Shanghai is perhaps one of the most underrated but exotic holiday destinations offering a great insight and understanding of the Chinese culture and tradition. The place is a melting pot of contrasts with the modern and lavishly built buildings and convention centres on the one hand and the ancient monuments and cultural museums on the other.
Fast Facts
Shanghai is the business centre of mainland China and houses most of the corporate headquarters of the corporate sector. The Shanghai stock exchange bears testimony to the forays of the capitalism in the economy. The national currency is Yuan and 1 US $ is equal to around 8 Yuan.

How to Go
Being a major business district, Shanghai is very well connected with most of the European and Asian countries. There are direct flight from USA as well as Canada. All international visitors require valid passport having an expiry of at least 3 months from the date of making application for visa.

When to go
Shanghai experiences four seasons with temperature extremes in seasons. While winters are chilly and freezing, the summers are scorching wit temperatures rising to as high as 36 degrees C during the months of July and August. Even temperatures extremes of -10 degrees and 40 degrees have been recorded. Heavy downpour is also pretty common during early summers and rainy seasons. Spring starts in March and is the best season to visit the place. Summer starts in June, Autumn in September and Winter in December.
Accommodation
Shanghai offers a wide choice of holiday accommodation, from modern, large, lavish and luxurious hotels and resorts, to small and no frills apartments. Choices include hotels, hotel apartments, tourist villages, tourist villas, camping sites, traditional houses, guest houses, youth hostels. Most hotels and hotel apartments have swimming pools, tennis courts, sports facilities, sauna and most hotels offer special off-season discounts. Ritz potman, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt, JW Mariott, Park Hotel are some of the options available in start category. There are also budget hotel chains such as 168 motels, Super group and various private apartments.

Places to visit
Shanghai offers various attractions to visitors and tourists. It is a place where culture and ancient sites blend to offers great tourism experience. A few of the cultural and tourists sites worth visiting are BANANaund, the Shanghai Grand Theatre- an abode for various cultural extravaganzas and theatre and plays, the Yuyuan garden, a paradise for those looking for a tranquil stroll and lush free vegetation, the Shanghai Museum housing some of the most prolific and wonderful artifacts and memoirs of ancient times. Besides a number of religious sites such as the Jade Buddha temple, the Longhua temple and the Xujiahui and She San Cathedrals are a treat to watch and offer great insight into the ancient times and their historical perspective
Specialty of the place
Chinese gourmet is world famous and you can have some authentic Chinese cuisine being in this wonderful place. Various street markets also offer some of the best handicrafts and traditional items which can be bought as souvenirs of the great Chinese culture

South Africa, a place for strong hearted, a Mecca for naturalists, adventure seekers and a place for those who want to enjoy a holiday in the lap of nature at its very best with wildlife and natural vegetation and flora and fauna to support the eco system is perhaps one of the most natural of holiday destinations of the world. The place is frequented by tourists and visitors who are interested as much in wildlife as in history and archaeology as the place boasts of one of the best of both the worlds.

How to Reach
There are a number of international flight connecting South Africa to all the major cites of the world. There are direct connections to Johannesburg International Airport (JIA), the Cape Town International Airport (CIA) and the Durban International Airport (DIA)- the three international airports of South Africa. There are regular bus services from airport to the city and private taxis are also available.

Places of Interest
Table Mountain in Cape Town is the home to some of South Africa’s most breathtaking views. Robben Island which is a short cruise away from Cape Town’s waterfront by ferry, is a must-see on any newcomer’s itinerary. This is where Nelson Mandela and his comrades were imprisoned for decades during the Apartheid era. This historical island is now a World Heritage Site and a proclaimed nature conservation area. The Garden Route which is basically a ride from Cape Town along the coast to the Tsitsikamma Forest is a 600-kilometre stretch of small towns, wineries, farms and sea villages has been a traveller’s delight for more than a century. The beautiful scenery will make you love the place in no small measure. From KwaZulu-Natal to the Wild Coast, from the Eastern Cape to the West Coast, South Africa boasts more than 3 000km of coastline. Pristine beaches, fishing communities, golf estates, luxury hotels and guest-houses dot the landscape as you embark upon the journey to discover South Africa.

The Namaqualands flower grounds are a photographer’s delight and a visual treat. The cradle of Humankind- a World Heritage Site, located west of Johannesburg includes, among its numerous sites, the Sterkfontein Caves. Kruger National Park which is about the size of Israel, is the greatest of South Africa’s many national parks which attract a great number of visitors intent on being in the wilderness. Tourists can have the best chance of spotting the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo) in this park all in perfect harmony with nature and surroundings. The Drakensberg Mountains range is the adventure tourist’s playground. It is also perfect for nature photography, trekking, easy walking and simple relaxation. Full of game sanctuaries, Bushman rock art sites, challenging peaks and cascading waterfalls, the views in the Drakensberg will compete with anything the rest of the world has to offer.

Where to Stay
South Africa is a tourists delight in terms of accommodation options. From lavish hotels and beach houses to modest hostels and backpackers dormitories, everything under the sun is available at affordable rates. If you want to enjoy a complete holiday watching the people, take a room in many of the apartments on offer and you will have a jolly good time.

Gourmet, Shopping and Nightlife
South Africa is renowned for some of the best cuisines in the world. You can get almost any kind of food and the quality is sure to be the best you ever had. The South African delis are influenced by cultures from across the globe. There are Chinese, Indian, Thai, Mediterranean, European, American, African and other restaurants splashed all over the country. There are also plenty of options for a trendy after-hour playground for entertainment as well as wining and dining as a host of discotheques, night clubs and pubs are there in the vicinity. For shopping, African curios and designer clothes are available and so are mementoes and other artifacts