Ibiza

Categories: Accommodations · Ibiza · Spain · TravelTags: · · ·

Eivissa (in Balearic Catalan) or Ibiza has enchanted travellers for more than 3,000 years. For many, Ibiza is the Balearic island of excess with nightclubs, music scene and glamorous parties. For others (like me), I have come to the White Isle of Spain for some laid-back relaxation. The least-populated and most rustic part of the island where I stayed at, northern Ibiza has a boho, off-grid vibe due to its hippy heritage and remote landscapes. This is a magically beautiful region of forested hills, twisting backroads, timeworn whitewashed villages and a rugged coastline with some of the island’s most secluded…

Santiago de Chile

Categories: Architecture · Chile · Santiago · TravelTags: · ·

Santiago, Chile‘s capital city, has long been overlooked in favour of older and more well-know capital cities in South America. Nestled between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santiago is no longer a stopover city and is finally coming into its own. The country’s most populated city has a chill and relaxed vibe. The Templo Bahá’í de Sudamérica opened in 2016 and has a luminous structure with nine monumental glass wings that is arranged like a leaf. Made with an external layer of molten glass and the internal layer of translucent marble that allow the passage of light.

Valparaíso

Categories: Architecture · Art · Chile · Travel · ValparaísoTags: · · · · ·

Located on central Chile’s Pacific coast, the colonial city of Valparaíso represents an extraordinary example of late 19th century urban architectural development in Latin America. Only 120 kilometres (an hour and a half drive) northwest of the capital Santiago, Valparaíso is Chile‘s main port and known for its bohemian and artistic vibe. Hosting one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites in the country – Valparaíso is an open air museum full of art, graffiti, and colourful houses displayed within the hills.

Revisiting New York

Categories: Accommodations · Food · New York · Travel · USATags: · ·

It was a brief Easter weekend trip back to New York. I couldn’t believe that it has been seven years since I was last in this city. It was more of a gorging weekend, admittedly. I did go back to a couple of my favourites and tried out a few new ones as well. I did manage to go back to Marta and to the Michelin-Starred Estela. Both still consistently wonderful! First dinner was at Tonchin, a Tokyo-based ramen chain (and also a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient) that offers one of the city’s best bowls. Two other new places I…

Teşekkürler 

Categories: Accommodations · Bodrum · Istanbul · Türkiye · TravelTags: · · · · ·

Thank you in Turkish. It was a wonderful visit – a good mix of relaxation and culture, the familiar and the new. I stayed for the first four nights at Six Senses Kaplankaya in the Bodrum peninsula. The hotel amenities are extensive and service was professional. There are four food outlets at the hotel serving International (Sage & Sea), Pan-Asian (Wild Thyme), Seafood Grill (Meze by the Sea), and modern Italian (Anhinga – which was the disappointment). There are also four beach areas that form part of the hotel complex. My last two nights were in Istanbul and I stayed…

Byzantium

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

After twelve years, I am back for my second visit to the city first known as Byzantium, then became Constantinople, and Istanbul today. The city that is both ancient and modern, Europe and Asia, familiar and exotic. I visited for the first time two sights I failed to see the last time: the Basilica Cistern and the Istanbul Archeology Museum. And also took the opportunity to re-visit the Topkapi Palace and of course, the Ayasofya. In July 2020, the Ayasofya was decreed to be used as a mosque again, annulling the use as museum – the mosaics on the balcony…

Ephesus

Categories: Architecture · Bodrum · Türkiye · TravelTags: · ·

A UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, Ephesus is Türkiye‘s grandest and best preserved ancient city with classical ruins. A showpiece of Aegean archaeology, the stellar ruins of Ephesus have provided travellers all the impetus to justify a trip to this stretch of picturesque coastlands. The ruins were rediscovered in the late 1800s and excavations have been going on for nearly a century. The Temple of Artemis that was built in the 4th century BC and was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its fame reached distant lands and it became a pilgrimage site for merchants, kings, and…

Balesin Island

Categories: Accommodations · Balesin Island · PhilippinesTags: · ·

The next island escape on this trip is to Balesin Island, situated off the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines – only a short 25-minute flight from Manila. Also featuring white sands and clear blue water, Balesin is a 500-hectare island traditionally inhabited by fishermen and has been developed into a private member’s club. There is a wide variety of food outlets in the island serving Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Thai, Greek and Spanish food. We stayed at a Regency Villa which had a wide array of amenities including a pool table, ping pong table, infinity pool, and direct…

Giardino

Categories: Florence · Italy · TravelTags: · · ·

Instead of being huddled with the crowds, I decided to go visit gardens to get some fresh Tuscan sun and air. First stop is Giardino di Boboli, originally designed for the Medici and located behind Pitti Palace. The Giardino Bardini is an Italian Renaissance Garden located in the hilly part of Oltarno. Opened only recently to the public, it is one of Florence‘s well kept secrets.

Firenze

Categories: Architecture · Art · Florence · Italy · TravelTags: · · · · ·

Three time lucky, as they say – and all my three visits to Florence have been a charm. I will never tire of this city. With most of the main sights lying within walking distance of one another, Firenze, is the cradle of the Renaissance and one of Europe’s great art cities. There is so much exquisite art and architecture within its ancient walls that it is easy to become overwhelmed. The plan is to visit sites I have not seen before. On exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi is Donatello, the Renaissance. A historic exhibition which sets out to reconstruct the…