Rural tourism in Galicia(Northern Spain)

Northern Spain offers some of the best natural surroundings for rural tourism. Most visitors to this part of the country come to experience the beauty of its geography and its delicious and varied gastronomy. Galicia is some of the most popular northern destinations for rural tourism. Furthermore, Galicia is well-known for its splendid landscapes, ranging from spectacular sea views to mountain areas.

Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre das Illas Atlánticas de Galicia

Here you can find the best beach in the world. And it's not because we say so ourselves, but The Guardian newspaper. We are referring to the Rodas Beach beach located in the Cíes islands. Crystal clear water, fine golden sand, a crescent shape with a sheltering pine forest that invites you to a nice nap.

If in the past the Cíes Islands were a pirate haunt, today they are uninhabited and only open to the public in the summer. In this way they are preserved as a natural haven, without haste, without traffic. Just the sound of the waves and the wind.  But if you long for noise, climb up to the Faro lighthouse. The views are amazing and you can enjoy a unique spectacle: thousands of seagulls squawking (possibly the largest colony in Europe) around the cliffs... flying at you feet.

In addition to the Cíes Islands, the National Park includes the islands of Ons, Sálvora andCortegada. In Ons don't miss the mysterious "furnas", granite sea caves cut by the waves, such as the mythical "Burato do Inferno", which was believed to go all the way down to hell, and on stormy nights the voices of the dead could be heard. And then, to get your strength back, there is nothing like a taste of the "pulpo á Illa" (island style octopus).

Natural Park O Invernadeiro

With nearly 6,000 hectares and a location in the Macizo Central in Ourense, O Invernadeiro extends through rolling green hills and steep rocky landscapes. 

These are the domains of the wolf, boar, ermine and marten. And deer, chamois and wild mountain cats, as well. A paradise that must be preserved. A permit is required. But the experience is unforgettable. 

There are six routes. Thus, even if you're not an expert, you can stalk both deer and roe deer... A magical moment. Only here can you see whole forests of holly, rowan and yew, trees sacred to the Celts, overflown by eagles, hawks and white vultures. Because O Invernadeiro is home to the largest concentration of raptors in Galicia.

Galician Woodlands

Exploring the woods of Galicia is the best way to get away from it all, leaving your hectic daily life behind to immerse yourself in a soothing, peaceful natural world.

The damp air mingles with the smell of  the trees and moss. The dry leaves crunch under our feet. In the background, we can hear the sound of water flowing down the rivers and brooks that wind their way to the sea. Pay attention to the route, since these woods – some of which are almost impenetrable – are home to flora and fauna that deserve our respect.Thick woods of oak, holm oak, birch and chestnut. The woods await you, silent and immobile: come in and explore the landscapes of the most magical places in Galicia!

Sources:

http://www.spanish-town-guides.com/Rural_Turism_Spain.htm
http://wikitravel.org/en/Galicia#Understand
http://www.turgalicia.es/portada?langId=en_US

Posted by YEE PEI WEN (A13A1626)

Rural tourism in taipei city (taiwan)

Yang Ming Shan National Park in Taipei

Yang ming shan National Park was officially the third national park established in 1985. Situated on Mt. Yangming, one of the most well known mountains in Taiwan, Yang ming shan National Park is one of the most popular national parks in Taiwan. The National Park is famous for its cherry blossoms,hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles, venomous snakes, and hiking trails, including Taiwan's tallest dormant volcano,Seven star mountain. It is one of the best choices for families, couples, friends, and hikers to visit. The park also features popular scenic sites such as Qingtiangang and the Zhuzihu Scenic Spot. In addition to the scenery, visitors may also enjoy delicious wildlife cuisine at the national park.

Flora And Fauna

Due to the effects of post-volcanic activity and precipitation, soil in the region is highly acidic. With the influence of the north east monsoon and the area's micro-climates, winter temperatures are much lower than the surrounding areas. There are have different season for some flora and fauna such as cherry blossom season is started in january until march. It was a bonus that we can managed to catch the blooming of the Sakura and I dont need to travel to Japan for it. But the amount of flowers there were considered bait too little for a famous tourist attraction.

Sulfur Deposits

• The military importance of sulfur in the manufacture of gunpowder meant that historically the Yangmingshan area often attracted the attention of illicit sulfur miners. For almost 200 years under the Qing dynasty, its sulfur deposits were sealed off and all mining was forbidden. 

• Siaoyukeng is one of a sulfur pit located near the Yangmingshan-Chinshan Highway. You can listen to the bursting sound of gas and smell the odor of sulfur. It is quite a scenic spot for wedding and bridal photography but you have to bear with the foul odour of sulfur

Hot springs

Hot Springs is a perfect place for urbanites to relax and revitalize. Visitors may simply access by a 30min ride from downtown Taipei which makes Yangmingshan Hot Spring a popular Taipei hot spring besides Beitou Hot Spring. The volcano landscape is the most special part of Yangmingshan Hot Spring. It has four major volcanic hot spring areas including the area bordering Yangmingshan National Park, Lengshuikeng, Macao and Huogengziping. Each of the hot springs has a distinctive feature, temperature and mineral contents. 

Yangmingshan Hot Springs are mild alkaline sulfuric hot springs with a milky color and a temperate about 70 degrees Celsius.

enjoy the view of the natural of beauty while having a hot spring  

Overall TAIWAN is a very best place for vacation,if you wana to know further or explore more interesting places , please keep on follow with our blog and latest updated .=)


Posted by Tee Ann Chyi (A13A1614)

Kenting National Park (Taiwan)

  Kenting National Park is in at the extreme southern tip of Taiwan. It is famous for its beautiful beaches and lush vegetation. Although Kenting National Park is located in Kenting, these two places should not be confused as the same destination. Kenting is the wider area that includes small townships as well as the national park.

Landscape

KenTing National Forest Recreation Area is between 150 and 300 meters above sea level and the total area is 466.8 hectares. Since the landform of Hengchun Peninsula is complicated and the weather is highly changeable, it breeds abundant and special rare plant resources. The forest landscape is roughly divided into three layers. The first layer is arbores. Moraceae and lauraceae are dominant. The second layer is bushes, primarily small palmae. The third layer is chamaephyte. Low grasses and liana are dominant. It is a rich and adequate forest with more than 1,200 kinds of both ornamental and conserved plants. Rising high coral limestone is everywhere in KenTing National Forest Recreation Area. The limestone is primarily composed of sedimentation of corals, foraminifers and nullipores. According to research, this area is supposed to be under sea level ten millions years ago. After weathering and sea water erosion, the coral limestone has gradually become stalagmites, stalactite caves, columns, notches and stalactites. Especially stalagmites and stalactites, they are formed by deposition of calcium carbonate which is precipitated from mineralized water solutions. An average growth rate is 1cm every 30 years. They are rare and precious stone resources. Entering from the memorial archway in KenTing National Forest Recreation Area, along the forest trail, there are old trees on both sides of the road. Among them, there is a 300-years-old giant Chinese pistache. Heading inside the recreation area, everywhere, there are spots worth a visit. Aquatic plants area, stalagmites cave, Silver Leaves and Roots, Fairy Cave, Labyrinth Forest, Sky in a Line, Falling Banyan Valley, Silver Dragon Cave, No.1 Gorge, Umbrella Pavilion and Ape Cliff are geographic landscape that you can’t miss.

Flora and fauna

KenTing National Forest Recreation Area is the only one tropical botanical garden in Taiwan and also one of the top 10 tropical botanical gardens in the world. Currently, there are thousands of tropical plants and adequate resources of butterflies, birds, insects and reptiles. Sometimes, you can see groups of Formosan macaques playing. Every autumn and winter, plenty of migratory birds including Chinese goshawks, oriental honey-buzzards, cattle egrets, falcon beauteous, brown shrikes and gray-faced buzzards roost at this place. It brings the original forest a more vivid aambiance

Climate

Tropical, Hot.During typhoon season, the waves can get quite rough causing all beaches to be closed.

Shopping

Kenting Rd turns into a kind of night market at night. You'll find cheap souvenirs, T-shirts, snorkeling gear, swimsuits and all the typical gadgets that are usually sold at beach resorts.

Nightlife, bars, discos

In Kenting town, there are quite a few bars and even a place or two where you can dance your way late into the night. Just walk along Kenting Rd after dusk and let your senses guide you. The liquor store has some nice surprises, and yes, you are allowed to open a bottle pretty much anywhere you want - on the road or at the beach.

Outside of town, options are limited but they exist. Eluanbi has cold beer, beetle nuts, hard liquor and cigarettes. Hengchun is the place to go for KTVs. If you plan to spend the night under the stars in Jialeshui, bring your own juice. There's a place that sells beer but it's overpriced.

Spring Scream Outdoor Music Festival

If you visit Taiwan in April, make sure you don't miss Spring Scream. This massive outdoor musical event features bands both from Taiwan and overseas. Last time I went in 2010, it lasted 4 days, there were around 300 bands playing on 8 stages, and the ticket was 1500NT$. 

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Camping

Camping is allowed in the National Park. It is advisable to contact the park directly to setup permits. Several bed and breakfast or small proprietor operations will rent tents and space for camping on their property.

Getting there and away

The bad news for those of you who want to visit Taiwan's southern part is that the train doesn't go all the way down to Kenting - it will only take you as far as Kaohsiung.
The good news is that long-distance buses (Ho-hsin) from Taipei, Taichung and other big cities around Taiwan are cheap, comfortable, and they even travel at night.
Another option is to take the train to kaoshiung, and then take a local bus to Kenting. Buses leave frequently from Kaohsiung train station.

Getting around

I only have 3 words for you: GET A SCOOTER! 

There is no better way to travel around Kenting and explore the little beaches surrounding the southern tip of Taiwan than on a scooter. Here are the reason why:

• renting a scooter is cheap and easy (around 10US$/day)

• traffic can be alienating on weekends 

• you can park for free anywhere

• you can feel the wind on your face and smell the ocean water

• easier to wander through narrow alleys in small villages 

• and so much more... (I just love scooters!)

 for the transportation, we can go by different transport such as :

By bus 

Buses travel every hour on the hour from Taipei Bus Station (get there via Taipei Main Station MRT) to Kaohsiung. A popular company that offers such a service is known as United Bus, or "UBus" for short. Their ticket price as of June 28, 2011 is 430NT$. There is no wireless internet access (a somewhat popular rumor), but the seats recline and there is a roughly 20" screen mounted on the ceiling of the bus every 4 rows. The trip can range anywhere from 5 to 6 hours depending on the time of departure, as well as road and weather conditions.
Buses travel frequently from kaoshiung to Kenting. Take the line 88 from the Kaohsiung bus terminal (don't get confused with city buses). The price for a ticket is roughly 350NT$ (as of June 28, 2011, the price is 230NT$). The transit time from Kaohsiung to Kenting is approximately 2.5 hours, depending upon the general traffic situation.
There is both a regular and express bus. The express bus arrives on the hour. It can be difficult to discern which bus is the express bus and it is also unlikely the driver will speak English.

By HSR

Kenting is accessible via the HSR, or High Speed Rail which connects Taipei with Zuoying, Kaohsiung. The total travel time from Taipei to Zuoying (Kaohsiung) via HSR is approximately 90 mins. After arrival in Zuoying, exit the station and head outside where there is a bus stop. Line 88 bus to Kenting operates 24 hours/day, so getting back to the HSR on time is no problem. Ask your place of accomodation about shuttle buses, or you can take a taxi, which usually picks up passengers until it's full and then quotes a price per person for the trip.
It is advisable to reserve your HSR tickets by telephone or online if traveling on the weekend. Weekend trains are often sold out.

By car

Renting a car is not optimal, but nice if you wish to travel around/within the Kenting area. Having an automobile or renting a scooter in Kenting enables you to travel up and down the entire southern seaboard and visit both public beaches easily.

By tour vehicle

Transportation to / from Kaohsiung and throughout the broader Kenting area can be optimized by the use of a tour vehicle. Sun Go Travels offers a range of services and a tour vehicle can beat the price and schedule of regional private buses. Contact +886-(0)982-669783 for details.

For eat ,Thai food is currently in Vogue in Kenting, and virtually every restaurant now offers it. At night the main road in Kenting becomes a night market, with all kinds of food sold from stalls. There are plenty of restaurants too - lots of Chinese (of course), Thai, and a little western. There is also a lot of fresh fruit available and plenty of seafood.

• Chef Papa, No. 142 Kenting Rd. (On the Kenting Strip, across from Family Mart). A great little restaurant/pub with really friendly french owners. Very relaxed atmosphere, open breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night. Has other fun stuff like hookah, and doubles as a bed and breakfast during peak season.  

• Chinese Seafood, Kenting (Across Cafe 85). The seafood is delicious and worth ordering the fish of the day. It is very reasonably priced unlike some of the other seafood eateries offering live fish. 200NT per person. 

• Fu Dog Surfing, Kenting strip. At FuDog Surfing, Jonathon cooks up a variety of Western-style food, including delicious pizzas.  

• Santosa Restaurant, Nanwan (5-10 minutes North from the Kenting Strip). Cheap Thai food that is delicious and filling. Try the seafood fried rice and the basil chicken. The restaurant owner is very friendly. It is close to the 7-11 on the Nanwan strip. About 150NT per person.  

• Warung DiDi, No. 26 Wenhua Lane, Kenting Rd, Kenting (Hidden down a narrow alley off the main road - follow the signs). Seems to be the most popular restaurant in Kenting, serving a variety of pan-Asian food. A little hard to find, and fills up quickly, but worth a visit. 

• The Rock Garden, (when going from Kenting, the place is 300 mt off the main road before the bridge; at Jialeshui Beach), ☎ 0925751032. Lovely place in a garden setting, great for a lunch outdoors.  

• Bossa Nova beach cafe, 100 Nan-Wan road-Nan-Wan beach-Hengchuen-946-TW, ☎ 08-8897137. all day open. cool beach cafe with one of the rare ocean view in the area.solid menu with a large asian selection and a western section as well.wine/coffee/desserts. look for Claire the owner,she is a local and a longtime body boarder,always ready to help you with any infos you might need. 

• Beach Bistro (Asia-Euro Nouvelle Cuisine ),, No.230, Changfun Rd.Eluan village.Hengchun Township, Pingtung County, ☎ 0919237280 08-8851281,.10:00am~22:00pm. Beach Bistro is a Greek-style seaside restaurant which offers a mixture of Asian and European recipes. The owner Chang Chung-Ho was born in Kenting and travels to France every year The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also a particularly relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Location NEXT to (Chuanfanshih“Boat Sail Rock) the village name is "Shiangjianwan" NT200$~NT400$. 

posted by Lim Shi Ning A13A1467

Rural Tourism in Andalucía - Spain

Andalucía is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities in Spain. It experiences a Mediterranean climate but is subjected to occasional torrential rains and extremely hot temperatures. The Andalusian terrain has mountain ranges that affects climate, the network of rivers, soils and their erosion, bioregions, and even human economies insofar as they rely on natural resources. With its wide variety of landscapes, stunning natural features, and numerous wild animals, Andalucía is excellent for rural tourism. Whether you want to climb a mountain, spot a bird, get on your bike, dive into a lake, tickle a trout, or find a mountain hide-away, you'll encounter what you're looking for in the wilds of the region's countryside.

Bird-watching in Andalucía

Andalucía is a birdwatcher's paradise and attracts ornithologists throughout the year. The best time of the year is during the spring, as this is when you can see many wintering species, together with those arriving for the summer months.

Birdwatching in Andalucía

Not surprisingly, the Straits of Gibraltar are a key point of passage for raptors, storks and other birds migrating between Africa and Europe. Northern migrations take place between mid-February and June, while those birds heading south will set off between late July and early November when there's a westerly wind. Gibraltar itself is generally good for birdwatchers, although when there is not much wind the Tarifa region on the Atlantic coast is usually better.

Mountain biking or cycling

Mountain biking

Mountain biking and cycling are viewed as both serious sports and a relaxing pastime in Andalucia. It is not unusual to be overtaken by a group of lycra-clad cyclists tackling the steep mountain roads, particularly at weekends. In the country as a whole, cycling is a popular competitive sport, with over 5,000 annual cycling races and events staged at all levels throughout the country. These include many professional races, such as the tour of Spain held over three weeks in April and May and the third most important world cycle race after the tours of France and Italy.

Climbing

Rock climbing

For those who find the activities above not quite exciting enough may like to try mountaineering, rock climbing or caving, all of which are popular in this part of Spain with a wealth of challenges and some of the best areas in Europe outside the Alps.

The most popular and spectacular mountain range for climbers is the Sierra Nevada. Its peak, Mulhacén is the highest peak in the Iberian peninsula (3.482m). There are many possible locations for climbing in this area.

Sources : http://www.andalucia.com/rural/home.htm

                https://www.google.com.my

                http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusia

Posted by : Tong Hui Wen - A13A1306

Canary Islands 

Canary Islands rural tourism is by far the best way of getting to know the islands' true natural beauty.Rural tourism in the Canaries will introduce you to the history and culture of the islands, so that you can enjoy a living heritage, and see the day to day life of its people, its flavours, its music and its fiestas.

Contact with nature in the Canary Islands is unique and different on each island but always surprising. The archipelago is a place of vast contrasts and majestic landscapes, volcanoes, sand dunes, forests and lava fields. The staunch protection of its land and skies preserves the great natural beauty of the islands.

Teide National Park

some of the best views are to be had of Teide from the other islands, particularly from a-top of the Garajonay National Park in Tenerife's closest neighbour island - La Gomera. Teide National Park, slap bang in the centre of Tenerife covers a huge area of 18,990 hectares. Spain's highest peak - Mount Teide (3718m) is here, but it's not Spain's largest national park, however it's certainly the most popular with huge numbers of holidaymakers visiting the park every year (about 4 million).

La Palma and the Caldera

La Palma, the greenest of all the Canary Island, been nicknamed the Pretty Island.  La Palma has no shortage of natural water supply - there are numerous springs in the park. Uneven erosion has been going on here for thousands of years, to great effect. The heights of the crater or caldera are dotted with crests known as Roques - there's diverse volcanic material here and the Roques jutting upwards have eroded at a slower pace. The heart of the Caldera is the Barranco de Las Angustias (Gorge of Fear), which is a semi-circular ravine stretching 8km in diameter and 2000m from the base to the highest point.

Sources :

http://www.natureflip.com/caldera-de-taburiente-national-park

http://www.turismodecanarias.com/canary-islands-spain/products-holiday-travel/volcanic-experience/bienvenido/index.html

Posted by Lim Mui Ling A13A1465