The Burj al arab hotel

Well, it's not everyday that you can spend a good fine and a luxurious holiday in a grand hotel with all the quality services only a thought away. And not every hotel in the world can do that. And above all not every hotel in the world has the seven star rating (only some say so) but the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai. The hotel is definitely a five star rated Hotel anyways. With a unique architectural scale rising up for a height of 321m with 70 floors, the hotel is the most luxurious and the fourth tallest hotel in the world. It stands on an artificial island away from the mainland, Jumeirah beach connected by a bridge. 

As you can see, the shape of the building is a sail of a boat, a deign concept by the architect Tom Wright and the construction was by Rick Gregory. The artificial island's construction began in 1994 and the building was open to public since 1999. The island has to be a secure and a solid one to bear up the weight of the building. The constructors drilled 230m concrete piles into the sand and took more or less three years to complete the land area.

The hotel has 205 rooms whose price range is between $1000- $27000 and 8 suites namingly One Bedroom Deluxe Suite, Two Bedroom Deluxe Suite, Panoramic Suite, Club Suite, Diplomatic Suite, Presidential Suite, Royal Suite, Royal Deluxe Suite. Al Iwan, Al Mahara, Al Muntaha, Bab Al Yam, Culinary Flight, Juna Lounge, Junsui, Majlis Al Bahar, Sahn Eddar, Skyview Bar are the restaurants you can see inside the hotel. Al Mahara is accessed via a glass domed submarine voyage which has a seawater aquarium. 

Travellers' Guide

Jumeirah Beach Rd | P.O Box 74147, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
97143017777

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Shwedagon Pagoda

Rising up to a height above 100m, bounded by the Singuttara Hill in Yangon is the most sacred place of Myanmar. Shwedagon Pagoda is a stupa which is covered by golden plates from top to bottom with diamonds encrusted at the top. This 2500 years old Pagoda was a creation by the king Okkalapa and the story behind the Pagoda is also a very interesting one. When Prince Siddhartha became the enlightened one and was meditating at the Rajayathana tree in the seventh week, two merchants named Thapassu and Balluka came across. They offered honey and corn. They were the first two people to follow lord Buddha and Buddhism. So in return Lord Buddha gave them 8 hair strands which they placed in a ruby casket and brought back to Asithanjana near Singuttara Hill. Back there, with the help of King Okkalapa, they built a pagoda placing inside the ruby casket with sacred hair strands as well as other relics from three other previous Buddhas, staff of Kakusandha Buddha, a piece of the robe of Kassapa Buddha and the water filter of Koṇāgamana Buddha. 

Covering the sacred relics, a golden pagoda was built and covering that a silver pagoda and a gold and copper alloy pagoda and bronze pagoda were built respectively. Encasing those and iron pagoda and finally a brick pagoda were built. It is also said that the innermost Shwedagon Pagoda was filled half with jewelry and on top of it was a ship full of jewelry and on top of it were the relics. 

Since its first construction, Pagoda was renovated and restored with several additions by many kings and queens. In 308 BC King Srimasoka built a enclosing pavilion while around 1360, King Banya-U enlarged the pagoda. Queen Shinsawbu made a retaining embankment with brick along with an enclosure wall. King Dhammazedi gifted gold that matched the weight of himself and his wife for the gliding of the pagoda and placed a huge bell on it. Anaukpetlun donated an umbrella and a bell and he reconstructed the pagoda which was damaged due to an earthquake. Hsinbyushin restored the pagoda to present day height and gave away an umbrella and 77kg of gold for the gliding. 

If we look at the basic plan of the site, making Shwedagon Pagoda the center piece, there are 4 smaller stupas at the four cardinal directions. Encircling the main stupa, there are 64 small stupas inline with the cardinal stupas. Main stupa can again be divied into 3 parts as the base, dome and the spire. The base of the stupa consists of a square plinth of 6.4m high, octagonal terraces and an octagonal dais called "eight edges". Dome consists of circular bolts, the bell, the girdle, the inverted alms bowl and the festoon. The spire is again divided into four parts. The lowest part has 7 concentric rings. Above them are the upturned lotus and the inverted lotus. Above them is a tear drop shaped structure. Finally at the top it the umbrella. 

Travellers' Guide

If you are planning to visit Shwedagon Pagoda, there are several formalities you should follow. Make sure you wear your bottoms covering your knees and your tops should have sleeves at least up to elbow length. You must remove your shoes and slippers at the entrance. An entrance fee of $5 will be charged. There are food and concession services if you want. Usually the Pagoda is open daily from 4 am to 10 pm and on the waxing day of Tabaung around March and waxing day of Wakhaung around June the pagoda is open 24 hours. 

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Petronas Towers

Once it was the world’s tallest building and today it’s a skyscraper twin building visited by many from all over the world. However it still holds the record for being the world’s tallest twin towers. One is better than two it seems. It took six years to complete the towers since the beginning of construction in 1992 costing around 1.6 US$ Billion. Petronas towers are located at Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur and basically they can be identified as the center piece of Kuala Lumpur. 

Willis Tower was the highest before Petronas but even Petronas could only hold the title of world’s tallest tower for six years until Taipei 101. Record breaking height of the Petronas is 451.9m with the spires included. The top most floor or the 88th floor is 375m above the ground. Twins are a design by architect César Pelli and a creation by the structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti. 

Kuala Lumpur dedicated its race track as the site for the towers. The towers has one of the world’s deepest foundations numerically around 120m because of that. The most thrilling experience you can get by going up the towers is the sky bridge. Imagine being on it. Scary right??? This is also the world’s highest 2 storey bridge that stands between the 41st and 42nd floors of the two buildings. It is 58m long and stands 170m above the ground.

Travellers’ Guide

If you are planning to visit Petronas towers, they are open on all days except Monday. The visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. except prayer hours- 1 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. on Friday. Tickets are limited and issued on “First come, First served” basis so you better be at the counter as earlier as possible as they start issuing tickets from 8 a.m. from Concourse Level of Petronas Towers. There is a 360 degree revolving dining area in the towers known as KL (Menara) Tower Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur.

Hotels near Petronas Towers 

Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur

+65 6226 3310

Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur

+65 6226 3310

Impiana KLCC Hotel

+65 6226 3310

Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

+65 6226 3310

Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

+65 6226 3310

D'Oriental Inn, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

+65 6226 3310

Ascott Kuala Lumpur

+65 6226 3310

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Golden Gate Bridge

The link that bounds San Francisco and Marin County is the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the most famous places of all you can find in San Francisco and for many architects and civil engineers, Golden Gate has become a moral support and a dream.  Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow and Charles Ellis are the designers of this beautiful one of a kind made of steel which was open for public since 27th May, 1937. The bridge supports six lanes including lanes for bicycles and pedestrians. Golden Gate spans over 2.7km with a width of 27.4m and rises to a height of 227.4m. 

Before the Golden Gate Bridge, the transportation between San Francisco and Marin County was done by ferry services. But with the increase in demand to travel between the cities, many thought of the idea of a bridge which was simply an impossible one in every way because of the long distance and the constant tides and currents of the bay. It was in 1916 that stabilized the idea of a bridge but still with lot of negative ideas. Some wanted to built the bridge as proposed by the former engineering student James Wilkins but  with less cost. Joseph Strauss in return agreed but local authorities agreed to built a suspension bridge. After facing many hits and blows from different companies, enemies, it finally began its construction in 1933. 

While the  bridge design was handled by Strauss, the suspension design and technique were handled by Manhattan Bridge designer Leon Moisseiff. Architect Irving Morrow deigned the bridge towers, the lighting scheme with the streetlights, railing, and walkways. Head of engineers was  Charles Alton Ellis. 

An interesting fact about the Bridge is its colour. The colour of the bridge, Orange Vermilion as chosen by Irving Morrow is famously known as the international orange. Orange stands in contrast to the nature so that the far way ships can see it even on a foggy day. Another is the fact that the bridge is made of steel but yet to avoid the natural process of corrosion, the bridge is now coated with acrylic top coats and maintained by 38 painters. How cool is that????

Unfortunately Golden Gate Bridge has become an ideal place for many to commit suicide too. Although there have been numerous implications placed to detect and avoid suicides. 

Travellers' Guide

If you are planning to visit Golden Gate Bridge, don't forget to check in with these fabulous restaurants and hotels.

The Cliff House
Fresh Seafood and Stunning Views
1090 Point Lobos Ave., San Francisco CA 94121
T.P. 1.877.485.2032
Franciscan Crab Restaurant
Offering Superb Panoramic Seafood Dining
Pier 43 1/2, San Francisco CA 94133
T.P. 1.888.698.6782
John's Grill
A San Francisco Tradition for Steak, Seafood & Pasta
63 Ellis St., San Francisco CA 94102
T.P. 1.866.981.6211
Opaque – dining in the dark
A Journey for the Senses
689 McAllister St., San Francisco CA 94102
T.P. 1.888.310.8321

DoubleTree by Hilton San Francisco Airport
Burlingame, CA
Hilton San Francisco Airport Bayfront
Burlingame, CA
Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco Airport North
South San Francisco, CA
Best Western Plus El Rancho Inn & Suites
Millbrae, CA

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Egyptian Pyramids

At the site of the sunset near the beautiful and calm river Nile, the dead of the ancient are left to seek peace in their after lives. Pyramids were built in such thought that it is a mark of respect to those who were once great kings and queens of Egypt. There are about 138 such pyramids in the banks of river Nile. The shape of these pyramids represents the primordial mound and it is thought to represent the descending rays of the sun and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone. It is generally accepted that pyramids were burial monuments and some believe in a theory that they were designed as a type of resurrection machine.
The Egyptians believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens. One of the narrow shafts that extends from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the center of this part of the sky. This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased pharaoh's soul directly into the abode of the gods.

One of the earliest we know is the pyramid of Djoser found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis. It was constructed around 2630-2611 BCE. This pyramid and its surrounding complex were designed by the architect Imhotep, and are generally considered to be the world's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry. The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built. The pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid found and it is one of the seven world wonders.

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The Great Wall Of China

What we find most interesting about the Chinese culture may be the Great Wall of China. It is a world heritage site as declared by the UNESCO and one of the seven world wonders. Some say it is the only man made object that is visible when seen from moon but many debunk this idea. However it truly amazes anyone who has seen or heard about it and just think, a wall in length of 8850 km was built by humans still exists!!!!

Although it may be known as one long wall, it is discontinuous and made of many fortifications often followed by crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain. It is said that this was firstly built to avoid Mongol nomads during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE). Some additions and modifications were made to these simple walls over the next millennium but the major construction of the "modern" walls began in the Ming Dynasty (1388-1644 CE). They were about 25 ft high and around 15-30 ft wide at the base and about 9-12 ft wide at the top. At regular intervals there were guard stations established also.

The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

Qin Shi Huang unified China in 221 BC, establishing Qin dynasty. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today.

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The Taj Mahal

You will get the answer Taj Mahal from anyone if you ask what is the living proof of eternal love for it was built with great love and grief by the Mugal king Shah Jahan for his beloved 3rd wife queen Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal situated in Agra, India is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and an UNESCO world heritage site.

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.

Taj Mahal is a fine example for Mogul architecture which is a combination of Persian, Indian and Turkish architectural styles. Taj Mahal consists of a large white marbled dome which is actually an integrated complex of structures. Construction of Taj Mahal was done by thousands of craftsmen and artists. Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abdul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.  Most of the earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, and buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.

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