Landscape

Read more about the article Egypt: Giza plateau

Egypt: Giza plateau

🇪🇬 🇪🇬 🇪🇬 We reached Giza in the morning by an overnight train from Luxor. The train was very comfortable. It was comparable almost to a standard hotel with a well made bed , private toilet and shower cubicle. Dinner was also included in the price.  We were staying in a Luxury hotel for two days . After check-in we immediately left for Pyramid complex. I took some random street cab for 1 USD to take me to the entrance. On the way few locals just climbed the running cab and wanted to offer…

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Read more about the article Portugal : Porto & Douro Valley

Portugal : Porto & Douro Valley

🇵🇹 🇵🇹 🇵🇹 Porto was the last stop in my itinerary. Porto is the second biggest city in Portugal.  This place was the origin of port wine. It is also famous for its iconic bridges. In fact it is the only city in Europe which has 6 bridges. I stayed in Porto for 2 days. Weather was not at its best but there were intermittent clear sky. There are few unique charm to this city, Lello Bookshop with its amazing neo-gothic interiors (Harry Potter shooting happened here, it was Hogwarts library) . Then there…

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Read more about the article Portugal : Lagos & Albufeira Region

Portugal : Lagos & Albufeira Region

🇵🇹 🇵🇹 🇵🇹 I landed in Faro airport at 12 PM. Faro is the capital of famous Algarve region of Portugal. I booked my transfer to Vilamoura from Airport. Vilamoura  is one of the finest resort towns in Porugal. However due to wet weather my boat tour was cancelled . I spend the day walking around town. Vilamoura is famous for its beach , resorts and million dollar yachts parked at the marina . Vilamoura Marina   My next destination was Lagos. The town is famous for its old town, cliffs and Atlantic beaches. Still sea…

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Read more about the article Spain : Andalusia region – Seville

Spain : Andalusia region – Seville

🇪🇸 🇪🇸 🇪🇸 Seville - Granada - Ronda Day -1  Seville  Seville is the capital of Andalusia region. There are 17 autonomous communities in Spain, Andalusia is the most populous and 2nd largest by area. I missed my original flight to Barcelona so I had to knock off Barcelona and Madrid from my original itinerary and instead arrived Seville two days latter. First thing I noticed are orange trees, they are an integral part of the landscape. If you make the mistake (like I did ) of biting one of the oranges you will understand…

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Read more about the article Gibraltar

Gibraltar

🇬🇮 🇬🇮 🇬🇮 Day 1 I started early from Ronda. It was 9.18 train to Algeciras from Ronda. Weather was not good , it was raining incessantly from morning. At Algeciras I had to wait for sometime to catch a local bus to La - Linea. From La - Linea bus stop it was 10 min walk to the border checkpoint and then another 15 mins walk to my hotel in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a tiny patch of land (less than 10 Sq Km) still part of British oversees territory. It has its own…

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Read more about the article Ajanta , Ellora & Elphanta Caves en-route to Mumbai – Ellora

Ajanta , Ellora & Elphanta Caves en-route to Mumbai – Ellora

🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳   There is no direct public bus to Ellora from Ajanta. I took a bus towards Aurangabad in Aurangabad - Jalgaon road and got down at Phulambri. From Phulambri I took shared trekker on Amdapur - Jenefal road towards Ellora. This took very long time. Next day I utilized fully to visit caves. Caves in Ellora are famous for sculptures. There are 34 caves which can be visited ; these consist of 12 Buddhist caves, 17 Hindu caves and  5 Jain caves. Most of these caves are monasteries or vihars that are carved…

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Read more about the article Sisimiut : Driving a Snowmobile

Sisimiut : Driving a Snowmobile

🇬🇱 🇬🇱 🇬🇱 Snowmobiles have become the modern replacement of dog sled. This was roughly 4 hour excursion from the town. Snowmobiles are pretty easy to master because there is no gear ; its just brake and throttle. We first went to the top of Solbakken. This is a vantage point with a good view across the town. We also went to Aappilattorsuaq . Overall this was pretty cool experience.

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Read more about the article Ajanta , Ellora & Elphanta Caves en-route to Mumbai – Elphanta & Mumbai

Ajanta , Ellora & Elphanta Caves en-route to Mumbai – Elphanta & Mumbai

🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳   From Aurangabad I boarded an early morning Jana Shatabdi Express to Mumbai. I reached my hotel near marine drive early afternoon. I had two days in Mumbai before I catch my flight to London. There was nostalgia associated with this city, my first job was here , I lived here almost 4 years before I moved to Bangalore. First day I roamed around city , went to Haji Ali shrine, enjoyed vada-pao and took some much needed rest. Day 2, I started early from my hotel to catch ferry to Elephanta islands.…

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Read more about the article Ajanta , Ellora & Elphanta Caves en-route to Mumbai – Ajanta

Ajanta , Ellora & Elphanta Caves en-route to Mumbai – Ajanta

🇮🇳 🇮🇳 🇮🇳   On my way to Mumbai, I decided to spend few days in Ajanta and Ellora. From Kolkata I took Gitanjali Express to Jalgaon. Ajanta caves are approximately 63 Km from Jalgaon. There are over 30 caves which were developed during Satvahana period and Vakataka period. The caves are located near horse-shoe shaped bend build by Buddhist monks during monsoon season. Nobody knows how did the artists paint so well, with such precise use of colour, in the dark recesses of these rock-carved prayer halls and monasteries.  I stayed in MTDC Ajanta T junction resort which…

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Read more about the article ISLAS BALLESTAS: The poor man’s Galapagos

ISLAS BALLESTAS: The poor man’s Galapagos

🇵🇪 🇵🇪 🇵🇪 I left Lima at 3 AM bus to reach Paracas. I already had reservation with an agency but they did not turn up. Luckily there was another  company who were conducting boat trip for a group. So I spoke to them and they happily agreed. The boat trip from Paracas to Islas Ballestas is 24 kilometers and it took us about 30 minutes to get there. On our way we saw Paracas Candelabra, a geoglyph that sits on a hill overlooking the water. The Paracas Candelabra is 180 meters tall and it can…

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