Tucked between West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the state of Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) is dotted with temples and religious sites, where pilgrim flock from around the country. From the sacred Jagannath Temple of Puri to the magnificent Parsvanath Temple and the serene Buddhist monasteries, Odisha has been a revered place for devotees. As you travel down the pilgrim’s trail across five most significant religious sites of Odisha, you will experience an entirely different world in this eastern Indi
If you’re looking for great local food at reasonable prices, the slopes of an international ski resort are probably not the best place right? In most resorts, Niseko, on Japan's northern Hokkaido island an eight-hour train ride from Tokyo, just might be the exception. Authentic Japanese food cooked with fresh, seasonal ingredients are plentiful in Niseko, and for true foodies provide a huge reason to book a Niseko ski holiday. Our favourite picks are:
Ikura don at Boyo-so - Niseko Hirafu
Basically
photos: Jay Jacobson
by Ignacio Darnaude
If, like us, you’ve been thinking about an African safari for ages but always found an excuse: it’s too far, I have to get vaccines… follow our advice, it’s time to put your fears behind you and embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
When you do, make sure you organize the trip thru a specialised travel agent, the choices are overwhelming otherwise. My goal was seeing as many elephants as possible so mine organised our trip to southern Africa f
Originating as a Slavic settlement in the Dark Ages, for more than three centuries, the town, the small city of Meissen (pop. 30,000), straddling the Elbe River of Saxony, had something of an outsize reputation as site of key events in Teutonic history but especially as the place where Europe’s first hard-paste porcelain was invented in 1710 and developed worldwide fame. That light dimmed a bit as Meissen Porcelain came under the control of Communist East Germany after World
Solvang, two hours north of Los Angeles on the central coast, has been known as “California’s Denmark” since its founding in 1911, yet modern changes are churning like a windmill. Like a page from a Hans Christian Andersen story book, thatched roof buildings and flower-bordered sidewalks line the streets to the shops and restaurants. A newer and modern direction is taking shape while keeping alive the the Danish-flavored heritage of this community’s of just under 6,000.
A vibe has been in the a
Egypt’s top tourist resort, near the southern point of the Sinai Peninsula, features beautiful coral reefs and beaches, shipwrecks, desert adventures, ancient monasteries, and vibrant nightlife.
Here is my Top 7 trips and tours you must go on when visiting Sharm el Sheik.
1. Ras Mohammed National Park by Jeep
Egypt’s first National Park here is one of the worlds most Beautiful places to visit, also known as the Jewel in the Crown of the Red Sea, with over 130 types of stunning coral and over a
Enrique López-Tamayo Biosca/Flickr
Unlike as is increasingly the case with Christmas, in Ibero-America Semana Santa (Holy Week, aka Easter week and the last week of Lent), going on right now, is still an almost exclusively religious observance, largely sans the Anglo-Saxon-style Easter-egg rolls, el conejito de Pascua(the Easter bunny), and such (except perhaps for some supermarket promotions). But it is still very much an occasion for ostentatious pomp and spectacle in practically ev
Eating out with friends and family is an enjoyable experience, and this should be no different for those with gluten-free dietary requirements. Unfortunately, if you have coeliac disease or a gluten intolerance, dining out can be a challenge. Although restaurants are becoming more aware of what it means to be gluten-free, there are still occasions when this isn’t the case and you have to take responsibility to make sure your food is safe to eat. Next time you eat out and aren’t sure about a res
Sailko
Sometimes overshadowed by Florence, Tuscany's equally ancient city of Siena is also an astonishing trove of history, art, and architecture, and its centerrpiece is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Santa Maria Assunta in Italian), commonly called the Duomo di Siena.
The origin of the cathedral is rather uncertain. According to tradition, on the top of the hill the first small church, dedicated to St. Boniface, was built in the heart of the Roman village Castelvecchio. In the
Mahabaleshwar is a charming hill station located in Satara district of Maharashtra. At an altitude of 1,353 metres in the Western Ghats range, Mahabaleshwar is known for its fascinating beauty, ancient temples, gorgeous waterfalls, misty hills, and valleys. This pristine hill station is the source of the Krishna River that flows across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Mahabaleshwar is one of the top monsoon destinations in India and also one of the best weekend gateways from Mumbai and
Sunshine you can count on, an Ice Cream Trail, a brew trail, historic Old Towns, and the oldest wine-growing region in the U.S. (surviving Prohibition)—these are some of the special treats awaiting visitors to the Northern California Tri-Valley area comprised of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Danville, on the east edge of the San Francisco Bay area.
About 20 years ago our family was pondering a move to Livermore, California. That was back in the day before social media or much information
Sydney is the place to be in autumn (that's spring to you all in the Northern Hemisphere!). The weather has cooled down and leaves are falling but the sun is still shining. Most importantly, the event of the season begins - the autumn racing carnival. This means fifty days of trackside fun, with world-class racing action to be seen and amazing events to attend. There are four Sydney race tracks that are part of the carnival: Royal Randwick, Rosehill Gardens, Warwick Farm and Canterbury Park, So
David Paul Appell
In the past decade or two, art has truly been one of the bright spots in Cuba‘s cities, and especially in capital Havana. In addition to a quite fine Museum of Cuban Fine Arts (Calle Trocadero between Zulueta and Monserrate), with works spanning the early colonial period to just yesterday, these days there are also myriad galleries and shops.
Many of them, especially in Old Havana, traffick largely in tourist kitsch, but you can also find some world-class work in galleries s
With April as the start of the new fiscal year in Japan, a number of new art exhibitions and “art experiences” are opening in April and May. Here are a few of the most notable:
Roppongi Art Night
This-all-night-long-beyond-dawn art event in Roppongi, includes all the major area art venues: Roppongi Hills, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown, Suntory Museum, 21-21 Design Sight, National Museum, and more, with additional outdoor installations and live performances. May 26-27.
"Holes & Buildings,"Te
A vast valley protected between two mountain ranges, northern Spain's La Rioja features terrain, wind conditions, and soil that differs from one village to the next. The River Ebro flows through it all from west to east flanked by the Cantabria Mountains to the north and the La Demanda Range to the south.
Vivanco Family Vineyards, a fourth-generation estate established 100 years ago by great grandfather Pedro Vivanco González, remains a small operation in La Rioja's Alberite. It wasn't until th
by Oscar Scafidi
Africa’s only Spanish-speaking country is divided into two major regions – the island on which capital Malabo (which I covered here recently) is located, and larger Río Muni on the mainland, sandwiched between Cameroon and Gabon. Bustling port city Bata (pop. 173,000) is the capital of Litoral Province, which runs along West Africa’s Atlantic coast, and is the country’s economic capital, with a lot of domestic airlift to/from international gateway Malabo (which I wrote about
It's really hard to beat a road trip across California's Central Coast. Challenging but spectacular terrain, wine regions rivaling Napa, beach towns ranging from art enclaves to laid back surfer hangouts, and eclectic lodging at every turn drive you forward towards new discoveries. But if Mother Nature isn't cooperating and extreme weather leads to coastal mud slides over the Pacific Coast Highway, here is an alternative approach:
There are other logical points of arrival
Summertime is a special season in Belize, not because the weather heats up (Belize enjoys great weather all year long) but because a special group of visitors arrives in the offshore waters as part of their annual circumnavigation of the globe.
Named whale sharks for their enormous size, not because they are actually sharks (technically, whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean), whale sharks can measure up to 41 feet (12 meters) long and weigh up to 21 metric tons (47,000 pounds). Despite
‘"Migaloo" was the name of a white humpback whale which was seen in Australian waters some time ago, and still appears from time to time … recently, I heard a white whale calf had also been seen. In the language of Australia’s indigenous people, it simply means "White One’" - and I have the greatest admiration for Australian conservationists and marine biologists who didn’t immediately christen it "Moby Dick".
We didn’t see Migaloo when we visited in 2010, but we did cruise on the boat named aft
Kerala, dubbed by Indians "God’s own country," is blessed with some of the best tourist destinations in India for any kind of holiday. The scenic hill stations, enchanting backwaters, cascading waterfalls, sandy beaches and exotic wildlife are its top attractions. Kerala has been one of the top honeymoon destinations in India and also one of the most popular tourist places in India. Here are some of the top places to visit in Kerala.
Munnar
One of the most famous hill stations in Kerala, located
