A sparkling jewel on the island of Borneo, along the shores of the South China Sea, the land of Brunei Darussalam is an Islamic Sultanate blessed with a royal heritage of 600 years. The Sultanate of Brunei on the northwest corner of the island of Borneo is embraced and at one point even split in two by the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
This tiny Islamic state is especially known for the legendary wealth of its Sultan, and for being one of the richest countries in Southeast Asia, with a very high standard of living. Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized.
There’s no tax on personal income and the average per capita income among the highest in the world.
In the sixteenth century Brunei was the seat of power to an empire that covered all of Borneo and even captured large parts of the Philippines and Manila for a brief period. Today the Sultanate of Brunei lost most of its territory but is nonetheless thriving on massive oil and gas reserves.
The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is an ostensive display of modern architecture, but the rest of the country has remained unchanged for centuries and is luckily quite unspoiled. Because of the oil, Brunei has never needed to exploit its forestry to any great degree, with the result that tropical forests still covers around seventy percent of the total land area.
Indonesia is world largest archipelago made up of more than 17,000 islands which so far only less than 1,500 having a name. The heart of the archipelago is Java; it is not only the location of Jakarta, Indonesia's capital and largest city, but it also puts up a very big part of the population.
Actually, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country after China, India and the United States. Indonesia is also the largest Muslim state. Although the islands are home to more than 100 ethnic groups, most Indonesians are of mixed Malay origins and practice Islam.
Be sure to visit at least Bali and if you have some more time, try to make it to Sumatra, with its impressive natural beauty. The smaller islands of Indonesia include Madura, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Bali.
Indonesia's greatest distance from north to south is about 1,900 km (about 1,200 mi) and from east to west about 5,100 km (about 3,200 mi). The country's total land area is 1,904,443 sq km (735,310 sq mi).
If you’re interesting to travel to Indonesia, Jakarta is simply too massive to explore without fragmenting your experience into specific things to do. Here is our suggestion list:
- Be seen in the trendy suburb of Kemang. With its selection of boutiques, fine dining and drinking lounges, this is the place to see and be seen.
- Visit the phallic-shaped, flame-lit national monument (MONAS) otherwise known as Suharto’s “last erection”.
Located in central Europe, Switzerland is bordered by Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy, and France. A small country, Switzerland's very name conjures up images of chocolates, cheese, watches, bankers, and snow-capped mountains.
Switzerland was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called Helvetia in the ancient times. It became a part of the Holy Roman Empire in AD 1032 but soon succumbed to the mighty Habsburgs of Germany. The death of the Habsburg ruler Rudolf I in AD 1291 led to the formation of the Swiss Confederation.
Switzerland was declared a neutral state following the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 and was accorded permanent neutrality in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna. A new federal constitution came into force in 1848 and Bern became the capital city. The Swiss remained neutral in both the World Wars.
The picturesque city of Zurich, located on the banks of the Limmat River, is the intellectual and cultural capital of Switzerland and the hub of tourist activity. The 13th-century St. Peter's Church and the Fraum nster Church are two important sights.
reland is made up of the Republic of Ireland containing 26 counties and Northern Ireland containing 6 counties. It is located in northwestern Europe, to the west of the United Kingdom, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Irish Sea.
It is a land steeped in history but not particularly with historical marvels. Ireland is known for its misty green countryside, its culture and tradition (including legends and folklore), and its warm-hearted and friendly people.
In Hibernia of yore, Ireland was too cold and bleak a country for the Romans to colonize. Many say that In fact the Romans were unsure of exactly where Ireland was and actually thought it was off the west coast of Spain.
The native Celtic people continued to worship the sun till they were ostensibly converted to Christianity by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The mythology says that Saint Patrick actually rid the country of snakes as well.
The invasions by the Vikings in the 9th century and by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century were two significant events in Irish history. The British began concerted efforts to colonize Ireland in the 17th century but succeeded only a century later.
Located in central Europe, Austria is a landlocked country bordered by the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. The country was a centre of power in Europe at the time when it was ruled by the mighty Habsburgs. Although today it is relegated to being a minor player in the European Union, Austria offers some of the most impressive destinations on the Continent.
The capital Vienna was once the citadel of the Habsburgs who ruled the country for over 600 years. The city is an architectural gem and a centre of music from the medieval times.
The Hofburg (Imperial Palace) and the adjoining Augustinian Church are two of the marvels of architecture. Other notable sights in Vienna include the Museum of Fine Arts, Belvedere Palace, and the Sigmund Freud Museum.
The southern city of Graz with its UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, the largest in central Europe, has a very relaxed and mediterranean flair.