Jakarta, the busy and vibrant capital of Indonesia, is mostly the first stop for many of us travelling into the country. There is much more to this sprawling city than meets the eye. For this reason, we must pause; take a couple of days off if not more, to look around.
You are bound to be
Have you ever thought of exploring a city at night? Ever wondered how it would look like after the sun goes down? Is it going to be dead or kicking alive?
Well, if you are in Singapore, worry not. Day or night, Singapore is a hub of activities. From middle of the night desserts or dumplings in Little India to bar hopping, movies, strolling along the river, Singapore has enough to keep visitors and locals busy far into the night.
Come, let me take
For us it’s always been a great attraction to head for the hills during monsoons. We are drawn towards the emerald covered mountains like honeybees towards flowers. It’s our affair with the hills. So when an opportunity presented itself to go to Binsar, UK (UttaraKhand), we could not resist.
Some places grow on you and
As I settled down on a chair by the river, I wonder how many people knew about this treasure in our backyard. After a short tractor ride through the fields I was all set for a farm fresh breakfast. Fresh fruits and juices,
The heat and humidity of the worst bit of summer have started getting to us, making all of us here eagerly await the onset of monsoon. Even a little downpour would alleviate the scorching days and nights. In another 3 or 4 weeks, the hills of the Western Ghats would get its annual ablution and followed by a new clothing of green.
Then will emerge my
Bedouin. Till the time I visited Jordan, this word had conjured an image of mysterious desert-bound nomad, dressed almost like a Sheikh.
About 40% of Jordanians are Bedouins. I met few of them in Petra and Wadi Rum … some had camels or donkeys to take us around, some were guides and some other were businessmen. Their way of looking at life while still connected to roots are things to learn for anybody.
Here’s what I learnt:
When I was leaving for Indonesia for the first time in April, the country meant only Bali and Jakarta to me. I knew nothing of Bandung or any other place, not even the name. I guess that is the case with most of us tourists. I had read and heard so much about only Bali and Jakarta and a few attractions around them that they had become synonymous with Indonesia.
One of the aspects of our short but interesting tour of Indonesia, which is forever etched in my mind, is the many types of handicrafts in vogue there. The crafty carvers of Bali have indeed carved a place in our hearts. From painting to sculpture to other forms, the craft magic was enchanting and wove us into its spell. I will talk about some of them here.
It was afternoon and we were itching to see some non-touristy places in Bangkok after some minor shopping in Platinum Fashion Mall.
Vasu suggested that we go to this shrine which is famous for seeking the blessings for fertility. And so it is also called Fertility shrine. Although we were done with fertility for this lifetime, 🙂 I agreed and we started walking in the bright and hot sunshine!
1. There is no “East side” or “West side” in city of Amman. Directions are given based on “Jabals”. Now what are Jabals? The hills. They are known as “jabals”. The city was originally constructed across seven hills, and now grew to span 19 of them.
2. There are really no
It is a very hot day with scorching sun roasting us. Well, almost. It feels like peak of summer. Our train is chugging at a slow pace, emitting black coal smoke at regular intervals. I can see an expanse of brick-coloured desert around us with occasional small sandstone hillocks. The land seems to be so barren.
I am in Wadi Rum,
You may treat it as ‘Things to do in Coloane’ but for me, an evening well spent. That’s Mainland China…
Be the first to read our travel stories!
