The readers of an online travel magazine have named Bali as the top holiday destination in Asia for 2011.
The poll, conducted by Smart Travel Asia, also picked out several Bali resorts as the top places for a relaxing break.
Bali took the top spot from Kerala, India, which was bumped down to No. 4. Phuket, Thailand, and Hong Kong were the runners-up, respectively.
In terms of top places to stay, a number of Bali resorts were included in the top 25 list, including the Bulgari Resort Bali and the Four Seasons Resort Bali at spots 2 and 3, respectively.
The poll also reported on preferred budget airlines, with AirAsia getting the gold star. Indonesia’s own Lion Air failed to chart.
The poll did not specify the number of voters, but the demographics skewed upscale. According to the magazine, voters took an average of 15.75 air trips over the past year and earned an average annual income of $150,000.
You will notice that most of these destinations are out of the way and rather hard to get to, but they are relatively easy to get to.
These places must have all captured your fancy for some reason or another. Save for the locations in Canada and Australia.
Here are the list of 13 places you would most like to find out :
1. Socotra (Yemen)
If you’ve seen photos from Socotra you’ll understand why this is a very special place. It is an island in the Indian Ocean located about 240km from the coast of Yemen. It is home to species found nowhere else on Earth. Moreover, they look really cool. It has been called the most alien looking place on Earth.
Student travel promises to be an enjoyable trip. Not only do students can visit several places, they could also learn so much on every trip. And since air travel agencies as well as airlines provide student travel discount and special student travel rate, student travel is becoming more and more available for greater number of students who want to explore and learn more about the world.
For first time travelers, here are some historical destinations you can consider for you student travel:
Athens
As the center of knowledge, government, and system in the ancient world, every student would be amazed how this ancient city grew and evolved. Students can visit Acropolis, Agora, Library of Hadrian, Kerameikos, Olympieion & Southeast Athens, Pnyx, Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds, Arch of Hadrian, City Eleusinion and other ancient sites in this ancient city of Athens.
Egypt
Visit one of the earliest civilizations founded in this part of the world. Egypt features 3000 years old city in the banks of River Nile. Egypt is also one of the oldest tourist spots in the world with visitors coming from the ancient Rome and Greece.
Moving your way south from Cairo, the nation’s capital, you can stop at Giza where the infamous Great Pyramid stands. It was built by Pharaoh Khafu in the year 2550 BC. Standing at 147 meters, it was the largest and the most ambitious structure built in the ancient Egypt requiring 2.3 million stone block to erect. Also at Giza, see the Pyramid of Khafre home if the Sphinx. It was built 30 after the Great Pyramid. As the second largest, the Pyramid of Khafre stands at 144 meters of 471 feet. The third pyramid located at Giza was the Pyramid of Menkaure which stands at 65 meters or 213 feet.
Further south, Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser built in 2630 BC. Pyramid of Pepi II, also located at Saqqara was the last pyramid built by ancient Egyptians. In Dahshur, the Bent and the Red Pyramids are located. And down south at Maidum, the Maidum Pyramid can be found.
See the temples, mummies, tombs, hieroglyphics, and Valley of the Kings and the Queens if you visit Egypt.
Rome
See ancient Rome still intact with evidences of Roman structure and architectures built more than 2000 years ago. Rome presents the living timeline from the Roman Empire to the shift of the Middle Ages, to baroque and renaissance, to the dawn of the romantic period and enlightenment. Rome preserves its temples, churches, arts, and priceless paintings and murals.
Turkey
A former territory of the Roman Empire which stood strong for more than a thousand years against several barbarian attack. Turkey is in the easternmost part of Europe that features a diverse culture, religion, philosophy, and architectures.
China
Travel Far East and learn the history of the ancient eastern civilization that was once unknown until the last centuries. See the Great Wall, a remnant of the Zhou Dynasty along with other unique oriental culture and tradition. See the Chinese painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, and Chinese art.
Peru
As the center of the Inca civilization, Peru is a great destination for student travel for discovery of South American history. The 500-year old Inca traces could be relived in the Inca Trail that is both exciting and educational. Walk to the Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and Pisac.
Indonesia is the largest archipelago and the fourth most populated country in the world. With over 17,000 different islands, Indonesia has just about every different kind of landscape imaginable. Mountains, volcanoes, rice terraces, bustling metropolitan cities, sleepy villages, beautiful beaches and so much more can be found within its borders. For those considering a trip to Indonesia, there are a few places that are must-sees that deserve special recognition.
Bali is one of those must-see places in Indonesia. With gorgeous beaches and pristine water set against a stunning backdrop of rugged coastline, volcanoes, and rice terraces, it’s easy to see why many believe that Bali is paradise on Earth. While many come to the island for its world-class surfing and other water sports, or to simply relax and enjoy one of the many beaches, Bali also has a wealth of cultural opportunities. While Indonesia as a whole is predominantly Muslim, the majority of people in Bali are Hindu, and their religion and culture shines through in their everyday life. Away from the beaches, the cultural heart of Bali is considered to be Ubud. Ubud has a number of historical sites, in addition to museums and galleries. The landscape surrounding Ubud is something to be seen as well, with rice paddies and terraces surrounding the town, enveloping the area in a sea of green.
Another beautiful and interesting cultural place to visit while in Indonesia is Borobudur. An ancient Buddhist stupa and temple complex, Borobudur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in central Java. No one knows for sure as to who exactly built Borobudur, or even why it was built, though it’s thought to have been constructed during the 8th century. Along with the mystery of who built it and why, there’s no clear answer as to why Borobudur was abandoned, although many believe that it may have something to do with the area’s conversion to Islam during the 15th century. Regardless of the reasons, it’s a beautiful, awe-inspiring complex and a fantastic place to visit.
For those visitors who want to experience Batak culture and see the world’s largest volcanic lake, a trip to Danau Toba is in order. Danau Toba is located in Sumatra, and its beauty must be seen to be appreciated. With a backdrop of mountains set against the cool, clear water, it’s a great place to visit. The Batak people are another good reason to visit Danau Toba, as they are friendly, relaxed, and have a rich cultural heritage.
Visitors wanting to experience modern Indonesia should take a few days to explore Jakarta. The capital and largest city in Indonesia, Jakarta is everything one would expect from a city with around 10 million people, complete with shopping, dining, and nightlife options that make it one of Asia’s most exciting cities. Visit museums, parks, mosques, and markets while you shop and eat your way through the city. Jakarta can be chaotic and overwhelming, but it’s never boring, and it’s an interesting window into the lifestyle of urban Indonesians.
If you’re on vacation or traveling in Bengkulu, you should not miss to visit the sights on this one, the Holy river beach its name ( pantai sungai suci ), pantai sungai suci is a tourist place is a mainstay in the district north of Bengkulu, Bengkulu profinsi the most widely visited by the tourists from foreign countries and domestic tourists. Among the many sights on the coast of Bengkulu province is the most in interest by the tourists who visited Bengkulu.
Holy river beach is located in the village market carts, coconut hut district, north Bengkulu district, or located on the border between north Bengkulu Bengkulu city.
Excess holy river beach is its a very beautiful scenery but you can enjoy the natural phenomena such as sunset and sun rise, you can also enjoy sea views down to the ocean off Indonesia.
As one tourist destination faporit beach facilities at the holy river has been adequate, such as lodging facilities, restaurants, shelter, until the access roads to this location is quite nice and paved. 
On the beach by local residents is also often used as a location to search for agate (stone ring) are very much scattered along the coast. To reach the tourist sites are quite easy, using public transportation or use of private vehicles with the distance about 15 km from the town of Bengkulu and about 20 km from the airport Fatmawati.
For those of you who are visiting Bali do not let you miss to stop by for a while in the tourist areas of the lake and mountain shelf. The lake is situated at the foot of Mount Batur and believed to be an ancient caldera. Caldera, or giant crater was allegedly caused by the massive eruption of Batur volcano thousands of years ago.
Caldera is now flooded by water which is the source of most agricultural land in Bali. Yes, the water of this lake flows into almost all major rivers in Bali like Unda River in South Bali, Bali river Sunni west, and Bayumala River in North Bali. From the river’s water flow of Lake Batur then be divided by special regulations called Subak. At the edge of Lake Batur Temple stands as a place of worship of Goddess Danu, the manifestation of God in its function as a protective goddess of agriculture. History of Pura Batur is devoted to Goddess of fertility, Dewi Danu. He is the Goddess of the lake water. Mineral-rich water flowing from Lake Batur, flowing from one patch of rice paddy fields to another, gradually down to earth, Enchantment Lake Batur tour certainly on the beautiful scenery.
Throughout the Batur area has a very interesting sight is the area of Kintamani District located in the northern part of Bangli. Penelokan is the best place to see a view of Mount Batur and Lake Batur. To the Batur lake area takes approximately 2 hours drive from Kuta. If you do not know the way over here, it is recommended you rent a car all drivers. You see, public transport here is very limited in number. It’s about 1500 meters from sea level from year to year have temperatures ± 22o C in the daytime, and 16oC at night. For accommodation in this area are very reasonable, If you want to stay, in Kintamani there are few accommodations. The price would vary. Cheapest price around 200 thousand, and the most expensive around 650 thousand. Restaurants are also numerous in this region. Several restaurants in Penelokan located in the best spot to enjoy views of Lake Batur, usually charge more for their dishes.
