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As the hot and humid weather slowly comes to a close, the ‘Sharad Ritu’ sets in and slowly envelopes the country with its gorgeous spirit and colours. This is when fairs and festivals start getting celebrated with renewed vigour. Take a look at some of the festivities that October is all set to unveil.
Durga Puja Where: West Bengal When: October 4-8
Although celebrated across the country where ever there are Bengalis, the joy and fervour of this festival is to be seen to believe in the state of West Bengal where devotees worship Goddess Durga, believed to be the slayer of the demon Mahishasura after a fierce, nine-day battle. Beginning with the Mahalaya, while each day calls for a celebration, it is on Sashti Tithi or the sixth day that gorgeously adorned idols of the Goddess are placed in community pandals. On Vijayadashami-the tenth day, the idols are immersed in sea waters amid much merriment. Besides pandal-hopping, everyone looks forward to gorging on goodies such as sandesh, malpua, kolar bora, luchi and alur torkari that are an integral part of the festival.
One of the most vibrant and auspicious festivals, Navratri is celebrated across the length and breadth of the country. The beats of dhols, dances and colourful displays might differ from state to state but the energy around these nine days is equally magical everywhere. While for many the period is highlighted by fasting and detoxification to better adjust to climatic changes or onset of winter, for others it is a perfect reason for feasting. It is that time of the year when kuttu (buckwheat), rajgira (amaranth), singhara (water chestnut), sabudana (sago) and vrat ke chawal or samvat rice (barnyard millet) preparations become staple in a lot of homes. For the rest, the eating spree varies between farsaan, naivedyam, luchi poori and a lot more. Here’s a looking at how food defines the festive fervour of this season in various parts on India.
Just below the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass is home to massive installations by local glass artist Dale Chihuly. Visitors will be awed by the brightly coloured, sea-life-inspired pieces suspended overhead. The exhibits are especially striking when dramatically lit up at night.
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Outside the Seattle Art Museum. Photo credit: Jiri Vondrous
The epicentre of the city’s visual arts, this sprawling museum complex has art from Africa, Asia, Europe and Native America. With over 25,000 pieces in the collection, it’s impossible to take it all in on one visit, so be sure to pick up a map in the lobby to choose a route to match your interests.
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An art work at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Photo credit: Max Herman/Shutterstock.com
Free to enter, the waterfront Olympic Sculpture Park features a collection of large-scale, outdoor, contemporary sculptures. A 670m, Z-shaped walkway connects downtown Seattle to the waterfront strip, providing a physical transition from the city to the art. As a bonus, the park also offers great views of the distant Olympic Mountains, the Space Needle and the Puget Sound.
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43: Time in seconds it takes to travel in a Space Needle elevator from the ground floor to the top level of the tower
The Space Needle is an icon in Seattle. Photo credit: Tanya Goehring
Seattle’s icon was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and now draws 1.3 million annual visitors. The structure’s elevators whisk visitors to an observation deck 152m above the city, which, thanks to a major renovation, now includes the world’s first rotating glass floor.
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The city’s design philosophy is more about texture and detail over grand sculptural gestures, says Alan Maskin. Photo: Tanya Goehring
Q&A with Alan Maskin, design principal for the Century Project for the Space Needle
What’s your favourite part of the Space Needle renovation?
We added 196% more glass, transforming the Space Needle into one of the most interactive pieces of architecture. People use their entire bodies to engage with it – touching everything, lying down, leaning against the glass. There are few places that inspire that level of engagement. We designed an environment where you’re completely safe, but the transparency to the city gives you the sense that you’re taking a risk.
What’s the city’s place in the world of architecture and design?
There’s a strong Pacific Rim and Asian design influence here. You see this most clearly in the way Northwestern design integrates architecture with the landscape, putting an emphasis on the craft of building and materiality. We like texture and detail over grand sculptural gestures – architecture that’s quieter, less flamboyant.
A man capturing the view of the city from atop the Space Needle. Photo credit: Tanya Goehring
自1988年开业以来提供无肉料理，可算得上是墨尔本历史最悠久的素食馆。创办人Laki和 Marian Papadopoulos过去30年来主理餐厅至今，依然在业内保持领先地位。其全素料理主打全球化美食风格，灵感取自土耳其、印度、摩洛哥、马来西亚等各地的料理元素。诸如Mee Goreng（炒福建面配上花生酱）等招牌料理固然是不变经典，这里所售卖的美食却也不断与时并进。餐厅近年推出自家革新版的Better Than a Big Mac汉堡（三层布里欧修面包内夹两块素牛肉饼和纯素芝士），以及美味的菠萝蜜玉米饼配黑豆和芥末大蒜蛋黄酱。
There are some animals out there that are so hard to see in the wild that most people will only ever have the opportunity to see them in zoos. One such creature is the orangutan.
Away from the bustle of the crowds is a far gentler version of Tuscany’s great art and food city. All you need is a bike
It’s midnight, and I am lost in Florence. I’m on a bike without lights (almost no one has lights on their bikes in central Florence, just as no one has a helmet) and whichever turn I take to get me to the River Arno seems to get me back to the Duomo. But what a sight it is, its magnificent light and dark marble rising majestically out of the night. I have a bag of locally made chocolate in my basket and suddenly I realise that being lost in the Renaissance city in the middle of the night, with a supply of cioccolato con nocciole, makes me perhaps the luckiest person alive.
Florence is a glorious city and I am blessed to be spending a lot of time in it right now, working on a project about female Renaissance artists (yes! they were here all the time, painting alongside da Vinci and Michelangelo, Botticelli and Caravaggio; it’s just taken us a few hundred years to clock their existence). Sometimes I rent a room in the centre, but this week I am based 4km from the Duomo (hence the bike), in an architect-designed collection of rooms and flats on the Oltrarno (translation: “the other side of the Arno”). It’s called Riva Lofts, and cycling back to it 15 minutes later along the river path, when I eventually get my bearings, feels like being transported to the Umbrian countryside.
Sunyi means “quiet” and this café lives up to its name, staffed entirely by baristas who are hearing- and speech-impaired. Nearest MRT Station: Fatmawati.
Loka Padang’s Bakwan Jagung Jumbo. Photo credit: Loka Padang
A hallmark of a memorable travel destination is its ability to make guests feel as if they are home – regardless of their point of origin. The recently completed renovation of
From the sprawling luxurious resorts to the spectacular Sonoran Desert sunsets, there are so many reasons any time of year to head to Scottsdale. As the temperatures start to cool down in New England, this year-round sun soaked destination is one
The African Elephant, one of the most graceful big creatures on Earth, is the largest living land animal. These mammals generally live in families headed by a matriarch (largest female elephant in the herd) and have very strong social structures and bonds. These sentient beings roam the grassland savannahs, deep forests and even the southern deserts of this great continent.
While the iconic elephant can be seen in almost all national parks of Africa, the best among them for viewing the pachyderm are Amboseli National Park in Southern Kenya, which has Mount Kilimanjaro as it’s backdrop, Kidepo Valley & Queen Elizabeth national parks of Uganda, the famous Serengeti in Tanzania, South Luangwa in Zambia, Okavango Delta & Chobe in Botswana, Addo Elephant Park and Kruger in South Africa. There are also elephants which have adapted to the harsh desert conditions found in north-west Namibia, in particular Kaokoland and Damaraland areas.
It’s not that long ago when airlines stopped telling passengers to keep their mobile phones, tablets, e-readers and other devices turned off throughout the flight. Remember the time in 2011 when Alec Baldwin was kicked off an American Airlines plane after becoming disruptive when a flight attendant told him to stop playing Words with Friends? Airlines take this stuff seriously for a reason.
Why do we have to put our phones on flight mode?
We’re asked to turn our devices off or to flight mode because of electromagnetic interference from phones, tablets, e-readers, electronic headsets, and more. Since some planes were built before these became a thing, it took a while for the industry to make sure it was entirely safe to use them.
These days, you’ll even see iPads and other tablets in the flight deck, which pilots use to store paperwork instead of lugging around big bags with actual paper in. You’ll see flight attendants using tablets and big phones too, either instead of or in addition to those reams and reams of dot-matrix printed paperwork. All those devices have been tested extensively to make sure there’s no interference.
But that hasn’t always been the case! In fact, back in 2011, some parts within specific models of flight deck screen on certain Boeing 737 aircraft proved to be susceptible to interference. How’d we find out that specific combination of planes and monitors — and fix it? During the rigorous testing process to enable airlines to offer inflight internet, that’s how. Part of that testing process is creating enough electromagnetic interference to represent an entire cabin full of devices of a variety of sizes, including some that are malfunctioning. Pretty much every airliner-equipment combo operated by a major international airline has now been tested.
What happens if I don’t put my phone on airplane mode?
For years, safety regulators, airlines, aircraft manufacturers and everyone else in the industry has known that there are dozens of devices left out of airplane mode on every flight. In a way, the fact that planes haven’t fallen out of the sky willy-nilly because someone left their Kindle on is the best demonstration that, for the most part, most devices don’t affect most planes.
But most isn’t good enough for aviation. Some folks don’t know that their Kindle even has 3G, or that the Bluetooth on their watch/headphones/other device counts as needing to be in airplane mode. Some forget that they’ve packed one of those devices in the overhead bin. Some even blatantly ignore the rules, assuming that their vital email on that device isn’t going to make their plane start to plummet. And it probably isn’t.
Here’s the thing: aviation doesn’t work on probablys. One of the reasons why aviation is safer than getting in your car, crossing the street, or even just staying at home (more people are casualties of toilet-related incidents than aviation accidents!) is that airlines and their regulators work with an abundance of caution.
This article was first published on www.lonelyplanet.com.
Lonely Planet India is proud to announce that our pocket Madhya Pradesh guidebooks have won the National Tourism Awards (2017–18) in the Best Tourism Promotion Material category.
Pocket Madhya Pradesh
Heritage Trips Madhya Pradesh
Tiger & Beyond
Short Escapes from Bhopal
A big shout out to our India team!
The award winning titles are a great travel companion on your next trip to Madhya Pradesh. From heritage and spiritual trips, adventure safaris, plush resorts, expert recommendations they’re packed with useful travel tips.
There’s no fence separating me from the 1,921m drop down to the implausibly turquoise Lake Lucerne (known to locals as Vierwaldstättersee) below. I’m standing in a meadow on the mountain of Fronalpstock that’s thick with wild clove, inky enzian and alpine orchids. The journey from Zurich to this summit in central Switzerland involved a train, a funicular and a chairlift, each connection seamlessly Swiss and each leg even more scenic than the last.
As I stand along the ridge gawking down at one of the bends in the four-armed lake below, a pair of cows, bronze bells clanging at their necks, watch me wearily from a nearby pasture. Suddenly, the melancholy bellows of an alphorn echo up from the valley and I feel my heart lifting up into my chest. The scene might sound clichéd, but the deep primordial colours, the clarity of sounds and the purity of the landscape stirs something within me. I’m awestruck by these Alps and often feel nourished and mentally and spiritually reset by my visits here.
I moved to Zurich from New York in 2012 and have been making regular alpine pilgrimages to the country’s 26 cantons and four linguistic regions ever since. Time and again, though, I’m drawn back to the majestic shores and valleys of Vierwaldstättersee. The sensation of being on the car-free Alp here is unlike anything offered by the other alpine lakes. It’s similar to snorkelling: the sounds of the human world below are muted; colours are heightened; and nature has a rare advantage over humankind.
The spectacular view from Fronalpstock
What’s more, the 114km2 Vierwaldstättersee – whose German name translates word-for-word to “four forest settlement lake” – is currently having a moment. In 2019, the lakefront village of Vitznau, parked at the foot of Mount Rigi on an idyllic bay, received three new Michelin stars, raising the lake’s total to eight stars, certifying it as a bona fide foodie destination. Across the lake, the S$600 million Bürgenstock Resort opened in 2017 and includes four hotels and a 10,000m2 spa with a game-changing thermal bath and new summer farmers’ markets, pool parties and DJ sessions.
Meanwhile, 20km down shore, you’ll find the Stoosbahn, the world’s steepest funicular railway, launched in late 2017. It provides access to the family-friendly Stoos resort at the foot of Fronalpstock, home to almost 34km of skiable piste, new themed hiking trails, cheese markets, sunset gondola rides and regular yodelling and alphorn concerts. Between these developments, and the timeless natural beauty of the region, Vierwaldstättersee is ripe for exploration.
The Stoosbahn funicular railway
I start my journey with the 45-minute train ride from Zurich to Vierwaldstättersee’s lake-perched station. Upon arriving, I walk five minutes to the ferry terminal behind the Modernist KKL Luzern Concert Hall, designed by Jean Nouvel. I hop on a scenic one-hour ferry to Vitznau, the base station of the Rigi Railways cog train that’s been running continuously since 1871. It’s also home to the country’s newest constellation of Michelin stars. In Michelin’s 2019 guide to Switzerland, Vitznau scored four stars at three different restaurants. These include one-starred Sens inside the Hotel Vitznauerhof as well as one-starred PRISMA and two-starred focus, both located within the Belle Époque-era Park Hotel Vitznau. This classic English-style hideaway, built during Switzerland’s golden age of alpine exploration, is best known for its restorative wellness offerings and lake views.
Though the 36-year-old chef Patrick Mahler – who’s lived in central Switzerland for six years – has only been manning the stoves at focus for a year, the restaurant’s double stars are arguably down to his vision. Mahler’s creations such as Swiss char caviar spooned atop Japanese custard royale and tender veal sweetbreads with local hazelnut, white asparagus and capers continue to garner global acclaim. “When people think of Swiss food, they think of fondue and rosti, but there’s so much more,” he says.
Poolside at Burgenstock Resort
After a few restorative days in Vitznau, I hop on a scenic 30-minute steamship journey across the lake to the shores of Canton Nidwalden, one of many Unesco World Heritage sites on the lake known for prehistoric pile dwellings dating back more than 6,000 years. Vierwaldstättersee is actually a freshwater fjord, which is easy to understand when you’re out on the water gazing up at the mighty snow-capped mountains on either side of you. As the ship chugs leeward, the town of Lucerne disappears from sight. In recent years, the city has become Switzerland’s de facto capital of tourism and is chock-a-block with tour buses and the luxury boutiques and quick-service restaurants that cater to them. It doesn’t take long to access Vierwaldstättersee’s hushed alpine world of lapping shorelines and hidden valleys – I can’t understand why so few tourists leave the city.
After disembarking in the tiny village of Kehrsiten, I step into a cherry-red funicular for a four-minute journey up to Bürgenstock (the ferry and the funicular are free for hotel guests). Today, Bürgenstock is home to four separate hotels. It’s a sybaritic riot of grand old hotel parquetry mixed with a dose of mid-century glamour, bestowed on the resort from VIP visitors over the years such as Sean Connery, Jimmy Carter and Henry Kissinger. Former guests Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn loved Bürgenstock so much, they both moved there. Hepburn even married her first husband Mel Ferrer in Bürgenstock’s chapel in 1954.
Scallop with turnip cabbage, green apple and coriander from PRISMA
That glamour and mystery still endure today, especially in the spa’s gravity-defying infinity thermal bath perched precariously over a cliff top and whipped by crosswinds. You can check into Bürgenstock’s Waldhotel, a timber-slatted resort-clinic hybrid with views overlooking the rear side of the mountain dotted with weathered Swiss barns, cows and sheep. The hotel’s restaurant Verbena is a highlight of my Bürgenstock stay, and dishes such as pheasant stock, cherrywood-smoked venison and sturgeon with Lucerne caviar are by turns healthy and edifying. From Waldhotel, an easy 30-minute hike takes me past Hepburn’s and Loren’s villas to Villa Honegg, an old-fashioned boutique hotel with 23 rooms and a creative kitchen sending out dishes such as goat curd with mint pesto; alpine cheese with dandelion honey; and Swiss pike ceviche with fir sprouts and cilantro.
“I regard the goodness, the tolerance and the virtue of these Alps, and my sense of the world is restored once again”
Serious hikers can plunge even deeper into Nidwalden’s alps by trekking the 24km, five-hour route (or 30-minute drive) to Bannalpsee and Alp Oberfeld, home turf of sustainable alpine cheesemakers Rita and Josef Waser-Späni. “We process 120 litres of organic dairy every day,” says Rita. “We use copper kettles over an open fire and rely on dairy from heritage breeds of livestock such as peacock mountain goats and Rhaetian Grey cattle to produce our cheeses.”
Over the years, I’ve brought multiple visiting friends to Vierwaldstättersee’s sharpest bend, on the opposite shore in Canton Schwyz. If there’s one road that begs to be driven on, the jaw-dropping Axenstrasse, whose northern axis point starts here, is it. The curvaceous passage catapults and corkscrews for over 11 glorious kilometres, plunging through century-old mountain tunnels and dangling precipitously above cliff walls cascading down to azure waters.
The elegant exterior of PRISMA
Over on the southern edge of Canton Schwyz is the town of Brunnen, home to Strandbad Hopfräben, one of the lake’s many badi (swimming lidos). Before Switzerland developed its north-south axis highways in the ’70s and ’80s, Brunnen was a popular lunch stop for Italy-bound motorists. Before crossing the Gotthard Pass, they would pause along this stretch for a dish called Poulet im Chörbli (chicken in a basket), served at several venues often marked with a cartoon chicken out front. The crispy-skinned half chicken is served in a surprisingly spicy sauce, a rarity in Switzerland. Over the years, I’ve tried many, but the version at Oschen, a half-timber gasthaus decorated with hand-painted crests which dates back to 1740, is the best. It’s ideally eaten with fresh kopfsalat (butterhead lettuce) and a heap of pommes frites (fries) and washed down with a cold Swiss rosé.
The Axenstrasse ends in the lakeside town of Flüelen, located in the vehemently independent canton of Uri where the southernmost Italian aiming arm of the lake is called Urnersee. The late Anthony Bourdain refused to visit Switzerland because he mistakenly thought it was a country filled with rich skiers donning Swiss watches and eating truffled fondue. But if there’s one place in Switzerland I bet he’d have loved, it would have been Uri, Switzerland’s poorest canton and arguably its most Swiss. It’s populated by fierce working class labourers, tradesmen and self-sufficient dairy farmers who rely on the rugged Alps for sustenance just as their ancestors did millennia ago.
Cool off in the lake at Vitznau
Fittingly, Uri is the birthplace of Switzerland. On 1 August 1291, in a green lakeside meadow called Rütli, three cantons – Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden (which later split into the two cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden) swore a uniting oath, forming a loose confederation against the marauding Habsburgs. This rogue gang was referred to by Latin-speaking Romans as Confoederatio Helvetica, a term still used in the abbreviated form CH to denote everything from Swiss currency to the nation’s sports teams.
Uri is also home to Altdorf, the picturesque cantonal capital where William Tell allegedly shot an apple off his son’s head. It’s marked today by colourful murals and statues in the town’s bustling platzli (plaza). His birthplace of Bürglen, just a few kilometres away, is also worth a visit and noted for its charming William Tell chapel. In 2019, native guide Hansruedi Herger launched his own sustainable small group tour operator called The Alps By Joe. He takes guests to see the lake’s red pine forests and ibex colonies and feels that his native Uri has a special allure. “Urnersee is the most magical part of the lake and its deep green beckons you to plunge in,” he says from his home in Bürglen. “Swimming in this arm of the lake restores harmony in your body, especially after a hike.”
Cows grazing along the mountainside, seen from the chairlift to Fronalpstock
The deeper you go into Uri, the sunnier and more Italian it feels – a reminder that Switzerland’s sole Italian-speaking canton, Ticino, is the next stop heading south, while Italy itself is less than 100km away. Indeed, Uri remains the only canton besides Ticino where learning Italian is still mandatory in primary school. What’s more, Swiss cuisine here begins to mingle with Italian through dishes such as the creamy alplermagronen (a macaroni and cheese dish with roots in Switzerland and northern Italy) and ghackets mit hörnli (macaroni and minced meat ragù).
Tempting as it is to give in to the gravitational pull of Italy and the magnetic Roman world to the south that sculpted so much of Europe, I plant myself here on the lakeshore at the seams of these two distinctly different European cultures. Sunset comes early in Uri and the sun sinks behind the sculptural Urner Alps, electrifying the tips of mountain tops in a spectacularly pink display of alpenglühen or alpenglow. Swiss as the scene is, it’s the moon rising over sparkling Urnersee that is a moving and fitting finish to any visit. As it peaks over the Alps and shines down on the lake’s glassy surface in a million milky shards, I regard the goodness, the tolerance and the virtue of these Alps, and my sense of the world is restored once again.
Take a hike: Key walks in the region to check out
Unesco World Heritage site Entlebuch Biosphere is surrounded by the Alps. Photo credit: Michal Stipek/Shutterstock.com
The Buiräbähnli (“farmer’s cable car”) Safari in Nidwalden’s Engelberg is an alpine farm trek that utilises farmer’s gondolas and cable cars to visit remote farms where you can sample cheese and alpine butter. The hikes are ideal for families and those with limited mobility, and some skirt the Entlebuch Biosphere, a 395km2 valley that’s home to a Unesco World Heritage site noted for its endemic wildflowers, such as enzian and edelweiss, and rare birds, such as cuckoos, owls and grouse.
One of Uri’s most scenic trails is accessed by a self-operating open-air gondola to the Ober-Axen trailhead. Along the 5km Eggberge trail, you’ll encounter mossy forests, hermetic dairy farmers and wildflower-strewn meadows.
Golzernsee is an easy-to-medium 6km hike over chalet-filled fields. The Golzernseilbahn whisks you over emerald pastures to the Golzernsee trailhead. The trail’s flat first half is an easy hike lined with honour-system huts that are run by farmers’ kids hawking wheels of Alp cheese and locally quarried quartz.
Once you reach Golzernsee, a small green alpine lake perfect for summer swims and picnics, you can spend the day swimming or hike further up to the top of the trail’s second, more difficult stretch.
Singapore Airlines flies direct to Zurich daily. To book a flight, visit singaporeair.com
Home to one of Darwin’s oldest markets – the Saturday Parap Village Market – this once-sleepy suburb became the locals’ weekend hangout of choice when Parap’s creative set started opening shops in and around the markets, generating a low-key, artsy vibe for the neighbourhood while creating pioneering businesses, from a new breed of butcher to an exhibition and retail gallery space dedicated to artists based in Australia’s Top End.
Laneway Specialty Coffee’s baked goods are a winner
The coffee scene was noticeably flat in Darwin before this specialty roaster opened in 2014. It’s all about fair and direct trade here, using numerous single-origin beans to brew filter and cold-drip coffee. The scratch-made mega muffins sell out every morning, especially on white chocolate and peanut butter with blueberries day.
The Humpty Doo Barramundi Mooli at Saffrron Restaurant.
Originally from Tamil Nadu, chef Selvam Kandasamy’s cooking has been drawing visitors to Parap for almost a decade. This newly renovated restaurant was the first in Australia to use biodegradable tableware, and remains committed to sourcing locally for dishes such as barramundi poached in ginger, coconut milk and turmeric.
The Local only stocks works from Northern Territory artisans.
Shopping local is the entire focus behind this new artist-run retail space in Parap Shopping Village, hence its name. The vibrant store only stocks works and goods from Northern Territory artists and makers, giving shoppers direct access to handcrafted jewellery, pottery, art and fabrics from local talent at commission-free prices. Perfect for picking up a unique souvenir.
Outstation Gallery’s director Matt Ward has embarked on a spin-off project that will also be in Parap.
Aside from presenting Indigenous artwork from around Australia, this gallery sources pieces from art centres that support fair work practices for its artists. Director Matt Ward’s connection with local artists through Outstation has spurred a spin-off project that will open in Parap soon and exclusively showcase work from artists with a connection to Australia’s Top End.
This modern butcher is a far cry from a traditional meat market. Artwork from local artist Wayne Miles hangs from the walls and ready-to-grill meals are stocked alongside tender dry-aged cuts. It specialisea in free-range and grass-fed meat, and its Aussie lamb burger (made with rosemary, cheese and Vegemite) is all you need for an impromptu barbecue in the park.
The fresh bakes at Parap Bakery will get you craving for more
At this family-owned bakery, all the breads, pies and cakes are baked fresh on-site daily. Breakfast is the showstopper – egg and bacon rolls are served with freshly baked brioche buns while sugar-dusted doughnuts are topped with decadent treats such as KitKats, gummy worms and Tim Tams. Lunch options are hard to beat too, with the avocado and brie sandwich served on fresh sourdough bread.
From my very first visit to Paris in March, 2007, I have found a way to drag up a green chair, put my feet up and thank God I'm in Paris again. A plastic glass of champagne is the icing on the cake.
With its storied traditions, new world cool and immense natural beauty, it’s no wonder that Portugal is having a complete resurgence, with travelers flocking to this Iberian Peninsula in droves. This southern European country has been p
Travel has always been alluring, but is it the same for those with special needs. “Accessible travel,” as we call it is seeing a rise and India too is slowly gearing up opening doors for the differently abled to see this beautiful country.
Way back in 2006 when my friend from Bengaluru was visiting Delhi, she had expressed her wish to see the Qutub Minar. Being wheelchair bound there was no such provision to take her. But cut to today’s date and time accessible travel in India is seeing a rise in graph. Most tourism destinations are shifting focus towards issues such as sustainability, cultural richness and accessibility.
The whole concept of accessibility is reaching a wider audience. Making spaces accessible for all is an ongoing effort and working towards ensuring accessible infrastructure and transportation systems, and changing people’s attitude is simply indispensable. Adding to this Sminu Jindal, Founder, SVAYAM; a leading accessibility organization, says “SVAYAM along with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had made Unesco World Heritage Site of Qutub Minar accessible in 2008 – the first ever WHS in the country to be made accessible. Making monuments accessible is also helping in boosting revenue of a monument as there’s a spike in footfalls once a site becomes accessible. Accessibility also makes a heritage site safer and helps in its preservation while also instilling a sense of discipline among visitors”.
Not many may remember but way back in 2001 when Stephen Hawking visited India he had expressed his wish to visit the Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb and others, and it was then that temporary wooden ramps were installed and these monuments got their first make-shift disabled-friendly access.
Tourism needs to be accessible to all – regardless of age, gender or physical status. With more and more specially-abled travellers moving out of their comfort zone and travelling to different locations, travel is becoming more about inclusion and India is taking its baby steps towards it.
Every season in Italy has its own delights, and autumn is definitely the star of the show when it comes to food, the harvest and culinary festivals. Some of Italy’s most famous dishes are based on autumn’s harvest bounty – truffles, pumpkin ravioli, porcini mushrooms, chestnuts and artichokes. Come along with us as we take … Continue reading What to Eat in Italy in the Fall→
Though it’s only a half-hour ferry ride from Colman Dock, Bainbridge Island feels a world away. First, explore the shops and eateries in the quaint, walkable downtown area of Winslow, then find farm-totable fare at award-winning restaurant Hitchcock nearby. Washington’s wine scene is on par with Napa and Sonoma, and on Bainbridge, you can sip Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay at Eagle Harbor Wine and Amelia Wynn Winery. Before heading back, see works from local artists at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
Mount Rainier. Photo credit: Jeff Zenner Photography/Shutterstock.com
The glacier-capped volcano of Mount Rainier looms behind Seattle. This spectacular peak, its surrounding wildflower meadows and old-growth forests are protected by Mount Rainier National Park. Picturesque hikes abound, many of the best starting from the Paradise Visitor Centre, a two-and a- half-hour drive from Seattle. Scenic trails promising views of glowing blue glaciers and abundant wildlife start right from the parking lot. Rangers at the visitor centre can provide updates on weather and trail conditions.
4,392m: Height of Mount Rainier’s crater summit. Its ice caves and lake are being studied due to their similar conditions to Mars and the moons of Jupiter
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon. Photo credit: Rina Jordan
The fish hook-shaped fjord of Hood Canal, about an hour and a half from Seattle by car, is a rewarding day trip for seafood lovers. Start your day exploring the fjord and the view of the crags of Olympic National Park – from a kayak or paddleboard rented from Alderbrook Resort and Spa. Then, head to the canal-side town of Hoodsport to sip wines at the Stottle Winery Tasting Room and try small-batch gins and vodkas at the Hardware Distillery.
Hungry? Drive 15 minutes up the road to theHama Hama Oyster Saloon. Here, tangy smoke from barbecuing oysters floats over wooden picnic tables just steps from where the shellfish were harvested. Or stop back in atAlderbrook; its waterfront restaurant serves up fresh-caught seafood dishes paired with respected Washington wines.
The high-speed Victoria Clipper whisks travellers to Victoria, Canada in under three hours, journeying through whale-inhabited waters. Here, learn about First Nations culture at the Royal BC Museum. Sip tea at the posh Fairmont Empress Hotel. Eat fresh seafood at the floating kiosks of Fisherman’s Wharf and sample local beer with harbour views at Spinnaker’s Gastro Brewpub. The return boat leaves at 6pm and gets you back by bedtime.
Thunderbird Cafe is my go-to for a cuppa and delicious breakfast as it serves the best flat white coffee with coconut milk. Capital Markets, which consists of over 30 stalls selling great Asian street food, carries my favourite lemongrass and chilli chicken on rice from Vietnamese stall Where’sCharlie. Charley Noble Eatery & Bar is also a must-try – its fi re-grilled cauliflower steak covered in currant salsa with almond cream and a side of potatoes cooked in duck fat goes down extremely well with a glass of FROMM Rosé from Marlborough.
DRINK
Dirty Little Secret is a small rooftop bar that’s perfect for a great night with a scenic view of the Wellington cityscape. However, my favourite has got to be Bangalore Polo Club. My fix is The Deadeye which comes with a coconut popsicle in it. You can choose to sip on cocktails in the sunny indoor garden or dine in a more private VIP-style booth at the back of the restaurant.
EXPLORE
For an interactive history lesson, head over to Wellington Museum, which is housed in a gorgeous 1892 heritage building. If you are an outdoors person, I recommend taking a ferry from Wellington Harbour to Matiu/Somes Island. It’s rich in both Maori and European history and has plenty of native birds and plants. Alternatively, head to Days Bay, where you will find restaurants, shops, art galleries and a stunner of a beach. Those with families should also cruise out to Lower Hutt for a fun day at Avalon Park. There’s a water play area and a small train that takes you around the park, plus plenty of space to enjoy a picnic lunch.
Tips
Wellington’s CBD is rather compact, so walking up and down the slopes is an option. Otherwise, taking buses or booking a ride through the Uber app works for getting around. If you are venturing outside of the CBD, I suggest taking one of the Metlink trains.
Illustration by Máximo Paenza
Singapore Airlines flies to Wellington four times weekly. To book a flight, visit singaporeair.com
We don’t like to spend our valuable time standing in line in Paris. That’s why we book skip-the-line tours every time we can. The Eiffel Tower is the world’s most visited monument with some of the longest lineups— something more than 9 million people go up the tower a year. It’s better to sign up for a skip-the-line trip rather than spending hours in a queue.
Eiffel Tower Skip-the-Lines Tours
See what we mean by looong lines? Instead of standing in it, imagine meeting your guide at the base of the tower, walking right past the long line, and catching the elevator up the Eiffel Tower. There you have plenty of time to take great photos of the breathtaking cityscapes from this vantage point.
At the end of the guided part of the tour you’ll be on Level Two. On tours that include summit access your guide will hand you a ticket to the other elevator that takes you to the top of the tower, Level Three, although for many people getting to Level Two is all they want.
Once at the summit you can spend as much time on Level Three as you like. Take in the view and admire your new favorite city while sipping on a glass of champagne. That’s right, there’s a champagne bar at the top of the Eiffel Tower! Is it any wonder we love Paris?
With the Eiffel Tower being so popular, skip-the-line tours tend to sell out and the availability varies. The best way to make your skip-the-line plans is to peruse the two lists of Eiffel Tower tours (links below) to find one that available for your dates. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Eiffel Tower only makes tickets and passes available three months in advance. So you many have to wait until March 1 (for instance) to book a skip-the-line tour for June 1.
Even Better! VIP Tour + Champagne Cruise
Out of all the activities we’ve done that include the Eiffel Tower, this is one of our favorites. Imagine yourself at sunset, on a Seine River cruise, sitting in reserved seats at the front of the bateaux, sipping champagne, watching the magical lights of Paris glide by.
Then you disembark near the foot of the Eiffel Tower for a guided, skip-the-line VIP tour of the first two levels. Your guide leads you directly to the priority access and up the elevator. Finish the evening viewing the lights of Paris for as long as you like. Man, it was worth it!
Eiffel Tower Illuminations Tour
You may like this nighttime illuminations tour even better. Here’s how it goes —
Step 1: meet your guide at the base of the Eiffel Tower at dusk, as the sun is setting.
Step 2: with your priority tickets you skip the line as your guide takes you to the first level while telling you Insider stories about the 130-year-old tower.
Step 3: take in the magnificent view of the lights of Paris from the second level.
This tour is only available one or twice a week, so you really need to plan ahead to book it.
Eiffel Tower – How to get in there
Boat, bus, bike or Metro — there are many ways to get to the Eiffel Tower. Here are a few Metro tips:
Metro: Bir-Hakeim. This line runs above ground so you get another view of the tower as you cross the Seine.
Metro: Alma-Marceau. You arrive on the Right Bank next to Princess Diana’s de facto memorial flame and cross the Seine on the Pont d’Alma. It’s a short but breathtaking stroll along the Seine to the Tour Eiffel — especially at night when the tower is lit up.
Metro: Trocadero. Arrive across the river at the Trocadero plaza where you get the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Then cross the bridge and you’re there.
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