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New Zealand is known in the native Maori language as Aotearoa, often translated as The land of the long white cloud. New Zealand is a country of stunning and diverse natural beauty: Soaring mountain peaks, fiords, lakes, rivers, and active volcanic features. The islands are inhabited many species of unique fauna, including the elusive kiwi, which has become the national symbol. The Maori culture continues to play an important part in everyday New Zealand life, and there are abundant opportunities for the visitor to understand and experience the history and the present day form of Maori life. The country is sparsely populated, but easily accessible. New Zealand has modern visitor facilities, and developed transportation networks. New Zealand often adds an adventure twist to nature, and is the home of jetboating through shallow gorges, and bungy jumping off anything high enough to give a thrill. New Zealand has been called God's own country and the Paradise of the Pacific since the early 1800s. Travellers generally agree New Zealand deserves this description. Lonely Planet named New Zealand the world's top travel destination for the second year running (2003/2004), and it was voted best long-haul travel destination in the 2004 Guardian and Observer’s People’s Choice award. It has won the award in three out of the past four years. At the 2005 Condé Nast Traveller Awards, readers voted New Zealand as the best holiday destination in the world.

Multan is a city in the Punjab (Pakistan) in Pakistan. Famous for its numerous Sufi dargahs (tombs) and mosques, it's long been one of the country's religious and pilgrimage centers and is an interesting stop for travelers.

Pakistan is a country in South Asia. Located along the Arabian Sea, it is surrounded by Afghanistan to the west and northwest, Iran to the southwest, India to the east, and China to the northeast. It is strategically located astride the ancient trade routes of the Khyber and Bolan passes between Asia and Europe. The history of Pakistan traces back to the beginnings of human life in South Asia. Pakistan is home to the Indus Valley civilization, which is amongst the oldest in the world. Prior to the 1900's the area of Pakistan was the area from which the Muslims ruled over Central and Southern Asia for over 300 years. Today Pakistan is made up of people from various races including Arabs from after the Islamic expeditions, Persians from Bukhara and Samarkand, Turks from Central Asia and the native Sindhus who were converted to Islam. The official name of Pakistan was used after the partition of (British) India into the 2 nation-states of India and Pakistan in 1947. However, the word Pakistan was first used by Ch. Rehmat Ali back in 1933 in his declaration, Now or Never - calling for its separation from the Empire. Afterwards, British-ruled India was divided into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and secular India. A third war between these countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan seceding and becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. A dispute over the state of Jammu and Kashmir is ongoing between India and Pakistan.

Karachi capital of the province of Sindh, is the financial capital and the largest city of Pakistan. It has a metropolitan population of 11.8 million and is currently ranked 20th in the world (by population). Karachi, located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is the financial and commercial center of the nation, as well as its largest port. The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants and refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins, who generally come to the city to settle permanently. It is locally termed as the City of Lights, City of The Quaid, and City that Never Sleeps. Residents and those born in the city are called Karachiites. Karachi is different from the rest of Pakistan in the same way that New York is different from the rest of the United States. The pace of life is more hurried; time is money, and money is life.

Abu Dhabi is the federal capital and center of government in the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and one of the most modern cities in the world. With a population of just under 1.5 million, Abu Dhabi is the headquarter of numerous oil companies and embassies. With only 420,000 citizens in the entire emirate, each has a theoretical net worth of $17 million, and Abu Dhabi has been described by CNN as the richest city in the world. The city features large gardens and parks, green boulevards lining all the streets and roads, sophisticated high-rise buildings, international luxury hotel chains and opulent shopping malls. Long viewed as a staid bureaucratic outpost entirely lacking in neighboring Dubai's pizazz, things started to change radically in 2004 after long-ruler Sheikh Zayed passed away and his son Sheikh Khalifa took over. In a bid to attract tourism and investment, land sales to foreigners were allowed, restrictions on alcohol were loosened and several massive projects are under way, such as the upcoming $28 billion cultural zone of Saadiyat Island and its centerpieces the Guggenheim and Louvre Museums scheduled to open in 2011. It remains to be seen how well the strategy will work, but the city is certainly experiencing a construction boom.

Karlsruhe is a city in the south west of Germany, in the Bundesland Baden-Wurttemberg, located near the French-German border. Founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, the surrounding town became the seat of two of the highest courts in Germany, the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany (Bundesverfassungsgericht) whose decisions have the force of a law, and the Federal Court of Justice of Germany (Bundesgerichtshof) , the highest court of appeals in matters of civil law and criminal law. It therefore considers itself the home of justice in Germany, a role taken over from Leipzig after 1933. The city takes its name from Margrave Karl III Wilhelm, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, who founded the city on June 17, 1715 after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The founding of the city is closely linked to the construction of the palace. Karlsruhe became the capital of Baden-Durlach and in 1771 of the united Baden until 1945. Built in 1822, the Stundehaus was the first parliament building in a German State. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution, a republican government was elected here. Much of the central area, including the Schloss(castle), was reduced to rubble by Allied bombing during World War II but was rebuilt after the war. The city was planned with the tower of the palace (Schloss) at the center and 32 streets radiating out from it like spokes on a wheel, or ribs on a folding fan, so that a nickname for Karlsruhe in German is the fan city (Fcherstadt). Almost all of these streets survive today. The city center was the oldest part of town and lies south of the palace in the quadrant defined by nine of the streets. The central part of the palace runs east-west, and there are two wings of the palace, each at a 45deg angle to the center, so that they are pointing southeast and southwest (i.e. parallel with streets at the ends of the quadrant defining the city center). The market place is on the street running south from the palace to Ettlingen. The market place has the town hall (das Rathaus) to the west, the main Protestant church (Evangelische Stadtkirche) to the east, and the tomb of Margrave Karl Wilhelm in a pyramid in the center. The architect Friedrich Weinbrenner designed many of the most important buildings. That is why Karlsruhe is one of only three large German cities in which building ensembles exist in Neoclassicism style. The area north of the palace is a park and forest. East of the palace there originally were gardens and more forest, some of which remain, but the University, Wildparkstadion, and residential areas have since been built there. West of the palace is now mostly residential. The Durlacher Turmberg has a look-out tower (hence its name). It is a former keep dating back to the 13th century. The Stadtgarten is a recreational area near the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) and was rebuilt during the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Garden Show) in 1967. It is also the site of the Karlsruhe Zoo. The city has two botanical gardens: the municipal Botanischer Garten Karlsruhe which forms part of the schloss complex, and the Botanischer Garten der Universitaet Karlsruhe which is maintained by the university. The Marktplatz with the stone pyramid marking the grave of the city's founding father. The pyramid, built in 1825, is the symbol of Karlsruhe.

Ra's al Khaymah (also Ras al-Khaimah), located at the north end of the coast of the Arabian Gulf, is one of the seven United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ras Al Khaimah is nestled between the Hajjar Mountains on the East and the Persian Gulf on the West and shares mountainous borders with the Sultanate of Oman. With the completion of the new Emirates Highway, RAK is only about one hour from the emirate of Dubai. H.H. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi has been the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah since 1948. His son, H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi was appointed Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler in June 2003. The Emirate Ras Al Khaimah combines a fascinating and a relaxing tourist hub with its calm blue seas with clean white beaches, dramatic desert dunes and the majestic Hajjar Mountains. It has numerous fascinating tourist landmarks, beautiful wildlife conservations and sanctuaries. Golf has become one of the leading tourist attractions within the emirate.

Kandahar is a major city in the South of Afghanistan. Kandahar is one of the largest province of Afghanistan. It is located in the southern region of Afghanistan a border province connecting the Southern region to Pakistan's Balouchistan province through Chaman. Kandahar used to be the capital of Afghanistan until the late 17th Century; as the economic political Hub of Afghanistan; Kandahar has always played a major role in the history of Afghanistan; Most of its inhabitants are Pashtoons. Majority of the Afghan rulers were from Kandahar, such as Ahmad Shah Durrani, Mirwais Khan Hotak, King Amanullah Khan, King Nadar Khan, King Zahir Shah etc. Kandahar is sorrounded by the beautiful mountains, Ring of Rivers along side the city with the lush green gardens doubles the natural beauty of the city. The majority of Kandahar people are engaged to Agriculture.

City of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Agra is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, some 200 km from the Indian capital city of New Delhi. Agra has the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings and tourist destinations in the world, and two other UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Agra Fort in the city and Fatehpur Sikri nearby. The city has little else though. Pollution, especially smog and litter, is rampant and travellers are pestered by swarms of touts and hawkers at every monument, mosque, temple or palace. That said, the sites are some of the wonders of the world and no trip to India is complete without at least one visit to the Taj. The earliest reference to Agra is in the ancient epic, the Mahabharata, while Ptolemy was the first person to call it by its modern name. Modern Agra was founded by Sikandar Lodhi of the Lodhi dynasty, Delhi Sultanate, in the 16th century. Agra reached its golden age when it served as the capital of the the Mughal rulers of India at the peak of their empire from 1526 to 1658. They built many monumental buildings in the Mughal architectural style (a distinctive mix of Indian and Islamic styles) and Agra has some of the finest examples. The Agra Fort, originally built by Rajput rulers of Agra, was rebuilt by the emperors Akbar and Shah Jahan, and it served as a model for the Red Fort in Delhi. The lovely tomb, Itmad-ud-Daulah (1628), built by empress Noor Jahan, is a wonderful mix of Persian and Indian architecture and ornamentation. Mughal architecture's crowning achievement, the Taj Mahal (1648) is the centerpiece of any visit to Agra. Ironically, Agra's greatest builder, the Emperor Shah Jahan, was also responsible for the subsequent decline of the city. His decision to move the capital to the new city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi marked the beginning of the eclipse of Agra. Despite its importance as a military town during the days of the British Empire as well as in independent India, Agra lapsed into a second tier town on the banks of the Jamuna, and that's what it remains to this day.

Rajasthan is a state in the northwest of India. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to Pakistan. The main attraction for travellers is the vast Desert of Thar and one of the oldest mountain range in the world - Aravalis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by the Rajput Kings like Bappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap.

Islamabad has been the capital of Pakistan since 1963. A relatively quiet city, it consists of mainly Federal Government offices, Parliment House, the official residences of the President and Prime Minister along with the Diplomatic Enclave, an area next to the Parliament House dedicated to foreign embassies and missions appointed in Pakistan. Although the majority of the population in Islamabad traditionally have been employees of the Federal Government, in recent years Islamabad has become a very important financial and business city. In the last decade there has been vast changes in the city's traditional reputation. From it being a typical 9 to 5 city, Islamabad has become more lively with a lot of international food chains opening businesses, and generally a great improvement in night life with increasing shopping areas opening till late. However during winter season streets are considerably quiet after dark. Even now, Islamabad remains a city where people come from all over the country to enjoy its peaceful, noise-free atmosphere with a lot of greenery and nice surrounding scenery. It also serves as a base camp for people from the south and coastal areas like Karachi visiting valleys like Swat and Kaghan and northern areas like Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu Chitral located in the Himalayas mountains.

Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, located where the Fox River enters Lake Winnebago. The population was 62,916 at the 2000 census; it had a metropolitan area of 159,972 people. The city is located adjacent to and partially within the Town of Oshkosh. Oshkosh was named for Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant claw (cf. Ojibwe oshkanzh, the claw). Although the fur trade brought the first European settlers to the area as early as 1818, because the area was a frequent target of Native American attacks, it never became a major player in the fur trade. It was the establishment and growth of the lumber industry in the area that spurred development of Oshkosh. Oshkosh was incorporated as a city in 1853, although it had already been designated the county seat, and had a population of nearly 2,800. The lumber industry became well established as entrepreneurs took advantage of navigable waterways to provide access to both markets and northern pineries. The 1859 arrival of rail transportation expanded the ability to meet the demands of a rapidly-growing construction market. By 1870, Oshkosh had become the third-largest city in Wisconsin with a population of over 12,000. The Oshkosh Daily Northwestern newspaper (now the Oshkosh Northwestern) was founded around this time. Around 1900 Oshkosh was home of the Oshkosh Brewing Company, who coined the marketing slogan By Gosh It's Good. Their Chief Oshkosh became a nationally distributed beer. The lumber industry made the fortunes of area entrepreneurs and businessmen, who made significant contributions to the community, politics and philanthropic organizations. Availability of materials and capital, along with devastating downtown fires in the mid 1870s, created a range of well-designed buildings for residential, commercial, civic and religious use. The many structures which make up the city's historic areas are largely a result of the capital and materials generated by the lumber and associated wood manufacturing industries. Oshkosh had six historic districts as of March 2008. They include the Algoma Boulevard historic district, the Irving/Church historic district, the North Main Street historic district, the Oshkosh State Normal School historic district on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus, the Paine Lumber Company historic district, and the Washington Avenue historic district. The city had 27 historic buildings as of March 2008. Eleven are houses, four are churches, and the remainder include schools, colleges, a bank, a fire house, an observatory, the county courthouse, and a cemetery where many of the entrepreneurs are buried.

Tehran (also spelled Teheran) is the capital city of Iran. A bustling metropolis of 14 million people, it is situated at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain range. Tehran is a cosmopolitan city, with great museums, parks, restaurants, warm friendly people. It deserves at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary. The city can be roughly divided into two different parts - north and south. The northern districts of Tehran are more prosperous, modern, cosmopolitan and expensive while southern parts (also called the 'downtown') is less attractive but cheaper. At the time of the Zand dynasty, it was a little town that was significant from a strategic point of view. The first of the Qajar kings, Agha Mohammed Khan, named Tehran as the country's capital in 1778, and most of its growth started during the reign of a subsequent Qajar monarch, Fath-Ali Shah. The castle which Agha Mohammed Khan had built was to contain the new majestic buildings. At the same time, the city's populace was redoubled. Due to the increasing significance of the city, gates, squares and mosques were built and it was at the time of Nassereddin Shah that the city's master sketch was prepared and modern streets were constructed. Later, huge central squares like Toopkhaneh square (now Imam Khomeini) and quite a few military buildings were built. Event though the the Qajar dynasty was in a period of decline, Tehran soon took the shape of a modern city. The structure of large government buildings, new streets, recreation centers, urban service organizations, and academic and methodical centers were started, even as most of the old gates and buildings were destroyed and the city's old architectural fabric replaced by a contemporary one. Tehran has also earned itself the rather unenviable reputation as a smog-filled, traffic-clogged and featureless sprawl of concrete bursting at the seams with 14 million residents. But you can also find an endless number of nice and cosy places in and around the city - if you know where to look. Tehran is also a city of parks and possesses more than 800 of them, all well-kept. The city is nearly a mile high above sea level and as a result is cooler than other cities in the middle east. Summer temperatures are around 32 deg C or about 90-95 deg F. The air tends to be very dry. A combination of factors make Tehran a pleasant place to visit: The dry climate which is constantly cool (at least in the evenings), the proximity of the mountains, the parks and gardens where flowers blossom all through the year, the alleys of trees in the avenues or even smaller streets, and even the water that runs down from the upper city along deep and wide gutters which look like small rivers during spring. The Alborz range on the north of Tehran, which hosts the highest peak in Iran, provides fantastic conditions for ski lovers in the winter. In winter, the mountain hotels and ski-clubs at Shemshak, and Dizine are full several days a week. Some specialist skiers consider the snow value in northern Tehran to be one of the most excellent in the world.

Bandar Abbas (or Bandar-e Abbas) is a city in Hormozgān. Bandar Abbas is a port town and many of its residents come from other parts of Iran for work. It is inadvisable to swim in the sea as it is polluted. The original inhabitants of Bander Abbas are known as Banduris and can often be spotted for their colourful clothing and burqas. Most of the city shuts down between 2-6PM, as it is too hot to do anything but the mildest activities.

Derry or Londonderry (Doire in Irish), is the second city of Northern Ireland and the fourth largest city on the island of Ireland after Dublin, Belfast and Cork. It is situated on the river Foyle in County Derry/Londonderry, close to county Donegal. It has a population of 100,000. Note that the name of the city is a point of political dispute, with unionists advocating the longer name, and nationalists advocating the shorter. A common attempt at compromise is to refer to the county as Londonderry and the city as Derry, but this is not universally accepted. Situated on the banks of River Foyle, Derry is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and one of the oldest inhabited places in the whole island of Ireland. As they say there, 'Derry was a city when Belfast was still a swamp'. Derry's history dates back over 1,450 years, a lasting reminder of the early inhabitants of the area is the Iron Age fort, just over the border in County Donegal, known as the Grianan of Aileach. In the 6th Century St Columba/Colmcille established a monastery in Derry. Shifting ten centuries later to the Plantation of Ulster, King James I of England had the wealthy guilds of London build up the city of Derry (hence the title Londonderry) and surround it by the defensive walls that still ring the city today. These walls witnessed one of the most prominent events in the history of Derry. In 1688 the city was laid siege by the Earl of Antrim and the Catholic forces of James II, the English king who was deposed in favour of Protestant William of Orange. The settlers of the city who were protestant, barricaded themselves within the walls, when a group of apprentice boys from London on seeing the on coming forces, locked the city gates and so started the Great Siege of Derry. The siege was to be the longest in British history, lasting some 105 days, during which an estimated third of the city’s then population of 30,000 died through disease and starvation. When James II himself rode up to the city walls and lay down terms for surrender he was greeted with shouts of ‘No Surrender’. The siege was finally broken when the relief ship Mountjoy broke the boom which was laid across the River Foyle beside the city. However the legacy of the Great Siege of Derry lasted for centuries with the Catholic and Protestant communities in Derry still largely divided today. During the years of the Troubles, Derry witnessed some of the most prominent and terrible events of those times. It was on Derry's Bogside area that British soldiers shot dead 14 Catholics in what became known as Bloody Sunday. Since the peace process in Northern Ireland, Derry is slowly emerging as an upbeat cosmopolitan city with great potential and huge tourist interest. A lot of Derry’s sights are meshed with its history, the 16th Century walls which surround the city are among the oldest and the best preserved citadel walls in Europe. A huge percentage of Derry’s population fall into the 20 – 30 age group and there are plenty of places to cater for them with lots of clothes shops and boutiques, pubs, bars and clubs and Derry's traditional Irish and folk music scene are well established. As well as excellent tours around the city and its 17th Century walls, Derry also boasts a number of excellent visitor attractions. The Tower Museum is an award winning attraction, telling the history of the city and includes a range of exhibitions, while Derry's Guildhall, St Columb's Cathedral, St Eugene's Cathedral and St Augustine's Chapel are all historic buildings of stunning architecture. Other sights include the fascinating Bogside Murals found on the walls of what is known as Free Derry Corner and depict various events in the history of the town, from the Nationalist perspective. A more contemporary sculpture in the city, known as Hands Across the Divide, serves as a symbol of the two communities coming together. The city walls are the best-preserved in all of Ireland and make about a one-mile circumference around the city center. Derry is essential split into two main a

Jhang is the principal city of Jhang District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is situated on the Chenab river at latitude 31.15 N and longitude 72.22 E. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 387,418. Jhang is said to have been founded in the fifteenth century, and to have been destroyed by the river and refounded in the reign of Aurangzeb. Under Mughal rule, the city flourished and was notable for commerce and trade. In the late 18th century it was added to Afghanistan and became part of the Afghan Empire. With disarray and chaos falling internal strife in western Afghanistan and the gradual decline of the Mughal Empire, the city was briefly taken by Ranjit Singh in 1805. Later in 1849, The British made inroads into the Panjab and added Jhang to their expanding empire.

Tenerife is a favoured destination for scuba divers, with numerous dive operations of all qualities and nationalities. The waters round the island are diveable throughout the year, with the temperature varying between 18 degrees in January to around 25-26 degrees in August. Water sports are available in the south including surfing, wind surfing, speed boat parashooting and jet-ski. Nowhere seems to rent canoes. Santa Cruz has a big market by the station on Sunday mornings. Las Americas has one Thursday and Saturday and Los Cristianos on Sundays. Santa Cruz has a number of museums and an art gallery. Also a space museum and planetarium on a small scale near La Laguna. Barranco del Infierno is Hell's Ravine, close to Adeje popular with hikers, you need to book to go on the walk. There is little to see but vegetation on this walk and a TINY waterfall at it´s end.

Chepstow United Kingdom. A wonderful place.

Cartagena is in the Murcia region of Spain. Cartagena is the main Seaport of the Murcia region. It has 214,000 inhabitants so it’s the second most populated municipality of the Region. Cartagena concentrates an artistic legacy that summarizes 2000 years of Spanish History, being inhabited by most great Mediterranean Empires that have conquered the Iberian Peninsula sometime. Cartagena is a very monumental city, with many archaeological sites and singular buildings, together with the charm of the sea and the typical bustle of a port city. Dirty and very polluted in the past (due to the nearby Refinery), the new reforms (like the initiative Cartagena, Port of CulturEs) and restorations have turned it into a a major tourist destinaton, and is a frequent disembarkation of numerous cruises. Its wide municipal territory also include part of the famous holiday resort La Manga del Mar Menor, part of the Mar Menor coast and several protected areas near the coast.