PLACES OF INTEREST

Eiffel Tower: The most distinctive symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) was much maligned by critics when it rose on the city’s skyline in 1889 as part of the Universal Exhibition, but its graceful symmetry soon made it the star attraction. At 312 metres high, it was the world’s tallest building until it was surpassed by New York’s Empire State Building in 1931. Despite its delicate appearance, it weighs 10,100 metric tons and engineer Gustave Eiffel’s construction was so sound that it never ways more than 9 cm in strong winds

Musee du Louvre: One of the world’s most impressive museums, the Louvre contains some 35,000 priceless objects. Built as a fortress by King Philippe-Auguste in 1190, Charles V (1364-80) was the first king to make it his home. In the 16th century Francois I replaced it with a Renaissance-style palace and founded the royal art collection with 12 paintings from Italy. Revolutionaries opened the collection to the public in 1793. Shortly after, Napoleon renovated the Louvre as a museum.

Arc de Triomphe: The best day to visit the world’s most familiar arch is 2 December, the date that marks Napoleon’s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, when the sun, sitting behind the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, creates a spectacular halo around the building. Work began on the 50 metre arch in 1806 but was never completed until 1836, due, in part, to Napoleon’s fall from power. Four years later, Napoleon’s funeral procession passed beneath it, on its way to his burial in Les Invalides.

Leaning Tower of Pisa: The world famous Pisa Tower was built over a period of about 177 years. Soon after the construction started in 1173 the tower began to sink due to a poorly laid foundation and was left alone for almost a century. When the construction resumed the engineers built higher floors with one side taller than the other to compensate for the tilt and the tower was finally finished in the 2nd half of the 14th century. Since 2001, the famous tower in Pisa is again open to those wishing to climb its 296 steps.

The Colosseum: It is the largest and most famous amphitheater in the Roman world. Its construction was started by emperor, Vespasian of the Flaviandynasty in 72 AD and was finished by his son Titus in 80 AD. The Colosseum was capable of holding some 50,000 spectators who could enter the building through no less than 80 entrances. Spectators were protected from the rain and heat of the sun by sails called the “velarium”, that was attached around the top of the attic.

Pompeii: On August 24, 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius erupted, covering the nearby town Pompeii with ash and soil, and subsequently preserving the city in its state from that fateful day. Everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in time. Its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of people living two thousand years ago. Today Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with approximately 2,500,000 visitors every year.

Canals of Venice: Referred to as “The City of Water”, Venice is the crown jewel of water cities. Romantic gondolas, and Italian architecture along the Grand Canal helped earn this status. Stitched together with over 150 canals that have become central to its character, Venice has decayed since its heyday and has more tourists than residents, but with its romantic charm it remains one of the top tourist attractions in Italy.

Palm Island: Palm Jumeirah has everything you need to enjoy a wonderful holiday break. World famous hotel names, amazing tourist attractions, luxury fashion and shopping malls are starting to open up. Whether you just want to relax or immerse yourself in an exciting world of leisure and entertainment, this is a truly inspirational holiday destination. Visitors will come to enjoy the magnificent sunsets, unwind in the spas, pools and gardens and eat out at the fine selection of restaurants. There's a wide range of daytime activities, including water sports, aquariums, theme parks and of course miles of beautiful beaches. And at night the bars, clubs and shows will offer plenty of fun and amusement.

BurjKhalifa: Until recently called Burj Dubai, at 828 metres and 160 floors this is the world's tallest structure by a long shot, over 300m taller than the previous contender in Taipei. The observation deck at the 124th floor is the 2nd highest in the world after the Shanghai World Financial center. Already dominating the Dubai skyline, the newly opened tower houses nine hotels and a Las Vegas-inspired fountain system. The visitors' entrance is located at the lower ground floor of Dubai Mall.

The Dubai Mall: It is Dubai's largest mall, which was opened in November 2008. It has over 1200 shops of brand names from all over the world. It is currently the largest mall in the world. It contains an indoor ice rink and indoor aquarium. It is right next door to the BurjKhalifah, the world's tallest building, and the visitors' entrance to the BurjKhalifah is located at the lower ground floor of the Mall.

Burj Al Arab: Also known as the Tower of the Arabs, is the world's only 7 star hotel and designed to resemble a billowing sail, the Burj Al Arab soars to a height of 321 metres, dominating the Dubai skyline making it the fourth tallest hotel in the world. It truly is one of the most iconic symbols of Dubai and is a majestic building. No trip to Dubai would be complete without at least seeing it! There are various viewpoints you can take photos from but one of the best is from the public beach next to it..

MALDIVES

The Maldives are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts) in the Indian Ocean. They lie south-southwest of India and are considered part of SouthernAsia. Aside from being known as a popular honeymoon destination, Maldives is also known as a popular destination for scuba diving. The atolls are all coral reefs hundreds of kilometers away from any major landmass, meaning that water clarity is excellent and underwater life is abundant. Manta rays, sharks, even a few wrecks, you name it, you can find it in the Maldives.

National Museum of Maldives: The museum was established after republic in the location of Sultan’s palace, having a preserved collection of ancient times. In this museum the visitors have a great opportunity to watch the spectacular display of regal objects, coins, royal sunshades, jewelry, thrones and even the artifacts of pre-Islamic era over a thousand year ago. The museum has a collection of valuable objects that portray the history. It was introduced by the Prime Minister Ameer Mohamed Amin Didi in 19th November 1952 the main purpose to preserve the history of Maldives. The museum allows you to see the large number of sultan belongings such as ornaments, daily costumes of the king and queen, paper, stone sculpture, arms and armor and the old photography and many other objects that display the past life of Maldivian people. Apart from these it also contains the priceless statue of Buddhist cenotaphs.

HukuruMiskiiy: Dating back to 1656, the HukuruMiskiiy is the oldest mosque in the country. The structure of the mosque consists of coral stone with beautiful and intricate decorations and Quranic script carvings. The interior of the mosque is famous for its wonderful woodcarvings. One of the panels was carved in the 13th century and commemorates the introduction of Islam.

The City of Malé: As the capital of Maldives, Malé is the most populous city in the Maldives. It was once home to the King of Maldives and housed the palace from where the ancient Maldive Royal Dynasty ruled. The city was walled and surrounded by fortification and gates but the palace, together with the forts and bastions was destroyed during the rule of President Ibrahim Nasir after the abolition of the monarchy.