The Best Little Island (Ile St. Louis) in all of Paris

In the middle of Paris, the Seine river splits and then joins back up again. Where it splits, there are two 'islands', a bigger one with Notre Dame and a smaller one is Ile St. Louis.

The Île Saint-Louis is home to one major church that’s open to visitors is the Saint-Louis-en-l’Île Church. It was built in the mid-17th century, and is a Catholic church. Don’t expect it to be the most impressive church you see in Paris, and don’t feel badly about skipping a peek at the interior entirely. It may be the island’s only “big” church, but as far as that concerned it’s far from the main sight.

The most attraction on the Île Saint-Louis is an ice cream shop. In fact, it’s not even really the shop so much as the ice cream counter in the window – and the line that can stretch down the street – that people notice. I’m talking here about the famous Berthillon, home of the best ice cream in Paris. You’ll be stunned at the array of flavor choices, and wowed by the intense flavors.Ice cream in hand, your best bet for seeing the Île Saint-Louis is just to wander a bit aimlessly. 

Île Saint-Louis is a really small island and the vast majority of the buildings are high-end apartment buildings, but it’s often a quieter spot than many other spots in tourist-laden Paris, and it’s a glimpse of something more akin to real Parisian life.

Marie

building in which Marie Curie lived

The best  sights at Île Saint-Louis is look a building in which Marie Curie lived at No. 36 Quai de Bethune but beyond that visitors mostly going to be looking at beautiful architecture and some charming shops and restaurants. 

One end of the Île Saint-Louis is connected to the Île de la Cité via a small bridge, and you can get some good pictures of the back of the Notre Dame cathedral from there. When crossed a bridge , you can see  full of locks.  All of the locks had people’s names written on them with hearts and that couples write their names on the padlocks, lock it to the bridge and throw the key in the water to symbolize love.

You couldn't possibly visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Even if you do not want to visit this world famous structure, you will see its top from all over Paris. The tower rises 300 meters tall (984 ft); when it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was twice as high as the Washington Monument, at the time the tallest structure in the world. 

Paris is one of my dream place that I want to go. I want to go Paris with my hubby as honeymoon because I think Paris is a romantic place and so sweet if we spend our honeymoon at Paris. I hope my dream to go honeymoon at Paris is come true. 

Fraser Island Australia - World Heritage Listed

Fraser Island map

Australia map

Fraser Island stretches over 123 kilometres in length and 22 kilometres at its widest point. With an area of 184 000 hectares it is the largest sand island in the world.

Fraser Island's World Heritage listing ranks it with Australia's Uluru, Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef. Fraser Island is a precious part of Australia's natural and cultural heritage, it is protected for all to appreciate and enjoy.

Maheno Shipwreck on the beach

Fraser island is a place of exceptional beauty, with its long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs, and over 100 freshwater lakes, some tea-coloured and others clear and blue all ringed by white sandy beaches. Ancient rainforests grow in sand along the banks of fast-flowing, crystal-clear creeks.

white sandy beach

Fraser Island is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 metres. The low "wallum" heaths on the island are of particular evolutionary and ecological significance, and provide magnificent wildflower displays in spring and summer.

The immense sand blows and cliffs of coloured sands are part of the longest and most complete age sequence of coastal dune systems in the world and they are still evolving. They are a continuous record of climatic and sea level changes over the last 700 000 years. The highest dunes on the island reach up to 240 metres above sea level.

The Great Sandy Strait, separating Fraser Island from the mainland, is listed by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).

Great Sandy Strait

Great Sandy Strait separate mainland

The wetlands include: rare patterned ferns; mangrove colonies; sea-grass beds; and up to 40,000 migratory shorebirds. Rare, vulnerable or endangered species include dugongs, turtles, Illidge's ant-blue butterflies and eastern curlews.

Jeju Volcanic Island Tour, Korea

Jeju is the largest island of South Korea, which is created by volcanic eruptions. Jeju is very famous among Koreans and Japanese tourists because of its mild oceanic climate year round. It’s one stop destination for many activities like hiking, enjoying beach, horse riding, diving etc. it’s said that no tour to Korea is complete without visiting Jeju do.

Jeju volcanic island and lava tubes are listed by UNESCO as having outstanding natural significance to the common heritage of humanity. Jeju Island is the premier tourist destination in Korea because of its stunning natural scenery and superior tourist amenities. Scenic beaches, waterfalls, cliffs and caves exist in harmony, while the mild weather makes Jeju Island an even more ideal tourist site.

There are two ways to reach Jeju, one by air; Jeju International Airport has several flights daily via Korean Air and Asiana to Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Jinju, Kunsan, Gwangju, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Ulsan, Yecheon, and Yeosu. The other option is by ferry. The ferry terminals at Busan, Yeosu, Mokp’o, Wando, Noktong, and Incheon on the mainland have daily boats to Jeju city ferry terminals.

view of Lotte Hotel

The visitors come to Jeju Island, Korea will suggest to stay at Lotte Hotel whereby this hotel is a famous hotel in Jeju Island. The first stop on today’s tour is Yongduam Rock, a rock formation that resembles a dragon head with an open mouth soaring 100m above sea level, creating harmony with the deep violet-blue sea. Next you will trek the Orum, a parasitic volcano cone on the top of a mountain where there is a large, deep tunnel-shaped crater (during the winter, you will visit the Natural History Museum instead).

Yongduam Rock

Second day tour by visiting Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, a three-tiered waterfall surrounded by lush foliage and also named the Pond of God. To the east there is a cave where cold water pours from the ceiling to create a waterfall. The water from the first waterfall becomes the second and third waterfalls and then flows into the sea. A legend about seven wonder in world and a mountain god is tied to this wondrous place is known as Miniature Park.

Cheonjiyeon Waterfall

Miniature Park

The next stop is Gyulimseong, a citrus farm and museum with nearly 1000 wild plants and flowers growing in the basalt volcanic rock. Optional tour: A pleasure boat cruise in Seogwipo where you can enjoy the view from both above and below the sea. Many isolated and unexplored regions including islands and Seogwipo’s beautiful coastal scenery are viewed from the boat.

citrus farm Gyulimseong

boat cruise in Seogwipo

Next you will visit O’Sulloc Tea House, a museum dedicated to green tea. The museum is the shape of a green tea cup, seeking to harmonize the cultures of the West and East and past traditions with the modern world.

The tour will continue to Hallim Park where you can explore Palm Tree Road, Jeju Stone and Bonsai Garden, the Water Garden, the Subtropical Botanic Garden and much more. The most famous tourist sites in Hallim Park are Hyeopjaegul and Ssangyonggul, the only two-dimensional caves in the world. In addition, a folk village, children's amusement park and outdoor resort facilities make Hallim Park enjoyable for both children and adults.

children's amusement park

Hallim Park

 The next place you will visit is Yongmeori (Dragon Head) Shore – an impressive and beautiful oceanside promenade of soaring, weather-blown cliffs. Note that Yongmeori closes during very high seas. If this is the case during your visit, you will visit Sangbanggbulsa, a natural cave overlooking the ocean. Optional tour: Traditional dyeing experience using natural dyes and fibers.

Sangbanggbulsa, a natural cave

Yongmeori (Dragon Head) Shore

  







  

The third day’s tour is visit to Dokkaebi Road (Mysterious Road) – a road on which your vehicle will roll uphill if the vehicle is parked and in neutral. Next you will visit the Amethyst Factory, where you can see and feel excellent quality Korean amethyst stones.

Tour will continue to Seonnyeo (nymph) and Namuggun (woodcutter) Theme Park, comprised of a folk village, old market street, old shanty house village, an agricultural museum displaying old farming utensils and an embroidery museum. Seongeup Folk Village is a wonderful example of Korea’s preserved cultural traditions, including residential houses, Confucian shrine and schools, ancient government offices, stone statues and monuments and fortress ruins. Here you can also experience folk plays, native foods, local craftsmanship and local dialects that have been handed down through generations. When you explore this area, you like you have traveled back in time.

Seonnyeo (nymph) and Namuggun (woodcutter) Theme Park

Seongeup Folk Village

Last tour for that day is visit Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) You will travel 80 km from your condo to sunrise peak to see the breath taking sunrise. It was really a wonderful experience.

Seongsan Ilchulbong

way to see Sunrise Peak

Sunrise Peak

The forth day is to do activity like horse riding farms are very popular in Jeju. One can take the dress shoes for rent at the shop inside the farm. The horses are well trained and the trainers walked along with us. It was thrilling to be on a horse's back and move around.

horse riding farms

Next tour is visit to chocolate museum. The chocolate museum was lots of fun for visitors. They will saw the procedure of making chocolates and there were many different types of tempting chocolates on display.

the chocolate castle

making chocolates

Last tour is visit to an underwater trip by submarine too. The submarine was far from the shore. A boat takes visitor to there. Commonly, the weather was wild around there and visitors will experience the tremendous wind and high waves inside the boat. But the submarine ride was cool and comfortable. They could see the underwater life till 40 meters under water.

submarine

getting to submarine through small hole

view of core under the sea

fishes as seen from  the submarine

 

Jeju Island is one place that I want to go. I will arrive there one day soon. Amin..=))