Venice to Vienna Traveling Experience

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Travelling from Venice to Vienna would be my one of the best travelling experience in Europe in terms of relishing the landscapes of Europe. I took this journey in two parts.

  • Venice to Villach by bus.
  • Villach to Vienna by train.

Villach is the first town at the border of Italy and Austria. I travelled from Venice to Villach by a bus and the rest of the journey was completed by a train.

Venice to Villach experience:

I would say that the journey from Venice to Villach was mostly through the plains of the Europe towards the northern Italy except the last part when we entered the Alps terrain and valleys. The journey shows you one of the most beautiful landscapes of Italy which include villages, grasslands, farming fields etc.

But I did not know that there was more to come when I would leave the bus and board the train to Vienna from Villach.

Villach to Vienna by Train:

I enjoyed this journey more than the first part of the journey for two reasons:

  • The train was running slower than the bus because most of the journey parts were spent in ascending and descending the alps range. So, on a slower train, there was more to see.
  • Second, on this journey, the train crosses one of the most beautiful terrains of the Alps.

Throughout the journey, the train follows the river Mur, as far as I think. Then I explored the Google Maps because I was so intrigued by the train journey. And I found this fact.

Then I further explored the Google Terrain maps and I found out that It would have been a lot easier for the railway engineers to lay the railway tracks along the river Mur. That is show because of the river if you see on the Google Maps, run through the alps terrain and on an almost flat terrain crisscrossing through the mighty mountains.

And, it would surely be easier for the engineers to lay the track along the river on the plains than digging a tunnel through the mountain. This reminds me of my train journey from Berlin to Prague which also runs along the river Elbe.

Train Along the WortherSee:

One of the most remarkable things that I saw along this journey was the train running along the Worthersee. A few minutes just after the train leaves the town of Villach, it starts crawling along the Worthersee.

This whole journey along the Worthersee lake lasts for around 30 Kms. And it is so soothing to the eyes. There were a few huts along the lake. Also, the life seemed so easy.

Some of the most remarkable things that I saw on this Journey are shown in the pictures below:

Bastei Bridge Hiking, Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany

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The best way to get closer to Nature is to walk through it, live it, and spend some time in it. I don’t know why this place has got “Switzerland” in its name but I must say that hiking in the Saxon Switzerland National Park is not lesser than seeing Switzerland itself.

Saxon Switzerland National Park is situated at the border of Germany and Czech Republic. You can say that Saxon Switzerland National Park is adjacent to its extension in the Czech Republic known by the name Bohemian Switzerland National Park.

I am not much of a history expert but if I guess the term Saxon and Bohemian are there because this part of the national park is in Saxony region of Germany. And, Bohemian is there because of Bohemian rulers in Czech republic if I am not wrong.

How to reach Bastei Bridge from Berlin?

If you want to reach the Saxon Switzerland National Park from Berlin, you can take a regional express train also known as EC (the trains red in color) to Kurort Rathen railway station. These trains are available from Berlin main railway station also known as Berlin Hauptbahnhof.

It takes around three hours to reach Kurort Rathen railway station. Alternatively, you can also come to Dresden, the capital city of the free state of Saxony and take a local train from there. Once you reach the Kurort Rathen railway station, get down there and catch a ferry across the river Elbe and get down on the other side of the river and start hiking towards the Bastei Bridge peak. It is a very small hike. The total distance that you walk is around 1.5 Km which takes around one hour to reach the peak or the Bastei Bridge view point.

More about Bastei Bridge and Saxon Switzerland National Park:

Saxon Switzerland National Park has a rocky terrain and canyon landscape. This area is famous for the sandstone. Though not much above the sea level but still it offers a very beautiful view of the area around like the river Elbe (especially the curve of the river Elbe), rocky terrain and fissures, a remote hamlet, large farms, chains of hills, very dense and green forest on the hiking way.

The hiking starts after you cross the river Elbe. If you happen to travel from Berlin to Prague by train, it is river Elbe along which the train runs most of the times. The view is really spectacular most of the times. There are some small shops where we bought French fries before starting our hike. Once you leave the village, the hike goes along a small canal and after some time once you step into the forest, you can see fern groves all around and even the old lying logs.

trying to go for a hike on a clear day so that you can see distance. If possible, stay there until the sunset. Though the timing is set for the hiking so make sure if you can stay there until the sunset. During the sunset, the setting sun rays reflect the Bastei bridge sandstone and they also flash over the top of the trees which make it even more beautiful.

Moreover, the oak and maple trees make it overall very much more beautiful. Bastei Bridge is famous because of it is a bridge constructed over two cliffs and it used to be a part of the castle at the top. This bridge is still intact and forms a nice viewpoint because both sides of the valley can be seen from the bridge.

Viewpoints around Bastei Bridge:

There are a lot of viewpoints set up at the different peaks. you can hike to 2-3 viewpoints easily in a day if you love hiking. Here are a list of the viewpoint and peak in the Saxon Switzerland National Park around Bastei Bridge.

  • Bastei Bridge
  • Castle Ruins, Neurathen
  • Ferdinandstein and,
  • Felsenbühne Rathen

Vatican City: Strange Facts & Visiting Tips

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Vatican City seemed as cryptic as walking into a mysterious zone where every inch of the foothold holds some stories. When I was a child I came to knew that Vatican city was the world’s smallest country. Just imagine how had that be like to imagine visiting the smallest country in the world?
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Enter into Rome and the most of the tourists just want to go to the Vatican city. I was a no exception. Also, I had no expectation of seeing some barrier or kind of wired fencing around the Vatican city. As I grew up, I had already come to that Vatican city is a kind of place where the Pope lives and it is more like a sacred country.

When you reach nearer to the Vatican City, you see a large fort wall. And that’s the wall which separates a country from a city. Astonishing, is not it? Do not undermine the strength of the Vatican city in terms of the administration and facilities. It has every basic entity which a country needs to be run properly.

Also read: St. Thomas basilica church, Santhome

On another note, if I had to compare Vatican City, I would compare it with the Gosaba island in the Sundarbans but that would be far-related and weird. Moreover, Gosaba island is secluded even though it has a whole municipality of its own.

Some strange facts about Vatican City:

  • Vatican city has its own barracks but that’s for the Swiss Guards which were hired by Pope Julius-three as the mercenary force.
  • Vatican City has a Television Center. Wonder, from where the live telecast and the message of the Pope come from.
  • Vatican city also has other facilities like a super store, Drug store, post office, railway station, Greenhouses, English Gardens, Library, Colleges, Radio station, Italian Garden, Guest house, Audience hall etc.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peters Square occupy more than one-tenth of the total area of the Vatican City Alone.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica is believed to be sitting atop a city of the dead. The story goes like this: There was a great fire in Rome in A.D. 64. During that time, the emperor of the Rome was Emperor Nero. Trying not to take the blame on himself, instead, he blamed Christians of the fire. So, to take the revenge, he also burnt them alive in the same fire. St. Peter, after whom the basilica and the square have been named was also one among the victims. St. Peter was one of the most profound disciples of Jesus Christ. Later, when the Christianity was declared as the official religion of Rome, a basilica was made atop the same blaze.
  • Vatican City even before being declared as a sacred area was already being treated as a sacred area.
  • During the second world war, even though the Italy was an integral member of the war, Vatican City expressed a neutrality in the war. The neutrality was waged to such an extent that even if Rome be bombarded, Vatican City, lying almost in the center of the Rome, should not be touched.
  • Unlike citizenship of other states, which is based mostly on the place of birth, citizenship of Vatican City is granted on the grounds of appointment to work in a certain capacity in the service of the Holy See. It usually ceases upon cessation of the appointment. Citizenship is extended also to the spouse, parents, and descendants of a citizen provided they are living with the person who is a citizen.

Other tips to visiting the Vatican City:

  • Vatican City will mostly be crowded on a clear day. So, I am not extrapolating when I say, beware of the pick- pockets.
  • As I mentioned in the beginning that every inch of the sacred land holds some mystery, plus, as a tourist, you would also be allowed not to visit some of the secluded and parked areas, so it is always better to hire a guide.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica is a must. Do not forget to go inside the church as well as on the dome top of the church.
    From the top, you get to see the most of the remaining part of the Vatican city. The view of the St. Peter’s square will just be mesmerizing
  • Also, visit inside the church. It is decorated with a lot of paintings including some of the most famous paintings.
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Some of the pictures from the Vatican City:

An Indian at Colosseum in Rome: Gladiator Movie coming alive

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I was very young when I watched the Gladiator movie for the first time. There were a few scenes which got etched into my mind forever. Especially those fight scenes which take place inside an amphitheater and where Russel Crowe emerges victorious.

Gladiator, Enya, and Celtic Music:

I always wondered. Was the stadium so big during medieval times? Taking some imaginary cues and clues from the Discovery channel and Nat Geo, my inquisitiveness even grew bigger as in how almost close to impossible it had been to erect such a magnificent building. The vividness of the architecture shown in the movie floated over my mind for days.

Years later, when I was doing my masters, that was the first time I got adequately introduced to the Celtic music and learned that “Enya” was one of those singers whose songs echoed in my mind in accord with the emotional resonance.

Those golden wheat fields as shown in the movie in the end and the background soundtrack sung by Enya called “Now we are free” would transport me emotionally into a completely different dimension.

Reaching Colosseum after years watching Gladiator:

During my internship in Berlin, in my last months, I decided to visit colosseum. Though my journey began with Venice but I was actually waiting for to arrive in Rome and see the Colosseum.

When enquired at the hotel about the Colosseum, we got to know that there would usually be a long queue at the entrance. ignoring that fact, we (I and Shayan) decided to go there and deal with our lifetime opportunity. So we arrived at the Colosseum.

Of course, there was a long queue but you beat the wait at the queue with the enthusiasm. The first far glimpse of the colosseum from a distance seems a giant structure from the ancient times. The big pillars, high walls touching the sky is a wonder in its own.

colosseum-1

Colosseum does not seem to be engrafted with the beauty lying inside of it. From the outside, it just looks like an old rickety structure. When we entered inside, there were tier-level structures. The actual grandeur of that magnificent architecture can only be seen when you go inside.

There are tens of entrances to the colosseum. There used to be different entrances for the different class of people. For example, nobles had different entrance than the common man. Also, the sitting arrangement got used to get differentiated among the classes.

The higher hierarchy would sit on the top level while the lower class people used to sit at the lower sitting arrangements. There was also a common ground where gladiators used to fight. When I saw the main arena, that reminded me of the Gladiator movie.

colosseum-6

You can still see the exposed part of the gates and alleys under the arena where gladiators used to stay back before entering the main arena. Those thick walls of small bricks, roman architecture and everything else would take you back centuries ago and force you to think the way it would have been then.

Colosseum in Evening:

It took us a lot of time to visit the colosseum. When the sun went down in the west, we did not realize.
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Once the darkness engulfed the sky, soon the pale yellow lights were being thrown at the outer walls of the colosseum. I and Shayan just decided to sit there for no reason.

Sky turned from dark blue to completely dark. The number of tourists abated gradually. Even the local by shops got closed.
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A few couples were walking hand in hand. And we just sat there on the rocks. I must insist that you should also experience something like that. Then, we again decided to take a round of the colosseum from the outside.

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I don’t know what kind of experience I accumulated within me but that surely was something inexplicable. That was so mystifying in conjugation with the past and the movie Gladiator.

Colosseum Photos:

Adventures in Taiwan: 8 Outdoor Things to do

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Taiwan is a small island nation in the East China Sea with modern cities, traditional Chinese temples, hot springs, and dramatic mountainous terrain. Many of us might not have heard of adventurous activities in Taiwan but there are endless opportunities for Taiwan Adventures and below we list all of them.

Adventures in Taiwan: 8 Outdoor Things to do

Cycling Adventures in Taiwan

Cycling activities can be arranged both around Taipei and Taroko Gorge. Experience some of the tough mountain rides in the foothills of Taipei, glide down through the canyon at Taroko Gorge or enjoy the sights with a ride down the east coast.

cycling-adventures-in-taiwan

Cycling in Taiwan

River Tracing / Canyoning in Taiwan

River tracing, sometimes called canyoning, is where we walk/climb/swim up a river. It is a refreshing, exhilarating and challenging experience. Taiwan is the perfect place for river tracing. The mountains are steep and stunning, and the rivers that run through them have crystal clear emerald colored water.

There are a large number of river tracing spots both around Taipei and Taroko Gorge that are suitable for a wide range of abilities and activities can be arranged for half to full day.

Kayaking Adventures in Taiwan

Carp Lake is located a short drive from Taroko Gorge, and it is the perfect spot for an introduction to kayaking. No kayaking experience necessary.Sea kayaking off the coast of Hualien is also possible depending on the season. Some kayaking experience is necessary for this activity.

kayaking-in-taiwan

Kayaking in Taiwan

 High mountain Hiking: Trekking Adventures in Taiwan

Hiking on Taiwan’s high mountains is a world-class hiking experience. Taiwan has the second highest mountain range in eastern Asia. Many of its tall peaks are easily accessible on a weekend trip from Taipei and they offer some breath-taking views and challenging climbs.

  • Hiking in Yushan’s (Jade Mountain) Southern Peaks, seen from Jade Mountain Main Peak and lit by a beautiful sunrise. Watch sunrise atop the highest mountain in Taiwan and all of north-east Asia. This popular hike is a once in a lifetime experience!
  • Snow mountain hiking– A beautiful hike through a variety of ecosystems brings you to Taiwan’s second highest.
  • The Wuling Sixiu hiking– A challenging hike to the top of 4 mountains in the Sheipa National Park. A very scenic and tough hike.
  • Hiking in Dabajianshan– One of the most iconic mountains in Taiwan, Dabajianshan is a wonderful 3-day hike deep into the Sheipa National Park.
hiking-in-taiwan

Hiking in Taiwan

Paragliding Adventures in Taiwan

  • Paragliding at Luye Recreational Tea Farm

The plateau is the site of a paragliding base at the southern end of the tourist tea plantation area; the base is 150 meters above the plain below, and its fine geographic conditions and good weather make it one of Taiwan’s favorite spots for paragliding.

  • Paragliding in Pingtung County

Pingtung is home to Kenting National Park, Taiwan’s first National Park. Other visitor attractions here include the island Eden of Xiaoliuqiu, scenic forest-hemmed highways, Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area, Maolin National Scenic Area, and Taiwan’s best paragliding area, Saijia Air Park.

Coastal areas in Pingtung are excellent choices for coastal recreation, whether donning a snorkel to explore the beauty of the corals or hunting for shells on the beach.

  • Paragliding in Jibei Island

Jibei Island lies 5.5 kilometers north of Baisha Island; its size is about 3.05 square kilometers, and it is not only the sixth largest island in the country, but it is also the largest inhabited island among the 28 isles within Baisha village, except for Baisha Island itself.

Jibei is heaven for water activities, housing various types of recreational activities, including banana boat, dragged buoy, two-man speedboat, water motorcycle, under-the-sea sightseeing boat, paragliding and snorkeling

paragliding-adventures-in-taiwan

Paragliding in Taiwan

Surfing in Taiwan

  • Surfing at California B&B

Hotel California is a relaxed and laidback place decorated with surfboards and tropical plants. For the surfers out there, the hotel also stocks a good range of surf wears.

  • Surfing on Fulong Beach

Fulong Beach has clear seawater and long soft beach. It is perfect for surfing, sliding, and sailing. There is a spacious parking lot, camping area, restaurants and food court. It is the best-organized bathing beach in northern Taiwan. Every summer, people come here for a swim or to appreciate the beautiful ocean.

  • Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area

The Northeast Coast National Scenic Area, which runs from Juifang south to Beigangkou in Yilan County, is noted for its natural beauty: reefs, rivers, terraced rice paddies, rolling green hills, lighthouses, and two of Taiwan’s best beaches. Recreational opportunities include camping, rock climbing, hiking along a 200-year-old footpath, and water sports, such as swimming, surfing,

Recreational opportunities include camping, rock climbing, hiking along a 200-year-old footpath, and water sports, such as swimming, surfing, windsurfing, jet skiing, boating, snorkeling and scuba diving.

surfing-in-taiwan

WindSurfing in Taiwan

  • Windsurfing at Shanyuan

Located 12 km north of Taitung City, Shanyuan is an excellent place for summer fun. This 1.5 km-long sandy beach is perfect for beach volleyball and making sand sculptures, and the coral reefs at the northern and southern ends of the beach are popular with divers.

The clear waters off Shanyuan are also ideal for sailing, surfing, windsurfing and swimming. Facilities include a wooded campground and outdoor restaurant area.

Mountain Biking in Taiwan

  • Moutain biking in Dongshan Area of Yilan County

While much of the county is taken up by mountains, in the northeast lies the Lanyang Plain—an alluvial delta stretched out in a triangle-shaped area of 300 square kilometers, formed as the Lanyang River squeezed its way between the Central Mountain Range on the south and Snow Mountain Range on the north to reach the Pacific.

Rivers and streams snake through the plain like the veins on the back of a hand, a natural state of affairs that provides kilometer upon kilometer of biking beside winding waterways, through fecund and (most importantly for cycling) flat countryside.

Ko Lanta Travel Guide, Thailand: Best Things to do

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Ko Lanta is one of the biggest islands of Thailand situated in the south of Thailand. It is famous for beautiful beaches along its west side. Here is a complete Ko Lanta Travel Guide.

How to Reach Ko Lanta:

Ko Lanta is accessible from a lot of places like Krabi, Trang, Phuket, Phi Phi island using many modes of transportation like waterways or road ways. Below is a description of how to reach Ko Lanta from various place.

Krabi to Ko Lanta:

Krabi is one of the nearest airports to Ko Lanta. There are two ways to reach Ko Lanta from Krabi.

  • Roadways or,
  • By ferry

Reaching Ko Lanta from Krabi by Roadways:

There is no regular scheduled van service from Krabi Airport, although vans and taxis can be chartered to Ko Lanta for about 2,000 baht per vehicle (2,500 baht if you are going to the south end of Ko Lanta). The minivan ride takes around 3-4 hours to Ko Lanta as it also picks up and drops off people on the way.

If you get a bus from the Krabi airport to Ko Lanta then it should cost you more than 350 Baht. Alternatively, if you are taking a bus from the Krabi bus stand, it should not cost you more than 250 Baht to Ko Lanta. But the bus ride will be really long.

From Krabi to Ko Lanta by boat ferry:

If you want to come to Ko Lanta by boat from Krabi, you will have to take a bus or a minivan to the main pier in Krabi. The pier is called as Klong Jirad Pier. It is situated at the edge of the town to avoid the traffic. From the airport, it takes around half an hour to arrive on the pier.

on-the-way-from-phi-phi-to-ko-lanta

One ticket from Airport to Krabi pier would cost you around 50 Baht to 100 Baht depending upon the transport type. The ferry can directly be booked at the airport itself. You can either book a regular ferry or a speed boat for the express transfer.

Tickets can also be booked online or bought at the airport itself. The ferry from Krabi to Ko Lanta takes around 2 hours and you get down at the Saladan pier which is situated at the Northern most point of the island. Most of the hotel guys offer a free pickup at the Saladan pier since the Ko Lanta island is very large in area.

Reaching Ko Lanta from Phi Phi Islands:

Boat takes around 1.5 hours from Phi Phi island to Ko Lanta. It costs on the average 300 Baht. There is a limited connectivity from Phi Phi island to Ko Lanta in terms of boats & ferry. Please make sure one day in advance that you book your ferry beforehand. During high season, ferry might not be available.

Also read: Phi Phi Island Travel Guide

About Ko Lanta:

Ko Lanta is a large island. It is around 30 Kms in length and 6 Kms in width. There are a total of 9 beaches that lie from North to South. Since these beaches lie on the western coast, most of these beaches are famous for the sunset views. Here is the list of beaches with their orientation from North to South:

  • Kor Kwang beach
  • Klong Dao beach
  • Pra Ae or Long Beach
  • Relax Beach – Pra Ae beach
  • Klong Khong beach
  • Klong Nin beach
  • Kantiang Bay
  • Ao Nui (Nui Bay)
  • Bamboo Bay

More About these beaches can be read here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Lanta#Beaches

What to do in Ko Lanta?

Like other islands of Thailand such as Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samui, Ko Tao etc, Ko Lanta is not filled with so younger crowd. Here mostly people come to relax, watch sunset etc. There would not be so much of fun or party. Although, in the town, you can find such places.

sunset-in-ko-lanta

Some of the activities that you can do on the island are boating, trekking, snorkeling, diving, Kayaking, fishing etc. More about it can be found here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Lanta#Do

Ko Lanta Snorkeling Tour:

Snorkeling tour around Ko Lanta is famous among the tourists. It is claimed that in the far islands you can even see sharks & sea turtles besides some of the amazing natural creations. The snorkeling tour is organized on the long-tail boat. It takes almost an entire day.

If you are in a group of a few people say five or more, you can hire an entire long tail boat. The snorkeling tour will usually start around ten in the morning and you will return by four in the evening. The price includes lunch, snacks, and national park fee.

an-island-near-ko-lanta-on-snorkeling-tour

The advantage of hiring a longtail boat is that it will be more kind of a personalized tour for all. There are four famous islands situated south to the Ko Lanta.

  • Ko Ngai called as Ko Hai island
  • Ko Muk island
  • Ko Kradan island and,
  • Ko Ruk island

However, Since Ko Ruk lies far away, there are generally two types of packages for the island trips from Ko Lanta:

  • One without Ko Ruk island and,
  • Another included Ko Ruk island

It is said that Ko Ruk island is really beautiful and you can see a variety of marine life over there. I do not know how much truth it holds. We did one-day island trip of which included three islands which included all the islands except Ko Ruk.

Ko Kradan island:

Ko Kradan would probably will be your first island that you visit on the island tour. There is a snorkeling place. Though shallow but that was interesting. There was tall white grass-like structure inside the sea. Also, there were some thorny animals.

snorkeling-tour-ko-lanta

Ko Muk island:

Ko Muk will be the next destination after Ko Kradan. Ko Muk is famous for the Tham Morakot or Emerald cave or Morakot cave. This cave is a part of the reserve forest. There is a cave of around 100 feet in length. Beyond the cave is an attractive, small, completely enclosed beach formed by a sinkhole.

The Emerald cave is only accessible during the low tide. Carrying a source of light is necessary. You will usually be given the life jacket by the tour guide itself. I would advice you to wear the life jacket because the current will be high and it will be dark inside the cave as well.

emerald-cave-ko-muk

Once you swim across the cave, you will reach to a point where the cave opens up into an enclosed beach. You can relax there. As the name suggests, the water color is really emerald over there. Once we came out of the cave, we were served pineapple and watermelon. If you want to make the pineapple tasty, you can just dip that into the seawater and eat that.

Ko Ngai island:

Ko Ngai will be the last island where you will take a break and stop for lunch. Ko Ngai is famous for shallow beaches. The beaches are long and filled with white sand. You can walk on the beach for long hours. The water on the Ko Ngai beach is close to transparent and very shallow for tens of meters. You can really walk for almost tens of feet into the water on the beach and it will mostly be knee deep to a long extent.

Most of the long tail boat serve lunch on Ko Ngai. The lunch would mostly compromise of authentic styles Thai Dishes. While retuning, the weather might turn ugly. It started raining while we were returning. The waves will be higher but the journey was enjoyable.

Where to Stay in Ko Lanta?

Ko Lanta has a series of beaches extending from North to South. I would advice you to stay towards the southern part of the island. Most of the stays will have laundry services, motorbike renting shops nearby, Usually when you board a ferry to Koh Lanta, there will be people from different hotels or stays trying to convince you to take their stays.

There are a plenty of options. Enquire about the stay location and nearby area. The one where we stayed had a free pool table, bar, and even we used their deep freezer to chill our beer super quick. The pool service was free. The beach was also not so far. Watching the sunset was one of our favorite hobbies. When you encounter such guys trying to sell their services enquire about everything. And similarily, you can keep on bargaining.

Best Beaches to stay in Ko Lanta:

Below are some of the best beaches which I have listed out for a memorable stay:

Usually, the first few beaches like Klong Dao beach, Long Beach, and Klong Khong beaches will be crowded in high season. But they also have some of the best bungalows. New ones have also been coming in the southern part of Ko Lanta.

The most preferred stay should be at Nui beach, Kantiang bay, and Nui Bay beach. These are the perfect locations because they are neither too far from the pier and neither they are too far from the Southern part enclosed within reserve forest.

ko-lanta-beaches

Towards the southern Part of the Ko Lanta island, there are some bay formation, a kind of depressions into the island which makes beautiful beaches. There are also some sunset viewpoints nearby. These locations are, moreover, perfect because you can go for night shopping, drive to the southern part of the island towards lighthouse etc.

Things to do in Ko Lanta:

  • Take a long tail boat tour to the four islands
  • Watch the sunset from light house in Ko Lanta National park
  • Spend another evening at Noon Sunset Viewpoint
  • Go to Tiger Cave
  • Take Elephant Safari
  • Do Kayaking in the mangroves
  • Go for Trekking
  • Visit Khlong Chak Waterfall
  • Visit Old Ko Lanta town

Ko Lanta Photos:

watching-sunset-in-ko-lanta ko-lanta-sunset ko-lanta-old-town islands-near-ko-lanta

Mother’s Wax Museum Kolkata: Pictures, Tickets & Timings

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Mother’s Wax Museum also known MWM, Kolkata is situated near the new town in Kolkata.
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It is said that the new Town is the dream project of Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee.
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There is a lot of constructions going around this are.

Owing to a lot of construction works going on, a lot is also being done towards the people welfare such as new parks and entertainment places are being set up in this area. You should also consider visiting Ramoji film city for a lifelike experience of props and movie scenes.

About Mother’s Wax Museum, Kolkata:

MWM is situated just opposite to the New Town Eco Park at the sixth floor. Here are more details about it.

  • Mother’s Wax Museum Timings:

Everyday: 12:00 PM to 19:30 PM (Monday Closed)

  • Mother’s Wax Museum Entry Fee:

Rs.250 Per Person(No ticket for children below 3 years)

Other Rules:

  • Touching the wax figures are not allowed. There will be guards at every corner. Also, it makes more sense not to touch the statues. A fine of 500 may also be imposed.
  • Carrying inflammable objects such as lighter or matchbox is not allowed inside the museum. Also, food and water items are not allowed inside the museum
  • Though photography is allowed videography is not allowed.
  • There is a special tattoo light show in one of the rooms. They say that we have to pay 50 rupees for the tattoo show photography but we did not pay.

Different sections of the Museum

The Museum is spread over two floors and is divided into different sections. Some of the sections that I remember was:

  • Literature (Tagore, Sarat Chandra)
  • Sports (Virat Kohli, Messi, Maradona, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapildev, Sourav Ganguly)
  • Bollywood (Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan)
  • Music (Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Pandit Ravi Shankar)
  • Hollywood actors (Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willes, Daniel Craig, Bruce Lee)
  • Hollywood Actresses (Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn)
  • Bengali Cinema (Mithun Da, Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Munna Dey, Hemanta Mukherjee, Suchitra Sen)
  • International figures (Michael Jackson, Albert Einstein)
  • Famous figures from Bengal (Raja RamMohan Roy, Vidyasagar,  Mother Teresa)
  • Famous Hollywood Characters (Harry Potter, Mr Bean, Avatar, ET, Ironman, Spiderman)
  • Hindi Comic Characters (Motu Patlu, Chhota Bheem)
  • Scientists (Einstein, S.N. Bose, J.C. Bose)
  • National Leaders (Neta jee, APJ Kalam, Pranab Mukherjee, BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, Kazi Nazrul Islam)
  • Spirituality (Vivekananda, RK Paramhansa, Sharda Devi, Sri Aurobindo)

Wax Museum Pictures:

Angelina Jolie statue at Kolkata wax museum Audrey Hepburn statue at Kolkata wax museum Avatar Character statue at Kolkata wax museum Bradd pitt statue at Kolkata wax museum Bruce lee statue at Kolkata wax museum Einstein, SN Bose, JC Bose at Kolkata wax museum ET statue at Kolkata wax museum Hindi comic characters statue at Kolkata wax museum iron man statue at Kolkata wax museum JC bose at Kolkata wax Museum johnny depp statue at Kolkata wax museum Michael jackson statue at Kolkata wax museum Mithun da at Kolkata wax Museum Mr. Bean statue at Kolkata wax museum Munna Dey at Kolkata wax Museum Pandit Ravishankar statue at Kolkata wax museum Spider man statue at Kolkata wax museum Tagore at Kolkata wax Museum Tattoo Dance Wax museum kolkata tom cruise statue at Kolkata wax museum Vidyasagar statue at Kolkata wax museum

Charles Bridge, Prague: What to do and What to see?

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Charles Bridge was not lesser than a local synonym for the “one of the must-visit places in Prague”. Intrigued by this catchy name, after doing boating in river Vlatava, I decided to spend some time walking on the bridge and try to understand what people love to do.

Some facts about Charles bridge, Prague:

So, following a tourist guide who was addressing Chinese tourists, I came to know that Charles bridge was the oldest bridge in Prague. While the most of the Prague settled on the west side of the river (towards old town square), the king somehow decided to build a castle on top of the hillock across the river Vltava called Petrin hill.

And that is how Charles bridge came into existence as it was the only way to commute from town to the castle. Well, all were not allowed to cross the river Vltava towards the castle side of the bridge. Also, this side housed the quarters of the people working for the castle.

quarters-near-prague-palace-across-charles-bridge

quarters-near-Prague-palace-across-Charles-bridge

From the protection point of view, Charles bridge, the only way to reach the castle has three watch towers. Two watch towers at the end of the bridge and one in the middle towards the castle side. When you enter from the old town square side, you can see that watch tower.

watch-towers-of-charles-bridge-in-prague

watch-towers-of-Charles-bridge-in-Prague

The story does not end here. One of the most flamboyant and noticeable thing for which Charles bridge was famous because of the two rows of the statues all along the bridge. On the both of the sides of the bridge, you can see statues of the saints and even the famous statue of the Cruxificaiton of the Jesus.

cruxification-of-jesus-statue-on-charles-bridge-in-prague

cruxification-of-Jesus-statue-on-Charles-bridge-in-Prague

statues-of-charles-bridge-in-prague

statues-of-charles-bridge-in-prague

However, these statues were removed later and were replaced by the replicas of the statues. Also, the Charles bridge had to go through a lot of restoration work since medieval times only. These restoration works were mostly employed because of the medieval wars and natural calamities like flood. You can still see those restoration works on the bridge pillars.

Charles bridge in modern days:

Owing to that fact that Charles bridge was not capable of carrying the weight of the modern vehicle because of the number of restoration works it had to go through, the government decided to ban the transport movement across the bridge. So, this bridge is only open for the pedestrians now.

pedestrians-at-charles-bridge

pedestrians-at-Charles-bridge

You can see a lot of artists making a caricature of the people on the bridge. You will have to pay for it. Yes, you can take an ice cream cone and stand on the sidewalks and watch the tourists crossing on the bridge.

charles-bridge-caricatures

charles-bridge-caricatures

caricature-in-progress-at-charles-bridge-in-prague

caricature-in-progress-at-charles-bridge-in-prague

What to see from the Charles bridge, Prague

Charles bridge is an awesome place to enjoy the view of the city along the banks of the river Vltava. The roof of the most of the buildings are red in color and it presents a kind of symmetric structures. Watching the couples walking hand in hand is just a treat to the eye.

If you really want to observe the microexpression of a human face, just stand behind a Skechers who is making a caricature of a person. You will surely love the way the zig-zag lines give a shape to a face.
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If you stand on the sidewalks, you can see tourists’ boats and ships floating slowly on the river. Though the water is not so clear but still that is something you can relish seeing.

river-vltava-in-evening-from-charles-bridge

river-vltava-in-evening-from-charles-bridge

Also Read: Places to See in Potsdam: Potsdam in a day on Bicycle

The best time to spend some time on the Charles bridge would be a clear evening. Just stand on the bridge and watch the sun go down behind the Petrin hill and getting lost somewhere behind the castles. The show is not over yet. You stay there for some more town.
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The cold wind from the river Vltava may tempt you to smoke there or pull up the hood of your jacket and rub your palms together. Or, just enjoy music from a street artist.

a-street-artist-at-charles-bridge

a-street-artist-at-Charles-bridge

In next half hour, the yellow lights of the Prague castle lighten up and certainly, the entire view has gradually turned from a sparkling heaven. It’s not just the yellow lights falling on the wall of the castle but look down at the bright shimmering shadow being formed over the Vlatava river. Those moments are really too hard to resist to not to take a picture of the Prague castle in the evening.

prague-castle-as-seen-in-night-from-charles-bridge

prague-castle-as-seen-in-night-from-charles-bridge

prague-castle-in-night

prague-castle-in-night

Your hands would automatically reach out for the camera and you would make sure that you do not move from there until you get the best shot of the castle.

Later in the evening, you can either decide to walk on the other side of the river or you can simply walk towards the old town square. I always preferred the old town square. That’s the place in the evening where you can sip Pilsner beer with Pomme Frites and watch the life pass by in front of your very eyes.

Also Read: Royal Palace, Budapest

An Evening Boating in River Vltava, Prague

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We had just taken a cruise ride in the Vltava river seeing most of the places along the river which included Charles bridge, Prague castle, some island in the middle of the river Vltava etc. That was almost an hours tour. When we got down after the cruise tour, there was still something missing.

So, I and Vinit decided to take a paddle boat and spend the evening boating in river Vltava. Also, we wanted to relax because most of the places to see in Prague are situated not so far from each other and both of us just loved walking through the streets of Prague so we were tired as well.

So, we walked to a jetty nearby and took a boat. We also bought some beer to add more lax. The boat was rented on per hour basis. we took the boat and began paddling inside the river.

There was some demarcation point marked in the river across which you cannot paddle. There were birds waddling in the water. It was nice to see people walking on the Charles bridge and the sunset setting behind the Prague castle hill.

In the middle of the river, we just decided to stop and watch the sunset. The old buildings towards the Prague castle side are pale in colour. It was remarkably beautiful to see the sun rays shining over the yellowish walls of the old buildings.

The life suddenly stops in the middle of the river. The sun slowed down so were the people walking on the Charles bridge. So was our boat. Time surely had slowed down because of the beer effect. Here are some of the pictures of boating in the river Vltava, Prague:

river-vltava-in-prague-1 river-vltava-in-prague-2 river-vltava-in-prague-3 river-vltava-in-prague-4

Train journey from Berlin to Prague along river Elbe

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Prague was always on my wishlist. I had heard a lot about the beauty of Prague from many of my friends. Of all the journeys which I took around Europe, the train journey from Berlin to Prague would be the most memorable one because of many reasons:

  • That was the first time, I boarded A Euro Night train between two European countries

My initial memories about the Euro nights train date back to “DDLJ” and then comes the world of “YouTube” which runs your imagination live on the computer screen.

Cozy seats, snow-clad peaks, vast meadows, and large glass windows were the prime elements of my imagination which defined the essentiality of a European train journey.

When I and Vinit arrived at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, we were really excited to see the train. For those who do not know, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station, is a UNESCO world heritage site. This railway station has many floors and platforms at different levels.

Also Read: A day at Hamburg Harbour: Visit to the Port of Hamburg

Our Euro Night train was almost the bottom-most platform. The same solid rectangular engine with long trains. So, we entered inside. The same cozy and wide seats with large glass windows welcomed us.

euro-nights-train inside-the-euro-nights-train

  • The journey was more than I had expected for

When the train crawled out of the station, there were not so many things on my mind. If I could recall, it was mostly meadows and snow-clad peaks which I was expecting to see on the journey but the journey turned out to be much more than I had expected for.

  • The agricultural fields, countryside, and lonely houses

In India, I had never seen such large agricultural fields like an unending green carpet. And suddenly, out of nowhere, there would be a countryside road running through in the middle of the field. There would a hamlet of countryside houses in the middle of the fields as well just like a perfect picture painted by Nature.

The streets of those villages will be lonely yet so peaceful to watch as if life has stopped there for a while in the moving train and you have a lot of time for yourself.

The lazy sun, bathing the entire entities with its warmth. The stealthiness in the fast-paced train, the silence, the life beyond those large windows glasses would pull you away out of you. Even if you would not want to, but you would just want to give time to yourself.

You would wonder at the beauty of Nature, the vibes trying to speak to your mind, the spirit which is trying to connect with your soul. The child inside you would want to break free out of you and run bare feet in those vast fields. Touch the fluffy neck of Llama.

Also Read: Places to See in Potsdam: Potsdam in a day on Bicycle

Thousands of railway sleepers pass before your eyes while the eyelids do not even move or get distracted. What do you wonder? Where the life has taken you to? If Berlin was where you started then Prague is where you see the future.

Every moment that pass by has another thousand of sub-moments engulfed within it. The bare feet run in the fields, the innocence behind touching the golden barleys shining under the sun, the echo of the laughter and much more….

llama-in-a-house vast-agricutural-fields-on-the-way-from-berlin-to-prague sleepy-streets

  • Along the river Elbe

I was not expecting that the train would be running along the river Elbe. That was more like a game. The question was “Is the river Elbe going to leave the journey first or the train before reaching Prague?”

Trust me, the view along the journey from Berlin to Prague was not just about the river Elbe view but the there was much more than just the river view.

There were mountains, A city located beside the river, the forts on top of the hill along the river, the yacht, the boating, the modern bridges that were built over the river and there was much more.

dresden-railway-station river-elbe-on-the-way-from-berlin-to-prague

  • Saxon Switzerland national park, Germany

There was something on the journey which caught my attention and that was Saxon swiss national park. Though I came to know about it much later during my stay in Germany but for sure, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the Saxon Swiss – Saxon Switzerland national park’ mundane term.

I showed Vinit that I wanted to go to the top of the hill and watch everything from the top. Little did I know that one day I would hike there and watch everything in reality from the top.

The beauty, the Saxon Swiss top, that I was from the moving the train would soon be calling me. And after a few months, I was watching the same railway track and the river from the top of the Saxon Swiss. Does that sound nice?

a-fort-on-the-way-from-berlin-to-prague-by-train saxon-swiss-national-park-as-seen-from-the-train-from-berlin-to-prague

  • Entering Prague

When the train entered the Czech republic, I could feel the difference. Beautiful girls, a nice city, the medieval European feel and much more.