Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean

17 March 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna © Thivagaranp/cc-by-sa-3.0

Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna © Thivagaranp/cc-by-sa-3.0

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in the northern Indian Ocean off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia; known until 1972 as Ceylon, Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest. Sri Lanka has a documented history that spans over 3000 years. Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II. Sri Lanka is a diverse country, home to many religions, ethnicities and languages. It is the land of the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings were composed on the island. The country’s recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war which decisively but controversially ended in a military victory in 2009.   read more…

Durban in South Africa

13 February 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Durban Waterfront © Simisa/cc-by-sa-3.0

Durban Waterfront © Simisa/cc-by-sa-3.0

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is also the second most important manufacturing hub in South Africa after Johannesburg. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa and Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism because of the city’s warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches. The municipality, which includes neighbouring towns, has a population of almost 3.5 million, making the combined municipality the biggest city on the Indian Ocean coast of the African continent. Durban is the busiest container port in Africa. The Golden Mile, developed as a welcoming tourist destination in the 1970s, as well as Durban at large, provide ample tourist attractions, particularly for people on holiday from Gauteng. The Golden Mile was redeveloped late 2009 in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It was resurfaced and widened between Ushaka Marine World and Moses Mabhida Stadium. Durban’s most popular beaches are also located along the Golden Mile. The city is also a gateway to the national parks and historic sites of Zulu Kingdom and the Drakensberg.   read more…

Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean

22 December 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Christmas Island sunset © parkaustralia.gov.au - Candace McBride

Christmas Island sunset © parkaustralia.gov.au – Candace McBride

The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It has a population of 2,100 residents who live in a number of “settlement areas” on the northern tip of the island: Flying Fish Cove (also known as Kampong), Silver City, Poon Saan, and Drumsite. The majority of the population is Chinese Australian. It is called “Christmas Island” because it was discovered on Christmas Day (25 December). The island’s geographic isolation and history of minimal human disturbance has led to a high level of endemism among its flora and fauna, which is of interest to scientists and naturalists. 63% of its 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi) is an Australian national park. There exist large areas of primary monsoonal forest.   read more…

Tasmania in the Indian Ocean

20 October 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  5 minutes

Hobart © Aaroncrick/cc-by-sa-3.0

Hobart © Aaroncrick/cc-by-sa-3.0

Tasmania is an island state, part of the Commonwealth of Australia, located 240 kilometres (150 mi) to the south of the Australian continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania, the 26th largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. The state has a population of 508,000, of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart precinct. Tasmania’s area is 68,401 square kilometres (26,410 sq mi), of which the main island covers 64,519 square kilometres (24,911 sq mi).   read more…

La Réunion in the Indian Ocean

28 January 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Saint-Denis © B.navez/cc-by-sa-3.0

Saint-Denis © B.navez/cc-by-sa-3.0

Réunion (previously Île Bourbon and Île Bonaparte) is a French island with a population of 84,000 inhabitants. The island is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) southwest of Mauritius, the nearest island. Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues form the Mascarene Islands. The collective title is derived from the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, who first visited them in the early sixteenth century. Bourbon vanilla got its name from the long-term main supplier of vanilla, Île Bourbon/Réunion.   read more…

Mauritius in the Indian Ocean

30 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Trou-aux-Biches beach © flickr.com - Romeodesign/cc-by-3.0

Trou-aux-Biches beach © flickr.com – Romeodesign/cc-by-3.0

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius (French: République de Maurice) is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) off the southeast coast of the African continent. The country includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, 560 kilometres (350 mi) east of the principal island, the islands of Agalega and Saint Brandon. Mauritius claim sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago situated 1,287 kilometres (800 mi) to the north east, the United Kingdom excised the archipelago from it territory prior to Mauritius independence and gradually depopulate the island’s population. The islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion 170 km (110 mi) form part of the Mascarene Islands. The area of the country is 2040 km2, its capital is Port Louis.   read more…

Doha on the Persian Gulf

9 October 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Doha Montage © flickr.com - amjra/cc-by-sa-2.0

Doha Montage © flickr.com – amjra/cc-by-sa-2.0

Doha (englisch: The Bay)is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it has a population of 800,0000, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar. Doha is Qatar’s largest city, with over 60% of the nation’s population residing in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, and is also the economic centre of the country. Doha was included in Fortune’s 15 best new cities for business for the year 2011.   read more…

Loch Ard Gorge in Australia

29 March 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  6 minutes

Loch Ard Gorge sign © Se7enLC

Loch Ard Gorge sign © Se7enLC

The Loch Ard Gorge is part of Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia, about 10 minutes drive west of The Twelve Apostles. It is a visible example of the process of erosion in action.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top