Lake in the Jasper National Park, Canada

PD Photo: scenery from Jasper National Park, Canada, wallpaper image size 1024x768

Jasper, the commercial centre of Jasper National Park which is located in the Canadian Rockies, is in western Alberta, Canada. The park is in the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountain ranges. Located in in the Athabasca River valley, Jasper is 362 kilometers west of Edmonton and 290 kilometers north of Banff, Alberta.

Jasper National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the other national and provincial parks of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. It is a cogglomeration of typical mountain landscapes consisting of mountain peaks, limestone caves, canyons, waterfalls, glaciers, lakes and other breathtaking toursit attractions.

One of the most visited tourist attractions in the Jasper National Park is Mount Edith Cavell in the Athabasca River and Astoria River valleys. The north face of Mt. Edith Cavell can be seen after a short hike to the Cavell Meadows.

The Tonquin Valley trails are located about one kilometer before the Mt. Edith Cavell road end. the north end of Cavell Lake is located at a short distance down the gravel path, and a small bridge across a stream that flows to the lake. Scenic views of the Cavell Lake in the foreground and the Mt. Edith Cavell massif in the background can be seen from here.

The Taj Lake Palace

PD Photos: The Taj Lake Palace, a luxury hotel located on Jag Niwas Island in the middle of Lake Pichola in Udaipur.

The Taj Lake Palace, formerly known as Jag Niwas Palace, is an unusual, unique luxury hotel of 83 rooms and suites, located on the Jag Niwas Island in the middle of Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India. It looks like a floating, huge palace in the middle of the lake.

The palace was built in the period 1743-46 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, the 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar, for use as his royal summer palace. The successive rulers also used the Lake Palace as their summer resort, holding their regal Durbars in its courtyards lined with columns, pillared terraces, fountains and gardens.

The palace is set against the backdrop of the majestic Aravalli Mountains on one side of the lake and lofty palaces on the other side. Built in marble, the walls are ornamented with arabesques of different colored stones as in the Taj Mahal at Agra.

During the reign of Bhopal Singh (1930-55) another pavilion, Chandra Prakash, was added. His successor Bhagwat Singh decided to convert the palace into Udaipur’s first luxury hotel.

In 1971, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (collective name for The Indian Hotels Company Limited and its subsidiaries owned by the Tata Group) took over management of the hotel. The Royal Butlers, the descendants of the original palace butlers, look after the comforts of the hotel guests.

The Lake Palace was featured in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy, as the floating palace of the fabulously wealthy woman Octopussy, played by Bond girl Maud Adams.

Pattaya Floating Market, Thailand

Pattaya Floating Market located to the south of Pattaya, Thailand

Thailand’s Pattaya Floating Market, located to the south of Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road, developed on the site of the Lake View Restaurant, is claimed to be the largest floating market in the Eastern Region. Covering an area of over 100,000 squire meters, the constructions are made of fine teak wood.

In fact, the name 'Floating Market' is a misnomer, because most of the shopping malls are found on platforms constructed on stilts over the lake, though there are floating boats selling delicacies. Still, a visit to the floating market is worth your time and money, if you are visiting Pattaya, and if you miss it, you may regret it when you hear about the market later from others.

The Floating Market aims at capturing the old ways of authentic Thai life. All Thai food delicacies and other Thai art and craft items from all regions of Thailand are sold in the market. Its area is divided into four sections representing the four regions of Thailand: North, Central, North Eastern and Southern.

Apart from shopping for rare Thai souvenirs and relishing authentic Thai food to your hearts content, there are other entertaining activities, such as boating, dance shows and other interesting aspects of Thailand’s culture.

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Photo: Milford Sound, one of New Zealand's most famous tourist destinations

Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.

In May 2008, Milford Sound was named the top destination in the world, determined based on the opinions of TripAdvisor's six million members, the world's largest online travel community, ahead of Cayo Largo in Cuba, Rhodes in Greece, and California's Lake Tahoe. Milford Sound topped the list of 100 global destinations.

Lake Garda (Lago di Garda), Italy

Photo 1: Val di Sogno, Lake Garda

Photo 2: Lake Garda at sunset, view from Malcesine

Lake Garda (in Italian, Lago di Garda or Benaco) having a surface area of about 370 sq km is the largest lake in Italy. Located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Venice and Milan, the lake is 52 km long with a width of 16.7 km at its widest part and the deepest point hast a depth of 346 meters. The lake has a number of small islands, the largest being Isola del Garda. The sulphur springs here have a reputation for healing catarrhal conditions, particularly those involving the ear.

The lake is a major tourist destination and has a number of exclusive hotels and resorts along its shores. The ancient fortified town of Sirmione, located on the south of the lake, is a particularly popular destination, home to the Virgilio & Catullo Spa Complexes, as well as numerous restaurants, bars, hotels, fashion stores, a market, and the picturesque 13th century Scaliger Castle. Gardaland, one of the most famous theme parks in Italy is quite nearby.

Lake Garda, view to Nago-Torbole

Photo: view from Monte Creino to Nago-Torbole and the northern part of Lake Garda. Nago-Torbole is a municipal town in the Province of Trento in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento on the north shore of Lake Garda.

Sunset on Lake Garda viewed from Malcesine

Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy

Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, is located in Northern Italy half-way between Venice and Milan. The lake and its shoreline are located among the provinces of Verona, Brescia, and Trento. Being easily accessible from the north via the Brenner Pass, the lake is a major tourist destination and it has a number of exclusive hotels and resorts along its shore.