Cities by night...

Just had to share these pictures.....

Hope you can travel to all these cities in 2010, and when you are there... click some amazing night shots... like these!!

Brazil - Rio De Janeiro

Niagara Falls

Toronto

London

Singapore

I love receiving emails like this one... Gets me inspired to travel...

Nuwara Eliya – Little England

On our way to Nuwara Eliya, we stopped at the Mackwoods Labookellie Estate. We had a tour of the tea factory… which is an amazing experience. Witnessing the different types of teas being manufactured right from the time the leaves are handpicked, dried, processed & packed… is all together a great experience.


Take your time here, to understand the different grades of teas, the different flavors and the origin of tea. At the end of the tour, spend a few hours enjoying hot cups of tea…. In the open gardens.. Its just lovely out here!!

Nuwara Eliya is a mountain resort - blessed with great climatic conditions, breathtaking views of the valleys, beautiful waterfalls and surrounding with tea factories!! Only 180 kms away from Colombo (where it is hot & humid)…. Its hard to believe that you need to wear winter clothes in Nuwara Eliya.

Years ago when the British ruled India, Nuwara Eliya was one of the favoured hill stations and was more or less like a little English Village. The 18 hole golf course, race courses, tennis clubs, country houses & clubs with old hunting pictures and mounted hunting trophies, and the old brick Post office…. These are the living traces of the colonial British style.

One of Nuwara Eliya’s main attraction is its numerous water falls. The famous one being Devon Falls which drops 97meters and is named after Devon, a pioneer coffee planter.

We stayed at the St. Andrews Hotel which is next to the Golf Course. Do play a round of golf…. this is an amazing course. I believe this is the only course in the world where you can see all the holes from the Club House.

We saw a Sri Lankan Bride & Groom.... It was an amazing moment...

I could spend a few hours having a hot cup of tea here....

Other attractions at Nuwara Eliya are –

Gregory's Lake - Nuwara Eliya
Hakgala Botanical Gardens
Horton Plains
Laksapana Falls

Now.... I'm on my way to my last post on Sri Lanka - Colombo....

Hope you enjoyed my trip... Do write to me on torresp27@hotmail.com if you want any information on Sri Lanka!!

Habrana & Sigiriya (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka is truly an island with mystical and mysterious beauty in every corner, rich in history and filled with an exotic charm. A place which is an easy escape into calmness & peace.

From Kandy we drove onwards to Habrana. This is smaller place than Kandy and the main attractions from here are the following –

1. Cave temples of Dambulla (just 30 mins away)
2. The city of Polonnaruwa which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1 ½ hours away)
3. Ritigala the Mountain (1 hour drive)
4. The Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (½ hour drive)

At Habrana, we stayed at the Cinnamon Lodge, which is the ultimate when it comes to relaxing in the midst of nature. The natural beauty of this hotel is simply breathtaking. You feel like you belong to nature and environment. The rooms are designed as little chalets or cottages with an ethnic look. The hotel has a small shopping complex or gift shops, an ayurvedic spa, huge outdoor pools, tennis, badminton courts, an area to play cricket, restaurants, bars and an outdoor BBQ area. From the hotel you can also go on an elephant ride or hire a cycle and cycle around. The hotel has a jogging track and an area where you can spend hours bird watching. Go on… indulge your mind, body & soul!!

Can you spot the birds??

This is the bird watching area. For special occasions, you can also organise breakfast or a romantic dinner here...

From the four attractions mentioned about, we choose to visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This is a spectacular rock palace cum fortress and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 5th century AD, Kasyapa, son of King Dhatusena, built a palace on this summit and shifted the capital from Anuradhapura. After he was defeated in battle, the capital was moved back and Sigiriya gave birth to a monastery complex.

The area starts with huge, beautiful water gardens. The landscape is truly beautiful & elaborate and not to mention royal. I believe there is a complex network of underground water distribution system which provided water to the whole garden, the royal baths and many little islands and fountains. Our guide assured us that during the monsoons, some of these fountains come to life. Half way up… you get an amazing view of the garden.

Once you’ve seen the splendid view of the gardens… there is more to see!!! No… you wont be disappointed and the walk is well worth it. You reach an area that looks like an art gallery or exhibition. The paintings are on rock and the Sigiriya Heavenly Maidens are very similar to the paintings in Ajantha in India. A few of the paintings are in great condition… the texture looks like it was only painted a few years ago!! Its remarkable. However, only 22 remain from about 500 + paintings.

The walk to the fortress on its own is quite breathtaking… literally as well!!! Once you reach the ‘Lion rock’ or the ‘Lion paw’, is where the fortress actually begins. It is said that this was a full lion…. However, only the paws remain today.

The external view of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

Half way up.... the Lions paw!! Still a long way to go! The climb from here is definitely not for the light hearted... as the staircase is a small metalic set of stairs... put together in whatever space was available.

When you are up there... you can spot this huge Buddha at a distance...

The ancient ruins suggest that Sigiriya was probably a royal palace of pleasure than a fort. Visibly there are thrones, amphitheatres, rooftop pools, etc.

When you are up there…. Feels like you’ve touched the heavens…. Its truly amazing!!

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy, is known as the last royal capital of Sri Lanka. Today it is a major tourist destination. It is about 115kms away from Colombo and approximately 450 meters above sea level. A drive from Kandy to Colombo could take around 3 hours. Here is a view from the hill top!

Kandy is synonymous with arts & crafts compared to any other city in Sri Lanka. If you are interesting in buying handicrafts & wood works, Kandy is the best place to buy these. Local crafts come to life in this place.

Here is a chess table...

This is how its crafted....

You can buy anything from these shops.... from small souveniers to dining table sets, bed sets, softs, bar counters, etc. Items will be shipped to your home..

We watched a cultural show that lasted for about 1 and ½ hour. It was great as it gives you a new perspective to Sri Lanka. The show starts at 05.30pm everyday.

Kandy is also the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. On the shores of the lakes are the Malwaththa & Asgiri temples. The most famous temple here is the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It is believed that Buddha’s tooth is kept in this temple. Built in the 16th century this temple has been constantly improved, restored and reconstructed. Daily rituals are carried out at various times. We were in time for the 7pm ritual. Please don’t forget that a dress code applies for entering any temple.

Take your time here, and read the story of Buddha. The octagonal pavilion is magnificent and enhances the beauty of this temple.

View of the Tooth Relic temple from outside...

Royal Botanical Gardens was once a pleasure garden for the Kandyan Queen. This is a beautiful park with numerous tropical foliage and must be the best garden in the land. It is believed that Mountbatten had his headquarters in the garden during the Second world war. This building pictured below today serves as the garden office. Don’t miss the orchid garden & the rose garden. The collections are endless. In the Royal Botanical Garden there is a small pond in the shape of Sri Lanka… it was amazing to see this.

While in Kandy, don’t forget to play a round of golf at the Victoria Golf Course in Kandy.

You surely need two days in Kandy. Day 1 for arts & crafts, wood works, batik stores, cultural show & temple of the tooth relic. Day 2 for shopping & the botanical garden. And of course Day 3 if you want to play a round of golf.

Egypt Day 3 – Cairo

Day 3 in Egypt started at the Al Azhar Mosque, which is a grand structure that reflects many centuries of style & elegance. There are five very fine minarets with small balconies and intricately carved columns. It has six entrances, with the main entrance being the 18th Century Bab el-Muzayini (barber's gate), where students were once shaved.

You then enter into a great & grand courtyard which dates from the 10th century and is overlooked by three stately minarets. The white facades, the huge pillars and the beautiful carvings and arches is where you can spend most of your time.

The madrasas are not open to visitors. But tourists may enter into the main prayer hall, which is warmly carpeted and supported by alabaster pillars.

This is inside the mosque. The lighting was amazing...

The dome with inscriptions...

The Cairo Museum, should really be on top of your list of things to do and see!! Its an amazing experience….. to walk through history. The Egyptian Museum is situated at Tahrir square in Cairo. Camera were not allowed into the museum, so I have no pictures to show you.

On the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses smaller statues, jewels, the treasures of Tutankhamon and of course the main attraction - the mummies.

The museum ahs around 120 halls. Here you will find monuments from pre-dynasty and the Old Kingdom, monuments from Modern Kingdom and overall Middle East. The museum is also home to a large library and photography section. You can also see monuments from the late Greek & Roman periods and an area for coins, papyrus & scarabs.

You must surely visit the hall of the royal mummies. There is an extra entrance fee for this, but it is well worth it. Currently the museum has eleven kinds & queens.

We ended day 3 with a dinner cruise and cultural show on the Nile. The experience was well worth it. The music & dancers, all traditional Egyptians….. were just awesome.

Lapland Holiday

An excellent way to celebrate Christmas - a visit to Lap land. Most of these holidays are from the UK and need to be booked in advance. Here are two links -

http://www.laplandexperience.com/tours.php

http://www.laplandwildernesstours.com/

Stay in a log cabin

http://www.lapland-log-cabins.com/company.htm

and visit santa

http://www.santa-holidays.com/

Or do some winter sport.

Finnair only have flights from Dubai in the winter months starting Nov to Jan. They currently have a special offer on for airfare starting from AED 2000.

So dont wait any longer... go spend Christmas with Santa...

And write to me on torresp27@hotmail.com and share the experience.

Maldives – a perfect way to unwind

Maldives was definitely not on my list of destinations to visit…. But coming here has made me realize that a holiday is not really about site seeing but a time to unwind, relax & rejuvenate. And Maldives can offer you just that and a lot more!!

The blue skies, the turquoise blue sea that gets darker in colour as it get deeper, the blazing sun is an ideal location for a tropical holiday. The combination of sun, sea, sad, a thousand scattered islands, massive lagoons with varying depth, amazing underwater corals and breathtaking marine life…. Can give you the tranquility that you are looking for.

So serene, calm & peaceful, yet Maldives has a lot more to offer. There are a few resorts here and am sure all of them offer more or less the same amenities. Check details on Maldives & places to say here. We stayed at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. Do check it out as well… its awesome!!

While you are here, you can try snorkeling, diving or eve simpler water activities like water skiing, banana boat rides, string ray rides or even just fishing.

Maldives if famous for its rare, extremely colourful, abundant & beautiful life underwater. This is what has made Maldives a fascination for divers & snorkelers. All resorts in Maldives have professional dive schools with multi-lingual instructors.

 

I am no diver or snorkeler, but the 30mins instructions are more than enough for enthusiasts like me to experience life beneath. Just a few strokes away from the beach are the house of reefs & shallow corals. Some reefs are so shallow that you can simply walk up to them and enjoy their beauty. However do not stand or attempt to walk on the corals as this will damage them and it can take upto five or more years to regain itself. The snorkeling equipment is easily available at all resorts.

Snorkeling is an amazing experience. One that I cannot describe in words. To see the fish in their habitats, was like seeing life beyond my everyday being. Among the many fish I saw, the ones that caught my attention were tens of tiny aqua coloured fish that went around in groups, then a purple coloured fish with yellow fins, then a huge purple, blue & aqua coloured fish…. I stood there absolutely spell bound seeing the beauty of the colours and the psychedelic colours of life beneath.

 

While in Maldives you can also do island hopping and a visit to Male or some other smaller islands to see the lifes of people here.

Please also remember that the weather in Maldives is warm / hot all year long. So carry sufficient linen / cotton clothes and sun screen. Don’t forget your swimsuit & waterproof sunscreen and ofcourse underwater cameras.

 

I am no beach lover, yet I absolutely loved Maldives. Just sitting by the beach listening to the waves and reading a book or sipping my coffee. Lazing around the beach, going for a massage, watching the sunset, spending some time with myself, was the break I much needed. I am a 100% sure you will enjoy it too.