Destinations and holiday hotel search right now? In Table Bay, World-Heritage-listed Robben Island is a haunting reminder of the horrors of apartheid. Nelson Mandela spent 18 years imprisoned in a tiny cell here along with other political dissidents and social misfits. Perhaps the best part about this experience is that ex-prisoners are usually the guides, sharing poignant first-hand accounts of the atrocities they endured. Tours to the island begin with multimedia exhibits in the museum at the Nelson Mandela Gateway in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Sightseers then board boats to Robben Island, often braving rough swells on the 30- to 45-minute ride. Be sure to book early, as the tours can fill up fast. The sweeping waterfront promenade called the Golden Mile is a legendary Durban tourist attraction and a great starting point for a tour of the city. Long blond beaches lure swimmers, surfers, and anglers, while the bustling promenade feels like Miami Beach with its high-rise hotels, shops, restaurants, and flashy entertainment complexes. Discover additional details on find hotels.
Hue’s crown jewel is the magnificent 19th century Imperial Citadel, a sprawling walled complex containing the Imperial Enclosure, Forbidden Purple City, palaces, temples, gates, and much more. Although much was destroyed during the Vietnam War, many parts are under restoration and worth exploring, including the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate and Thai Hoa Palace. Other gems cover several Mandarin Garden Houses and the incredible Emperor’s royal mausoleums lying hidden amid the river valley and low-lying hills. Among Hue’s numerous exquisite pagodas, don’t miss the most historic, the seven-tiered, 17th century Thien Mu Pagoda. Even Hue’s delicious imperial cuisine is descended from the royal courts!
Your best chance to see whales is on a boat-based whale cruise. Watching massive whales from a boat is one of the most exciting things to do in Cape Town. The boats are in contact with each other and often know where the whales are, some even use drones to scout. Some of the boats have permits to get very close to the whales, not closer than 50m. The whales do not always care about these rules and often swim right up to the boat, of course, makes for fantastic encounters. Most of the tours take about 2 hours, the boats are fairly big and stable, to get seasick is however still possible. Most of the tours offer snacks and drinks on board. Don’t worry if ocean conditions are not perfect, they should allow you to sit inside the cabin and call everyone outside when whales are spotted.
Morocco is home to plenty of Kasbah’s as well as pretty old town areas where these are located. The most charming of these is Rabat’s Oudaias Kasbah neighborhood which is called the nation’s most picturesque region. Its peaceful and quaint vibes also make it a big crowd puller as well as one of the best Morocco points of interest set in the heart of the main city. You will find inside the high walls of this age-old old fortress white and blue houses and colorful flower pots studded on either side of a neat lane.
Sa Pa is a town in northwest Vietnam not far from the Chinese border. Rice terraces can be found in the Muong Hoa valley between Sa Pa town and the Fansipan Mountain, on a backdrop of thick bamboo woodlands. Local mountain people, the Hmong, Giay, Dao, Tay, and Giay, grow rice and corn on these paddy terraces, along with vegetables.
Bab el-Mansour, Meknes: One of the most beautiful monumental gates in the entire nation, Meknes’s Bab el-Mansour is adorned with striking tilework and decorative calligraphy. Built in the 1730s, it was the main gateway between the city’s old medina and the former royal capital. Colourful, active, atmospheric, and more than a little pungent, the tanneries of Fes let visitors see part of the ancient leatherwork processes. Watch as hard-working men treat and dye leather in large pits, using methods that have remained largely the same for several hundred years. There are several viewing areas, accessed through leather shops, from where you can watch the work in the Chaouwara Tanneries. Discover more information at find accomodations.