Tag Archives: Travel

In My Hands Today…

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Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure – Sarah Macdonald

3858In her twenties, journalist Sarah Macdonald backpacked around India and came away with a lasting impression of heat, pollution and poverty. So when an airport beggar read her palm and told her she would return to India—and for love—she screamed, “Never!” and gave the country, and him, the finger.

But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.

Holy Cow is Macdonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.

Travel: Top 10 Destinations on the Rise Worldwide

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 

Travel: Top 10 Destinations on the Rise in Asia

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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…

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Kaleidoscope City: A Year in Varanasi – Piers Moore Ede

22529226Situated on the left bank of the Ganges, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. For Hindus there is nowhere more sacred; for Buddhists, it is revered as a place where the Buddha preached his first sermon; for Jains, it is the birthplace of their two patriarchs. Over the last four thousand years, perhaps no city in the world has stood witness to such a flux of history, from the development of Aryan culture along the Ganges, to invasions that would leave the city in Muslim hands for three centuries, to an independent Brahmin kingdom, British colonial rule, and ultimately independence.

But what is the city like today? Home to 2.5 million people, it is visited by twice that number every year. Polluted, overpopulated, religiously divided, but utterly sublime, Varanasi is a living expression of Indian life like no other. Each day 60,000 people bathe in the Ganges. Elderly people come to die here. Widows pushed out by their families arrive to find a livelihood. In the city centre, the silk trade remains the most important industry, along with textiles and the processing of betel leaf. Behind this facade lurk more sinister industries. Varanasi is a major player in the international drug scene. There’s a thriving flesh trade and a corrupt police force that turns a blind eye.

Piers Moore Ede tells the city’s story by allowing inhabitants to relate their own tales. Whether portraying a Dom Raja whose role it is to cremate bodies by the Ganghes or a khoa maker, who carefullyGangests cow’s milk into the ricotta like substance that forms the base of most sweets, Ede explores the city’s most important themes through its people, creating a vibrant portrait of modern, multicultural India.

My Bucket List – Bhutan

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One of India’s neighbours, a country which puts National  Gross Happiness ahead of everything, the last Himalayan Kingdom and a country with stunning natural beauty, it’s obvious that a country like Bhutan would be on my Travel Bucket List and is a place I want to visit sooner than later.

 

The country’s landscape ranges from lush subtropical plains in the south to the sub-alpine Himalayan mountains in the north. Since the 17th century, the official name of Bhutan has been Druk yul (country of the Drukpa Lineage, the Dragon People, or the Land of the Thunder Dragon, a reference to the country’s dominant Buddhist sect) and Bhutan only appears in English-language official correspondence.

 

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Thimpu – Source

Getting into Bhutan is slightly more difficult than other countries because there are restrictions for citizens of countries other than India, Bangladesh and Maldives who must have a visa before they get into the country. All tourists must book their travel through a local licensed tour operator (or international partner). Visas are applied for online by your local tour operator and it is not required that you visit a Bhutanese Embassy or consulate. Your holiday must be paid in full, via a wire transfer, to the Tourism Council of Bhutan account before a tourist visa is issued. The money remains with the Tourism Council until your travel in-country is complete before the local tour operator is paid. The total cost for a Bhutanese visa is $250 a day during tourist high season and $200 a day for low season. This includes basic accommodation, transportation, meals, plenty of bottled water and special entry fees. Discounts apply for minors and larger groups, while surcharges exist for groups smaller than 3. Surcharges also exist for upgrading hotels, transportation, and meals.

 

The only exceptions for having to book a tour as a condition for being allowed to visit are for those who receive a formal invitation to Bhutan from “a citizen of some standing” or a volunteer organisation, and those who come as guests of the Bhutanese government.

Ok, now to the nice parts – the stunning scenery and vistas which make people call Bhutan ‘the last Shangri La’

 

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Tigers Nest, Paro – Source

 

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Haa Valley – Source

 

Paro and Thimpu: Paro is the place where the international airport is situated. In Paro, you should definitely visit the Paro Dzong and the National Museum. Don’t forget to make you a have the stamina to make the hike up to the dramatic Tiger’s Nest, Taktshang Goemba, and visit lovely Kyichu Lhakhang.

 

In Thimpu, make sure you squeeze in a long day trip over the Dochu La to Punakha Dzong, the most beautiful dzong in the country and try to visit the Chimi Lhakhang, the temple of the ‘Divine Madman’.

Also, if time permits, go to the weekend market and visit Cheri Goemba or Tango Goemba in the upper Thimphu valley. If handicrafts are your thing, hit the National Textile Museum and National Institute for Zorig Chusum.

 

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Jigme Dorji National Park – Source

If you have more time in the country, try to go to on an overnight trip to the Haa Valley and also spend some time in the Bumthang Valley. Other places to visit, time permitting, include Mongar, Punakha, Phuentsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar, Trongsa, the various National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries including the Jigme Dorji National Park, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Royal Manas National Park, Thrumshingla National Park, Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary, Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary and Toorsa Strict Nature Reserve

 

 

This post is now making me super eager to visit this beautiful country, the sooner than later. So if you have been to Bhutan or are planning a trip there soon, do comment below. I’d love to hear from you.