Stari Grad

Categories: Architecture · Croatia · Dubrovnik · TravelTags: · · ·

The “Pearl of the Adriatic” became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although it was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration co-ordinated by UNESCO, as it has been designated as a World Heritage site. The entire Stari Grad, or Old Town, is surrounded by the medieval ramparts and city walls, which is Dubrovnik’s main claim to fame. One is able to stroll the…

Machu Pichu

Categories: Architecture · Machu Pichu · Peru · TravelTags: · · 2 Comments

The fabled “Lost City of the Incas“, Machu Pichu is South America’s greatest attraction and lives up to its reputation as one of the most spectacular sites in the world — named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and declared one of the “Seven Wonders of the World”. The Incas hid Machu Pichu so high in the clouds (2,400 m above sea level) that it escaped destruction by the Spaniards, who never found it. Located 120 kms NW of Cusco, Machu Pichu was rediscovered in 1911 by the Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham. The ruins are nestled in the Andes…

Loire Valley

Categories: Europe · France · Loire Valley · TravelTags: · · · · · ·

Studed with fairytale châteaux and storybook villages, Loire Valley is known as the “Garden of France” and needless to say, its various vineyards. The area has become a showplace of the pleasure castles that take on different architectural styles. The Chateau of Villandry is the last of the great châteaux of the Loire built during the Renaissance of the Loire Valley. The elegance of its architecture combined with its expansive gardens make this one of the jewels of the world heritage.     Chateau D’Usse is known as the inspiration for Charles Perrault for his tale of Sleeping Beauty. This…

Sintra

Categories: Europe · Portugal · Sintra · TravelTags: · · ·

Sintra was famously referred to as a “glorious Eden” by Lord Byron. One of the oldest hillside town in Portugal, Sintra is a forty-five minute train ride and 29 kilometres northwest from Lisbon. With its mountains, forests, exotic gardens and palaces, Sintra is like a fairy tale land. Sintra-Vila, with its pastel-hued manors in hills that roll to the Atlantic, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Alhambra

Categories: Architecture · Granada · Spain · TravelTags: · · · · · 2 Comments

One of Europe’s greatest attractions, the stunningly beautiful Calat Alhambra (Red Castle) is perhaps the most remarkable fortress palace ever constructed. Moorish architecture in Spain reached its peak in this 13th century hilltop palace of the Nasrid kings. Originally constructed for defensive purposes on a rocky hilltop above the Darro River, Alhambra was converted into a lavish palace in the 13th and 14th centuries. Somewhat somber in its exterior, the delights of this palace lie within.                                     The summer palace, Generalife, was built…

Oia

Categories: Greece · Santorini · TravelTags: · · · · 1 Comment

The village of Oia in the island of Santorini is one that is very much photographed. A picturesque village of blue-domed churches, white houses and tiny alleyways huddled on the hillside overlooking the volcano. Oia is also famous for its photogenic sunsets. What is the caldera? That is one question I had when I started reading about this island and the said term kept coming up. The caldera is the water-filled cauldron that lies off Santorini and was created in 1450 BC when a huge volcanic eruption blasted through the once circular island, creating its current crescent shape.

Serengeti

Categories: Serengeti · Tanzania · TravelTags: · · · · 1 Comment

The 90 minute bush flight from Arusha takes me to the Kogatende airstrip — to my final destination in Tanzania — the northern section of Serengeti National Park. This 14,763 sq. km. wilderness park is where Africa’s mystery, rawness and power surrounds you. Meaning “Endless Plain” in Maasai, Serengeti was named a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1978 and an international Biosphere Reserve in 1981. The ecosystem here supports some of the most plentiful mammal populations left anywhere on earth. The sense of vastness and expanse of short-grass plains is broken by occasional rocky outcrops or elegant solitary acacia trees — that would remind one of giant bonsais….

Marrakech

Categories: Marrakech · Morocco · TravelTags: · · · · · 2 Comments

My first visit to the African continent was three years ago when I journeyed to Morocco. First stop: Marrakech. Marrakech is an imperial city full of sights, sounds, and tastes both ancient and modern. Located in northern Africa, Marrakech is a crossroads where sub-Saharan Africa meets Arabia and Europe. This Moroccan paradise is filled with beautiful architecture, artisan culture and mouth-watering cuisine. Known as “The Red City” for its rose-hued and ochre buildings, Marrakech attracts a high number of visitors looking for a unique experience.   The small botanical garden Jardin Majorelle was created in the 1920s by the French painter Jacques Majorelle.  Convalescing from tuberculosis, he went…

Istanbul

Categories: Architecture · Istanbul · Türkiye · TravelTags: · · · · · · ·

When friends ask for suggestions on places to visit, one of the cities I highly recommend is Istanbul in Turkey. I was in this awe-inspiring land a few years back and would not mind returning to. The only city in the world that straddles between Europe and Asia, Istanbul (and Turkey for that matter) is so vibrant and rich in history and culture. Turkey is a magnificent marriage of the historic and modern, western and oriental, and the common and exotic. One of the striking features of the city’s skyline is the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmet Camii. Constructed between 1609 and 1617, this mosque is one…

Punakha Valley

Categories: Bhutan · Punakha · TravelTags: · · 2 Comments

Punakha served as Bhutan’s capital for over 300 years, before it was moved to Thimphu, with the first king crowned here in 1907. It sits in a fertile and beautiful valley at the junction of Mo Chhu (Mother River) and Pho Chhu (Father River). The 4-hour hike through rice and mustard fields started by crossing the river over a suspension bridge and ended on top of the mountain to visit a temple. The guides call this “Deep Trekking” — journeys that takes one under the surface and given with the opportunity to interact and connect with people, landscape, religion and…