Clark Travel Agency

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Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, must be one of the least visited and most misrepresented cities of South America. There aren’t even many destination guides available for the city, it is sometimes hard to get your hands on one, and it’s even more difficult to find a destination guide for gay men or women.

It is likely that the first European who visited the site where Asuncion was eventually founded was a certain Juan de Ayolas. He was looking for a passage to the mines of Bolivia, and traveled up the river Paraguay. Unfortunately he was killed by the Payagua on his return trip. Juan de Salazar was then dispatched to look for him (in vain). In August 1537 De Salazar visited the location of the present-day Asuncion and made the decision to found a fort there. He called it Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.

It wasn’t long after the erection of the fort that word got out and it soon became an important base to explore from – both Bolivia’s Santa Cruz and Argentina’s Buenos Aires were founded by expeditions that left from Asuncion. Hence the name “the mother of cities”.

The old part of the city which contains the harbor is strategically perched on the bank of the Paraguay River. A natural bay permits small vessels to come and go to their various destinations, one of which is Brazil.

For those who love charm and character – this part of the city offers it in abundance. It has an assortment of beautifully restored colonial buildings as well as some art nouveau architecture. A short trip down Palma (the main street) will introduce you to many of the delights of Asuncion: you will no doubt be approached by one or more vendors selling chipa – the delicious Paraguayan bread made from corn flour or manioc; you will also no doubt hear traditional Paraguayan harp music emerging from the doorways of various stores and everywhere you will be able to buy the Nanduti lace for which Paraguay is famous.

Staying at the atmospheric old Hotel Armele is an experience in itself. You will have a view across the harbor and the Bay of Asuncion from most rooms. The evergreen Chaco on the other side of the river stretches as far as the eye can see.

At night the city comes alive. South Americans love music and there are a large number of locales where you can listen to live bands playing everything from traditional Paraguayan music to rock. The city also has a large variety of restaurants to cater for every taste.

The eastern part of the city, especially Villa Morra, forms the new face of Asuncion. Here you will find numerous shopping malls with all the latest movies and international take-away restaurants. You will also find the modern and sophisticated concert hall built by the National Bank of Paraguay where the Asuncion symphony orchestra and other artists regularly perform.

Asuncion has hotels in all price ranges. The cheaper ones tend to center around Plaza Uruguay. There are several five star hotels in the vicinity of Plaza de los Heroes.

Destination guides for Asuncion are difficult to find. We recommend that you print this page and keep it for reference purposes.

The right travel guide is useful on any vacation trip but it has to be the right one. Make a list of what you want to see while you are traveling and put them in a priority kind of list. This will assist you in choosing the best travel book for making your plans.

The things you will need to gather to prepare for your trip is your travel book, lots of maps and a language phrase book if you are traveling abroad. Go to the local bookstore and check out the travel section where you are sure to find many travel book. Look them over and try to find the ones that relate specifically to the area you plan to visit.

The best books will have your exact location that you want to see with all the details about the area and maps for traveling around the area. You will want the travel book that has the best suggestions of places that will fit with your budget. There are two different types of books where some will be about luxury accommodations and others will have a lot of information on economic traveling and hotels.

Narrow down your search for the best travel guide for your trip and compare the material in each book to be sure you have the most comprehensive information available. Maybe the most important consideration is the edition date of the book. You will want the most up to date data.

The best books will not only give good directions and accommodations but will list several ideas about things to do while on your trip. Some will also include great suggestions for making a list to follow to see all the attractions while you are there.

The book that is created by a name that is very familiar will be best. The ideas presented in the book should be interesting to read and should make you excited about the travel plans you are making for your vacation.

One of the biggest reasons for a good travel book is to be sure when you are on your vacation that you don’t accidentally miss any of the best attractions. If you don’t know the area it is easy to miss something that you would feel bad about later on. Making your itinerary is the best way to have a stress free vacation and still be able to fit in all the sites of interest. There will be times when you are pressed for time but if you have a good game plan you will be able to make the most of your experience.

There are many travel guides available.  For example, you might find a guide book for Rio de Janeiro if you are making very early Olympic plans, or one for a section of your own country to which you’ve never traveled before.