Bodrum, Turkey  - As the evening wind begins to wane, the yacht glides past a rusting wreck beside a rocky outcrop.

"Make ready to anchor," calls the skipper. But hardly anyone on board can take their eyes off the ruins of an ancient temple and theatre basking in the sunshine on the cliffs above Knidos.

In its heyday, Knidos was home to 20,000 fishermen and traders who lived on the slopes above its double harbour. In ancient times, both the Greeks and Romans used Knidos as a naval base for their galleys.

Girne, Cyprus - Thousands of tourists in Cyprus spend summer nights in air-conditioned hotel rooms. But a few - particularly in the northern, Turkish-Cypriot administered part of the divided Mediterranean island - choose to join conservationists on night-time, turtle-protection patrols along the beach.

During the night, loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), both threatened species, come ashore to lay their eggs.

Manali, Apr 17 : With the arrival of summer, the hill town of Manali in Himachal Pradesh witnesses a rush of foreign and domestic tourists.

Manali is Himachal Pradesh''s main summer destination for backpackers, trekkers and partygoers escaping the summer heat.

During winters, tourists here enjoy snow, winter sports like skiing, mountain biking, snow scooter riding, paragliding and other adventure sports along with the picturesque beauty of Himalayan region and snow clad mountains.

The rising temperature in April has revived Manali as tourist destination.

Although the tourism industry across the world is experiencing losses due to the current recessionary trends, the hoteliers here claim that they have faced no problems.

Print this article email this article Comment on this article Follow me on Twitter Beijing - China has issued a travel warning for Thailand, advising Chinese travelers to avoid riot zones in the country, state media reported Tuesday. The Foreign Ministry and National Tourism Administration have urged Chinese travelers to postpone trips to Thailand, two days after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared a state of emergency in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces, the state-run China Daily reported Tuesday.

Chinese citizens already in Thailand are being cautioned to stay away from the rioting.

Dubai, Apr 7: The prevailing financial crisis has not deterred the emirate of Dubai to launch a new low cost airline, called Flydubai.

The new airline aims at offering an easy and affordable way to travel in the Middle East region, starting with two next-generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with 189 economy seats each.

Flydubai Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktum, speaking to reporters on Monday, said that the airline would start flights next June to Beirut and Amman. Flydubai

Stuttgart  - The German poet, dramatist and philosopher Friedrich Schiller is closely linked to the eastern German city of Weimar where he spent many years.

However, Schiller was born in present-day Baden-Wurttemberg in south-western Germany and spent his childhood and youth in the region of Swabia.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of his birth and fans of the great thinker, who are considering visiting the staging posts of his early life, will find more than just the classic sights to see.