Sentosa Island

Sentosa can be regarded as Asia’s playground. A viciously beautiful island of Singapore, famous for family adventure and theme parks, Sentosa Island was earlier known as Pulau Blakang Mati which means island of death behind and then 1972 island was renamed as Sentosa meaning peace and tranquility. Though it was a killing field during early 50s or so, during 1970s the government thought of turning it to a tourist hot spot by addition of some new gadgets like Singapore Cable Car system, Fort Siloso, Surrender Chamber wax museum, Musical Fountain, the Underwater World, Causeway Bridge and the Sentosa Monorail system which now discontinued and run as Sentosa Express. Other latest additions include Foot Bridge, Sentosa Boardwalk, covered walkways and travellators, Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Sentosa.

The island is actually Singapore’s fourth largest island with an area of 5km2. Most of the land area is covered with rainforest including species like monkeys, lizards, monitors, peacocks etc. Sentosa has a vast beach of pristine white sand. One of the fun activities of Sentosa is the Cable car system from Mount Faber. Don’t forget that Sentosa offers many other kinds of fun activities too.

Carlsberg Sky Tower or Tiger Sky Tower which is an observation tower of height 110m, and allows visitors have a view of the island, Mainland and the other islands nearby. The daily show of the Sentosa Island is known as the Songs of the Sea which comprises of pyrotechnics displays, water jets, laser show, flame bursts and live cast. Sentosa 4D Magix is another wonderful experience you can gain. It is the Singapore’s first 4D theatre where you can experience a 4D show with life like feel concept. Island also has a Butterfly Park and an Insect Kingdom with more than 15000 live butterflies. 

On the western part of Sentosa is the Underwater World Ocenarium with more than 2500 living marine and fresh water animals.  The island also has a Dolphin Lagoon which is home for pink or Indo-Pacific Dolphins. Sentosa Cineblast, Fort Siloso, MegaZip Adventure Park, Azzura Beach Club and Sentosa Luge & Skyride are some of the few that you ought to try for sure at Sentosa. Basically walking around the island itself is a relaxing and a fun thing to do. 

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Windsor Castle

Another beautiful castle we can find in England is the Windsor Castle in Berkshire which is unique in many ways. It was built by William the Conqueror in 1066 or so. It is insanely famous for its classy architecture appreciated and appraised by many and it is also the world's largest inhabited castle. Although the castle was damaged by the Fire in 1992, it was restored quite magnificently. The castle site is more than 13 acres  with a palace complex, fortification and a small town inside it. Windsor's architecture is of Georgian and Victorian with a splash of Gothic style remixed. At the deep center of the castle is the middle ward which is a bailey formed around the motte of 15m height made of chalk. 

Key areas of the castle include the Round Tower, the Upper Ward, the Quadrangle, the State Apartments, Private Apartments, South Wing, Lower Ward, St George's Chapel, Horseshoe Cloister, King Henry VIII Gate, the Long Walk, Norman Gate, North Terrace, Edward III Tower and the Curfew Tower. Then there's the Upper ward with many major building covered by the Upper Bailey wall smoothly forming a quadrangle. The state apartments, Private royal apartments, North terrace, East terrace make up the Upper Ward. State apartments building is a modern one with medieval foundations. Its western end's creation was by architect Hugh May and the eastern side creation was by Jeffry Wyattville. 

The Lower Ward that is seen west to the Round Tower can be reached through the Norman Gate. Lower ward consists of St. George's Chapel, Lady chapel or Albert Memorial chapel and many buildings from Order of the Garter. Inside the chapel the vault in front of the altar contains remains of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Charles I, with Edward IV buried nearby. Associated with the castle site is the Home Park, Windsor Great Park, broad-leaved woodlands and River Thames.

Travellers' Guide

If you are planning to visit Windsor Castle in Berkshire, the castle is open throughout the year. Please check in with these times before you go. Castle is open 

09:45-17:15 (last admission 16:00) from March to October , 

09:45-16:15 (last admission 15:00) from November to February.  

Telephone IDD- +44 1753 831118. 

Within UK- 01753 831118.

Here are the top rated hotels in the area.

Macdonald Windsor Hotel 
23 High Street, Windsor SL4 1LH, England
+4408448799101
Mercure Castle Windsor
18 High Street, Windsor SL4 1LJ, England
Oakley Court Hotel 
Windsor Rd | Water Oakley, Windsor SL4 5UR, England
Clarence Hotel
9 Clarence Road, Windsor SL4 5AE, England
+44 (0)1753864436
Harte & Garter Hotel 
High Street, Windsor SL4 1PH, England

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Buckingham Palace

Often heard about, often talked about Buckingham Palace of UK is the home of British Monarchy since 1837. It was first the Duke of Buckingham's townhouse and stood as a private property for almost one and a half century and then was owned by George III. The palace became the official residence for Queen Victoria after that and ever since it is the official royal residence currently for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Located at the Westminster side, Buckingham Palace owns the largest private garden of England too.

In 1703 William Winde provided the design for the Buckingham House which is regarded as the architectural core of the modern day Buckingham Palace. The house however was remodelled in 1762. King George IV renovated the house into a palace with the help of architect John Nash. In 1830 architect Edward Blore was hired to finish the unfinished work of Nash. In 1861 when Queen was widowed she left the palace. Since then the palace was abandoned with neglect.

Palace is built over a ground of 77000m2 with piano nobile containing State Dining Room, Blue Drawing Room, Music Room, White Drawing Room, Royal Closet, Throne Room, Green Drawing Room, Cross Gallery, Ball Room, East Gallery, Yellow Drawing Room, Centre/Balcony Room, Chinese Luncheon Room, Principal Corridor, Private Apartments, Service Areas, The Grand staircase, Ambassador's Entrance and Grand Entrance.

The largest room of the palace is the Ball Room which is also used for occasions like state banquets, investitures and conferring of knighthoods etc. By 1999 the palace contained palace contained 19 state rooms, 52 principal bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms according to a book published by the Royal Collection Department. Also in honour of Queen Victoria there is a memorial erected in front of the main gates created by the sculptor Thomas Brock. The palace was bombed seven times during World War II at one of which the palace chapel was destroyed in 1940.

Travellers' Guide
Today the Place is a top most tourist attraction in London. If you are planning to visit London make sure you visit Buckingham Palace. Here are first choice hotels in London.

Hotel 41 
41 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PS, England
44(0)2073000041
The Milestone Hotel 
1 Kensington Court | Kensington, London W8 5DL, England
+44(0)2079171000
Plaza on the River - Club and Residence
18 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TJ, England
Covent Garden Hotel 
10 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9HB, England
+44 20 7806 1000
The Levin
28 Basil Street | Knightsbridge, London SW3 1AS, England
+44(0)2075896286
Sofitel St James London 
Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AN, England

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Badshahi mosque at Lahore

The Badshahi mosque at Lahore in Punjab District, Pakistan is the world's fifth largest mosque and the mosque with the largest mosque courtyard. They say it is visible even at 15km away from it. Its construction began in 1671 under the guidance of Mogul emperor Aurangzeb and lasted for 2 years. The mosque is made of red sandstone tiles and white marble. The mosque also holds a record of being the world's largest mosque for 313 years until 1986. With a capacity of 5000 devotees inside and 95000 others in the courtyard, the Badshahi mosque has become one of the key important religious places in Pakistan. 

In 1799, Lahore was captured by Ranjit Sigh who used the Badshahi mosque's courtyard to park his military horses. Mosque was damaged to a great extent at that time. During his son's era, Sher Sigh's he used the four minarets of the mosque to hold light guns. Until the British rule till 1947 the mosque was under a dark shadow and was damaged a lot along with loosing some of its grandeur as an architectural masterpiece. However restoration programs took place since 1939 and by 1947 it was back in shape.

An exquisite feature, the large courtyard of the mosque covers an area of 25,899.9 m2. It also divided into two parts as lower and upper. The complex has 3 visible domes, one large and two small ones. The main prayer chamber is divided into 7 compartments which altogether covers an area of 2,120.5 m2. The four minarets are 53.75 m high and 20m in circumference.

Travellers' Guide

Badshahi mosque is a famous tourist attraction today. If you are planning to visit Lahore make sure you visit Badshahi mosque and take the chance to admire its beauty and architecture. The mosque was nominated for a UNESCO world heritage site too. Here are some of the hotels in the area, don't forget to visit them and enjoy a bite or two.

Avari Hotel Lahore
87 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam | (The Mall), Lahore 54000, Pakistan
The Residency Hotel
39-A, Gulberg-V | Off. Zafar Ali Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Pearl Continental Lahore
Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Mirage Hotel
21 Lake Rd, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

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Hungarian Parliament

Politics and beauty are two terms that do not always go together. However, the same cannot be applied to some of the politically hyper active building such as parliaments. One such is the Budapest Parliament building which is the largest building of Hungary as well as the oldest in Europe. Its construction by Imre Steindl began in 1885 in Lajos Kossuth Square near Danube and was completed in 1904. A quite astonishing feature of the building is that there are two identical parliament halls, one for the actual political purposes and the other for the guide tours. The building is 268m long, 123m wide and a height of 96m which has captured its identity as one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest. 

The building has 10 courtyards, 27 gates, 691 rooms, 13 elevators, 29 staircases and 242 sculptures. The building can be accessed from the Lajos Kossuth Square station. River Danube provides the view for the main facade. Facade displays many military and non military rulers from Hungary and Transylvania. Famous attractions inside the building includes the  statues of Árpád, Stephen I and John Hunyadi, pictures of coats of arms of kings and dukes,  frescoes on the ceiling,  hexadecagonal central hall, the Upper House, The Holy Crown of Hungary which is displayed in the Central Hall, stained glass and glass mosaic paintings, Assembly hall of the House of Magnates and Assembly hall of the House of Representatives. 

Travellers' Guide

If you are planning to visit the Parliament complex in Budapest, don't forget to check in with these hotels.

Hotel Palazzo Zichy 
Lorinc pap ter 2, Budapest 1088, Hungary
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace 
Szechenyi Istvan ter 5-6., Budapest 1051, Hungary
36(1)268-6000
Mamaison Residence Izabella Budapest 
Izabella u 61, Budapest 1064, Hungary
Corinthia Hotel Budapest 
Erzsebet krt 43 - 49, Budapest H-1073, Hungary
003614794000
Bohem Art Hotel
35, Molnar Street, Budapest H-1056, Hungary
+36 1 327 9020

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