of Napa Valley then this is a must thing for you. Let us talk about Domaine Chandon that is a specialist artist of sparkling wines or champagnes. Not to forget another iconic name with the Napa Valley vineyards and that is the Mondavi family. Robert Mondavi has created a name in this field with his labels of wines. The vineyard is a delight to eyes.

 

• Buying olive oil- Not only wines the Napa Valley is famous for producing high quality olive oils and the Round Pond Estate is an iconic name. Here the olive oil imported straight from the Mediterranean is refined thereby producing four types of artisan oils. A tour to this Estate is a learning experience in itself.

 

• Selecting some best souvenirs and gifts- Local art talents are treasure troves of every place on earth and the Napa Valley is not an exception either. Take off some time out of your tour itinerary to take a look at the stunning but simple pieces of Pope Valley pottery by Kelly Farley. There is great news for all you ladies in the form of 24K gold jewelry with attached scarecrow emblem. These special pieces are sold by Mimi DeBlasio, the co-owner of Scarecrow winery.
  

   
  Best time to visit the Napa Valley is during the fall with soothing weather and sparse crowd. You may fix a vineyard trip after consulting our travel guide. Vineyard trips are delights to eyes, tongues and noses. No wanderlust is ever fulfilled without a visit to a vineyard.

Five must visit terrace and outdoor cafes of Paris

Basking in the sun or just breathing in the cool air of the summers can surely be a pleasant experience. Many may want to enjoy a drink in the cool open air on a warm night. Yes that is the wish of one and all. Paris is one of the exclusive places to visit during the springtime. Springtime offers the Parisians a crazy time with the glorious rays which bring thousands of people to the streets actually on the terrace of the every house in the city. In fact if there are any signs of good weather, then one can seriously expect serious waiting of people in lines to get a seating in the cafes which has outdoor seating.

Paris is surely one of the hot favorite destinations attracting tourists from all across the globe. Now if you are planning a visit to Paris during the summer time or the spring time, you do need some sort of preparation if you do not want to be left out missing any of the important watching opportunities. Read about our top picks of the beautiful Parisian cafes with some of the exclusive terraces offering the magnificent view of the city with plenty of sunshine. Just do not forget to pack your sunscreen as well as pair of sunglasses and get ready to choose the ideal spot.

Here are comes the top five cafes with beautiful terraces offering the much needed magnificent view.

Le Perchoir

Here comes the first one with young and aspiring set up located just east of Paris. No matter whatever if your profile, this bar with panoramic view of the city namely Le Perchoir is surely a must visit one. This exclusive mine restaurant cum bar opened nearly one and half year ago offering plush cushions arranged in line in some of the exclusive benches around the roof top.

Plan early to enjoy an exclusive seat on the roof watching the sun setting down on the city of Paris. Believe me it is worth the try.

The address of the place is 14 Rue Crespin Dugast, 11^th arrondissement. The place is open daily from 4pm to 1am. Remember that cocktails are costly here but you can opt for beer and wine which is comparatively reasonable.

Café de Flore:

Situated right in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood, is the best and iconic café namely Café de Flore. Here you can sit and enjoy one of the best dressed espresso sitting wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses.

Well after a morning sightseeing tour, you can easily plant yourself here and full sun from the terrace.

The proper address of the place is 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 6th arrondissement and is open daily from 7.30 am to 1.30 am.

Rosa Bonheur

Here is a beautiful café nestled right in the hilltops of the Buttes Chaumont Romantic-style Park located in the far northeast corner of the city providing some exclusive peace and calmness within the beautiful burstling city.

Sit at this the beautiful terrace’s benches and enjoy an apple juice, organic carrot or just a cup of coffee or beer. Enjoy the glow of the afternoon sun along with fabulous views of sunset. There are numerous foods to indulge in and the night brings in fun with pole dancing as well as cocktails to indulge in.

The address of the place is Parc des Buttes Chaumont, 2 avenue des Cascades, 19th arrondissement. This café is opened from Tuesday to Friday 12pm to 12am and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 12 am and is closed on Mondays.

Le Playtime

Now if you wish to enjoy the beautiful view sitting right on the edge of the Seine River then chooses the beautiful slash bars namely Le Playtime. This is a boat slash bars located just on the edge of Paris waters. But Le Playtime is more like a vacation home located right in the middle of the city.

With a small pool on the top, you can cool off the summer heat of the region with cushy chairs as well as chaise longues to properly sit there enjoying a sip of banana shake or a root beer. You can enjoy spiced pigeon as well as home dried tomato to shake of the sun shelter under the bamboo.

And as soon as the nights arrive, you can choose and have wide range of cocktails available here.

The address of this restaurant is 34 Quai d'Austerlitz, 75013. From 30^th April, this restaurant is opening newly from daily noon till the wee hours.

Le Georges

Now if you are modern art lovers with a wish to enjoy spectacular views, then the perfect place for is Le Georges. This café is situated right on the top of infamous Centre Pompidou modern art museum and cultural center offering a panoramic view of the city with the option to indulge in various options like drink as well as desert options.

The terrace is one of the places where you can enjoy the fascinating interior of the beautiful museum in itself. The address of the place is 19 rue Beaubourg, 4th arrondissement.

Now enjoy the marvelous and beautiful view of the spectacular sights of Paris by opting any of the above beautiful cafes from the above options or by referring to a reputed travel guide.

Some of the Best Tourist Spots of Venezuela

Venezuela has many hidden treasures waiting to be explored by tourists. Here some of the best known places of Venezuela have been mentioned.

If you want to visit a multifaceted country of Southern America, you should take a look at Venezuela. It is a complete package for tourists such that it has Caribbean beaches, inland sand dunes, Andean peaks, famous waterfalls, lush green rainforests, wetlands having piranhas along with famous Anacondas. This tropical country has great range of biodiversity. Today we shall take on a brief but interesting journey of Venezuela by visiting its top seven most attractive places.

Angel Falls

The highest uninterrupted cascade of world is the Angel Falls and this is one of the primary tourist spots of Venezuela. It is around 978 meters tall. This waterfall is located on the River Gauja and according to native people it was defined as the ‘fall from the highest point’. It remains in its highest fervor from June to December.

Mount Roraima

This tabletop mountain or tepuy has been made famous by the thriller ‘The Lost World’ written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This mountain has a height of 2810 meters. Tourists can climb this Mountain from the Venezuelan end only (and not from the Guyana or Brazil end). Famous National Park of Canaima is located around it. Canaima National park has geological formations that date back to two billion years. This plateau is a rare storehouse of different flora and fauna.

Los Llanos

This is nicknamed as the ‘Serengeti of South America’ as it displays a pool of animals in dry season as this grassland is the last refuge of ample waters. Some rare animals like Jaguars and Caimans and Anacondas stay here.

 

Isla Margarita

If you are a beach buff then take a trip of Isla Margarita for beachcombing activities. Over 50 different beaches are located across various parts of this place. Many kinds of sporting activities are offered to tourists such as kite surfing and wind surfing. This place is highly popular among shopaholics because duty free objects are available in port.

 

Mochima National Park

This National Park too is located at the north-eastern fringe of the country. This National park can be termed as a marine National Park as it is in particular organized for preserving marine life and the flora of the famous Turimiquire Mountains. This park is famous for Pelicans and dolphins. Many types of water sports activities are conducted here such as divers and snorkeling. Divers have the opportunity to explore some ship wreckages.

Medanos de Coro

Can you visualize the picture of a desert in the midst of a tropical country? Well if not anywhere else, in Venezuela all spectacular sights are waiting for you. Sand dunes of the National Park of Medanos de Coro are really amazing sight. These sand dunes come at various colors and some of them stand at 40 meters height. Camel safaris are also available here.

Morrocoy National Park

This National Park is located at the north-eastern Venezuela. Many beautiful and pristine beaches are located here with numerous mangroves, cays and islets. The area around the cays are rich in marine life such that with tropical fishes and coral reefs. In the mangrove laden islets some rare breeds of dolphins live. In addition there are coastal caimans and marine turtles living there. This is a paradise for bird watchers featuring pelicans, egrets, flamingos and Scarlet Ibis.

 

For detailed information about adventure tours in Venezuela please take a look at our travel guide .Follow us on Faceook.

Miss John is a tours specialist on South-America.