The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty 

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886.  It was designated as a National Monument in 1924.  Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933.


Times Statue of Liberty:


Ferries depart at regular intervals from Battery Park between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.


Rates Statue of Liberty:

Boat and access to the statue (crown, pedestal)

$ 21 per adult

$ 17 for seniors over the age of 62

$ 12 for children under 12

Free for children under 4

Boat and access to the pedestal of the statue

$ 18 per adult

$ 14 for seniors over the age of 62

$ 9 for children under 12

Free for children under 4


Contact Statue of Liberty:

Ticket Information: 1 877 LADY TIX (877-523-9849) or 201-604-2800

BURJ KHALIFA SKY EXPERIENCE

AT THE TOP, BURJ KHALIFA SKY EXPERIENCE

Soaring high at 555 meters, At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY is fittingly Dubai’s most iconic destination. Get ready to enjoy exclusive access to the redefined, highest outdoor observatory in the world, spread across levels 148 and 125 of Burj Khalifa. Your journey begins when you step into the At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY lounge, from where you will be personally escorted to a dedicated elevator. Inside, watch in amazement as specially designed projections give you the feeling of flying over global landmarks as you ascend to Level 125. 

Level 148 
A special elevator brings you up for the crowning experience. At 555 meters, you can now access the world’s highest outdoor observation deck and enjoy the breathtaking views as your bask in the luxury of our lounges. Witness a pioneering concept in interactive experiences with a life-size screen that envelops you as you explore different corners of the Emirate.
As you descend gently to ground level, a new exhibit allows you to relive the historic build of Burj Khalifa. Dedicated stations take you behind the scenes where you can listen to testimonials of the ‘People Behind Burj’, giving you insights into every aspect from the interiors and landscaping to the design and architecture. 



Level 125 
At 456 meters above the ground, and one level above the At the Top observatory, Level 125 offers you a spacious deck to enjoy the stunning 360-degree view of the city. This level also houses one of our newest attractions, Dubai – A Falcon’s Eye View that allows you to explore the city from a unique perspective. Enjoy personalised attention from Guest Ambassadors Learn fun trivia about Burj Khalifa and the Dubai skyline Capture your Burj Khalifa moments forever and integrate reality and special effects with green screen photography See prominent destinations in Dubai through Dubai - A Falcon’s Eye View experience. 

Hanauma Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii

Hanauma Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii

Hanauma Bay Hawaii is one of the most popular and most visited beaches outside of Waikiki and the North Shore beaches. But it’s not so much about the beach as it is about the marine life nature preserve, and the amazing Hanauma Bay snorkeling experience! With over 300 different Hawaiian fish species lurking about the shallow coral reefs, it is easy to see why this Oahu Beach holds its fame! 

Best Time

The best time to go to the bay is in the early morning, especially if your in a rental car, as the parking lot fills up to capacity fairly quickly. (Never leave any thing of value in the car.) Otherwise, we would recommend taking the bus out there. However, if you bus it, consider leaving Hanauma bay early, like before 2:00 P.M. or you might have to wait your turn for more than one bus headed back. We have waited over an hour and a half for the return, as the returns can be very crowded on some of the busy days, as many parents will drop off the kids to swim there, knowing the kids can just catch the bus home later.

OCEAN WARNING! For your own safety DO NOT go in the water if the beach has signs posted with these warnings: “No Diving,” “Surge Area” or “Jellyfish.” The Jellyfish Normally float into shore while breeding and this happens for about 2 or 3 days every month. Secondly, and equally important, never swim where you don’t see locals or other people swimming–not surfing, swimming! If no one is swimming, please, for your own safety don’t go in the water. There are many unseen hazards in the water.

Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach), Mexico

 The Hidden Beach, Playa del Amor 

Playa del Amor, more commonly known as the Hidden Beach, is a feature of one of the Marieta Islands, located west of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the mouth of Banderas Bay. It looks like something out of a fantasy novel: a wide, sandy cavern with the blue waters of the Pacific rushing in. The islands are an archipelago, a chain of land formations formed by underwater volcano eruptions. They themselves are natural wonders, but it was something other than volcanic activity that brought the burrowed beach to light.

It is rumored that the hole that created the Hidden Beach was a result of deliberate bombings. The Marieta Islands have always been completely uninhabited, making them ideal sites for military testing by the Mexican government. Beginning in the early 1900s, weapons and artillery were tested on the Marieta Islands, a safe distance from Mexican citizens but not so safe for Marieta topography. Test bombs are the known cause for many caves and rock formations on the island, possibly including the Hidden Beach.

In the 1960s, scientist Jacques Cousteau led a protest against harmful human activity on the islands. In 2005, the islands were finally named a national park, Parque Nacional Islas Marietas, making swimming, kayaking, sunbathing, and other forms of recreation the only activity . Extensive military testing damaged flora and fauna on the island for decades, but many years of peace have replenished the islands’ pristine waters and marine life.

The Hidden Beach is invisible from the outside, and is only accessible through a long water tunnel that links the beach to the Pacific Ocean. There is approximately six feet of space above water level, so visitors can arrive at the beach by swimming or kayaking. The islands remain uninhabited, but are frequently visited by tourists who come to enjoy the diverse marine wildlife and the unique tropical Eden of Playa del Amor.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal: One of the 7 wonders of the world

Widely considered to be one of the most stunning buildings in the world and certainly one of India’s most iconic landmarks, the Taj Mahal is a living testament to the grandiose, the romantic, and the beautiful. Lovingly built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, the Taj is a must-see for anyone visiting the north of India.

Made from white marble, the Taj Mahal is decorated with carvings of flowers and inlays of precious stones arranged into intricate patterns. The building’s impressive vaulted arches are adorned with quotations from the Quran, and the whole structure is topped with four small domes surrounding an iconic central one. Being raised on a marble platform, the Taj Mahal’s only backdrop is the sky, while white minarets flank each of its corners, giving it a three-dimensional effect from each of its perfectly symmetrical sides. The photogenic structure also resides within a perfectly manicured Mughal garden featuring raised pathways that divide it into numerous flowerbeds. In the center is a raised reflecting pool positioned on a north-south axis so that when its fountains are not flowing, the Taj is perfectly reflected in its waters.

Organized guided tours from both Jaipur and New Delhi abound and often include other interesting sights and attractions around Agra, such as Agra Fort, Kachhpura Village, and Fatehpur Sikri. It should also be noted that from dusk until dawn, the sun creates an exquisite reflection upon the palace’s white marble, drenching its surface in red, orange, pink, and golden hues. For this reason, sunrise and sunset tours of the Taj Mahal are particularly popular, and there’s even the option to experience it at both these times of day as part of an 11-hour Agra day tour.

Taj Mahal Timings

Every Day, (except Friday), Sunrise to SunsetNight, 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM (On Full moon night, two days before and two days after)Day Fee: Rs 750 (Foreigners)Rs 510 (Citizens of SAARC and BIMSTEC Countries)Rs 20 (Indian)Entry Free for children below 15 years of ageNight Fee: Rs 750 (Adult, Foreign)Rs 510 (Adult, Indian)Rs 500 (Child 3-15 Years, Indian & Foreign)Entry free for child below 3 years of ageThe timings of visiting the Taj Mahal are set by the Archeological Survey of India. The Taj is opened all days of the week except for Fridays, when it is opened in the afternoon only for those who have to attend prayers at the Taj Mosque. The timings are from sunrise to sunset. Tickets are available throughout the day from the western and eastern gate, and at the southern gate tickets are available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The tourists can spend any number of hours inside the Taj complex from sunrise to sunset.Night viewing at the Taj Mahal, from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM, is allowed only on five nights in a month: one, on the full moon night, two days before it and two days after it, except for Fridays. However, night viewing is limited to maximum 400 people per night, divided into eight batches of 50 each and each batch is allowed to visit for a maximum duration of 30 minutes. The tickets for night viewing have to be booked one day (24 hours) in advance from the booking counter located in the office of the Archeological Survey of India, Agra Circle, 22 The Mall, Agra, Uttar Pradesh in between 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

the great wall of china

the great wall of china

For nearly 500 years, the emperors living within Beijing’s opulent Forbidden City dictated who could enter and leave. Well, the gates have opened, and tourists are pouring in to see it all for themselves. Attendance is up by 2.5 million since 2010.

The Forbidden City is a dream destination for some Americans, but most have never researched a trip to Everland or Lotte World. Yet these South Korean theme parks also rank among the world’s 50 most-visited tourist attractions—beating out the Eiffel Tower (nearly 7 million), the Great Pyramids (4 million), and Stonehenge (1 million). And there are more surprises.

Where we choose to spend our vacation time says a lot about what we value. Despite—or perhaps because of—what the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) calls “global economic challenges,” more travelers are hitting the road than ever. International tourist arrivals increased by five percent in 2013, according to the UNWTO. That translates to a record of more than one billion trips. With its population of 1.36 billion, China has become the second-largest exporter of tourists. Russia, now the fifth-largest outbound market, increased travel spending by 26 percent.

Like it or not, theme parks clearly have worldwide appeal. France’s Disneyland Park draws about the same number of visitors (10.5 million) as Sacré Coeur, and four of the world’s 20 most-visited tourist attractions are Disney parks.

Many inspiring and iconic places can’t quite keep up. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum narrowly missed the top 50, as did the British Museum in London (6.7 million), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (6.3 million), and the Roman Colosseum and Forum (5.1 million each). The Berlin Wall Memorial Site logged only 500,000 visitors in 2013, though extra crowds arrived in November 2014 for the 25th anniversary of its fall.

Accessibility can be a factor. It takes extra effort to reach Yellowstone National Park (3.2 million) or the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, China (4.8 million). And Peru’s Machu Picchu has restricted tourism to help maintain the site’s integrity; only 2,500 can enter per day, or 912,500 per year.

The Methodology: To tally up the world’s most-visited attractions, we gathered the most recent data supplied by the attractions themselves or from government agencies, industry reports, and reputable media outlets. In most cases, it was 2013 data. Attractions that don’t sell tickets gave us estimates as best they could.

We defined “tourist attractions” as cultural and historical sites, natural landmarks, and officially designated spaces. So Boston’s shop-filled Faneuil Hall Marketplace (est. 1742) made the cut, but not Minnesota’s Mall of America, which, with 40 million annual visitors, would otherwise have tied for No. 4. Short walkways and plazas also fit our definition of tourist attractions; that disqualified the Blue Ridge Parkway. We also omitted beaches, bridges, and sites that draw almost exclusively religious pilgrims.

Reported by Kate Appleton, Rich Beattie, Adrien Glover, Lyndsey Matthews, April Orcutt, Joshua Pramis, and Ann Shields

MERZOUGA DUNES ATTRACTIONS

MERZOUGA DUNES ATTRACTIONS

 Merzouga is a small Saharan town located in south-eastern Morocco, 35 kilometers from Rissani and 50 kilometers from Erfoud. Merzouga is famous for its dunes in the Erg Chebbi region – the highest in Morocco. It is a man destination for tourists who wish to ride camels into the dunes and sleep in a Bedouin-style tent for the night.

Things to See and Do Around Merzouga
The desert is quite spectacular and you'll want to spend more than just 90 minutes riding out into the dunes and back, especially after a long bus ride from Marrakech or Fes. Plan to spend at least 2 nights in Merzouga and take part in a couple of different activities while you're there.

• Hop on a Camel and Camp -- You really should spend at least one night under the stars in the desert and enjoy a ride on a camel. There are lots of options and companies offering a wide variety of tents/bivouacs and also stays in remote nomad villages. Most overnight will include a traditional Berber meal by campfire and some musical entertainment. Ask your hotel for their packages, and shop around before you decide who to go with. If you want a more tranquil experience find an operator who has their own private camp so you don't end up sharing your experience with lots of other groups. Camping is basic, don't expect flushing toilets! Do get a turban of some kind, it actually does keep the sand away from your eyes and mouth and the sun off your head, so it's not just for dress up. Check these tours, to get an idea of prices. Group tours are usually cheaper, so find some fellow travelers you get along with and go together.
  
  
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• Birdwatching around the Dayet Srji -- It's surprising to come across a lake in these parts, and even stranger to see flamingos. The Dayet Srji is a salt water lake and offers excellent bird viewing with lots of Egrets, Storks and Shelducks. Take a bird guide along, unless you're an expert yourself, it is much more rewarding.
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• Quad Biking -- not as tranquil as a camel, perhaps a little obnoxious, but fun. When else can a novice pretend to be part of the Dakar Rally? Trips can last a few hours or several days and always include a guide.
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• Hot Air Ballooning -- a truly magical way to experience the desert is up in a hot-air balloon. It's around 160 Euros for an hour per person, but certainly worth it.
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• Sand Skiing -- Some hotels offer skis, boogie boards and snow boards for rent. It's quite a hike up the dunes in the deep sand and obviously there are no ski lifts, so you may want to give this activity a miss if you're not quite fit.

Best time to Visit the Western Sahara desert

The summer months between June and September can be brutally hot during the day, and not a lot of fun. Temperatures average around 115 Fahrenheit (45 C) during the summer and it's obviously dry as a bone. Nights in the desert do get much colder however and you'll need a good jacket even if you're sweltering during the day. During March and April you have a good chance of dealing with sandstorms as the Sirocco whips up. Best time to visit is from October to February.