In My Hands Today…

The Gigolo Murder: A Turkish Delight Mystery – Mehmet Murat Somer

6438920With its exotic Istanbul setting and racy peeks into the city’s nightlife, The Kiss Murder left readers eager for more of Mehmet Murat Somer’s charmingly original heroine.

Software programmer by day and drag-queen club owner by night, our girl is back again, just jilted and feeling so blue she’s violet until she meets the hunky, married lawyer, Haluk Perkedem.

When their conversation is interrupted by a phone call delivering news that his brother-in-law has been arrested for the murder of a notorious gigolo, she decides to put her sleuthing instincts and Thai kickboxing skills to work unraveling the crime.

Travel: Top 10 Destinations on the Rise Worldwide

Here are the destinations across the world which are heating up and becoming more popular as travellers get tired of the crowds in the usual popular destinations. Did you check out the Asia list yet?

Ishigaki, Japan

ishigaki-beach

Ishigaki is a city on Japan’s Ishigaki Island and a jumping-off point for beaches and coral reefs. Near the port, the Misakichō district is home to the covered Euglena Mall. The Yaeyama Museum chronicles the history of Ishigaki and the other Yaeyama Islands. Connecting to a small island park, the Southern Gate Bridge offers views over the coastline. East of the city is Maezato Beach, a popular water sports hub.

Kapaa, Hawaii

a-lava-rock-beach-on

Kapaa, also spelled Kapa’a, means “solid” in Hawaiian. Travelers find this small town, nestled at the base of Nounou (the Sleeping Giant) Mountain on Kauai tourist friendly with its diverse array of hotels, shopping centers, and restaurants. The Kinipopo Shopping Village is a favorite for its fun eateries and small keepsake shops. Look for the “Kauai Made” logo for products made by local craftsmen using traditional materials. Kappa also offers water sports, including water skiing and kayaking.

Nairobi, Kenya

nairobi

Nairobi is Kenya’s capital city. In addition to its urban core, the city has Nairobi National Park, a large game reserve known for breeding endangered black rhinos and home to giraffes, zebras and lions. Next to it is a well-regarded elephant orphanage operated by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Nairobi is also often used as a jumping-off point for safari trips elsewhere in Kenya.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

shop-in-halifax

Halifax, an Atlantic Ocean port in eastern Canada, is the provincial capital of Nova Scotia. A major business centre, it’s also known for its maritime history. The city’s dominated by the hilltop Citadel, a star-shaped fort completed in the 1850s. Waterfront warehouses known as the Historic Properties recall Halifax’s days as a trading hub for privateers, notably during the War of 1812.

Gdnask, Poland

gdansk

Gdańsk (Danzig in German) is a port city on the Baltic coast of Poland. At the centre of its Main Town, reconstructed after WWII, are the colourful facades of Long Market, now home to shops and restaurants. Nearby is Neptune Fountain, a 17th-century symbol of the city topped by a bronze statue of the sea god. Gdańsk is also a centre for the world’s amber trade; boutiques throughout the city sell the ossified resin.

San Jose, Costa Rica

san-jose

San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, sits in the Central Valley region with the Talamanca Mountains to the south and volcanoes to the north. The city is distinguished by its Spanish colonial buildings, like the ornate, neoclassical National Theatre of Costa Rica overlooking downtown’s Plaza de la Cultura, a popular gathering spot. Below the plaza, the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum displays hundreds of gleaming artifacts.

Riga, Latvia

old-riga-relaxinriga

Riga, Latvia’s capital, is set on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the River Daugava. It’s considered a cultural center and is home to many museums and concert halls. The city is also known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture and medieval Old Town. The pedestrian-only Old Town has many shops and restaurants and is home to busy Livu Square, with bars and nightclubs.

Rovinj, Croatia

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Rovinj is a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. The old town stands on a headland, with houses tightly crowded down to the seafront. A tangle of cobbled streets leads to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia, whose towering steeple dominates the skyline. South of the old town is Lone Bay, one of the area’s pebble beaches. The Rovinj archipelago’s 14 islands lie immediately off the mainland.

Nerja, Spain

this-photo-won-the-i

Nerja is a resort town along southern Spain’s Costa del Sol. Its seafront promenade, Balcón de Europa, tops a promontory with views of the Mediterranean and surrounding mountains. Below it lie sandy beaches and cliffside coves. Cueva de Nerja, a nearby cavern with unusual stalactites and stalagmites, hosts popular summertime concerts. It’s also known for its palaeolithic paintings, viewable by guided tour.

Casablanca, Morocco

casablanca

Casablanca is a port city and commercial hub in western Morocco, fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s French colonial legacy is seen in its downtown Mauresque architecture, a blend of Moorish style and European art deco. Standing partly over the water, the enormous Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, has a 210m minaret topped with lasers directed toward Mecca.

Note:

All pictures from TripAdvisor

For more details, click the article on TripAdvisor 

In My Hands Today…

Bombay Duck Is A Fish – Kanika Dhillon

11393736When Neki Brar moves to Mumbai to make it as a film-maker in Bollywood, little does she suspect that she will find herself standing on the terrace of her building, a bottle of wine and her diary in hand, plotting how best to jump. A small town girl, Neki has one ambition: to live in Mumbai and make it big as a film-maker. As she comes closer to her dream, she is also faced with a new reality.

The make-believe sets of Bollywood, the cramped existence with her three roommates and the battle for power on the sets of her debut film as an assistant director force her to understand the ground rules here if you don t learn the art of survival, the train back home is your only option.

Falling in love with the second lead actor, the charming Ranvir Khanna, further complicates her life, along with the realisation that she seems to have a unique ability to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and in the middle of every disaster that happens on the film sets. Battling political games, rivalry, love, betrayal and burning egos of film stars, she discovers the beauty of her own ambition and the ugliness of true love. The stakes are high. The dreams are big. The pressure is tremendous. If unfulfilled dreams keep you alive, can broken dreams push you to end it all?

Travel: Top 10 Destinations on the Rise in Asia

If you want to travel this year and perhaps next regionally, maybe you should consider the following destinations which are expected to become hot and happening! You can then be the trendsetter in your circle.

Ishigaki, Japan

ishigaki-beach

Ishigaki is a city on Japan’s Ishigaki Island and a jumping-off point for beaches and coral reefs. Near the port, the Misakichō district is home to the covered Euglena Mall. The Yaeyama Museum chronicles the history of Ishigaki and the other Yaeyama Islands. Connecting to a small island park, the Southern Gate Bridge offers views over the coastline. East of the city is Maezato Beach, a popular water sports hub.

Takayama, Japan

takayama

Takayama is a city in Japan’s mountainous Gifu Prefecture. The narrow streets of its Sanmachi Suji historic district are lined with wooden merchants’ houses dating to the Edo Period, along with many small museums. The city is famed for its biannual Takayama Festival, going back to at least the mid-1600s, celebrating spring and fall with parades featuring ornate, gilded floats and puppet shows.

Busan, South Korea

tripadvisor

Busan, a large port city in South Korea, is known for its beaches, mountains and temples. Busy Haeundae Beach features the Sea Life Aquarium, plus a Folk Square with traditional games such as tug-of-war, while Gwangalli Beach has many bars and views of modern Diamond Bridge. Beomeosa Temple, a Buddhist shrine founded in 678 A.D., is at the base of Geumjeong Mountain, which has hiking trails.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

bigphotoforphnom-penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On its walkable riverfront, lined with parks, restaurants and bars, are the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artefacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market.

Nantou, Taiwan

sun-link-sea-forest-recreation

Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan.

Shenzhen, China

modern-futian

Shenzhen, in southeastern China, is a modern metropolis that links Hong Kong to China’s mainland. It’s known for its shopping destinations, including Luohu Commercial City, a massive mall with a vast array of wares, from tailors’ custom clothing to faux designer bags. The city also features contemporary buildings, such as the 600m-tall skyscraper Ping An International Finance Centre, and a number of amusement parks.

Tainan, Taiwan

great-guanzihling-area

Tainan, a city on Taiwan’s southwest coast, was the island’s capital from 1683–1887 under the Qing dynasty. Today it’s known for its centuries-old fortresses and temples. One of its most famous sites is Chihkan Tower, an 18th-century Chinese complex with gardens, intricately carved towers and a temple erected on the foundations of Fort Provintia, a Dutch outpost dating to the mid-1600s.

Seogwipo, South Korea

cheonjiyeon-falls-waterfall

Seogwipo is the second-largest city on Jeju Island, settled on a rocky volcanic coastline in the southern part of Jeju Province, South Korea. In July 2006, Seogwipo’s boundaries were expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island.

Negombo, Sri Lanka

negombo-sri-lanka-dutsch

Negombo is a city on the west coast of Sri Lanka, north of the capital, Colombo. Near the waterfront, the remains of the 17th-century Dutch Fort now house a prison. Negombo Lagoon, lined with fishermen’s huts, feeds into the Dutch-era Hamilton Canal. The canal leads south to Colombo. Neoclassical St. Mary’s Church, completed in the 1920s, features a ceiling decorated with vivid religious paintings.

Pokhara, Nepal

peace-pagoda-pokhara

Pokhara is a city on Phewa Lake, in central Nepal. It’s known as a gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, a popular trail in the Himalayas. Tal Barahi Temple, a 2-story pagoda, sits on an island in the lake. On the eastern shore, the Lakeside district has yoga centers and restaurants. In the city’s south, the International Mountain Museum has exhibits on the history of mountaineering and the people of the Himalayas.

Notes:

  • All pictures from TripAdvisor
  • For the full article, check the TripAdvisor link

In My Hands Today…

Bombay Duck Is A Fish – Kanika Dhillon

11393736When Neki Brar moves to Mumbai to make it as a film-maker in Bollywood, little does she suspect that she will find herself standing on the terrace of her building, a bottle of wine and her diary in hand, plotting how best to jump. A small town girl, Neki has one ambition: to live in Mumbai and make it big as a film-maker. As she comes closer to her dream, she is also faced with a new reality.

The make-believe sets of Bollywood, the cramped existence with her three roommates and the battle for power on the sets of her debut film as an assistant director force her to understand the ground rules here if you don t learn the art of survival, the train back home is your only option.

Falling in love with the second lead actor, the charming Ranvir Khanna, further complicates her life, along with the realisation that she seems to have a unique ability to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and in the middle of every disaster that happens on the film sets. Battling political games, rivalry, love, betrayal and burning egos of film stars, she discovers the beauty of her own ambition and the ugliness of true love. The stakes are high. The dreams are big. The pressure is tremendous. If unfulfilled dreams keep you alive, can broken dreams push you to end it all?