Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

25 miles (40 km) south of the capital city of Beirut lies Sidon, grand city of the Phoenicians and third largest city in modern day Lebanon. Traditionally a sleepy fishing village on the Mediterranean coast, Sidon has flourished in the past century to become a regional hub of commerce and the de facto capital of southern Lebanon.

While the air of industry and modernization abounds, relics from the Phoenician era and vestiges of old world charm are nonetheless available for inquisitive Sidon travelers. At the Sidon Sea Castle visitors are able to peruse the well-formed walls of a seaside fortification constructed in 1228 by invading Crusaders, only to be later decimated by conquering Mamluks in 1291. With two towers still standing and connected to the shore by a renovated causeway, the castle provides a platform for panoramic views stretching back towards the port. Adjacent to the sea castle are the narrow alleyways and souks of the old town, a labyrinth of stonework and wafting aromas where street side markets and food stalls still flourish.

Just outside of Sidon rests the forgotten Temple of Eshmoun, a Phoenician holy site from the 7th century BC named for the Phoenician God of Healing. It was inhabited for nearly a thousand years, but the temple was eventually abandoned as the spread of Christianity eclipsed the need for complexes dedicated to pagan worship. Rediscovered in the early 20th century, Eshmoun is considered to be among the best preserved Phoenician sites in all of Lebanon.

The Siauliai Hill of Crosses is a center of national pilgrimage just north of the small industrial city of Siauliai.

Many thousands of crosses cover a small hill. Ranging from tiny crucifixes to enormous metal or wooden crosses, they represent the Lithuanian peoples spiritual devotion and also act memorials to the thousands who have died during the country’s many uprisings and oppressions.

The tradition of placing crosses in this spot dates back to the founding of the city of Siauliai in 1236. Despite being levelled three times by the Soviets in the 1960s and 70s, local people and pilgrims replaced the hill and once again covered it with crosses, flouting the attempts by the Soviet army and the KGB to barricade the site.

A rocky mountain plateau rising some 660 feet above the relatively flat landscape in central Sri Lanka supports one of the country’s most significant cultural and historical sites: an ancient sky palace.
Atop this massive rock column, King Kassapa I built a palace complex in the late fifth century. Experts say less than 20 percent of the original structures survive today.

While for some it’s enough just to visit the onsite museum and glimpse the monolith from below, most visitors attempt to climb the approximately 1,200 steps to the summit of Sigiriya. Through an entrance guarded by lion’s feet, visitors ascend to Mirror Wall, a narrow passageway which now appears as an orange ring near the base of the rock. There, a smooth, lacquered wall reflects original frescoes of deities painted on the rock face opposite. Afterward, a not-for-the-faint-of-heart series of spiral staircases lead to more frescoes and to the final Lion Staircase, where visitors make their final ascent to the summit Sky Palace. All vantages afford much-needed breaks and breathtaking views of the jungle below. The summit’s terraced gardens and water gardens, along with the remaining foundations of early structures, leave everyone marveling at this remarkable feat of sky-high engineering.

Tthe 2,000 seat Siam Niramit, or the Enchanted Kingdom, is a state-of-the art theater yielding one of the largest stage productions in the world. The show is a captivating 80-minute adventure through the history and culture of Thailand in high-flying fashion, with live elephants, acrobatics, pyrotechnics and stunts—all performed by a troupe made up of thousands of performers adorned in great costumes.

Great for the whole family, tour packages start at $50 per person and include dinner at one of the theaters restaurants—which offers buffet lines of local cuisine.

Aside from the show and dinner, the theater’s facilities also contains a number of other attractions as well, including outdoor performances, souvenir shops, a traditional Thai massage parlor and even an opportunity to enjoy a few rides.

In a country full of religious shrines, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered the most sacred. Its golden steeple rises high above Yangon’s skyline and relics of previous Buddhas, including a water filter, staff, hairs and a piece of robe, are all kept safe within its structure’s walls. Historians say the pagoda was built between the 6th and 10th centuries and since then numerous dignitaries, religious figures and political powerhouses, including Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, have passed through its halls.

Visitors must remove their shoes before going into any of the four main entrances. Travelers will likely pass by religious pilgrims as they ascend the stairs, making an offering of candles, flowers, flags and fruit—an act known as dana—meant to pay homage to Buddha. Visitors should be sure to check out the pagoda’s stupa, which is encrusted with more than 4,500 diamonds, including one that is 72 carats.