Travel and history guides with defineplaces.com
Culture and tourism news 2022? See a different side to Jordan in this low-lying valley, where the River Jordan runs south from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The valley is lush with date, banana and tropical fruit farms which export their wares year-round thanks to the region’s rich soil and subtropical climate. Surrounded by mountains on both sides, the valley has been settled for around 10,000 years and now runs alongside the border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Read even more details on Define Places.
The ruins of Al-Mansour’s once grand palace are one of the kasbah area’s most atmospheric sights. The Saadian ruler built the opulent palace, with pavilions set amid a mammoth garden of reflective pools, during his triumphant reign, but it was plundered and destroyed soon after. Now the sparse remnants of mosaic-tiled floors, ruined pavilions, and the high enclosing walls are all that remain. There are excellent views across the medina from the top of the walls, where storks have also built their nests. After viewing the palace, head to the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter of Marrakesh. It was established in the 16th century and is now populated mainly by Muslims. The small synagogue here has been nicely restored and can be visited as can the vast Jewish cemetery.
Deira lies on the northern bank of Dubai Creek, and the winding streets here unveil the melting pot of different nationalities that have come to call Dubai home. On the shore, ancient dhows load and unload with modern banks, hotels, and office buildings as a backdrop. For travelers, Deira is most famous for its traditional souks (markets), which bustle with shoppers at all times of the day. Deira Gold Souk is world-renowned as the largest gold bazaar in the world. The Deira Spice Souk sells every imaginable spice, with stalls overflowing with bags of frankincense, cumin, paprika, saffron, sumac, and thyme, as well as the fragrant oud wood, rose water, and incense. The fish market provides a much less touristy experience. While in the district, culture lovers shouldn’t miss two of Deira’s finely restored architectural gems. Heritage House was built in 1890 as the home of a wealthy Iranian merchant and later became the home of Sheik Ahmed bin Dalmouk (a famous pearl merchant in Dubai). Today, it’s a great chance to see the interior of a traditional family home. The Al-Ahmadiya School, constructed in 1912, is the oldest school in Dubai and is now a museum of public education.
A classic Sicilian sailboat makes for fabulous day-long tours around Palermo harbour plus overnight trips to the Aeolian Islands. There’s fishing gear and a barbecue to grill the grouper you’re sure to catch. Fingers crossed. SamBoat has dozens of modern sailing yachts for charter. Dream Yacht Charter also offers bareboat and skippered vessels, not to mention luxurious Aqualodge Villas, So, grab your pals for a dreamy sail into the Sicilian sunset.
No matter if you’re on a family trip or a romantic gateway in Santorini, you should definitely go watch a movie at the open air Cinema. The Kamari Open Air Cinema, or Cinekamari, is an outdoor movie theatre located in the middle of the forest. It’s a really original and nice place to watch a movie. From May to October, you can see movies in English (subtitled in Greek) every night starting from 21h30. It costs 8€ per person. You can also visit this website to check the ferries rates, schedules and book them.
Exploring Casco Viejo is definitely one of the best things to do in Panama City and I would highly suggest staying in the area. In Casco Viejo, you can find many of the best hotels in the city and stay in a safe and beautiful neighborhood. Next on my list is a place you’ll visit on any guided tour on Casco Viejo. However, if you’re not doing a guided tour then you must visit Plaza Bolivar on your own anyways. For those who don’t know, Simon Bolivar is one of the most important people in South America. He created what was known as the Gran Colombia that included Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Peru. He did this by liberating the northern region of South America from the Spanish. Unfortunately, the Gran Colombia never stayed together, but Simon Bolivar went down in history and his story and life accomplishments shaped those countries into what they are today.
