TRAVEL

                        Flat-Top Mountain

              

  

Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the Flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. The mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park. The view from the top of Table Mountain has been described as one of the most epic views in Africa.

                                        

The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) from side to side, edged by impressive cliffs. The plateau, flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and by Lion's Head to the west, forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. This broad sweep of mountainous heights, together with Signal Hill, forms the natural amphitheatre of the City Bowl and Table Bay harbour. The highest point on Table Mountain is towards the eastern end of the plateau and is marked by Maclear's Beacon, a stone cairn built in 1865 by Sir Thomas Maclear for trigonometrical survey. It is 1,086 metres (3,563 ft) above sea level, about 19 metres (62 ft) higher than the cable station at the western end of the plateau.

The Table Mountain Cableway^[19] takes passengers from the lower cable station on Tafelberg Road, about 302 m above sea level, to the plateau at the top of the mountain. The upper cable station offers views overlooking Cape Town, Table Bay and Robben Island to the north, and the Atlantic seaboard to the west and south.

Construction of the cableway was first started in 1926, and the cableway was officially opened in 1929. In 1997, the cableway was extensively upgraded, and new cars were introduced carrying 65 instead of 25 passengers. The new cars give a faster journey to the summit, and rotate through 360 degrees during the ascent or descent, giving a panoramic view over the city.

The top cable station offers viewpoints, curio shops, a restaurant and walking trails of various lengths.

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                     The Fall in The Crack!!

       

            Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, Iguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth. During the rainy season of November - March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet per second.

   

         Iguazu Falls are on the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, and are surrounded by two National Parks (BR/ARG). Both are subtropical rainforests that are host to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. 

        Iguazu falls consists of 275 waterfall and the tallest one is called the "Devil's Throat" which is the tallest at 80 meters high.All the 275 waterfalls is spanning an area 3km wide (2km of which is the upper rim of the waterfall) during its normal flow of around 1000 cubic meters per second.

                      

TRIP TO THE GREENLAND!

 

Cameron Highlands in Pahang is one of Malaysia's most popular tourist destinations, a collection of peaceful townships perched 1500 meters high on a nest of serene mountains. Cooling resorts, tea plantations and strawberry farms sprawl lazily across lush valleys and meandering hillslopes, the perfect setting for a relaxing holiday. The sea of tranquility, pleasant landscapes and cold climate impart a special experience upon the multitudes of visitors each year. Meanwhile, a different world lies hidden away among the natural surroundings - a rainforest ecosystem rich with the wonders of nature, long held with fascination by researchers and naturalists across the world.

Cameron Highlands was discovered in 1885 by English surveyor William Cameron, who was under a commission by the colonial government. Forging a path through dense vegetation, he reached a magnificent and sublime plateau ‘shut up in the mountains' along the vast Titiwangsa Range. Yet, the place lay unperturbed for 40 years, until British Administrator Sir George Maxwell took charge of its development as a hill station. Soon, hotels, schools, homes and even a golf course sprouted overnight, as British and locals settled in. Farmers and tea planters also streamed steadily into the valley, having found its soil to be fertile, and weather encouraging for crops.

Today, Cameron Highlands is the leading highland resort destination in the country, supporting a local population close to 50,000 people (mostly Chinese) spread over eight interconnecting areas. Far from rural, the main townships of Tanah Rata and Brinchang are highly developed with a wide range of facilities and services. Hotels, resorts, apartments and shopping blocks tower over the landscape, providing accommodation and leisure activities for its many visitors. Ringlet, Tringkap, Bertam Valley, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja make up the rest of Cameron Highlands. These smaller towns and villages concentrate heavily on agricultural activities, consequently retaining most, if not some, of their pastoral feel and countryside atmosphere. Traces of Cameron's colonial history still remain, but consist mostly of European stone mansions that have been converted into boutique hotels.

Tourist Guide & Weather Information

Tourists in Cameron Highlands can expect a peaceful community with a laid back outlook of life. There are plenty of amenities such as banks, cyber cafes and a bus station in Tanah Rata Town. As Cameron Highlands is a popular tourist spot, most of the infrastructure is modern, so you can find all the conveniences you need. Walking around is mostly safe at day or night, but you should always keep your valuables in a safe place and not leave them lying around. It's best to visit during off-peak seasons; check the local calendar for a list of national and school holidays. You don't want to be around on such periods as the vehicle and human traffic is immensely heavy. The weather of Cameron Highlands can best be described as 'cooling wet'. Being high up the mountains means it's constantly cold and humid, with lots of mist in the early mornings and late evenings.

Tea Plantation, Boh, Bharat

Cameron Highlands is the largest tea-growing region in Malaysia - home to vast plantations of this valuable crop that carpet the valleys in a lush sea of bright green. Tea was also one of the precursors to its development as a hill station, before its transformation into a major tourist destination. Today, the many tea plantations that dominate the valley are instrumental in drawing the multitudes of visitors Cameron Highlands receives each year. The various estates are mostly owned by Boh, the larger group established since 1929 by colonial owners; and Bharat, a slightly more recent local company that only began full-scale operations in the 1950s.

The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is actually a tree, rather than a bush as popularly regarded by most people. If left to grow in the wild, tea can grow up to 16m in height. The current method of pruning tea plants leaves them at a manageable size for ground-level harvest, while allowing for higher yield through a more compact arrangement of bushes. The same plant is used to produce different types of tea; each undergo a different oxidation process and blend that result in their unique flavours, aroma and colour. In Cameron Highlands, black tea is the most popular variety of tea produced, followed by Oolong and green tea. The dark tint of tea is the result of its chemical compunds, chiefly being tannin leached into the water by heating.