The Cliffs of Moher Ireland

The Cliffs of Moher or Aillte an Mhothair are situated at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland.  The Cliffs of Moher are Ireland’s top visited natural attraction with a magical vista that captures the hearts of up to one million visitors every year. The cliffs receive their name from an old fort called Moher that once stood on Hag's Head, the southernmost point of the cliffs. They rise 390 ft above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 702 feet just north of O'Brien's Tower, 8 KM to the north. The tower is a round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien. On a clear day one can see from cliffs atop the tower, the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north in County Galway, Maum Turk mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the south, and the Dingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands in Kerry. O’Brien’s Tower stands near the highest point and has served as a viewing point for visitors for hundreds of years.

The North platform is situated at the highest point of the Cliffs, Knockardakin at 700 feet above sea level, which is the location of the Tower viewpoint, O’Brien’s Tower, built by Cornelius O’Brien. From this point you can view the An Branán Mór Sea Stack, home of the guillemots and razorbills. Therefore; you can also view the surfing wave ‘Aileen’s’, Aill Na Searrach, to the right when it is up and running. On a sunny day you can view across to the Aran Islands: Inis Oírr, Inis Méain and Inis Mór and to the left views of the stunning Galway Bay. Moreover; from this platform you’ve a terrific view of the South Cliffs that stretch for 8km. You can walk to Doolin, about five kilometers, from this point along the Coastal Walk.

Furthermore The South Platform is a perfect viewpoint of the Puffin colony; the puffins make their home on Goat Island, a grassy island when you see down and to the right. You can also see countless other seabirds and also have tremendous views of the sea stack below O’Briens Tower. From this point you can see the Cliffs as they continue on towards Hags Head. You may continue your walk to Hags Head it is roughly four kilometers each way with magnificent views of the Cliffs. The first floor of the Visitors Centre houses the Cliffs View Cafe, providing marvelous views of the Cliffs from the windows looking out of the hillside.

The cliffs are one of the most widespread tourist destinations in Ireland and topped the list of attractions and they’ve formed a part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, one of a family of geotourism destinations throughout Europe which are members of the European Geo-parks Network visitor center. Clare County Council started development plans in 1990 to enable tourists to get the experience of cliffs without substantial intrusive man-made amenities. The Cliffs of Moher visitor experience was built into a hillside approaching the cliffs. The center is intended to be environmentally sensitive in its use of renewable energy systems including geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, and grey water recycling. The Cliffs of Moher visitor experience won an award in the "Interpret Britain & Ireland Awards" 2007 awarded by the Association of Heritage Interpretation. Though the award was precisely for the Atlantic Edge exhibition, the AHI assessed the whole visitor center and site. The citation stated that the entire visitor center was "one of the best facilities that the judges had ever seen."

The cliffs comprises mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone, with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is likely to view 300 million year-old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs. There’re an estimated 30,000 birds living on the cliffs, representing more than 20 species. These include Atlantic Puffins, which live in large colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island. Also present are gulls, guillemots, hawks, shags, ravens and choughs.

Sagano Bamboo Forest Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest is located in Arashiyama, a district on the west outskirts of Kyoto Japan.  It covers a total area of 16 sq. kms. It is one of the most attractive natural environments in entire Japan. The forest got stunning natural beauty and the sound the wind makes as it blows through the thick Bamboo Grove, it is sounds amazing. Sagano Bamboo Forest is one of the most amazing natural sites in Japan. 

One of the most interesting facts about Sagano Bamboo Forest is the sound which the wind makes while it blows amongst the bamboo. Amazingly enough, this sound has been voted on as one of the “one hundred must-be-preserved sounds of Japan” by the Japanese government. As mentioned he Sagano Bamboo Forest is not too far from Kyoto’s main streets and 30 minutes by train. Another interesting fact the railing on the sides of the road is composed out of old, dry and fallen parts of bamboo. 

The area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its natural scenery. Arashiyama is predominantly popular during the cherry blossom seasons and fall color seasons. Within this area lies the famous bamboo forest of Sagano. There is a walking path that cuts through the bamboo grove making for an enjoyable and popular trek. When the sun is shining and there’s a gentle breeze to cause the trees to sway, the setting becomes quite attractive. 

The bamboo forest in this grove is still used to manufacture numerous products like as cups, boxes, baskets and mats in the area. Several travelers online have mentioned that the bamboo forest path can get quite busy. Hopefully if you visit this beautiful area, it’s not too busy so you can pause to admire the beauty and tranquility of this distinct place. WOW! It’s really inspiring and a very awesome place to see. Everyone must have a wish to visit it personally with some of your friends. This forest is not only so attractive but also a play a main role in Japan economy. 

Moreover; you know Bamboo has several advantages, it is a big source of their trade also and beautiful scene to see. Bamboo Forest is a sounds really a cool place to visit in Japan. Such kind of unique places attract everyone a lot. The Bamboo Forest Kyoto, Japan is the best place to enjoy the hiking trip.  The tall bamboos are very impressive and attractive. Bamboo forest has a long path to walk. Many people do the walking along this path, and there are many points that you can stop to see such as temples, etc.

Magnificent Rare Wildflower Blooms in the Deserts of Colorado Plateau

Perhaps everyone has idea of “desert” mainly a barren land, with no great benefits. But The Colorado Plateau is a unique desert with a wildlife flowers with few scattered areas of forests. When you see the pictures, you’ll see clearly visible uncounted cracks in the parched earth, but for a very limited time in every few years, this barren desert is transformed into a fairy-tale carpet of purple and yellow flowers.

The unique occasion didn’t happen every year, these scorpion weed and bee plants flowers given the right combination of winter precipitation and April sunshine and blooms for just a few days before disappearing again for periods lasting several years. 

During winter months precipitation generally exceeds potential evaporation, therefore moisture remains in the soil for use by plants. If snow or rainfall does not fall in winter, the seeds will not germinate in spring and the flowers won’t bloom. Therefore; the magic beauty is best appreciated in phtographs only, because the plants gives off a foul smell like human body odour and gives a nasty rash when touched similar to the touching of poison ivy or poison oak. These beautiful photographs were taken by Guy Tal who is specialist in the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, documents the rare desert blooms in stunning photographs.  Visit his website for more pictures.