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Travel to Cuba

Travel Tour to Cuba
Tourism culture and History tour
Cuba Introduction

Despite the efforts of United States, the sun still shines on Cuba, the Caribbean island more extensive and less spoiled by tourism, as well as one of the last bastions of communism in the world. The relative political isolation has prevented the influx of tourists and Cubans are really friendly to newcomers, including U.S. travelers enjoy a warm welcome. The Helms-Burton Act

has allowed Cuba to find his own place gradually in the post-Soviet world, without accusing the sudden destabilizing shock of tourism consumption. The disappearance of the barriers imposed by the Americans in relation to travel and trade appears to be only a matter of time. Undoubtedly, upon the resumption of flights from Miami million tourists will come. Clearly, now is the ideal time to visit the island.
Cuba is a fairly quiet, even within large cities, where most delirious moments occur at a rate of enthusiastic chachacha, struggling to sound emitted by the old American cars and huge puff to the streets. If this peace is not enough, the interior of Cuba and its beaches are very quiet places, ideal for hikers, swimmers, or speleologists who likes to smoke a great cigar cigar under a palm tree.
Since November 8, 2004, the dollars are not legal in Cuba. Travelers should drive convertible pesos. Travelers checks or credit cards from American banks are not accepted. Dollar costs by 10% of the amount.

Cuba Best Time To Travel

All times are good to visit Cuba. The warm and rainy season extends from May to October, but winter (December to April) the high season for tourism in Cuba, where the planes arrive full of Canadians and Europeans in search of the tropical sun. Cubans tend to make their holidays in July and August, so the beaches are more crowded at this time. At Christmas and Easter, as well as in the days ahead to July 26, the anniversary of the revolution, also tend to be very popular.

Cuba festivals and Holidays

During the carnival in Havana, during the month of July parades are held in front of the Capitolio or along the Malecón on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. Days of Culture Camagüeyan coincided with the first fortnight of February and the Festival International de Jazz de La Habana takes place every two years, also in February. Takes place in April in Baracoa Cultural Week, and in the Varadero Festival of Electroacoustic Music. During the first week of May is celebrated in May in the Pilgrimage of Holguin, and at the end of June Trinidad hosts the Fiestas Sanjuanero. In Santiago de Cuba Carnival takes place over the last two weeks of July and early August, coinciding with the holiday of July 26. This festival was held in July since 1959, following the end of the sugar harvest. During these ten days, the drum is the king of the party. The Festival of Caribbean Culture convenes in either June or July and in October you can attend for ten days at the events of the Festival of Contemporary Music in Havana, and in late November was organized in Trinidad Week of Culture Trinitaria. The Latin American Film Festival takes place in Havana in December.

Holidays
January 1: Liberation Day
May 1: Labor Day
July 25-27: Celebration of National Rebellion
October 10: Day of Cuban Culture
Note that Christmas Day is considered a public holiday since the Pope John Paul II visited the island in 1997

Cuba Best Places to travel
Havana

It is the largest city in the Caribbean, as well as the center of all that is Cuba. Despite its turbulent history, Havana was little damaged by civil wars and revolutions, and today remains largely as it was built over one hundred years. The city has a slightly

decadent atmosphere, continue to circulate through the streets of large American cars of the fifties and sixties, while the layers of paint and plaster of the buildings without shelling stopped. Havana has many examples of Spanish colonial architecture, many of which are being restored. Also has a lively nightlife, with cinemas, historic theaters, cabarets, night clubs and local music that can reach up to drain more haggard tanning. There is less movement and less shelf life than any other city in Latin America with same dimensions. But from the rough brilliance of Old Havana to residential areas damaged the exuberant friendliness of the people shines above all.

Santiago de Cuba

Havana City rival in everything related to literature, music and politics, Santiago de Cuba is considered the "cradle of revolution", because of the role he played in the time to overthrow the Batista regime. Unlike other Cuban towns, has a remarkable aroma Caribbean, due to the influence of French settlers and Haitians who settled there during the nineteenth century. Its distinctiveness is due to isolation from Havana, and his own history is as lively as the capital (the first mayor was Hernán Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico).

Palaces and houses the oldest museums in Cuba, such as Casa de Diego Velázquez and the Museo Municipal Bacardí. In the bay of Santiago de Cuba many homes have balconies with beautiful wrought iron railings, windows and capricious forms narrow external staircases. Santa Ifigenia Cemetery is the eternal resting place of many famous revolutionaries, among them José Martí.

Trinidad

Founded in 1514, Trinidad was a haven for smugglers until the end point of the eighteenth century. They brought gold and slaves from Jamaica, a colony controlled by the British crown, but the situation changed in the early nineteenth century, when a

slave revolt in Haiti caused French settlers took refuge in Trinidad. The town prospered until the global crisis of 1857 and gradually the center of industry and the sugar trade moved westward. The legacy of this fleeting wealth produced by the sugar can be seen from the towers of the baroque churches in the Carrara marble floors in the wrought iron and in the ramshackle houses. Worth a visit the Municipal Museum, the largest in the city, and the Pottery Workshop, which continues to work as ceramic techniques. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Cuba are just the outskirts of Trinidad.

Baracoa

Baracoa is situated on a promontory between two picturesque bays near the easternmost point of Cuba

, Cape Maisí. Founded in 1512 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, is the oldest European settlement on the island. Until the 1960s could only be accessible to people by sea, until finally completed construction of a road connecting it with the rest of the island. Baracoa in the atmosphere is quite calm, and the abundance of palm trees along the coast gives it an air near the South Pacific. Was once an important Spanish outpost, which showed three strong impressive: Fort Matachín, which now houses the Municipal Museum, Fort Point, converted restaurant, and Castle Seboruco, transformed into a nice hotel.

Provincia de Pinar del Río

Naturalists will enjoy the most western part of the country. Two biosphere reserves of UNESCO protects some of the most charming landscapes of the island, including areas of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico 175 km long, a paradise for hikers. The bed of limestone in the province is clipped into beautiful hills, like those of Viñales, in the

whole region there are caves carved by underground rivers, some of which you can practice diving. If you choose to dive into saltwater, Maria la Gorda has some of the most beautiful underwater scenery of the Caribbean.
After a few days of exercise can relieve sore muscles in San Diego de los Baños, a centennial resort with Spanish natural hot springs. After a relaxing soaking, you can taste what is the pride of the province: the most refined of snuff just grown Cuba in Pinar del Rio, with love and care.

Bayamo

It is the capital of Granma Province, the southernmost territory of the country, and little visited by tourists. This region played an important role in the fight for Cuban freedom: Fidel Castro and 81 rebels landed from the Granma (now also called on the province) at Cape Cross on December 2, 1956, and the first war of independence

began in the same spot in October 1868 when the Creole landowner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes freed his slaves, formed a militia and invaded the eastern tip of the island. The area presents an abundance of historical landmarks, including the location in which José Martí was killed, and one of the largest protected areas in Cuba, the Great Sierra Maestra National Park, south of Bayamo. This town presents a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere, and makes few concessions to tourism. The population is centered around the Parque Cespedes, a delicious shade containing long marble benches and statues of revolutionary and Perucho Figueredo (who composed the Cuban national anthem in 1868). North of the park is the City Council, against which Céspedes declared the independence of Cuba that same year of the revolution.

Isla de la Juventud

This island is by far the largest of the archipelago of 350 Canarreos. The region is ruled from Nueva Gerona, capital of the island. Much of the land is flat and there is the Lanier Swamp, the second largest dam in Cuba. The Isle of Youth is the least

populated region of the country, and most of its inhabitants are concentrated in the north of it. Formerly known as the Isle of Pines, was a hideout of famous pirates like Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Thomas Baskerville and Henry Morgan, and inspired Treasure Island to the writer Robert Louis Stevenson. The local economy revolves around livestock and fruit trees, and its quiet pace of life and their places are intact its biggest attractions. Merely reaching the Isle of Youth, boat or airplane, is already an adventure. In Punta del Este cave paintings are found, and along the coast of the Pirates, below the tip of the French you can enjoy great dive locations. Coral reefs in the east of the island are home to turtles, iguanas and pelicans, which seem to contemplate with indifference the human presence.

Cuba Activities

There are splendid

opportunities for hiking and trekking in Cuba, and the itinerary of three days through the Sierra Maestra, from Alto del Naranjo to Las Cuevas, crossing the summit of the country, the Pico Turquino, is an attractive lure for travelers strongest. There are virtually no marked trails, maps and professional guides, but the locals tend to accompany the visitor for a few dollars.
It is also fashionable riding and Baconao Trinidad and ranches are available to tourists. Northeast winds provide superb waves between December and April, but the surfers, because of the impossibility of renting plates, must bring their own. Cuba is endowed with great places to scuba diving, and some thirty centers scattered around the country offer organized dives, courses and equipment rental. Fishing is also very popular.

Cuba History

It is believed that the first humans who arrived from Cuba to South America they did around the year 3500 BC, were hunter-gatherers and fishermen. Later he joined the Taino, who were dedicated to agriculture and constitute a branch of the Arawak Indians. Christopher Columbus sighted Cuba on October 27, 1492, and by 1514, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar conquered the island for the Spanish crown, which he founded seven settlements. When the chief Hatuey Taino, the resistance leader, was sentenced to die at the stake, he refused baptism and proclaimed that never want to see another Spanish, even in heaven.

Ranching soon became the mainstay of the Cuban economy. Soon large farms were established under the encomienda system, which is to enslave the natives and instruct them on the pretext of Christianity. In 1542, when this method was abolished, only about 5,000 Indians were (a century before the population was estimated at about 100,000). To overcome the lack of troops, the Spanish imported African slaves, which unlike the United States sent, they were grouped by tribal affinities, and certain aspects of their culture remain valid.
In the seventeenth century other European powers began to challenge the dominance in the Spanish Caribbean: the British took Jamaica in 1655, and Haiti fell into French hands in 1697. British troops invaded Havana in June 1762 and occupied for eleven months, during which imported more slaves spread widely and commercial links on the island. In 1817 ended the long monopoly over the Spanish snuff, and quickly became one of the most important products of the country. The sugar industry also has become crucial, particularly from new markets that were created from 1783 after American independence, and in 1791 when the triumph of the slaves in Haiti, which was eliminated as a competitor. By 1820, Cuba had become the largest producer of sugar in the world.
After the liberator Simón Bolívar, led to much of Mexico and South America to independence, the Spanish possessions in the western hemisphere were limited to Cuba and Puerto Rico. The Loyalists fled the former colonies and headed for the

island. However, they also began demanding autonomy in the country, albeit under the Spanish flag.
In October 1868, the landowner Carlos Manuel de Céspedes began the first war of independence of Cuba. After ten years and 200,000 dead, the rebel forces were exhausted, and signed a pact guaranteeing amnesty. Meanwhile, a group of exiled Cuban revolutionaries in the United States, organized and promoted by José Martí, began planning the overthrow of Spanish colonial government. Martí, a respected journalist and important poet, was the author of the Simple Verses, which years later would be popularized by the song Joseito Fernandez Guantanamera. Martí and his military commander, General Máximo Gómez, landed in the east of the island in 1895, few days later, the poet, who could be easily identified on their white horse, died in combat. His death made him a martyr and national hero of Cuba.
Gómez and rebel leader Antonio Maceo moved westward, sweeping everything in its path. Spain increased his repression, intern civilians in concentration camps and ordered to perform publicly, supporters of the revolution. After the revolt, the Cuban economy based on agriculture, were ruined, and the Spaniards adopted a more conciliatory approach, giving autonomy to the country, but the people, discontent, refused to accept any solution that does not provide for full independence.
José Martí had been warned repeatedly about the American interest in Cuba, and in 1898 it was possible to verify the validity of their insights. After several years in reading the newspapers (and often false) stories about the second war of independence of Cuba, the American public was fascinated by the island. Although the situation was calm, the press magnate William Randolph Hearst asked his illustrator not to come back right away: "You provide me the pictures and I will provide the war." In January 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine, anchored outside the harbor of Havana, exploded in a mystery. All officers, except two, were outside the ship at that time. The war between Spain and United States had begun.

Spain, weakened by conflict in other areas that had entered into war with difficulty, trying to preserve their dignity in the Caribbean. Spanish troops were defeated by the future president Teddy Roosevelt and his volunteer cavalry, the Rough Riders at the battle of San Juan Hill in Santiago de Cuba. But United States had given preference to the superiority of their forces, and December 12, 1898 signed a peace treaty that ended the contest. The Cubans, including General Calixto García, whose army, mostly blacks, had inflicted dozens of defeats the Spanish, were not invited.
United States, gripped by a law which required that his government respected the self-Cuba, could not annex the entire island, as it did with Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. Instead, they appointed a governor, General John Brooke, and began conducting a series of public works projects, including school construction and organization of public health. The leaders of the major power retained the legal right to intervene militarily in the internal affairs of Cuba and in 1903 built a United States naval base at Guantanamo Bay, which remains active today.
In the 1920s, U.S. companies owned two thirds of the arable land in Cuba, and imposing tariffs that prevented the development of manufacturing industries in Cuba. Institutionalized discrimination against blacks, and soon flourished based tourism in the consumption of alcohol, gambling and prostitution. The hardships of the Great Depression led to civil unrest, which was violently repressed by President Gerardo Machado y Morales. In 1933 he was overthrown by a military coup, and army sergeant Fulgencio Batista took power. During the next twenty years, Cuba will be ruined and their property passed into foreign hands gradually. In January 1959, the Batista dictatorship was overthrown after a guerrilla campaign that lasted three years, led by young lawyer Fidel Castro. Batista left Cuba and moved to Dominican Republic, taking with him $ 40 million from government funds.

Fidel Castro was named prime minister and began reforming the nation's economy, cutting rents and nationalizing more than 400 hectares of fields. Relations with United States, who were convulsed, deteriorated when Cuba nationalized the oil refineries operated by the Americans. The powerful northern neighbors responded by cutting imports of Cuban sugar and thus mutilating the island's economy, while the CIA began a tortuous plotting strategies to bring down the revolutionary government. Castro, in despair at the lack of liquidity, sought support from the Soviet Union, who immediately paid the price of gold Cuban sugar surplus.
In 1961, four hundred thousand Cuban expatriates trained by the CIA, who supported Batista and took refuge in Miami after the revolution, attacked the island. Were captured immediately and sent back to United States in exchange for medical supplies. A week later, Castro announced the 'socialist nature' of the revolutionary government, which until then had refused. The Soviet Union, always eager to help a Marxist nation (especially if it was so well placed strategically) sent food staples, technical support and nuclear weapons. It is believed that the world never came as close to nuclear conflict during the Missile Crisis of October 1962.
The missiles were shipped back to the Soviet Union and declared the United States embargo against Cuba. Fidel Castro and his economy minister, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, began actively supporting guerilla groups in South America and Africa, sending troops and military experts to advise the socialist rebellion in Zaire, Angola, Mozambique, Bolivia ( where "Che" Guevara was killed) and Ethiopia. The U.S. response was to support dictators in many of these countries. In the 1970s, Cuba began to restrict the dispatch of doctors and technicians abroad because of the many problems experienced on the island. Despite massive Soviet aid, Cuba's economy was in ruin and distress reached its most delicate point in 1989 when Russia withdrew its aid to the collapse of East Europe.

In December 1991 amendments were applied to the Cuban constitution to remove all references to Marxism-Leninism and began economic reform. In 1993 laws were passed that allowed to possess and use U.S. dollars, self-employment and open commercial establishments. In 1994 we introduced a system to convert U.S. dollars into the Cuban peso, and in September 1996 allowed foreign companies to have their own business and manage to buy real estate. These measures prevented the economy gradually becomes carried away by the post-Soviet decline. United States responded by tightening the embargo under the Helms-Burton Act, which ironically strengthened Castro's position.
It has long been critical of the Cuban government for not respecting human rights, at least 500 people are "prisoners of conscience" or for criticizing Castro for trying to organize a political opposition. When Pope John Paul II visited the island in January 1998 ordered both the heavy hand of the Cuban government as the United States embargo. Every year, hundreds of citizens challenging the shark-infested waters separating Cuba from Florida, hoping to obtain U.S. citizenship and support of the wealthy Cuban community who is exiled in Miami.
In November 1999, Elian Gonzalez, six years, whose mother died during the voyage, reached Miami. This fact caused by an unusual custody battle between the child's uncle, grandfather, a Cuban exile living in United States, and Elian's father, a Communist Party member who wanted his son returned to Cuba. Surprisingly, the U.S. authorities determined that Elian should return to his father.

Furthermore, there are several possibilities for the United States Congress to support bills that would relax the embargo, particularly on food and medicine, as well as travel restrictions between the two countries. But tensions are always high on the agenda, as in May 2002 when the U.S. accused Fidel Castro of producing biological weapons, and it included Cuba in its list of the most dangerous countries in the world. Meanwhile, the European Union has put a penalty for violating human rights, and countries such as Mexico and Uruguay have suspended diplomatic relations with the island.

Cuba Culture & People

African slaves brought with them the rhythms and ritual dances to Cuba, where they mixed with Spanish guitars and melodies and then expanded and developed throughout America (United States took in the 1920s to the rumba, to merge with sections of metal percussion and jazz, led to the sound of big bands). The conga was developed by slaves shackled in chains they advanced, while much of contemporary Cuban dance has significant similarities with Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria. Currently the most popular music in Cuba is the son, which originated in the hills of Oriente Province before the beginning of the twentieth century and incorporates instruments like the guitar, the tres (a small Cuban stringed instrument), bass , bongos, shakers and the keys. Mambo, bolero, salsa and chachacha also derived from this tune. The most famous exponents of Cuban music were Pérez Prado and Benny Moré, but continues to evolve and today includes many artists who continue to cultivate quality music.

The most famous literary figure of the country is José Martí, whose life and death as a martyr ideology confer national hero category. Other major writers include Cirilo Villaverde and Peace (1812-1894), Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980), Nicolás Guillén (1902-1989) and Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1929).

Among the film makers need to talk about Cuban Tomas Gutierrez Alea (1928-1996), whose film Strawberry and Chocolate was unanimously praised, and Humberto Solas, whose works have also obtained a major international host.
Painter Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) and Mariano Rodriguez (1912-1990) are among the most important has been the country; Mendive Manuel (1944) is the most prominent painter of today.
After the revolution the arts were actively supported by the government were founded many theaters, museums and art schools, was guaranteed a salary for the musicians and established a national film industry. The government has sought to counter the influence of mass culture by subsidizing U.S. companies to cultural groups and Afro-Cuban theatrical trend.

Historically, Catholicism has been the dominant religion in Cuba, and still is, because at least 40 percent of the people declaring that religion, and about 4 percent are Protestants. The vagueness with regard to institutional Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion, obscures the fact that a majority of citizens belonging to religious afrocatólica merging more or less, and the number of practitioners has increased since the government ended its official atheism in 1992. True to their culture of miscegenation, Cubans grafted Catholicism have on African religions brought by slaves, it follows the existence of gods equivalents for most Catholic saints. When Pope John Paul II crowned Nuestra Senora de la Caridad del Cobre, patron saint of Cuba, Santeria devotees of the place itself as a triumph because this virgin Ochun identified, their goddess of love and abundance.
The Cuban cuisine is a blend of Spanish and African techniques with local products. Dishes like Moros y Cristianos (black beans and rice) and rice with chicken and picadillo (ground beef with rice) are very common, as well as soups made from bananas, chickpeas and beans. However, there is food shortage in the island, and eating out can lead to long waits at restaurants or in the state dining room at the hotels. Cuban beer is excellent and the cocktails are famous

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Travel to Tunisia

Culture and History Travel Tour to Tunisia

The list of interesting places in Tunisia would do justice to a country twice as big. From the villages of the stone age, near the oasis of Kebili up scenarios where they filmed part of Star Wars (in Matmata), its landscapes, lush or moles, have seen more action than all the countries of Africa together. After traveling a few days, anyone would agree to let the imagination in the famous Roman ruins of Carthage and El-Jem is almost as immersed in the Aeneid of Virgil and have a drink with Dido, while a day holgazanea the beaches on the north coast were asking what Hannibal was looking away from Tunisia.
Whether the cultural mix of French and Arabic capital or vast extension of the Sahara, which is impressive in Tunisia. After all, three thousand years of history to convince any visitor.

Tunisia best time

In January and February, a period of cold weather and rainy, the hotel prices down. During the warm season from June to August, prices of hotels are increasing, a shortage of rental cars and markets and museums are packed with tourists.

Tunisia Mean festivals and Holidays

The Islamic calendar (which begins with AH, ie, the flight of Mohammed to Medina) is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian. Over the next few years Ras as-Sana, the celebration of Islamic New Year falls in April. Moreover, Moul an-Nabi celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad around June or July. The festivities include parades in the streets, feasts, drummers and special sweets. Ramadan, commemorating the month when it was revealed to Muhammad the Koran, is held during the ninth month of Islamic calendar (now in December). In deference, the faithful do not eat or drink until after the sun. At the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) the fasting breaks with visits to friends, feasts and gifts.
Eid al-Adha is the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim must undertake at least once in life. The streets are decorated with colored lights and children wear their best clothes. As a secular festivals, July and August are the months to remember. The main event of the calendar of Tunisia is the Carthage International Festival, which offers performances of music, theater and dance at the restored Roman theater in Carthage. The International Festival of Symphonic Music El Jem is held each July. Festival of classical theater Dougga happens in July and August. After the summer heat, it's International Film Festival of Carthage (the films focusing on African and Middle East), which takes place in October of odd years.

Secular holidays

January 1 - New Year
March 20 - Independence Day
March 21 - Youth Day
April 9 - Day of the Martyrs
May 1 - Labor Day
July 25 - Republic Day
August 3 - Fiesta official
August 13 - Women's Day
October 15 - Day of Evacuation
November 7 - Anniversary of access to the chairmanship of Ben Ali

Tunisia Most Attraction Places to Travel

Tunis ( medina )

Compared to the great metropolis of the world, Tunisia is not too impressed. The center is compact and easy to navigate, it is essential for travelers located in the medina and the Ville Nouvelle.
The medina is the historical and cultural heart of modern Tunisia and a place to get an idea of life in the city. Built during the seventh century, it lost its privilege as the center of the capital when the French took over and built their new city by the end of the nineteenth century. One of the oldest attractions of the medina, Zitoun mosque was rebuilt in the ninth century on the original structure of the seventh century. Its builders recycled two hundred columns of the Roman ruins of Carthage for the central prayer hall. Non-Muslims can come dressed in modesty into the yard. The smell will help translate the name of the nearby Souq el-Attarine, the perfumer souk, where shops were fed with aromatic oils and spices. West, the Mosque of Youssef Dey was the first Ottoman-style was built in the City (1616). In nearby Souq el-Berka Muslim corsairs sold slaves.

Also in the medina, the Tourbet el-Bey is a huge mausoleum that houses the remains of many Beysen, princesses, pastors and counselors husseinitas, the guard is an enthusiastic guide. Not far from the Dar Ben Abdallah Museum houses the Center for Popular Arts and Traditions, where the exhibits seem mediocre in contrast to the majestic backdrop of the building. The area is Dar el-Haddad, one of the oldest houses. The Medina was declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO in 1981.

The streets of the ville nouvelle are flanked by buildings full of imprint French wrought iron gates and window slats, elements that give it a European air, accentuated by the terraces of cafes and bakeries. After admiring the colonial architecture, it is worth visiting the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul, which presents an extraordinarily bizarre amalgam of architectural styles (Gothic, Byzantine and North Africa).

After about 4 miles west of downtown lies the essential Bardo Museum, in the former Bardo Palace, official residence of Beysen husseinitas. In the interior, the collection is divided into sections covering different periods: the Carthaginian, Roman, early times of Christianity and the Arab-Islamic. The Roman part contains one of the best exhibits of mosaics and statues from around the world. You can reach the museum by taxi or tram.

Carthage

Despite the fascinating history of Carthage and the dominant position it held in the ancient world, the Romans were such demolition work that remains today are somewhat disappointing. Almost all that remains is of Roman origin; any other Punic. There are six areas of interest, and most annoying for the visitor is that they are scattered and far apart from each other. To overcome this problem, you can take line TGM (light rail), which crosses the area, but cautions that, even so, one must walk a lot.

The best starting point is Byrsa hill, which dominates the area and provides an overview from the top. At his feet is the St Louis Cathedral, visible from several miles around. It is a staggering proportions, which was erected by the French in 1890 and dedicated to the king-saint of the thirteenth century, who died on the shores of Carthage, in 1270, during the Eighth Crusade. Although it was deconsecrated and closed for years, has now been restored and opened to the public. The National Museum is the large white building located at the rear of the cathedral, and its exhibits, refurbished, deserve a look. The Punic displays, on the top floor is highly recommended.

The Roman amphitheater in West Byrsa, 15 minutes walk from the museum, was one of the largest in the Empire, but today it is little of its luster. Most of its stones were removed for other construction projects in the following centuries. The set of huge tanks located northeast of the amphitheater was the main water supply for Carthage during the Roman era, is now in ruins and the difficulties of access, among spiny prickly pear, make little effort deserves.

The Baths of Antoninus is located to the south, in the seafront, and primarily impressed by its size and location. The Magon Quarter is another archaeological site near the sea, a few meters south of the baths. Recent excavations have revealed an interesting residential area.

Tofet the sanctuary has attracted considerable interest since it was first excavated in 1921. The Tofet was a place of sacrifice with a cemetery annex, where the children of Carthaginian nobles were killed and burnt to appease the deities Baal Hammon and Tanit. He is currently little more than a plot full of weeds with a few graves.

Sidi Bou Saïd

Sidi Bou Saïd is a whitewash village situated high on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Tunisia, about 10 km northeast of the capital. It is a delightful place to stroll through its narrow cobbled streets. Its glittering walls are fitted with bars on every window, decorated and painted in an intense blue color, and eye-arched entrances that provide access to patios sprinkled with geraniums and bougainvillea. No one would blame you think you have encountered a tiny Greek island.

The center of activity of the population is its main square, Place Sidi Bou Saïd, lined with cafes, put candy and souvenir shops. The lighthouse, which overlooks the village, stands on the site of a fort of the IX century. There is a small beach nearby and relatively empty.

Cap Bon Peninsula

This fertile peninsula penetrating into the Mediterranean from the north-eastern Tunisia. Geologists speculate the possibility that in the past came to Sicily, forming a land link with Europe is plunged into the sea 30,000 years ago. At present, Cap Bon (especially the beaches of the Southeast around Hammamet and Nabeul) is the leading destination Tunisian tourists arriving with package holidays.

In a summer stroll through the streets of Hammamet is likely to discover ten tourists each neighbor of the people, and the pace never loose, except in the winter and for a short time. Its location on the northern edge of the Gulf of Hammamet is his great asset, and its old medina, which dominates a large area of sandy beach is undoubtedly one of the attractions. It is also a city filled with life, full of nightclubs, restaurants and colorful shops. Everything a visitor could want, except isolation.

The biggest difference between your neighbor and Hammamet, Nabeul, is that the latter has a variety of accommodations, including camping area better organized in the country. The market in Nabeul Friday is one of the liveliest in the country, even though not having an excess of bargains or items of quality.

When it comes to Kelibia have been behind the most popular tourist destinations in Tunisia. In its place will be a tiny town that survives mainly on its fishing fleet, with a few modest and resorts, fabulous beaches and a strong protection of the sixth century which dominates the port.

Halfway between El-Haouaria Kelibia and is Kerkouane town of Carthage, a city founded in the sixth century BC finally destroyed by Roman forces. Was excavated in 1962 and houses a museum these findings, as the princess of Kerkouane, the lid of a wooden coffin carved in the shape of the goddess Astarte.

The small town of El-Haouaria is located below the mountainous tip of Cap Bon. It is a passage with several quiet beaches acceptable, especially in Ras El-Drek, but its main attraction are the caves in the Roman coast, 3 km west of the city. Much of the stone that was used to lift Carthage was extracted from this remarkable complex of yellow sandstone caves. The quarrymen discovered that the quality of the stone was much better at the base of the cliffs on the surface, so it opted to open tunnels. After nearly a thousand years removing sandstone caves are the result today.

Dougga

The Roman ruins of Dougga, 105 km southwest of the capital, is considered the most spectacular and best preserved of the country. Occupy a prominent position on the edge of the mountains of Tebersouk, overlooking the fertile valley of Oued Kalle, where wheat is grown. The site was occupied until the early 1950, when residents were evacuated to help preserve the ruins.

In Dougga there'sa lot to see and it is worth hiring a licensed guide. The first monument to be seen is the theater, with capacity for 3,500 spectators on the hillside and built in the year 188 AD by one of the wealthy inhabitants of the city. Has been rebuilt and is ideal for light classical theater Dougga Festival which is held in July and August. A little beyond, a trail leads to the temple of Saturn, erected on the site of an earlier temple dedicated to Baal Hammon. Southwest of the theater, a winding road leads to the square of the Winds, where the surface is prepared as an enormous bar and lists the names of twelve winds. Another temple along the plaza to the north, while the market and the capitol are located south and west, respectively.

The Capitol is one of the most remarkable monuments of the country, which was erected in the year 166 AD Six striated columns supporting the portico, which is about eight meters above the ground. The frieze has eroded a little sculpture, rare indeed, which shows the emperor Pius Antonio between the claws of an eagle. Inside there was an enormous statue of Jupiter, whose fragments are now in the Bardo Museum in Tunisia. Near the house of Dionysus and Odysseus was once a sumptuous residence in it was a mosaic showing the last mesmerized by the sirens (now part of the Bardo Museum in the capital).

El-Jem

There are few sights more dazzling that El Jem, the well-preserved ancient coliseum and almost as large as that of Rome, which dwarfs the buildings of the modern city. Built on a plateau halfway between Sousse and Sfax, about 210 km south of the capital, El-Jem can see from several miles around, dominating the entire area.

The coliseum, built between the years 230 and 238 AD, has been used as a defensive position on many occasions. Suffered severe damage in the seventeenth century, when the troops of Mohammed Bey opened a hole in the Western Wall to the departure of members of the local tribesmen who had rebelled against the taxes required. The gap widened further during a rebellion in 1850, but, fortunately, it is now attaches great importance to conservation and has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

With a capacity for 30,000 people (a figure that exceeds that of the city's population), is one of the most impressive Roman monuments in Africa. Still be higher up the bleachers and watch the sand, or explore the two long subterranean passages that once housed gladiators, animals and unhappy convicts.
Tozeur

Tozeur is one of the most popular stops for passengers, and has been since the period capsiense (around 8000 BC). Its main attractions lie in a labyrinthine old town, an interesting museum and a vast palm grove on the northern tip of Chott el-Jerid. At about 435 km southwest of the capital, the road becomes exciting: the road crosses a Kebili Chott (dried salt lake) for a flyover.

The evocative old part of town, Ouled el-Hadef, was built in the fourteenth century AD to house the El-Hadef clan, which was enriched by the trade caravans. It is a maze of narrow alleys and tiny squares covered and has gained fame for his methods of real brick. There is a small but notable archaeological museum is worth a visit.

In addition to the Bardo Museum in the capital, Dar Charait Museum is another great museum in the country by the worth of the diverted route. It displays a large collection of pottery and antiques. Has an art gallery and rooms made up as replicas of Tunisian life, past and present. Include room for the last bey, a palace decorated, the baths (hammam) and a Bedouin tent. The guards of the museum, dressed as servants of the Bey, they collaborate with their appearance into the environment.

The palm groves of Tozeur is the second largest of Tunisia, with nearly two hundred thousand palm trees on an area of 10 km ². It is a classic example of oasis agriculture on the terrace and is stocked by over two hundred springs, which produce about sixty million gallons of water a day. The best way to explore the palm grove is on foot or by bicycle, which can be rented at the entrance.
Susa

Sousse is the third most important city in Tunisia as well as a prominent port. Is also the most popular tourist destination. The long beach that extends north from the town to the tourist enclave of Port el-Kantaoui is its main hook. However, Susa is not limited to the row of hotels that surround its shores.

The old medina contains quite a number of monuments. The walls are impressive, with an area of 2.25 km and a height of 8 m, fortified with a series of solid square turrets. The Ribat, a strong small square, was built at the end of the eighth century AD Presents a vantage point round which allows uploading and is an excellent viewpoint over the city. The austere Great Mosque, with its towers and crenellated walls, more reminiscent of a strong to a mosque. The Museum of Susa, which occupies the citadel (Kasbah) in the southwest corner of the medina, shows several of the most beautiful mosaics in the country.
Matmata

Anywhere else in Tunisia organized tourism is so excessive as in the village of Matmata, 400 km south of the capital, on the southeast coast. The houses of this village troglodyte underground have proved an irresistible claim for tourists or travelers who access the site in vehicles after a safari through the desert.

It is not difficult to understand why coaches do not let go of. The passage follows an almost surreal air, with both a lunar environment. Surely that is why it was chosen as a filming location for scenes from the movie Desert Wars. Berbers built houses on the ground over a thousand years ago to escape the extreme heat of summer. All the houses are virtually identical, with a courtyard excavated to about 6 m deep in tunnels and rooms open on the sides. The larger with two or three yards and are accessed via a narrow staircase from the courtyard to the surface.

If you want to see Matmata self (there are always guides available), it is appropriate to visit the hotels. It should arrive in late afternoon, after the tourist buses have departed, and a walk beyond the hotel Ksar Amazigh. From there, there are good views of Matmata, which is behind, and the valley of Oued Barrak, to the north. In return, we must quench the thirst in the Sidi Driss hotel bar (the famous cantina in Star Wars) and I look to the hotel and the hotel Berbere Marhala. This will have seen the most notable of the city.

Bizerta

The port city of Bizerte, 65km north of the capital, is the largest in the north of Tunisia. Yet undiscovered by mass tourism, is one of the reasons why it deserves a visit. Acceptable has beaches close to town, but its attraction lies in the architecture of the neighborhood's old port.

The huge citadel (Kasbah) is the most imposing structure of the old town with its massive walls descollando on the northern entrance to the port. Was originally a Byzantine strong built in the sixth century AD, the present was erected by the Ottomans in the seventeenth century. The strong small (ksibah) is the southern bastion of defense of the port, was built by the Byzantines and changed over the centuries. At present has its interesting Oceanographic Museum.

Bouchoucha Place, which is really more a street than a square, is located in the heart of the Ottoman city, flanked by the Old Port to the east and west Medina. The area offers lively fish markets, the Grand Mosque, built in 1652 with a striking octagonal minaret, and the source of Youssef Dey, inlaid with beautiful, dates from 1642. The so-called strong Spanish dominates the city from the hill that comes north of the medina, is actually Turkish, and was built in the year 1570 AD
Ichkeul National Park

Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this national park, 30 km southwest of Bizerte is a sanctuary for birds of passage, especially in winter when the lake Ichkeul and surrounding marshes are home to over two hundred thousand migratory waterbirds across Europe. These include a considerable number of coots, mallards silbones, various species of ducks and lesser-known birds such as red and purple Ansar common, the emblem of the park.

Ichkeul is the only national park in Tunisia with facilities for visitors, but does not have lodging and camping is prohibited.
Mahdia

Mahdia is one of the few cities in the central Tunisian coast that has not yet been exploited tourism. It is a quiet enclave, founded in the year 916 AD and located on a small peninsula about 200 km southeast of the capital. Medina has a fascinating, and when founded the famous historian Ibn Khaldoun visited during the fourteenth century and described as Mehdia the richest city on the coast of Barbary.

Walking tour take about two hours. The el-Skif Kahla, solid fortified gate access is all that remains of the original city and has some incredible views from above. This opens the narrow, cobbled main street, Rue Ali Bey, who was formerly the souk and now collects an increasing number of tourism jobs. Heading east to the Place du Caire, the passenger will be presented with a square shaded by trees, vines and cafes. The ornate arched entrance and the octagonal minaret in the south of it belong to the mosque of Mustafa Hamza, built in 1772, when the plaza was the center of the Turkish quarter.

Continuing east on the Rue Ali Bey, is the Great Mosque. Built in 1965, is a replica of the original, in the year 921 AD, which was destroyed in 1554 by Spanish troops who beat a retreat. Non-Muslims can enter the courtyard outside the hours of prayer. Nearby, you can admire the tiny minaret of the mosque Slimane Hamza, and if it continues eastwards, towards the Borj el-Kebir, is a sixteenth century fortress situated on the highest point of the peninsula. Leaving the fort are a cemetery and a lighthouse near the remains of the original port.

Tunisia activities

The recommended beaches of Tunisia are around the northern towns of el-Ghar Melhado, Tabarka and Bizerte, preferable to the crowded tourist areas. Those further south are theoretically good, but not suited for swimming, the most recommended is in Aghir.

The country is beginning to discover the possibilities of outdoor recreation. The forest in the mountains of Kroumirie around Ain Draham, has enormous potential, but not yet drawn detailed maps. Most popular at the moment are the camel tours, for which you are advised to move Zaafrane, 12 km southwest of Douz, where you can negotiate from a walk one hour to eight days of a trip to the oasis. If the traveler is caught in the charms of the desert in some places you can go skiing in the dunes and racing yachts in the sand.

Birding is a popular activity, although the country has few resident species, but it is an important stop for migratory birds during spring and autumn. Ichkeul National Park in the north is the best site to contemplate.

Upload balloon and seaplane flights are two relatively new options to see the country from the air which can be conducted in Tozeur and Aghir respectively.

Tunisia history

Tunisia may be the smallest country in northern Africa, but its strategic position has ensured a rich history. Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Ottomans and French have spoken in the region at some time in their history. The first to appear were probably a group of Homo Erectus make a few hundred thousand years. Accessed by the Northwest through the Sahara from East Africa. It is believed that what is now arid desert was covered in those days of forest, scrub and grass savanna, similar to the plains of Kenya and Tanzania at present. The first clear sign of human habitation was discovered near Kebili, located south of town near an oasis, and dates back some two hundred thousand years ago.

The first of Tunisia today that Utica was settled by the Phoenicians in the twelfth century BC Used it as a stopover en route from its port of origin, Tire (in the current Lebanon) to the Iberian Peninsula. They established a chain of docks along the North African coast, including Hadrumnetum (Sousse) and Hippo Diarrhytus (Bizerte). But the port that occupies a prominent place in history books is Carthage, arch in Rome. It became the most important city of the western Phoenician world in the seventh century BC, especially after the decline of Tire, and the most powerful African Mediterranean early V century BC His power continued until the Punic wars, which pitted Rome (263-146 BC). But Carthage was completely wiped out after the defeat of Hannibal to Scipio, its inhabitants were sold as slaves and the region became a province of the Empire.

The emperor Augustus consolidated Carthage city in 44 BC as Julius Caesar claimed his predecessor, proconsular Design Capital of Africa. The region served as a granary for Rome, to the first century AD, the plains of Tunisia met over 60% of the wheat Empire. The Romans founded cities and colonies on the plains and the coast of Tunisia, the region experiencing its period of greatest prosperity of the Flavian dynasty and severe, its ruins are the main attractions today.

At the beginning of V century, when the power of Rome was in a state of irreversible decline, the Vandals decided that it was ripe for conquest. In ten years, made his capital in Carthage. Dispossessed of their practices away from the native Berber population, which formed small kingdoms and began assaulting the colonies vandals. The Byzantines of Constantinople, who seized the territory in 533 and kept it over the following 150 years, also clashed with the guerrillas Berbers. During the Byzantine period there was an artistic and economic renaissance.

Islam made its appearance in the seventh century when Arab armies spread from Arabia and Egypt conquered quickly. His first foray dates from 647. The Muslims defeated the Byzantines in Sufetula, Kairouan make up their base camp in the year 670. In Kairouan as its capital, the region became a province of the Islamic empire.

Berbers adopted Islam, but they rose up against the cruel to them Arabs. The uprisings continued until 909, when a group of Berber Shiites, the Fatimids, regrouped and snatched the Berber tribes of North Africa to the Arabs. Cairo was founded in the year 973 and established his capital in Mahdia, but the unit was soon broken, the tribes began fighting among themselves and North Africa was slowly reduced to ruins. This weakness was exploited by the Normans, who occupied the island of Jerba in 1134.

Conflicts arose again when the area was involved in the rivalry between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the mid-sixteenth century. Tunisia changed hands half a dozen times in about fifty years before the Turks finally conquered in the year 1574 and become part of Ottoman territory until the nineteenth century, when France became the new power of the western Mediterranean.

In 1881 France, under the pretext of responding to attacks on the border of its Algerian colony, sent 30,000 troops to Tunisia, which were soon to occupy the capital and force the bey ruler to cede power. Were gradually seizing the best land in Tunisia. The defeat of France early in World War II allowed the Tunisian nationalists intensified their campaign for independence. One man in particular, Habib Bourguiba, leader of the nationalist Neo-Destour, undertook the task of putting the country at the forefront of international politics.

Tunisia gained independence officially March 20, 1956, with Bourguiba as prime minister. The following year, the country became a Republic and Bourguiba became its first president. The president promoted political and social changes of far-reaching: considering religion as a brake on progress of the country undertook to reduce their role in society outside of the Orthodox influence in their traditional fields such as education and justice. The Shariah courts (Islamic law) were abolished, and lands that had funded the mosques and religious institutions seized.

Bourguiba was president of the country until 1987, when his Interior Minister Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, won the presidency and Bourguiba was declared mentally incapacitated to govern and that he had "retired" to a palace on the outskirts of Monastir .

Ben Ali appease the Islamic opposition, making a pilgrimage to Mecca and ordered to observe the fast of Ramadan. Currently the opposition parties remain in hiding and there is censorship in the media. In the October 1999 elections, Ben Ali won by an absolute majority. After the death of Bourguiba in April 2000 raised widespread and obvious discrepancies in the regime of Ben Ali and the riots are becoming clearer.

Tunisia culture & people

The Berbers were the first settlers in Tunisia but, over the centuries, successive waves of migrants settled Phoenicians, Jews, Romans, Vandals and Arabs in the country. In addition there was a considerable influx of Muslims from Spain and the Ottoman Turks also contributed their bit for the ethnic mix.

Islam is the official religion of the country. Despite an undeniable religious revival, particularly among youth and the unemployed, the nation is still fairly liberal. There is a small community of practicing Jews in the capital and the island of Jerba, and about twenty thousand Roman Catholics.

Thanks in large part to the efforts of secular and socialist former president Habib Bourguiba, the conditions for women are better than the other countries of the Islamic world (in the eyes of Westerners, at least). This agent outlaw polygamy and divorce by repudiation, and also placed limits on the tradition of the wedding subsidies, establishing a women 17 years of age to marry and giving them the right to reject the proposals of marriage. Your opinion on the veil ( "an odious rag"), explains its insignificant presence in the moment.

Yet, traditions are not easily lost, and is recommended for travelers to dress discreetly. Men shorts are considered to be in underwear and in specific situations can cause outrage. Public demonstrations of affection between couples are frowned upon in most parts of the country.

Today the nation is virtually bilingual: Arabic is the language of government, but nearly everyone is fluent in French. This was the language in which teaching is conducted in the early years of Bourguiba and still is taught from age six. At school is also studied English and German, but it is difficult to read in either language outside the main tourist areas. Berber dialect chelha or tachelnit only heard in the villages isolated.

The hammam (public baths) are one of the centers of life in Tunisia, as in all of northern Africa and the Middle East, and are considered places indicated not only for washing but for relaxing and chatting. All cities have at least a hammam, with separate sections for men and women (sometimes in completely separate buildings). Men need not take anything, they are given a Fouta (Cotton towel) to move in the hammam. Women are expected to bring your own towel (and are in their underwear when washing, so it is recommended to bring dry clothes to change afterwards). A session includes access to the bath, a sauna and steam Kassa, a vigorous scrub with a coarse mitten.

In Tunisia, the art has been greatly influenced by the cultural mix of the country. Architectural styles, for example, range from Punic and Roman contributions to the houses of alpine red tiles Ain Draham, the Islamic architecture of the Arab medinas and underground dwellings of the Berbers in the south.

Malouf, which means normal, is the name given to a form of traditional Arabic music, which has become a kind of institution in the country. Among the principal styles of classical music include the Tunisian Nouba (the oldest of Andalusian origin), the chghoul and bachraf (of Turkish origin). Musicians, singers and composers include all known El-Azifet (a rarity in this part of the world, because it is a group composed exclusively by women), Khemais Tarnane, Raoul Journou, Saliha, Saleh Mehdi, Ali Riahi, Hedi Jouini and Fethi Khairi, although it will be hard to find outside the country.

Tunisia have been discovered in large number of tiles in an excellent state of preservation due to its warm and dry. Dating from the sixth century A.D. II and come mostly in private houses and public baths. The Bardo Museum in the capital, has a magnificent collection and the Museum of El-Jem.

Introduced by the French, the painting is a very contemporary art in Tunisia, with styles that run from the shapes of Hedi Turki and free up the intricate Arabic calligraphy of NJA Mahdaoui. Under the French mandate, the Europeans moved to Tunisia in North Africa under the sun paint, perhaps the most famous was Paul Klee, who visited the country for the first time in 1914. The art galleries are located in the capital and the surrounding area, and highlights the artists' haven of Sidi Bou Saïd.

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Travel to Fiji

culture and History Travel Tour to Fiji

Fiji islands overview

Fiji were known as the "cannibal islands" because they believed that their people were fierce and unfriendly. Unfortunately, its recent political history of coups d'etat has helped many travelers to change their minds. Despite this, Fiji is a beautiful place that enjoys a pleasant tropical climate. Here you can enjoy the practice of various activities such as scuba diving and snorkeling, and it has excellent tourist facilities, both for travelers with limited budget and for those seeking more luxurious vacations.

The history of the islands is unique in the spectrum of the Pacific, which has led to the current melting pot of influences Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, Indian, Chinese and European. For almost fifty years until the military coup of 1987, the indigenous people of Fiji represented only a minority in their own land. During the nineteenth century, the islands became the commercial center of the South Pacific and in 1874, were claimed by the British as a colony. During the approximately one hundred years that Fiji remained under the control of the British colonial government, some ten thousand Indian workers were recruited to work in sugar plantations. Nevertheless, the indigenous Fijians managed to maintain their traditional rites and practices, such as mekes (narrative dances), constructs Bure (home), kava ceremonies, and the development of tissues and ceramic lid.

Fiji Best time Travel to

The mild tropical climate of Fiji became the tourist destination throughout the year and the perfect place to escape the winter in both hemispheres. Probably the best time to visit is during the dry season or "winter" from May to October, offers cooler temperatures, precipitation lowest, a lower degree of humidity and less risk of tropical cyclones.

Fiji Mean festivals and Holidays

The New Year is celebrated in Fiji with particular enthusiasm in some people, the party can last for almost a week, or even a month. In February or March, they celebrate the Hindu Holi (festival of colors), in which people of color thrown water at each other. In March or April, we celebrate the Hindu festival Ram Naumi (Birth of Lord Rama), a religious festival and various parties on the beaches of the Bay of Suva.

During May, the country honors, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna with a national holiday. Considered one of the most important men of state of Fiji, as well as a great soldier, leader and scholar, his day was commemorated with exhibitions of regional culture and games. In late July, there are two national holidays: the day of the Constitution and the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. The Sugar Festival is celebrated in September at Lautoka, and early October is the day of Fiji (Independence Day). Among the Hindu festivals, Diwali is the festival, or festival of lights, which takes place in October or November and the Fijians worship the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, decorate their houses and settled their accounts business.

Fiji Most Attraction Places to Travel

Suva

Suva is the capital of Fiji, is located on the southeast coast of the big island of Viti Levu. While Nadi, west of the island is the center of the country, Suva holds the position of administrative and political center and the main port of the islands. Half the urban population lives in Suva in Fiji and its surroundings, making it one of the largest and most advanced in the South Pacific. Home to the University of the South Pacific, the fascinating museum in Fiji and many buildings from the colonial era. It is a multicultural city in which are mixed mosques, temples, churches and cultural centers. The Roman Catholic cathedral in 1902, is one of the most prominent of the city.

We recommend a walk around the dock area, the Suva municipal market is also a must, for the variety of exotic fruits and vegetables offered, and kava, fish, seafood and spices. In the market there is a multicultural environment with stalls offering snacks and Indian sweets colorful, and fruit drinks in glass containers.

Nadi

The third largest city in Fiji stands on the west coast of Viti Levi, with the mountains in the background. The local economy depends almost entirely on tourism and, although not the most attractive part of the country, it is a good place from which to organize the visit to the island. The tourist offer is very wide: from real economic places to sleep and eat to luxurious hotels like the Sheraton and the Regent. In the city there is a high rate of Hindu population, most are descended from four generations of workers who came to Fiji to work the sugar plantations.

Among the places of interest, stands the temple of Sri Swami Siva Subramaniya in the extreme south of the main street. Visitors are welcome, and the only requirement is to visit that day was not consumed alcohol or non-vegetarian food. There is also a market for quality, offering the usual eclectic mix of Melanesians, Chinese and Indians. The main street of the market is crowded with restaurants, clothing stores, souvenir and duty-free. Nadi is a good place from which to organize other activities such as diving, golf to horseback riding, rafting, ride a motor boat or a microlight.

Mamanuca Group

The Mamanuca Islands are a handful of tiny islands, located near the west coast of Viti Levu, which can be reached by boat from Nadi to make a trip or to stay a few days, as provision of accommodation includes luxury hotels attractions typical backpackers. The island is very popular among tourists who want to practice diving, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing or just want to lie on any of the extensive white sand beaches. The beautiful reefs and colorful fish make scuba diving snorkeling is one of the main attractions. Only a few islands, such as Monument and Monuriki, preserved areas of native forest, home to large numbers of birds and reptiles.

Sigatoka

Sigatoka is a small village on the southern coast of Viti Levu and 61 km south of Nadi and 127 km west of Suva. Situated on the banks of the second largest river in Fiji, its people live mainly on agriculture, but also acts of service to people of coastal hotels Reef. Among the attractions is the large market and a mosque, there are few places to sleep and eat economic. The most striking aspect of the people is the view of the strange dream mansion that stands on the hill behind the village. Sigatoka is the ideal place from which to visit the giant sand dunes of Sigatoka, a short distance, the south coast and the valley of Sigatoka. This valley is a particularly fertile strip of land on which they are about two hundred sites, including Fort Tavuni formed by a series of defensive fortifications built on the land they were built in the eighteenth century by the village chief Maile Tonga Latemai. Also lie in the valley some of the best potters in Fiji.

The highlands of Nausori

In the interior of Viti Levu Island, heading east from Nadi, lie the remote villages of the Nausori Highlands, with beautiful landscapes. The people of Naval is perhaps the most picturesque of Fiji. At present, most of the Fijian people are inclined to the use of precast concrete and corrugated iron for the construction of their buildings, but in Naval virtually all homes and buildings are traditional Bures, which rose about avenues and have a central promenade leading to a river.

This is not an area much visited by tourists, so it is advisable to ask the village chief and ask permission to walk through the place and take some pictures. Sunday is the day of worship and often happens in families, it is appropriate to leave the tour for another time. Another place to make a worthwhile stop is the village of Buku, located further west. There is the possibility of staying overnight in villages, but much care is recommended forms.

Levuka

Levuka is located on the island of Ovalau, west of Viti Levu. During the British colonial government was the country's capital, but in 1882 it was moved to Suva, because of the limited area of Levuka, surrounded by mountains on one side and the sea to another. This city was the first European settlement in Fiji, and in 1806 she lived in sandalwood traders. Throughout the nineteenth century, Levuka has grown thanks to the visiting sailors and whalers, the arrival of settlers and the establishment of administrative centers of the colony. At the time of greatest splendor, there were 52 hotels in the city along Beach Street and the city had become a wild and lawless place. Today things have changed a lot, and Levuka is not what it was. Still, very well preserved colonial buildings and the state looks like a Wild West town. The population is comprised mainly of descendants of Fijian mixed with Europeans. The Pacific Fishing Company employs 1,000 people, almost one third of the local working population. At the southern end of Beach street, lie three huge rocks marking the place of assignment where the deeds were signed with Britain in 1874. Following the tour of the wharf, we came to the church of the Sacred Heart (1858), the convent of the Marist School (1891), the City Council (1898), and the Masonic lodge Romance (1924). In the area can practice scuba diving and snorkeling, as well as rent bicycles.

Lovoni village, west of Levuka and Ovalau center, stands in the midst of a spectacular extinct volcanic crater. From Levuka, organizing guided tours to the people who cross the forest and pass by the tomb of a chief and by the strong Korolevu on a hill.

Lau Group

Located halfway between the main islands of Fiji to the west and the kingdom of Tonga, islands grouped most of the islets in the area. The islands, due to the proximity of Tonga, Polynesia there is a strong influence, as reflected in names, language, cuisine, decor, architecture and factions of its inhabitants. Southeast winds make the trip easy boat Tonga to Fiji, but not return.

Vanuabalavu

is the largest island in the northern Lau group. In it, there is an upscale resort and an airstrip. The closest thing that exists in the island town is a Lomaloma, which has an economic house. Vanuabalavu to travel, it is necessary to apply for a permit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Suva. The island is an ideal place to practice diving, which may be engaged in vacation packages. On the island of Kiabu, surrounded by a reef which it shares with the neighboring island of Yacata, there is also an upscale hotel. Kiabu is a private island for up to six people, offering activities such as windsurfing, sailing, hiking and visits to caves.

Between the islands of the southern Lau group highlights Lakeba, former meeting place between the people of Fiji and Tonga, also very popular in Europe before the establishment of the settlement of commercial Levuka. On the island there are several caves, among which Nabukete Oso, which means "too narrow for pregnant women." Tubou, on the southern tip of the island, is the provincial administrative center of Lau. It has a post office, a hospital, a telephone office and an economic government pension. Here lies the tomb of the powerful chief Elena Ma'afu Tonga, as well as the son of Fiji, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, the first Fijian to obtain a university degree from a foreign university.

Vanau Levu

Vanua Levu ( "long land) is the second largest island of the archipelago of Fiji, with the second highest rate of population of the country. It is a little island and urbanized, with the exception of around Savusava not have much infrastructure or services. This makes it the ideal place to get a clear picture of the traditional li festyle of Fiji. As a volcanic island, it will be difficult to find a beach to lie down, but offers the possibility of other activities such as scuba diving, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking in the fall or just bird watching. The interior of Vanua Levu, remote, wild and rugged, and rugged coastline are perfect for hiking. In addition, there are some archaeological sites of interest in Nabouwalu near Savusava and Wasavula near Labasa.

Tunuloa Peninsula, also known as Natewa or Cakaudrove peninsula, has been linked to Vanua Levu by a narrow isthmus that forms the bay of Natewa west. We can see many birds, and hiking in the local bus or SUV. A gravel road crosses the peninsula to reach Darigala in the extreme northeast, crossing copra plantations, old villages and stretches of forest. Buca Bay, on the eastern flank of the peninsula, it is common place to stop for ferries arriving or leaving the nearby island of Taveuni, for that matter, is a rather quiet island.

South of the Buca Bay, lies the village of Dakuniba, home to some petroglyphs inscribed on a rock, of unknown origin and meaning. The small island of Rabi, located on the northeast tip of the peninsula is inhabited by Micronesians from Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati. The beaches and reefs are unique to swimming or diving with a snorkel.

Fiji Activities

Fiji offers the opportunity to practice most outdoor activities, although some tourists prefer to simply lie idle on the beach and enjoy tropical cocktails. However, most passengers who travel to Fiji in mind leads to bathe, dive or snorkel diving or other activities such as surfing, rafting, windsurfing and sailing. All the islands are surrounded by coral reefs that are ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling, however, sparse breaks for surfing, and there are too remote from the coast. Mamanuca Islands have some centers and surf good waves, but you need a boat to reach the reefs where they break. On the coast of Viti Levu, there are a few good breaks, like they have near Sigatoka and the Suva lighthouse, and the island of Yanuca.

The options on land are also varied, such as cycling, mountaineering and horse riding; other "activities" are more cerebral birding and visiting archaeological sites. Fiji are highly focused on tourism and therefore abundance of them in places that rent equipment and provide courses or routes a day.

Fiji History

By the year 1500 BC, arrived in Fiji the Lapita people, early settlers of the islands and mostly from other parts of Melanesia. At first, living on the coasts and subsisted on fishing, however, back in 500 BC began farming, which caused a significant increase in population and development of a tribal feudalism.

Around the year 1000 AD saw the invasion of the islands by Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa, involving the Melanesians in large scale wars. Cannibalism was common. The population was divided into large family groups called mataqali, who lived in fortified towns and were run by polygamists chiefs, whose office was hereditary (turaga-ni-koro). Marriages between members of different tribes were a very important link between communities. However, rivalries and disputes were not uncommon, and fighting between various clans faced members of one family.

The first European to sight the Fijian islands was Abel Tasman, on his way to Indonesia in 1643. Tasman managed to avoid the treacherous reefs northwest of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, but his stories about the dangers kept other sailors away for another 130 years. In 1774, James Cook led the next visit to the islands, specifically vato, Lau group. Fifteen years later, he arrived on their shores Lieutenant William Bligh, having sailed to drift in a small boat with 18 crew after the mutiny occurred on board HMS Bounty. In his journey, crossed the Lau group of islands and large islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, whose waters are still known today as the "waters of Bligh."

In the early nineteenth century, several traders landed in Fiji for sandalwood and beche-de-mer, very succulent sea cucumbers prized in Asia. Thanks to them, the Fijians had access to metal tools, to snuff, the cloth and weapons. The consequences were dramatic: violent battles between clans and a rapidly changing society of the islands, which also played a key role the survivors of shipwrecks, sailors and deserters who had been convicted of escape in British penal settlement Australia. Many had the misfortune of knowing first hand why the islands were known as the "cannibal islands", but a few, including the Swedish Charles Savage, managed to fully integrate into the highest grade of the feuding Fijian clans, working as interpreters of heads, brokers, carpenters or soldiers.

Other prominent invaders of the mid-nineteenth century were the military and missionaries from Tonga England. The latter sought to turn the heads of tribes, without much success. In 1867, Reverend Thomas Baker was eaten, your foot is on display at the museum in Fiji. The people of Levuka on the island of Ovalau, became an important commercial port in the South Pacific that are disputed by the Americans, French and British, and each country where suspicion of the intentions of the other imperialist. Levuka became a lawless town in 1847, relations with the villagers came to his most critical point, which culminated in the burning of the settlement.

In 1871, Cakobau, proclaimed King of Fiji, it was proposed the creation of a Western-style government which failed after only two years of existence. In 1873, the British Consul in functions J. B. Thurston laid the foundations for the annexation of the islands to his country, which finally took place on October 10, 1874, the date on which Fiji was proclaimed a British colony, with its capital in Suva. Governor Sir Arthur Gordon sought out the colony self-sufficient in economic terms through plantation crops such as cotton, copra and sugar cane. Productivity has skyrocketed thanks to the recruitment of workers from India to Fiji saw a way to escape poverty in their country. However, life on the plantations was a mixture of abuse, murder, suicide, rape and disease. Was abolished in 1919 when this type of recruitment, had more than 60,000 Hindus in the islands. The Indian community, who had been forbidden to own land, was devoted to small business, trade and bureaucracy, and long-term leased farms. The Australians managed to dominate the local economy through sugar production and gold mining, while Europeans manipulated the racial tensions between Fijians and Indians in an effort to maintain the complete dominance of the economy and the politics of islands.

After World War II, to which Fiji has sent 8,000 soldiers to fight against Japan in the Solomon Islands, Fijians and Indians assumed a greater political awareness, despite the continuing racial segregation. On October 10, 1970 Fiji gained independence, established a British-style political system and organized political parties in their racial lines. In the 1987 elections, won a victory unstable coalition accused of being dominated by Indians, despite the fact that both the prime minister as the majority of his cabinet were Fijian government. Followed a series of demonstrations and in the meantime, the extremist movement Taukei was devoted to destabilize the new government. Indian business owners suffered a wave of attacks, while the Indian community was the victim of violent attacks. A month later, on May 14, 1987, Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka seized parliament and took power after a bloodless coup. In October of that year, Fiji was expelled from the Commonwealth. The 1991 elections to give the victory to Rabuka, who left his military career to devote himself exclusively to politics. To soften the hard image of his government conducted a series of concessions to workers and unions.

In elections held in 1999, won for the first time in history, a descendant of Indian prime minister, Mahendra Chaudhry. Among its measures include land reform, which indigenous Fijians interpreted as a threat to their possessions, and a bill on social justice, which reduced government programs for indigenous people. Resentment of Fijians are concentrated around the Taukei movement and, after months of protests against the government, a coup led by George Speight's mandate ended with Chaudhry in May 2000. Backed by a private army of 100 men, Speight stormed parliament and took hostage more than thirty parliamentarians to demand a new constitution that would guarantee political supremacy for indigenous minority. Finally, Speight and his followers were arrested, thanks to the weight of international pressure and the country itself. After the parliamentary elections in 2001, Laisenia Qarase was appointed prime minister. Whilst the economy begins to improve and tourists back to Fiji, and continuing racial problems do not seem to be solved in the short term.

Fiji Culture and People

Fijians still have many forms of traditional arts and crafts, some have endured the destructive impact of Western influences and the relentless campaign by the Christian missions, and others have been modified and embellished to satisfy the demand of tourism.

The dance is still very important in the islands, and the narrative meke performances are based on strong oral traditions. The dances have been passed down from generation to generation, and said that the bodies of the dancers are occupied by spirits of another world. The mekes are interpreted during special events such as births, deaths, calls to war, marriages and exchange of properties. In wartime, men represent cibis with spears and clubs, while women represent or give Wates, dances humillarían sexually enemy captives. In Indian communities, are still taught the traditional dances.

Fijian missionaries introduced hymns and choral singing, so the church singing in the islands are really beautiful. Among the best known local music contained Seru Serevi, Danny Costello, Michelle Rounds, Karuna Gopalan, Laisa Vulakoro, freelancers and the Black Roses. In stores you can buy tapes of local music. Among the Indian population of Fiji is very popular music of the movies known as "Bollywood", which are nothing other than Indian melodramas, the music of local bands tend to interpret these songs. In the Indian cultural centers, both representations as music lessons are taught in traditional music india, formed by a group of vocal, harmonium, tabla and sitar.

Fiji has been famous for its pottery since the Lapita people began to market their products by the South Pacific, thousands of years ago. The most famous contemporary potters are Tugea and Dian Taraivini Wati, whose works are exhibited in the museum in Fiji. The wood carving remains critical, largely due to strong demand for tourist souvenirs to take home. These pieces stand out war clubs, spears and forks of cannibals; containers for drinking or tanoas still part of daily household use of the Fijians. The size in the areas of influence Polynesia (settlers from Tonga or Samoa) is characterized by inlays of shell or bone. The tissue of bark, known as Fiji masi was traditionally produced around the Pacific with the name of cover. Ceremonial clothing, belts, adhesives and turbans are made of masi and formerly decorated with motifs symbolic ocher oxide and carbon black. The fabric is made from the bark of the mulberry, and production is very laborious. Traditionally, the mass was given away at very ornate ceremonies, and who had one sample had high prestige within the community. Also, the making of mats and baskets made from the leaves of the breadfruit tree (pandanus) is a deeply rooted tradition that still learning and

developing the girls from the villages. There are a variety of styles and colors, which are obtained using techniques such as scraping pandanus leaves, his burial in mud or cooking with other plants. The edges of the mats were decorated with parrot feathers, now they have been replaced by strands of wool yarns and bright colors.

Fiji has a small but strong community of writers, among them Joseph Veramu, which has published a collection of short stories under the name The Black Messiah, and a novel about teenagers in Suva, Moving Through the Streets. Among the playwrights include Jo Nacola, with works like I Native No More, and Vilsoni Hereniko. Also noteworthy is the writer of short stories Marjorie Crocombe. There are Fijians of Indian authors who write both in Hindi and in English as Subramani, Satendra Nandan, Raymond Pillai and Prem Banfal; the central theme of his works is unfair and difficult situation of workers recruited for the plantations.

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