Visiting Naini Lake in Nainital, Uttarakhand

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One of the prettiest cities I’ve visited in Uttarakhand and a great destination if you are traveling to India in December, Nainital, in the Kumaon region, is famous for its beautiful lakes and picturesque surroundings. Blessed by the presence of nine lakes that make for a truly breathtaking natural landscape, Nainital is one of the …

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In India, country full of contrasts

taj mahal

A trip to India is a cluster of emotions. I’m not alone in saying this, you can ask anybody you know who has been to this colorful Southeastern Asian country, and the answers will all sound similar. I had heard so many times the sentence “When you come back from India, you will not be …

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In Uttarakhand, where God was born

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One of the most offbeat places to visit in Uttarakhand is Manila, unknown by most travellers and still off-topic on most travel guidebooks. Of great natural beauty and rich spirituality, here is where travellers can learn about age-old Hindu traditions and religion. A small village in Uttarakhand India is a very colourful country, and the definition …

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La Judería, the Charming Muslim, Christian, Jewish Quarter in Cordoba

La Judería

After Seville and Cadiz, the third stop of my trip to Andalucía was the beautiful Córdoba. My 3-day stay was mainly focused on the Jewish quarter of Cordoba, the charming and historic neighborhood of La Judería. If Granada boasts a style that mixes Moorish and Christian influences, Córdoba combines these two approaches to art, society …

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Don’t Miss Orgosolo in Central Sardinia, the Town of Beautiful Street Art

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Orgosolo is a small, apparently sleepy, town of central-eastern Sardinia located in the Barbagia region of the Nuoro province. It’s very well-known both on the island and in the rest of the country for its stormy past. This was, in fact, the place where misunderstandings would be solved with blood feuds involving entire families for …

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Stunning S’Ardia horse race in Sedilo, Sardinia, racing for faith and tradition

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S’Ardia, the wild horse race in Sedilo that takes places every 6th and 7th of July, never fails to attract thousands of visitors from Sardinia, Italy, and Europe. Sedilo, a quiet village of some 2000 people in Oristano province in central Sardinia, holds every year one of the island’s most reckless festivals. While I’m not …

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Top 12 reasons to visit Italy

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For years Italy has been one of the most popular travel destinations for tourists from the world over. Culture, beauty, food, history, this small European country has it all and the reasons to visit Italy are endless. Thanks to its huge cultural heritage, the places to visit in Italy can keep you busy for a lifetime. …

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Caravanserai as cultural crossroads along the Silk Roads: Iran’s Izadkhast

silk road izadkhast caravanserai

There is a place in Iran that, in my opinion, is not capturing the attention it should. Nestled in the very heart of Persia’s segment of the ancient Silk Road, Izadkhast caravanserai is worth stopping, visiting and photographing at any time of the day, with the highlights being early morning and just before sunset. Located in Fars province on …

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Exploring Fortaleza and the natural beauty of northeastern Brazil

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“Abacaxi, óleo de coco, camarão, lagosta!” Pineapple, coconut oil, grilled shrimps, lobster. These the main products offered by the noisy and familiar street vendors populating Brazilian beaches and exploring Fortaleza you are bound to experience that. Everything about them seemed to shout, their colorful hat, their dancing-like allure under the unforgiving sun and their broad …

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Things to do in Lebanon, enchanted corner of the Mediterranean

4 travel to lebanon tyre ruins - Travel Images

Fascinating, controversial and enchanting corner of the Mediterranean, despite its small size, there are countless things to do in Lebanon. Explore its ancient history in the perfectly kept archaeological sites, experience the life of the capital, Beirut, get a sensory overload in Sidon’s souqs and enjoy the Lebanese exquisite cuisine. As a marigold sun prepared …

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Under the spell of the old Tehran

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Between palaces, gardens and mansions, Iran’s capital is as glamorous as it gets, but if you ask me, the most fascinating bits are right in the back alleys, the old Tehran, the narrow streets that so much reveal of the city’s daily life. Often overshadowed by the more touristy Shiraz, Isfahan, and Yazd, the Iranian capital offers …

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Persepolis and Pasargadae, traveling for a glimpse into Iran’s glorious history

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Many are the posts I’ve already written about the capital of Iran’s Fars province, describing the romance Shiraz never fails to evoke and the colours and reflections of the enchanted Nasir al-Mulk mosque from inside and outside. However, I realized I was yet to write one about one of my very favorite experiences in Iran, a visit to Persepolis, the incredible …

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Spiritual Cambodia in Angkor Wat between modernity and tradition

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Whether it’s a historical or a living temple, in Cambodia, spirituality seems untethered to time. Probably like anyone traveling to Siem Reap, and most people traveling to Cambodia in general, my first experience has been a two-day all-temples-tour, a full immersion in the Angkor Wat archaeological park, with Angkor Wat itself left on the second …

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Two people, one village: the floating lives of inner Cambodia

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I’m just coming back from Cambodia, the country mainly known for its 3-year-8-month-20-day Khmer Rouge period, its always smiling population and for its poverty. In all honesty, when I booked my flight to ancient Kambuja I thought I knew what to expect, but as it turned out, my pre-trip research little did prepare me to the sights …

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Fascinating Romanian Folklore in Transylvania’s Bran Castle

Image: Bran Castle in Romania

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of very touristy spots, while delving into medieval Europe in Romania, I decided to visit also the Bran Castle, famous for being Dracula’s castle, which has actually nothing, or little to do with Dracula himself. But first things first. Who’s Dracula? A vampire. Do vampires exist? Of course, they …

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Venice Ghetto, the stormy past of Europe’s oldest Jewish Quarter

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It was the year 1516, to be precise March 29th, when the Senate of the Serenissima Maritime Republic of Venice declared official the institution of the city’s Jewish Quarter, known also as Venice Ghetto, Europe’s first neighbourhood of its kind. This is how I roughly translate the Renaissance Italian words issued by former Venetian rulers …

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Enjoying the culture, traditions and Ayurveda of Colombo, Sri Lanka

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For as much as I enjoyed the Pettah district, there are many other places to visit in Colombo. One of the most important and culture-rich destinations in Sri Lanka, Colombo is a vibrant capital packed with landmarks to explore, great restaurants, luxury hotels, fantastic Ayurveda spas, and charming temples. I spent a few days in Colombo so …

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Sorry Phuket, I didn’t fall in love

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One of the things I liked less in Bangkok and Phuket was the locals’ attitude of focusing everything around the tourism industry. Thailand devotes a lot of money, energy and resources to the tourism industry, but often what they offer to foreigners is simply that, a tourist experience, rather than an authentic involvement with Thai …

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