Travel destinations: Cook Islands – Part 1

Cook Islands stands at the heart of the Pacific, spread out over 15 islands,inhabited by polynesians having their own languages,government & cultures.

The best time to visit this exotic destination would either be in september and october or march and april. No visa is required for a stay upto 31 days.U can either fly from Australia or New Zealand.The official language is English and the currency is the New Zealand dollar.

90000 visitors flock to the capital island,Rarotonga, every year.Travellers are in for a unique experience, with no high rise hotels, but excellent restaurants romantically located along the waterfront offer a fine selection of local and international cuisines.The atmosphere is absolutely scenic,with white sand beaches and lush green volcanic mountains.Excellent hiking,snorkelling,caving and lazing facilities are available.The islands reveal fascinating exotic plants,birds and butterflies alongwith interesting coral and marine life in the lagoon.

Taxis and rental cars are available.Lustrous precious pearls are indigenous to the Cook Islands.You can spend your day sailing on a catamaran yacht,chartering a fishing boat or enjoying a power boat excursion.

Dont miss it, for the world.

Top travel destinations for 2008

I do not know why but I think that top travel destination for 2008 could be Auckland, the city near the sea and the largest city in New Zealand. With its population of just under a million people and located on North Island, the city is a seaport, an important center for business and industry. It is also the most dynamic and multicultural city in New Zealand. Because of this reason, many tourists probably will come to visit Auckland in 2008.

The history of the city goes back 650 years when the Maoris settled in this area. They came by canoe from other PAcific islands. European settlement began in 1840 when the British arrived. New Zealand`s first governor, Captain William Hobson, made Auckland the capital. Later, the capital moved to Wellington, because it was more central. Since 1945, the city of Auckland has grown and it now has large modern suburbs. In 1985 the New Zealand government made the whole country a nuclear free zone and since then Auckland has been a center for protest against nuclear testing in Pacific.

From wherever you are in the city, you can see the sea. Auckland`s nickname is “the city of sails” because it has more boats than anywhere in the world. It has a warm climate with plenty of sunshine-the average temperature in January (summer) is 23.4`C and in July (winter) it is 7.8`C. It has some of the best beaches in New Zealand for doing water sports: swimming, diving, fishing, sailing and windsurfing.

Famous sights include Mt Eden, one of many large volcanic hills, as well as the Auckland Harbour Bridge. This bridge is one of teh city`s most distinctive landmarks. It was built in 1959.At the Parnell Village you can visit some of the first European settler`s homes which are very interesting historical evidence for the historical development of the town. In the city is the beautiful Auckland Domain which is famous for its large palm trees and exotic plants. You can see Maoris perform their traditional dances at the Auckland Museum.

It is easy to travel between Auckland and the rest of New Zealand. There are regular international flights, too. Flights from Europe, for example, take over twenty-four hours, but this not a reason not to visit this wonderful modern city.