Dal Lake is an enchanting destination known for its sparkling quiet waters, mirror-like reflections of the surrounding mountains, shikara rides, heritage houseboats, a pre-dawn floating vegetable market, and the Mughal gardens along its shore. Aptly named the 'jewel of Srinagar', this vast, picturesque lake is framed by the Zabarwan mountain range in the Kashmir Valley. …
The road trip from Srinagar to Leh via National Highway 1D (NH 1D) runs through some extremely treacherous terrain. The highway follows the Sindh river on Kashmir side and then the Indus River on the Ladakh side, crossing three high-altitude mountain passes - Zoji La (3,528m), Namika La (3,815m) and Fotu La (4,108m). The 434km …
Just like in Dubrovnik, I let my feet roam freely around the old town of Split, with no specific destination in mind. Wandering aimlessly from sunlit squares to cobbled stoned alleys, ancient arches and roman columns, I relished the quiet thrill of unexpected discoveries. Split, Croatia, is renowned for its rich 1,700-year history and the …
Game of Thrones filming locations such as Fort Lovrijenac (Red Keep), Jesuit Stairs (Walk of Shame), and Pile Gate (entrance to King’s Landing) are scattered throughout the Old Town. Though the old town was CGI-transformed into King's Landing and the Red Keep, Dubrovnik's distinctive features are still recognizable. Dubrovnik was chosen as the setting of King’s Landing (southern capital of Westeros) …
After a 5-hour bus journey from Podgorica, I got into Dubrovnik just after noon. My decision to stay close to the old town, though more costly, was justified. Over the next 3 days, I was able to fully explore the old town's rich history, churches, monasteries and cobbled streets numerous times and at different hours …
Rising above the sparkling Adriatic sea, the Dubrovnik City Walls are a stone fortress turned spectacular viewpoint—an unbroken loop of towers, battlements, and centuries-old tales. Systematically Built and Strengthened As defense against land and sea attacks, the Republic of Ragusa fortified the old town with centuries-old walls built between the 13th and 17th centuries. Perched …
Following the discovery of coal in the 1890s, the sleepy settlement of Karai was transformed into a coal mining hub. Recognising its economic importance, the British facilitated the town's rapid development through infrastructure improvements. When the pontoon bridge used to transport coal across the Perak River was washed away by a huge flood in 1897, …
It was my very first visit to Taiping and I naturally wanted to see everything, in one day.Taiping's has '33 historical firsts' of which I only managed to see a fraction of. Some of the more notable first-of-their kind-in-Malaysian-history sites include the Taiping Lake Gardens, Perak Museum, Taiping Prison, Taiping Railway, Taiping Post-Office, Taiping Clocktower, …
There is a lot more to discover in Perak beyond limestone caves, glorious tin mining past and Ipoh White Coffee. 4 AUGUST 2025Leaving KL at 10am, our road trip to Taiping included the following off-the-beaten-path and small town must-eat detours : Papan Heritage VillagePun Chun Restaurant BidorPinnacle Lake of Malim NawarBatu Gajah drive through Papan …
14 SEPTEMBER 2024From Shkoder, we got into Podgorica early, like 6am. Luckily, we were able to drop off our bags allowing us to walk around freely in search of coffee and breakfast. After passing several 'about-to-open' cafes, we decided to switch tactics. True enough, the Main Bus station was open and we managed to get …
