La Defense is a major business district for the city of Paris, bordering Neuilly-sur-Seine, west of the city itself. The district is at the westernmost extremity of Paris' 10 km long Historical Axis, which starts at the Louvre in Central Paris and continues along the Champs-Élysées, well beyond the Arc de Triomphe before culminating at La Defense.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Krabi, Thailand - Koh Poda and Koh Kai Islands
Koh Poda is a small limestone island 25 minutes by boat from the beaches of the Railey peninsula. The circular island is no more than a kilometre in diameter, covered in palm trees and almost entirely encircled by a soft white sand beach. A coral reef lies 20 metres offshore, and the combination of scenery, beach and excellent snorkelling make it one of my favourite places to spend a lazy day in this part of the world.
Chicken island or Koh Kai got its name from a bizarre rock formation which stands for the head of a chicken. One end of the island consists of steep cliffs, while the other end has beautiful beaches along a peninsula. This peninsula gets flooded at high tide, creating a small island.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Lijiang - Black Dragon Lake (China)
View of the Dragon Jade Mountain from the Black Dragon Lake.
Yunnan Province
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sydney, Australia - Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour is a locality of the city centre of Sydney, Australia. It is a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district. The locality extends northwards from Chinatown, along both sides of Cockle Bay to King Street Wharf on the east, and to the suburb of Pyrmont on the west. Cockle Bay is just one of the waterways that makes up Darling Harbour, which opens north into the much larger Port Jackson.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Koh Phi Phi Leh, Thailand - Maya Bay
Maya Bay is a stunningly beautiful bay that's sheltered by 100-metre high cliffs on three sides. Inside the bay there are several beaches, most are small and some only exist at low tide. The main one is around 200 metres long with silky soft white sand, underwater colourful coral and exotic fish in exceptionally clear water; the whole bay is one big reef.
Maya Bay has become the main tourist attraction of Phi Phi since The Beach was filmed here in 1999. It was always very popular before the film but now people around the world who haven't even heard of Phi Phi have certainly heard of Maya Bay.
The bad news; as it's so beautiful and so well known many boats are required to ferry all the visitors in and out. On any given day at any time there will be 30 + speedboats and longtail boats on the beach, with large ferry boats carrying hundreds of snorkelers and sightseers moored in deeper water. Beautiful it is, secluded it isn't – thousands of people visit each day. Try to visit early in the morning or after 17:00 and you'll avoid the crowds.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Siem Reap, Cambodia - Angkor Wat
If you've read anything at all about Angkor Wat, you'll probably know at least three things: Angkor is one of the most beautiful and suggestive place on the planet, the Angkor Wat Temples area is much bigger than the Angkor Temple alone, and last, nothing is homogeneous, being the temples built in different times, during a four centuries process.
Many people, when they hear the name Angkor in a conversation, they ask: "Angkor What?". Angkor Wat is one of the most beautiful and fascinating places on the planet. Made by the Khmer kings in a process that lasts almost 4 centuries, this magnificent area has been abandoned and hidden by the forest. Re-discovered by a french man about 150 years ago, Angkor Wat is ready to become one of the most visited archaeological and artistic site on the planet.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Paris, France - Pont des Arts (Happy Easter !)
The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. It links the Institut de France and the central square (cour carrée) of the palais du Louvre.
Between 1802 and 1804, a nine-arch metallic bridge for pedestrians was constructed at the location of the present day Pont des Arts: this was the first metal bridge in Paris. This innovation was due to Napoléon I, following a design of English manufacture.
The bridge has sometimes served as a place for art exhibitions, and is today a studio en plein air for painters, artists and photographers who are drawn to its unique point of view. The Pont des Arts is also frequently a spot for picnics during the summer.
Nowadays the bridge has become a hotspot for couples who attach a padlock to the railing and throw the key into the river below.
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