I do not know what it is with us people living on the plains – many among us have this insane urge to go visit the mountains in winter, as if the cold in the plains was not enough. And so it was with me…. Wifey wanted to see the Taj Mahal, I wanted to build a snow-man and so we went from Agra to Auli in the last week of December. A poorly designed trip it was – we ended up sitting in a car and rushing through the country-side much more than we had bargained for, only doing a spot of sight-seeing
Asia (61)
I was in Vietnam last November - was lucky to catch Hanoi's weather at its best, and was even luckier to find Central Vietnam at its sunniest (a fluke, I'm assured by people who know the place). The sunburn I got from tramping all over Hue was worth it.
Here's a walking tour of the Hue Citadel that I wrote up, might give you an idea as to what I saw.
India is a wonderful country and an amazing tourist destination of the world. This country, blessed with innumerable tourist attractions, is visited by a large number of tourists from across the globe every year. India is a place where one can indulge in lots many interesting activities as well as enjoy the surrounding atmosphere.
Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh is known for its temples with erotic carvings and sculptures. Varanasi, situated on the banks of Ganga river in northern India is the perfec
The best way to experience Nepal’s unbeatable combination of natural beauty and cultural riches is to walk through them. The immense contrasts in altitudes and climates found here support an equally spectacular mix of lifestyles, vegetation types and wildlife.
Trekking in the mountains of Nepal is more a cultural experience than a wilderness expedition. You will be passing through picturesque villages inhabited by diverse ethnic groups. You will see Chhetri farmers working in their fields and Ta
When any South Indian hears the word “Vellore”, he can think of two things immediately – one is Vellore Jail and another is Vellore Fort. Vellore Fort is very popular in South India, as it is very rare to find forts and palaces in South India. Vellore Fort is one of the largest forts among those very few forts of South India. It is located near Chennai city on the Chennai-Bangalore route.
Inside the gigantic Vellore Fort, there are a lot of government buildings, museums, Churches, and mosques. Ho
If you're visiting Vietnam's capital, be sure to set aside time for a couple of day trips out of the city. And one you shouldn't miss is one to Ninh Binh province, about an hour by train, bus, or car (if you don't want to travel independently, tour operators run packaged day trips). In contrast with bustling Hanoi, Ninh Binh in the Red River Delta is famous for its peaceful tranquility and scenery, especially the sheer limestone karst hills rising around the river - a UNESCO
Apart from its divine beauty - including awe-inspiring views of the mighty eastern Himalayas and picturesque Buddhist temples and shrines, India's second smallest state is a delight to the palate, and to truly experience the essence of Sikkim, every visitor should sample as much of the local cuisine as possible. The local culinary culture and traditions are predominantly influenced by the ethnic Nepali people who make up its majority, but also include Tibetans and local ethnic groups such as
At a height of around 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) up in the Himalaya Mountains, the capital of Nepal (pop. 2.5 million) remains an exotic magnet for travelers from all over the world looking to quench their wanderlust, whether they visit independently or with Kathmandu tour packages. And for very good reason this is dubbed "the city of temples" - most of them of the 80-percent-majority Hindu religion but also sites very important to Buddhism, especially as this region is hel
This Indian-Ocean archipelago has in recent years become reknowned as a spectacular luxury beach destination, and one of its highest profile and most ambitious projects of the past two decades is the creation of a two-square-mile artificial island immediately north of the Maldives' capital Malé, and connected by bridge. Hulhumalé has become another wonderful destination known for its beaches, parks, water sports, and more. Here are eight of the island's top luxury beach resorts:
Hotel Ocean
Denis Moskvinov
This singular island in Indonesia is a pocket-full-of-sunshine and a favorite destination for tourists. With more than ten huge cities and nine scenic destinations, Bali has something for everyone, including cultural and spiritual landmarks, the beauty of the beaches, the grandeur of the volcanic mountains, the finger-licking Balinese food and the spectacle of traditional Balinese performers. Bali has endless places to explore and things to do (check out our company's seven-da
Happy Year of the Pig! One of the most visited destinations in the world, Hong Kong is known for its futuristic buildings including towering skyscrapers, lush mountain backdrops, vibrant lifestyle, splendid harbor, friendly people, traditional corners, and a wide range of restaurants and cuisines, and a wide range of accommodations, including some of the world's best luxury city hotels. Here are five that top my list:
Mandarin Oriental
Offering majestic views of both the v
The capital of Punjab province and Pakistan's second largest city (pop. more than 19 million) is popular for its variety of attractions, from seeing priceless artifacts to historical sites to stimulating shopping and dining, the options are nearly endless. But here are my top ten sites not to miss:
Food Street and M Alam Road
The fact that some of the greatest restaurants in Lahore are located on this beautifully designed road is one of the major reasons for visiting this area. The gorgeo
YubYub41
Our planet is a beautiful place, and one lifetime is barely enough to experience it. Count yourself lucky if you can visit at least three of these five places chosen by Edward Granlund, travel enthusiast, which are some of the most breathtaking and gorgeous places on Earth.
Kauai, Hawaii
One might call this a paradise, and you wouldn't be wrong in doing so. It's also one of the rainiest places on Earth, so prepare your raincoats because it's raining cats and dogs here. Palm trees
David Paul Appell
China’s largest city is unquestionably an amazing, fun, and fascinating place to visit – a mix of ancient and cutting-edge culture/architecture, along with fabulous dining, shopping, and entertainment. But on weekends, many Shanghainese love nothing more than to ditch the Big Wonton and head out west into the countryside to reconnect with traditional Chinese culture and history in a handful of charming, historic towns, whose islands and canals make them feel like
Formerly a colony of Portugal until it was handed back to China in 1999, this city spread against a backdrop of green hills over several islands, with a population of just over 705,000, is a Chinese special administrative on the Pearl River, just 60 kilometres from Hong Kong (making it an easy day trip, by the way). One of world’s more densely populated areas, Macau is best known and is known as Asia´s biggest gambling mecca. Besides the casinos which dominate the skyline (top), it´s is also k
Visitors to Hong Kong Island know about the iconic Victoria Peak and other tourist favorites, but here are three fun things to do when staying at downtown's 550-room Ibis Ibis Hong Kong Central and Sheung Wan Hotel.
The Historic Trams
Take the tram for a step back in time and explore the bustling north corridor of Hong Kong Island aboard one of the city's affordable, fun, historic trams. These double-decker streetcars have been traveling through Hong Kong's busiest thoroughfares
The tour started of with an early morning breakfast and on to our jeepney ride, which would take us to the rice terraces and one of the surrounding villages. Jeepneys are popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally left over US military jeeps from World War II that were stripped down to accommodate more seating and of decorated with a very vibrant spectrum of colors and several different chrome decorations. One cannot go through the streets of Manila witho
Brunei, tucked into the big island of Borneo is the last Malay Sultanate which visibly expresses its proud history through magnificent mosques and traditional water villages. Bev Malzard listed a tourist plan then ticked the boxes as she went along.
- Land in Brunei after only a six and a half hour flight from Melbourne.
- Visit a stunningly beautiful mosque, the Jame ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque which is the largest in the land. There are four main minarets and two golden (yes, real gold leaf) do
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by Barry
Northern Laos is famous for its natural beauty: rolling green hills and mountains interspersed with rice fields and countless water buffalo. From the moment we arrived in South East Asia, a trekking adventure through the countryside and staying with a local tribe family was top of our list of things to do. Once we arrived in Luang Prabang, we knew this was the place to do it.
Luang Prabang sits at the intersection of two mighty rivers: the Mekong (which we sailed down fo
“I have a robe for you’. This short statement left me laughing and engaging with a gentle sense of humour that crossed politics and the equator. The line came from a monk in the precinct where the mighty Shwedagon Paya (Pagoda) gleams and beams across the city of Yangon.
We had been wandering around the centrepiece of Yangon being dazzled by the exemplary temples, buildings, animal statues and Buddha images – cleaned to within an inch of their many karmic lives. Lift your eyes and golden spi
