Topic 34: Places of interest

Around the world, Rio de Janeiro is famous for its beautiful beaches, and Carnival celebration. But the city is also known for its poor areas, known as favelas. For years, many favelas had high poverty and crime rates. However, things are starting to change.

In the past, many favelas received very little government assistance. Neighbourhood residents had to build their own streets and homes. Gangs were also common, and so were guns. However, a new government plan is starting to change this. The city is sending thousands of police officers into favelas with the goal of driving out the gangs. In some favelas, the plan is already working. Crime is down, and unlike the past, children are playing in the streets again. New apartment buildings are being built, and the city is providing more services. “In 20 years,’ says police officer Leonardo Nogueira, “the children who live here now will be different people.”

Police influence is changing the favelas, but something else is, too. Today, more Brazilians are moving into these neighbourhoods because housing is expensive in other parts of Rio. “Favelas are a place for young doctors without money to get started and young architects to start working,” explains Simone Miranda, a Rio tour guide. In the past, favela residents felt different – separate from the rest of Rio. “But now,” says Miranda, “they feel part of the society of Brazil.”

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Today Jakarta has much to offer, ranging from museums, art and (1) ________markets, first class shopping to accommodations and a wide variety of cultural activities. Jakarta’s most famous (2) ______, the National Monument or Monas is a 137m obelisk topped with a flame sculpture coated with 35 kg of gold. Among other places one can mention the National museum that holds an extensive collection of ethnographic artifacts and relics, the Maritime Museum that (3) ______ Indonesia’s seafaring traditions, including models of sea going vessels.

Jakarta has a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor. Tantalize your taste buds with a gastronomic spree around the city’s many eateries. Like French gourmet dining, exotic Asian cuisine, American fast food, stylish cafes, restaurant all (4) _____ to find a way into your heart through your stomach. The taste of Indonesia’s many cultures can be found in (5)______ any corner of the city: hot and spicy food from West Sumatra, sweet tastes of Dental Java, the tangy fish dishes of North Sulawesi.

On an Old Quarter thoroughfare of Hanoi, known as train street, locomotives rumble down an active track just inches away from homes and other buildings. The juxtaposition of train tracks and residential housing has made it hugely popular among travelers to the capital of Vietnam.

But the municipal government of Hanoi has ordered that cafes alongside the heavily Instagrammed train tracks – which sprung up to cater to the tourism boom – must close. Authorities cite danger to human life as the primary motivator for the shutdown. The boiling point apparently came on Sunday, when a train traveling through Hanoi was forced to re-route because there were too many tourists on the tracks, which were built in 1902 by the French.

“Though the railway cafes attract tourists, they are, in fact, violating some regulations,” Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told reporters at a press briefing.

In 2018, Vietnam-based writer Dave Fox told CNN Travel that “overtourism is a new buzzword for something that has been going on a long time.” A longtime Hanoi resident, he watched as “train street” transformed from a cool novelty into a safety concern. “Travelers need to be mindful of optics,” he added.

When it comes to overtourism, some destinations face more of a challenge than others.
In Indonesia, moves have been made to greatly restrict traveler access to Komodo Island, home to the famous Komodo dragon. Initially, the country had considered shutting the island to tourists completely, but settled on a plan with limited access to visitors who could pay a high access fee.

And nearby in Thailand, the heavily popular Maya Bay, made famous by the film “The Beach” has been closed since 2018 to repair the most severe outcome – environmental damage.

(Adapted from “Hanoi to shut down ‘train street’ cafes” by Michael Sugrue – CNN Travel)

Around the world, Rio de Janeiro is famous for its beautiful beaches, and Carnival celebration. But the city is also known for its poor areas, known as favelas. For years, many favelas had high poverty and crime rates. However, things are starting to change.

In the past, many favelas received very little government assistance. Neighbourhood residents had to build their own streets and homes. Gangs were also common, and so were guns. However, a new government plan is starting to change this. The city is sending thousands of police officers into favelas with the goal of driving out the gangs. In some favelas, the plan is already working. Crime is down, and unlike the past, children are playing in the streets again. New apartment buildings are being built, and the city is providing more services. “In 20 years,’ says police officer Leonardo Nogueira, “the children who live here now will be different people.”

Police influence is changing the favelas, but something else is, too. Today, more Brazilians are moving into these neighbourhoods because housing is expensive in other parts of Rio. “Favelas are a place for young doctors without money to get started and young architects to start working,” explains Simone Miranda, a Rio tour guide. In the past, favela residents felt different – separate from the rest of Rio. “But now,” says Miranda, “they feel part of the society of Brazil.”

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Today Jakarta has much to offer, ranging from museums, art and (1) ________markets, first class shopping to accommodations and a wide variety of cultural activities. Jakarta’s most famous (2) ______, the National Monument or Monas is a 137m obelisk topped with a flame sculpture coated with 35 kg of gold. Among other places one can mention the National museum that holds an extensive collection of ethnographic artifacts and relics, the Maritime Museum that (3) ______ Indonesia’s seafaring traditions, including models of sea going vessels.

Jakarta has a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor. Tantalize your taste buds with a gastronomic spree around the city’s many eateries. Like French gourmet dining, exotic Asian cuisine, American fast food, stylish cafes, restaurant all (4) _____ to find a way into your heart through your stomach. The taste of Indonesia’s many cultures can be found in (5)______ any corner of the city: hot and spicy food from West Sumatra, sweet tastes of Dental Java, the tangy fish dishes of North Sulawesi.

On an Old Quarter thoroughfare of Hanoi, known as train street, locomotives rumble down an active track just inches away from homes and other buildings. The juxtaposition of train tracks and residential housing has made it hugely popular among travelers to the capital of Vietnam.

But the municipal government of Hanoi has ordered that cafes alongside the heavily Instagrammed train tracks – which sprung up to cater to the tourism boom – must close. Authorities cite danger to human life as the primary motivator for the shutdown. The boiling point apparently came on Sunday, when a train traveling through Hanoi was forced to re-route because there were too many tourists on the tracks, which were built in 1902 by the French.

“Though the railway cafes attract tourists, they are, in fact, violating some regulations,” Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told reporters at a press briefing.

In 2018, Vietnam-based writer Dave Fox told CNN Travel that “overtourism is a new buzzword for something that has been going on a long time.” A longtime Hanoi resident, he watched as “train street” transformed from a cool novelty into a safety concern. “Travelers need to be mindful of optics,” he added.

When it comes to overtourism, some destinations face more of a challenge than others.
In Indonesia, moves have been made to greatly restrict traveler access to Komodo Island, home to the famous Komodo dragon. Initially, the country had considered shutting the island to tourists completely, but settled on a plan with limited access to visitors who could pay a high access fee.

And nearby in Thailand, the heavily popular Maya Bay, made famous by the film “The Beach” has been closed since 2018 to repair the most severe outcome – environmental damage.

(Adapted from “Hanoi to shut down ‘train street’ cafes” by Michael Sugrue – CNN Travel)

On an Old Quarter thoroughfare of Hanoi, known as train street, locomotives rumble down an active track just inches away from homes and other buildings. The juxtaposition of train tracks and residential housing has made it hugely popular among travelers to the capital of Vietnam.

But the municipal government of Hanoi has ordered that cafes alongside the heavily Instagrammed train tracks – which sprung up to cater to the tourism boom – must close. Authorities cite danger to human life as the primary motivator for the shutdown. The boiling point apparently came on Sunday, when a train traveling through Hanoi was forced to re-route because there were too many tourists on the tracks, which were built in 1902 by the French.

“Though the railway cafes attract tourists, they are, in fact, violating some regulations,” Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told reporters at a press briefing.

In 2018, Vietnam-based writer Dave Fox told CNN Travel that “overtourism is a new buzzword for something that has been going on a long time.” A longtime Hanoi resident, he watched as “train street” transformed from a cool novelty into a safety concern. “Travelers need to be mindful of optics,” he added.

When it comes to overtourism, some destinations face more of a challenge than others.
In Indonesia, moves have been made to greatly restrict traveler access to Komodo Island, home to the famous Komodo dragon. Initially, the country had considered shutting the island to tourists completely, but settled on a plan with limited access to visitors who could pay a high access fee.

And nearby in Thailand, the heavily popular Maya Bay, made famous by the film “The Beach” has been closed since 2018 to repair the most severe outcome – environmental damage.

(Adapted from “Hanoi to shut down ‘train street’ cafes” by Michael Sugrue – CNN Travel)

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Today Jakarta has much to offer, ranging from museums, art and (1) ________markets, first class shopping to accommodations and a wide variety of cultural activities. Jakarta’s most famous (2) ______, the National Monument or Monas is a 137m obelisk topped with a flame sculpture coated with 35 kg of gold. Among other places one can mention the National museum that holds an extensive collection of ethnographic artifacts and relics, the Maritime Museum that (3) ______ Indonesia’s seafaring traditions, including models of sea going vessels.

Jakarta has a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor. Tantalize your taste buds with a gastronomic spree around the city’s many eateries. Like French gourmet dining, exotic Asian cuisine, American fast food, stylish cafes, restaurant all (4) _____ to find a way into your heart through your stomach. The taste of Indonesia’s many cultures can be found in (5)______ any corner of the city: hot and spicy food from West Sumatra, sweet tastes of Dental Java, the tangy fish dishes of North Sulawesi.

On an Old Quarter thoroughfare of Hanoi, known as train street, locomotives rumble down an active track just inches away from homes and other buildings. The juxtaposition of train tracks and residential housing has made it hugely popular among travelers to the capital of Vietnam.

But the municipal government of Hanoi has ordered that cafes alongside the heavily Instagrammed train tracks – which sprung up to cater to the tourism boom – must close. Authorities cite danger to human life as the primary motivator for the shutdown. The boiling point apparently came on Sunday, when a train traveling through Hanoi was forced to re-route because there were too many tourists on the tracks, which were built in 1902 by the French.

“Though the railway cafes attract tourists, they are, in fact, violating some regulations,” Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told reporters at a press briefing.

In 2018, Vietnam-based writer Dave Fox told CNN Travel that “overtourism is a new buzzword for something that has been going on a long time.” A longtime Hanoi resident, he watched as “train street” transformed from a cool novelty into a safety concern. “Travelers need to be mindful of optics,” he added.

When it comes to overtourism, some destinations face more of a challenge than others.
In Indonesia, moves have been made to greatly restrict traveler access to Komodo Island, home to the famous Komodo dragon. Initially, the country had considered shutting the island to tourists completely, but settled on a plan with limited access to visitors who could pay a high access fee.

And nearby in Thailand, the heavily popular Maya Bay, made famous by the film “The Beach” has been closed since 2018 to repair the most severe outcome – environmental damage.

(Adapted from “Hanoi to shut down ‘train street’ cafes” by Michael Sugrue – CNN Travel)