Monday, December 31, 2018
The United Arab Emirates attracts visitors with its iconic buildings, its picturesque places and its vast deserts, which in turn are also the perfect backdrop for a romantic adventure or a photo shoot before or after the wedding. Dubai presents thousands of unforgettable scenarios, dream spaces and structures with stunning views of the sea or the city.
Check out the best countries to visit from UAE.
Mongolia, at the eastern end of the steppes of Central Asia, far from the sea, is a jewel of steppes and forests, remote mountains and arid plains. In autumn and spring many migrating birds come to Lake Ugii in the Uvurkhangai province.
Travel through the Karakorum, the lakes and virgin forests of Tsenheriin, Ulaanbaatar, with the overflowing nature of the Siberian region of Lake Johsvhol and ride on camels through the immeasurable Gobi desert sleeping in the typical "gers" yurts.
You can travel there for days without meeting a living soul. By riding on horseback or Jeep the immense distances of this plateau altitude, we can see antelopes, wolves, horses in freedom, yaks, camels, lakes by the hundreds, isolated villages, warm camps of yurts, the Siberian taiga and the Gobi desert.
Staying between two comfortable ger camps, you’ll venture deep into Mongolia’s vast steppe and mountain landscapes in search of Pallas’s cats and snow leopards. You might even spot native wonders like the Asiatic ibex, Mongolian gazelle or the Siberian jerboa.
Wild camels, bears, lynx, snow leopard or even argali are among the largest occupants of this huge territory, not to mention the emblematic horse Prjevalski. The small fauna is not rare either. Throughout the territory the most observant of you will be able to observe sable, marten, beaver or even otter, living testimony of the good health of the Mongolian natural environment and in particular of its fish-rich waters.
From the capital, Ulaanbaatar, almost mandatory entry point in Mongolia, you can go in all directions and experience an absolute freedom. It is true however that it is interesting to acclimatize a few days to take the time to visit the Gandan Monastery, the Museum of Mongolia or the museum of natural history.
Karakorum is a city located west-southwest of the capital Ulan Bator, about 5 hours drive. Kharkhorin will serve as a base to visit the magnificent Erdene Zuu monastery, built in 1586 by a nomad prince, surrounded by 108 sacred stupas. Huge stone turtles surround the monastery. Located northwest of Ulaanbaatar, the Monastery of Bliss is a Buddhist holy landmark in Mongolia. This Gelugpa Buddhist center is located in a steppe, surrounded by hills, not far from Mount Buren Khan.
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is located in the far west of Mongolia. Grouping on its territory the 5 sacred mountains of the Altai, the highest point of this park, Mount Khuiten, culminates at 4374 meters above sea level. The park includes high mountain areas with glaciers and glacial rivers and then a mid-mountain area located at about 2500 meters above sea level. In addition to rich and opulent flora and fauna, you will also find petroglyphs depicting hunting scenes and numerous animals.
Khongor Dunes is unique you will soon realize when you will face this unlikely landscape. Indeed, the transition between the different natural spaces is abrupt and radical. From a green horizontal extent, you will pass to a wall of sand. The mineral of the dunes and the vegetation of the steppe will confront and assemble in a unique way to the world. Many Mongols come here to listen to the singing dunes. The wind on the sand makes these dunes sing and offers an amazing sight beside which it would be a shame to pass.
The Yol Valley is a narrow gorge bearing the name of the host of these places, the bearded vulture. You will enter an atypical area with a gorge sometimes so narrow that only two people can pass! Located east of the Gobi Desert, the mineral dominates all the space, the shade that the canyon had to offer in summer is welcome and the wind blows there often engulfing in the vein that the canyon offers.
The Mongols have been nomadic travelers for millennia. Despite urbanization, steppe traditions are still alive and well. Even in the cities, most of the inhabitants live in a yurt, a large white felt tent that can move easily, always arranged in the same way. A hike will take you to Shireet Lake, without a doubt the most beautiful in the region. Surrounded by volcanoes and coniferous forests, Naima Nuur Park is stunningly beautiful.
On the back of a camel, go for a memorable walk in the sand dunes of Elsentasarhai. Territory of breeders, the sumptuous landscapes formed by the canyons of the Orkhon and its verdant steppe make this valley of the Orkhon a must-see site to discover. Naadam Festival is a type of traditional festival in Mongolia. Locally the festival is also called Eriin Gurvan Naadam.
Every family you visit would offer you a cup of tea. Most probably you wouldn’t like it. You might have lactose intolerance. But do not refuse the cup! You can sip a little bit and its perfectly ok to put the cup on the table. You don’t have to finish it. If you refuse, they would have to offer you something else, like airag, fermented horse milk. Milk tea is much easier to drink than airag.
The host might offer you a snuffbox. Do not refuse it. You might hate snuff tobacco, but take it, open a little and smell it. Return with right hand.
Some provinces such as Khovd are famous for watermelons and melons. So you can get plenty of those in the markets.
Kazakhstan is a huge country located almost on the Asian continent, but with a small region belonging to Europe, something similar to what happens with Russia, a country with which it borders on its northern area. It is also border with countries such as China or Uzbekistan, and has access to the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan invested billions of dollars into building the most surreal artificial city the world has ever seen. Everywhere it’s big, flashy signature buildings, all wearing their architects’ names like fashion labels.
As the main attraction of this country you can find the capital, Astana. In it you will discover different places of interest to visit such as the spectacular Mosque of Nur-Astana, which stands out for its incredible four towers and its colorful golden dome. You can also visit buildings of particular architecture such as the Saltanat Sarai or the Shabyt Palace of Creativity.
You can not miss the appointment with the Khan Shatyry, a spectacular tent that functions as a venue for shows. Another mandatory visit is to the beautiful Synagogue of Beit Rajel-Jabbad Liubavich, which you will love for its unique light blue facade. In addition, the capital is one of the best cities to know and discover the local cuisine, as it has many places and restaurants where you can try the fabulous traditional dishes of the country.
One of the greatest symbols of the city, and of the country, is the sculpture of the Soldier of Gold. This sculpture commemorates the ancestors of the country known as Saks. To learn more about its history, we recommend that you visit the Issyk Tomb, a city near Almaty where you can find the archaeological and historical remains of this civilization.
You can not miss the opportunity to explore the natural surroundings close to the city of Almaty, such as the Ilí River, a perfect place to spend the day with the family and enjoy the sports activities you can do there, or the Park National of Ile Alatau , where you can enjoy a day outdoors while walking through spectacular natural landscapes.
To finish your tour of the country, we advise you to go to places like the Grand Canyon of Charyn an impressive landscape worthy of photography, or the fabulous Burabay Spa, where you can relax and rest before returning home. Another of the most important cities in the country is Almaty, which served as the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997.
This city is perfect to know as it has many places to see and areas that you must visit on a mandatory basis.
There is magic in the wind here. Bend an ear, and you will hear the echoes of hooves long past, the soft stirring of strings on a Kobyz, and the majestic voice of the Steppe - a silent and overwhelming roar.
And once Kazakhstan has awed you with your own insignificance, go back inside, sit down on a plush carpet, and wrap your hands around a steaming mug of chai. At last, you're warm, you're comfortable, and you're surrounded by those you love.
No, you wouldn’t have thought of that one. Despite its political reputation, it is home to ancient civilizations, and if you don’t think you like Muslim architecture, Iran’s monuments are often covered with turquoise which makes them fabulously beautiful. Iran is one of the culturally rich country and to the attractions such as skiing, gastronomy, architecture, museums, and more!
It has a lot of sites dating back to BCs and has a lot of UNESCO world heritage sites! Mount Damavand, the highest volcano in Asia is in Iran.
Add it with its rich history and uniqueness, you are bound to get an unique experience for sure! Iran’s historic capital city was Esfahan. Ladies, you will have to cover yourselves (but they want to promote tourism and a simple shawl on your head will do). It is better to take an organized tour.
If you plan to travel to Iran, it is very possible that Tehran will become your gateway to the country. Despite being less spectacular than Isfahan, Shiraz or Persepolis, the capital of the country also has its charms. You cannot miss the Tabiat bridge. In Tehran there are two towers that are iconic like the Azadi tower and the Milad tower.
It has an octagonal base that symbolizes traditional Persian architecture and has two panoramic observatories, one exterior and one interior. In addition to telecommunications facilities, it has a luxury restaurant and an art gallery. The entire complex has a congress center, a hotel, a shopping center and a business center.
Darband, which in Persian is translated as the door to the mountain, is literally a place to leave behind the bustle of the city to be able to look out to nature. It is full of small cafes and restaurants and is an ideal place to spend an evening.
To obtain the visa before the trip you must have completed an application form, have the authorization code, two passport photographs. Keep in mind that the passport does not have an Israeli stamp. The Iranian hotel offer is varied and for all budgets. In cities such as Kashan or Yazd it is common for old mansions to become hotels.
The traveler can also find shelter in the old Caravanserais, the accommodations that were built along the silk route. In the restaurants find different varieties of the tasty Persian kebab, served as a skewer and served with fresh bread. The Bademjan, a stew of eggplant and tomato, is also another dish of the most common, as well as the Tahchin, a kind of crispy rice.
Although not everyone can afford a Persian carpet or beluga caviar, being native products, they are cheaper. In a more modest price range (although do not expect bargains), Iranian pistachios and saffron are products that enjoy a great reputation. Another typical product is the printed fabrics or qalamkar of Isfahan, which can be found in the bazaars of the city.
Iran also has many beautiful Armenian churches, and generally beautiful Iranian architecture and it was worth mentioning. Holy Savior Cathedral is an Armenian Apostolic church located in Isfahan, Iran. The interior is so beautiful and masterfully crafted that it deserves to be mentioned. In Iran alcohol is forbidden, so you better get used to the idea that there will be no fresh beer after a long day of travelling in Iran.
The fabulous ruins of Susa (Shush) comprise a castle, an acropolis and the remains of a palace, as well as the nearby and impressive ruins of Shushtar. Travellers walking through the old town of Shushtar (city of Juzestan province) are attracted by a nearby ripple coming from the eastern part of the city.
Rasht: This northern Iranian city could be somewhere in Eastern or Central Europe locked in between the hills of the Baltic Sea, but again it’s in the Middle East. It’s located in Iran’s most greenest region Gilan.
Iranian food is pretty amazing. Every region, city and village in Iran has its own specialties, often dishes that are not made anywhere else. Fezenjan is prepared with pomegranate molasses and walnuts. This dish is traditionally served with duck, but more often with chicken. Rice is typically accompanied by a little saffron brewed and mixed with some of the rice, then added to the top.
It is also typically accompanied by Tahdig, which can be bread, rice or potato slices put on the bottom of the pot to cook to crisp, then rice on top of it. Barbari bread rises a little, has small traces of egg on it, and is very delicious and crispy. Then there's the Lavash flatbread which is now famous all around the world. This bread is prepared very fast and baked quickly. Typically used as a wrap or for smaller portions of bread.
There's Taftoon bread which is the more prepared brother of Lavash bread. It has more texture and substance, and is much tastier than Lavash. And then there's Sangak bread, the king of all breads, which is a whole grain wheat bread with a lot of substance and is baked in stone ovens over a few thousand tiny stones (the stoney texture). This is more expensive and also larger, typically about $1 PPP.
An Iranian bread portion would typically involve half (or one full) Sangak or Barbari, or 2-4 Taftoons or a few Lavashs, but usually only one of them. Gheymeh is a very famous and popular Iranian dish, served with saffron rice, is a curry made of a few lamb (or beef) cubes, sautéed with small-chopped onions, fried potatoes, yellow split peas, dried limes and tomato paste, plus the typical Iranian spices.
Ghormeh Sabzi (literally Gourmet Vegetables), is probably the most popular Iranian dish. It is a mixture of vegetables that are hard to find outside Iran, all chopped down and sautéed slightly, then mixed with red beans and meat cubes. Ash Reshteh (a type of noodle soup) is also a very famous, typically vegetarian dish. It's ingredients are a particular noodle, a mix of vegetables, chickpeas and beans. It is typically decorated with curd and fried chopped onions.
This dish is very common in northern areas of Tehran, among the mountain cafes, as it is served hot and is very tasty. And then there is Abgoosht (literally meat juice/water meat), a very tasty and popular Iranian dish. This dish is very flavorful and simple, but is a little hard on the stomach so is not frequently eaten.
Goosht Koobideh (literally beaten meat) consists of lamb and chickpeas cooked patiently in water for hours (or an hour in a pressure cooker), with a considerable amount of fat attached to the meat, which will dissolve in the water over time. Half a potato is added later, and sometimes a tomato as well to the pot.
The water is first separated from the rest of the ingredients, and then some good bread is cut down by hand piece by piece, and added to the meat-water, creating a mixture called Tilit. At the same time, a mighty warrior will mash the rest of the ingredients (the top bowl in the image) in their separate bowl, into a mixture called Goosht Koobideh.
Doogh (a kind of diluted salty yogurt drink) is also drank with Abgoosht frequently. And then there are Kebobs (called Kabaab in Iran). Kabobs do not have a strange flavor and are consumed by almost everyone in Iran. Since meat is a little expensive in Iran, Kabobs are a kind of a delicacy (specially the lamb ones).
Kabobs are made in all shapes and types, but the most famous three are Joojeh Kabob (literally chicken kabob), Koobideh (lit. mashed) which is made with ground beef and/or lamb, and Barg which is made with beef or lamb tenderloin. Koobideh, the least expensive of all kabobs. It has a good amount of fat in it when ground, and requires a master kabob maker to make it look intact and taste good.
It is common to find Koobideh that is not very well made, and that would not be the best thing to eat. That's why even though thousands of Koobideh places exist in Iran, in every neighborhood only a few are popular and enjoy long queues! Joojeh Kabob, typically served with grilled whole tomatoes, is made of marinated chunks of chicken breast or leg. It can be consumed either with bread or rice or even on its own!
Barg is the expensive kind of kabob, made of lamb tenderloin. It is the most tasty, the most tender, and the most pricey of all kabobs. For example, if a rack of Koobideh costs $5 PPP, and a rack of Joojeh costs $8 PPP, a quality rack of Barg might cost between $15 PPP and $40 PPP. Kabobs are typically consumed with onions and fresh vegetables as sides.
The Umayyad square is the most distinctive scene of Damascus. Mount Qasioun overlooks the whole city. The temple of Jupiter, built during the ancient Roman era is right across from the Umayyad mosque. Bab Sharqi, translates to eastern gate is one of the 7 gates that enclose the old town.
Al Hamidiya market is a historical covered market in the old town. It dates back to Roman times. It was named after an Ottoman sultan. The holes in the ceiling are actually bullet holes that were pierced by the machine-gun fire of French planes in 1925 during the french mandate of Syria. Khan As'ad Pasha is a beautiful public resting spot in Damascus. It was built during the Ottoman era. It perfectly reflects Syrian architectural style.
Most people don’t know about the world’s largest restaurant as it’s in the most unexpected place; Damascus. It’s called Bawabet Dimashq which translates to Damascus gate. It served different types of cuisines including Indian, Chinese, Iranian, and, of course, Syrian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
It had 6 themed sections and many decorative features such as waterfalls, fountains, replicas of famous archaeological ruins in Syria, and a big children’s playground. It had the potential to serve 6014 guests all at once. It occupies 54000 square meters. The kitchen itself is 2500 square meters. During the peak times in the summer there would be around 1500 employees to serve the customers that could reach up to more than 4000 at once.
The restaurant’s kitchen was said to resemble a mini production factory. The equipment and the preparations’ dynamics made it possible for each chef to serve up to 30 of the popular dishes such as hummus in one minute which means a plate was filled every 2 seconds.
Even though it was quite successful back in the day, it has been closed since 2012 as the area was affected by the armed conflict and was occupied first by the opposition fighters and later by the military forces who used the abandoned restaurant as a base for their operations. There are a few restaurants in that area getting refurbished and might re-open soon.
So, who knows? The biggest restaurant in the world might be open to the public again soon. Damascus used to receive a lot of tourists during the summer, especially from Arab Gulf countries since its weather is cooler and it’s a cheap tourist destination.
Israel is not an unknown place but people who have never visited don’t have a clue about how Israelis are very open-minded and how Israel is really a modern country where you find tech hubs, and many trendy places in addition to the historical monuments. Tel Aviv is more similar to Miami or Barcelona than any other city in the Middle East, and Jerusalem also has interesting places to visit.
A blend of modernism and art is what makes Tel Aviv your next destination. Tel Aviv is a city that grows on you. The lady in black would have been a Gothic model turned immigration officer, with enough number of piercings, rings and bracelets, all in black, beyond counting. She was one piece of art. Tel Aviv will be for sure referred as the Art capital of the world in times to come.
Religious tourism is, by far, the main reason for tourists who usually travel to Israel. Keep in mind that during the trip you will have the opportunity to see places that are part of one of the cradle of humankind.
You can sign up for a guided tour of Jerusalem, an excursion to see the Masada fortress and the Dead Sea or a trip to Bethlehem, or focus only on a trip to the Dead Sea. And another alternative would be to sign up for a 7 day tour of the best of Israel from Tel Aviv, visiting Jerusalem, Caesarea, Haifa, Tiberias, Nazareth and other prominent places in the country.
Inside you can move freely even in a rental car, although you must first request authorization from the Israeli authorities to access the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority. You will only have free access to this area, without prior authorization, if you are going to visit the religious enclaves of Bethlehem and Jericho.
The Ein Gedi nature reserve is part of the eastern end of the Judean desert, in Israel. It is located on the shores of the Dead Sea, near Masada, and includes two small valleys of Arugot and David through which water flows throughout the year as well as four springs. This high availability of water in such an arid environment favors plant and animal abundance.
Israel is not Thailand or Mexico, but if you’re not accustomed to hot stuff, be wary. Many street vendors sell really hot food, and everyone loves the headless chicken dance people do once bitten by a Yemen hot sauce. Fusion is the local specialty, so try as many restaurants as you can, you will not regret it.
There’s a great selection of dishes for vegetarians, vegans, lactose intolerant, Gluten-free, diabetic-friendly and tree-nut allergy safe dishes - just be clear when ordering about food restrictions.
Kibbutz Degania Aleph is the first kibbutz ever. It is located on the Jordan river, just as it flows out of the Sea of Galilee. There are several Kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) that are are worth visiting.
Bekam Hada? - you must have figured out what this means if you're going to Jordan. And if you haven't, not to worry!
Petra is one of the world’s most incredible archaeological sites. Petra is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World that can be visited by car or bus from Amman. To Reach Petra you have to walk through a gorge for around 1.2 km. Petra's most impressive monument is Ad Deir Monastery which is scenically perched above the city in the Petra Hills.
Aqaba is situated on the tip of the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aqaba. It is known for its pristine sandy beaches, clear waters studded with marine life. It’s a great place for water sports. Try parasailing, water skiing, and fishing and enjoy it with friends or family. You can also visit Wadi Rum, Jerash, Madaba, Ajloun Castle during your visit to Jordan.
Wadi Rum is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan. It is a protected area and famous for its stunning desert landscape, spectacular sandstone mountains, desert valleys, canyons, dunes, arches. It is also known as the valley of the moon. Wadi Rum has been used as a filming location in Lawrence of Arabia, Prometheus, The Martian, Star Wars and other movies.
Dead Sea has the most salty water on the surface of the earth. It is 60 times salty than a normal ocean. Dead Sea salt is 8.6 times saltier than any sea or ocean water; no water on earth that nears its salt make up, not even, Lake Assal in Djibouti; Garabogazkol in Turkmenistan; and McMurdo in the Antarctica.
The sea is located between Israel, West Bank, and Jordan has a 423-meter or (1,388 feet) surface and shoreline areas; below sea level making it, earth’s lowest elevation. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the surface of Earth. It is known as the Dead Sea as no one can live in, no fishes, seaweed or plants. No single life lives in the water because of high concentration of sodium chloride.
The best part about the Dead Sea is come what may, you'll float nevertheless, thanks to its salty waters. The salt content of the water increases water density, which makes floating humans possible. No drowning, no sinking. The mineral content prevents pollens and allergens in the atmosphere, which help reduce ultraviolet rays; more important, the higher atmospheric pressure make the sea have specific health effects.
You can see the sparkling crystal salt clusters. These clusters are mineral salts. The salts have power and therapeutic qualities which are used in local spas for various body massage. Don't miss out a massage from the Dead Sea salt that will help you rejuvenate. There are a couple of ground rules though. DON'T shave before entering the waters (salt, it's gonna burn) and don't attempt to swim - just relax, float and grab a newspaper while you're at it.
And you have to wear your shoes while swimming because the ground is incredibly rocky, it hurts your feet to walk on it. And if you have any open wounds, hard luck! And do not stay in the sea for more than 20 minutes because it gets really itchy/ burns after that. However, if you do it right, it is a wonderful experience. You float like you're on top of a raft, except without one. It's magical.
It appears to have formed in a rift - a part of the earth where one tectonic plate pulls away from the other. Usually, such rifts fill with water from the sea, but the Dead Sea is totally isolated from the nearest large bodies of water.
The surface of the sea is about 1,400 feet below sea level, making it much deeper than any other similar depression, such as Death Valley in California (which has mountains between it and the Pacific Ocean). Not only that, the Dead Sea is about 900 feet deep at its deepest point, making it deeper than the two other notable inland salt lakes, the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea.
However, because of diversion of its water source, the Sea of Galilee (which is actually a fresh water lake), the Dead Sea is slowly shrinking.
Does Jordanian food make vegetarians suffer? The moment you step into a meat lover's paradise, that's the first question that comes to your mind. What if I find just meat everywhere? As a vegetarian, do I have any good options? Or do I have to stack up on food from home? Relax. There aren't just good vegetarian options that are lip-smacking delicious!
Cradle and spiritual headquarters of Islam, Saudi Arabia has many tourist attractions like Mada'in Saleh, a pre-Islamic city that, like Petra, was inhabited by the Nabataeans. Riad is a jewel of modern Saudi Arabia. Jedda combines modernity and old with a captivating old center with coral buildings and the coast of the Red Sea offers first-class diving options.
With almost 2000 petroglyphs and cave paintings, this country is one of the richest open-air museums in the world. And for the Muslim travelers, Mecca and Medina suppose the most sacred destiny. Another tourist attraction is the Asir region, culturally and geographically close to Yemen. It is a mountainous region that breaks the desert stereotype of the country.
The coastal region of Yizán, near Asir, also offers some appeal. Specifically, the Farasán Islands offer cultural and scenic assets.
Located in Mecca, the Abraj Kudai is a mammoth of a hotel. This massive $3.6 billion project offers an unprecedented level of luxury and brilliance and spans a massive 1.4 million square meters. Or, in other words, around 262 American-sized football fields. Now, what does exactly will you find within this mega hotel?
10,000 rooms, 70 restaurants, 4 helipads, a bus station, a whole shopping mall, a ballroom, the largest dome atop a hotel, and a conference centre among other things. The hotel has 45 stories, along with five floors dedicated entirely to the Saudi royal family. It has not been completely built yet, but once it is, it will carry the title of the world’s largest hotel, beating First World Hotel, Malaysia, which has 7,351 rooms only.
The hotel will be open for the public to stay in at a cost of potentially £4,000 per night or $5250 approximately.
After coming here if you want to go out for shopping or eating then plan ahead according to timings of salah (prayers) because all businesses would close during prayer timings (five times a day). If you are coming from November to January then you will find most of the places cool or pleasant weather. In other months of the year you will find it very hot so pack your bags accordingly.
If you want to visit the country to have fun then remember you won't find any night clubs, bars here.
Once an oasis in the desert, Kuwait has exerted for centuries as a magnet, attracting Bedouins from the interior. The Towers of Kuwait, the most famous icon of the country, deserve a visit for the panoramas offered of the sea and the city.
Tajikistan is a landlocked Central Asian republic, a bit bigger than Greece. Its Soviet-style capital, Dushanbe, lies on the confluence of two rivers, in the backdrop of high mountains. Speaking of mountains, Tajikistan is one of the world’s highest nations, on average. With an average elevation of 3,180 metres, only Bhutan and Nepal surpass it.
The many mountain ranges of Tajikistan make it arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Hiking into the mountains along the path of a beautiful river with a sublime shade of blue, listening to the gushing sound of water is quite therapeutic.
The Saratogh river forms Iskanderkul, named after Alexander the Great after his stay at the lake. It is a mountain glacial triangular shaped lake due to congestion of waters in the mountains and the outflow of the lake is in the form of a very turgid river named 'Iskander Darya'
Many of its tourist destinations are in the Fann Mountains, such as Iskanderkul Lake. Iskanderkul means Lake of Iskander, with Iskander being the Persian name for Alexander the Great.
While it might seem like a remote, backwater country, Tajikistan is home to some seriously impressive engineering feats. Along the Vakhsh, you can find the towering Nurek Dam - 300 metres in tall, it’s the world’s second-tallest dam. It has a concrete core beneath about 54 million cubic metres of rock and earth.
In the soaring Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, you can find the world’s longest glacier outside the polar regions. Named Fedchenko Glacier, its extends over some 77 kilometres, and is over a kilometre deep in some places. It was discovered in 1878, but never really explored until 40 years later, as part of a German-Soviet expedition. The glacier gets its name from Alexei Pavlovich Fedchenko, a Russian explorer who never actually went there.
Qatar has become one of the most visited destinations in the Middle East. Doha, the capital, concentrates the main tourist attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art or the Museum of Islamic Art. The State Grand Mosque is the greatest symbol of the ostentation of Qatar and a place of worship for the Qataris.
In the Katara Cultural Village, full of theaters, concert halls and galleries you can meet several global cultures and the Heritage Village presents the history of the country in the pre-oil period. To relax, walk along the Doha Corniche promenade in the Doha Bay.
Lovers of shopping have at their disposal the Souk Waqif, the municipal market. The best beaches in Qatar are Al Ghariya, Maroona, Khor Al Adaid, Ras Abrouq and Fuwairit. Finish your Qatar itinerary with a visit to the most elegant neighborhood of the city, the Pearl-Qatar, where you will feel a true oil tycoon with so much splendor and ostentation.
Al Ashkharah beach is particularly popular among Omanis. At the end of the afternoon or on weekends (Friday and Saturday) they like to come to the wide beach of almost 15 km long for swimming and picnics in the stone pavilions. The long beach with great conditions of kitesurfing and surfing is less popular among tourists due to its remoteness from a big city, although in reality it deserves more attention.
The Masirah island is located off the west coast of Oman and is known primarily by water sports enthusiasts. Because it is possible to surf and dive all year round in front of the beaches of the discrete island. But the island is also perfect for pure beach tourists, as the sunset walks along the long beaches of Masirah are especially suitable.
It is better to get to Masirah by car. Since there is no railway system in Oman, it is essential to have a car. From the capital, Muscat, it takes about 6 hours to reach Shannah. From there, ferries depart several times a day to the Masirah island.
In the province of Al Sharqiya, 220km from Muscat and its airport, the city of Al Wasil, located 11 km from the slopes, is the gateway to the Wahiba Sands desert. You can sleep in several desert camps in the Wahiba sands, lost in the depths of the desert with true Bedouin tents (without air conditioning) for a total desert experience.
Musandam Governorate is one of the most unique biospheres in the world, which cross the limestone mountains of Haja, being its unsurpassed beauty and incredible marine life in the area. Your visit is made through a cruise with a duration of four hours, which is available with departures from Dibba and Khasab, both in the neighboring country of Oman.
So it is required to carry your passport and depending on the nationality the processing of a visa. During cruises with departures from both ports, we stop for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and fishing. If I had to choose one of the two, I would take the cruise that leaves from Khasab, because on most occasions you can see dolphins.
The landscapes, once you pass the border of Oman to Khasab, are impressive, with mountains on one side and the sea on the other.
For the Romans, Yemen was Arabia Felix (happy Arabia). Gilgamesh came in search of eternal life. Noah threw his ark here. The Queen of Sheba ruled the territory, and the incense trade brought incredible riches. The One Thousand and One Nights aura of its capital Sanaa in the west has multiple layers, colors and drawings.
There are the mud skyscrapers in the east, the beautiful mountains of the north, the unusual and fantastic landscapes of Socotora in front of the south coast. The traveler can tour the cities like sand castles of the strange and beautiful Wadi Hadramaut, where once giants wandered and scorpions flanked the entrance to the underworld.
The city of Shibam, known as the Manhattan of the desert, is one of the highlights of the valley. The former capital of the ancient kingdom of Saba is considered the most beautiful archaeological attraction in Yemen. Currently, the immemorial domains of the Queen of Sheba are home to Bedouin tribes. One of the most fascinating areas of Yemen is the province of Marib, which was the famous kingdom of Saba.
Rising steeply in the humid coastal plains of the Red Sea, the Jabal Haraz mountains of steep slopes have been for centuries a cultural stronghold that protects the heart of Yemen.
1500 acres of graves, millions of buried dead, this is Wadi-us-Salaam. World's largest and probably the oldest cemetery has graves from Noah's times and what look like houses are actually family pits where members of the same family are buried. This town of the dead lies parallel to the surprisingly modern and bustling holy city of Najaf in Iraq.
Despite its size, it's the city's neighbourhood graveyard where you will find advertising billboards and souvenir shops mostly selling a special kind of moonstone called Durr-e-Najaf. It is a clear stone that is believed to be formed by raindrops being trapped in the sands of Najaf for years.
Lebanon has a reputation among Arab countries of being the most European country both in terms of attitude and fashion. Beirut is just a perfect example of that.
It is located near the center of Asia at the cross-roads of civilizations and was once part of the ancient Silk Road. Ashgabat, its capital city, looks like a city straight out of a sci-fiction movie. It is also filled with bizarre monuments made of white marble. It holds the Guinness World Record for the city having the highest density of white marble-clad buildings.
Uzbekistan is a gem from the central Asia! It's a part of the historically significant silk route. So it's bound have a rich culture, heritage, warm people with some of the amazingly beautiful mosques in the world! Equally beautiful architecture will be found especially in Samarkand, the grand city of the Silk Road, and capital of Tamerlane.
Did you know there’s a city that looks very similar to Dubai in many ways that most people have never even heard of? Let me introduce to you Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The first thing that’s unusual about Baku is that it’s the lowest lying national capital in terms of sea level and also the largest city below sea level.
But what’s really unusual about Baku is its architecture. After all in how many cities can you find historic Islamic buildings right next to skyscrapers? And the modern architecture is stunning! Where do you start? Okay maybe the 597 foot flame towers, which are absolutely beautiful at night? Or how about the innovative Heyder Aliyev Center?
Afghanistan is home to some exciting history. Buddhism is probably no where as old and evident as it is in Afghanistan. The remains of the 53 and 37 meters tall Bamiyan Buddhas, the thousand year old and 70 meters high Minaret of Jam, the magnificent fort of Herat and the Blue Mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif top the list.
You won't be disappointed with a culture represented by aesthetic handicrafts, comfy carpets, beautiful pottery and a hospitality that frankly can get too annoying but only because it is too abundant. Afghanistan is largely mountainous and rocks do tend to get fearsome and beautiful in that part of the world.
The lush green valleys of Kunar and Nuristan are unsafe for visitors but Salang, Hazarajat and Badakhshan continue to mesmerize visitors. Afghanistan is home to the most amazing natural lakes of the world. Just ask for Band-e-Amir and be there. You won't regret it. People can be interesting everywhere but what Afghanistan can offer is a rather diverse set of many different types of people.
You can interact with a chatty Kabuli in the capital who might be so nice you couldn't trust him. Then you could be in Parwan where your Tajik host will present you super spicy pancakes while bragging about his adventures and wars. You could hang out with a nice Pashtun fellow who could feed you so much food that you wouldn't be able to move.
A Mazari Uzbek will break the Pashtun man's record by feeding even more to his Yakhshi/Good friend. During the trip you will constantly see faces ranging from a light brown Indian or probably even a Greek or Italian to one who looks like a Chinese, a Kazakh, a Pakistani, or even an ambiguous race like yours truly. You will encounter people who might sound like Iranians or Indians, Central Asians or even Turks.
Take out your passport and visa and get going.
Check out the best countries to visit from UAE.
1. Mongolia
Mongolia, at the eastern end of the steppes of Central Asia, far from the sea, is a jewel of steppes and forests, remote mountains and arid plains. In autumn and spring many migrating birds come to Lake Ugii in the Uvurkhangai province.
Travel through the Karakorum, the lakes and virgin forests of Tsenheriin, Ulaanbaatar, with the overflowing nature of the Siberian region of Lake Johsvhol and ride on camels through the immeasurable Gobi desert sleeping in the typical "gers" yurts.
You can travel there for days without meeting a living soul. By riding on horseback or Jeep the immense distances of this plateau altitude, we can see antelopes, wolves, horses in freedom, yaks, camels, lakes by the hundreds, isolated villages, warm camps of yurts, the Siberian taiga and the Gobi desert.
Staying between two comfortable ger camps, you’ll venture deep into Mongolia’s vast steppe and mountain landscapes in search of Pallas’s cats and snow leopards. You might even spot native wonders like the Asiatic ibex, Mongolian gazelle or the Siberian jerboa.
Wild camels, bears, lynx, snow leopard or even argali are among the largest occupants of this huge territory, not to mention the emblematic horse Prjevalski. The small fauna is not rare either. Throughout the territory the most observant of you will be able to observe sable, marten, beaver or even otter, living testimony of the good health of the Mongolian natural environment and in particular of its fish-rich waters.
From the capital, Ulaanbaatar, almost mandatory entry point in Mongolia, you can go in all directions and experience an absolute freedom. It is true however that it is interesting to acclimatize a few days to take the time to visit the Gandan Monastery, the Museum of Mongolia or the museum of natural history.
Karakorum is a city located west-southwest of the capital Ulan Bator, about 5 hours drive. Kharkhorin will serve as a base to visit the magnificent Erdene Zuu monastery, built in 1586 by a nomad prince, surrounded by 108 sacred stupas. Huge stone turtles surround the monastery. Located northwest of Ulaanbaatar, the Monastery of Bliss is a Buddhist holy landmark in Mongolia. This Gelugpa Buddhist center is located in a steppe, surrounded by hills, not far from Mount Buren Khan.
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is located in the far west of Mongolia. Grouping on its territory the 5 sacred mountains of the Altai, the highest point of this park, Mount Khuiten, culminates at 4374 meters above sea level. The park includes high mountain areas with glaciers and glacial rivers and then a mid-mountain area located at about 2500 meters above sea level. In addition to rich and opulent flora and fauna, you will also find petroglyphs depicting hunting scenes and numerous animals.
Khongor Dunes is unique you will soon realize when you will face this unlikely landscape. Indeed, the transition between the different natural spaces is abrupt and radical. From a green horizontal extent, you will pass to a wall of sand. The mineral of the dunes and the vegetation of the steppe will confront and assemble in a unique way to the world. Many Mongols come here to listen to the singing dunes. The wind on the sand makes these dunes sing and offers an amazing sight beside which it would be a shame to pass.
The Yol Valley is a narrow gorge bearing the name of the host of these places, the bearded vulture. You will enter an atypical area with a gorge sometimes so narrow that only two people can pass! Located east of the Gobi Desert, the mineral dominates all the space, the shade that the canyon had to offer in summer is welcome and the wind blows there often engulfing in the vein that the canyon offers.
The Mongols have been nomadic travelers for millennia. Despite urbanization, steppe traditions are still alive and well. Even in the cities, most of the inhabitants live in a yurt, a large white felt tent that can move easily, always arranged in the same way. A hike will take you to Shireet Lake, without a doubt the most beautiful in the region. Surrounded by volcanoes and coniferous forests, Naima Nuur Park is stunningly beautiful.
On the back of a camel, go for a memorable walk in the sand dunes of Elsentasarhai. Territory of breeders, the sumptuous landscapes formed by the canyons of the Orkhon and its verdant steppe make this valley of the Orkhon a must-see site to discover. Naadam Festival is a type of traditional festival in Mongolia. Locally the festival is also called Eriin Gurvan Naadam.
Every family you visit would offer you a cup of tea. Most probably you wouldn’t like it. You might have lactose intolerance. But do not refuse the cup! You can sip a little bit and its perfectly ok to put the cup on the table. You don’t have to finish it. If you refuse, they would have to offer you something else, like airag, fermented horse milk. Milk tea is much easier to drink than airag.
The host might offer you a snuffbox. Do not refuse it. You might hate snuff tobacco, but take it, open a little and smell it. Return with right hand.
Some provinces such as Khovd are famous for watermelons and melons. So you can get plenty of those in the markets.
2. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a huge country located almost on the Asian continent, but with a small region belonging to Europe, something similar to what happens with Russia, a country with which it borders on its northern area. It is also border with countries such as China or Uzbekistan, and has access to the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan invested billions of dollars into building the most surreal artificial city the world has ever seen. Everywhere it’s big, flashy signature buildings, all wearing their architects’ names like fashion labels.
As the main attraction of this country you can find the capital, Astana. In it you will discover different places of interest to visit such as the spectacular Mosque of Nur-Astana, which stands out for its incredible four towers and its colorful golden dome. You can also visit buildings of particular architecture such as the Saltanat Sarai or the Shabyt Palace of Creativity.
You can not miss the appointment with the Khan Shatyry, a spectacular tent that functions as a venue for shows. Another mandatory visit is to the beautiful Synagogue of Beit Rajel-Jabbad Liubavich, which you will love for its unique light blue facade. In addition, the capital is one of the best cities to know and discover the local cuisine, as it has many places and restaurants where you can try the fabulous traditional dishes of the country.
One of the greatest symbols of the city, and of the country, is the sculpture of the Soldier of Gold. This sculpture commemorates the ancestors of the country known as Saks. To learn more about its history, we recommend that you visit the Issyk Tomb, a city near Almaty where you can find the archaeological and historical remains of this civilization.
You can not miss the opportunity to explore the natural surroundings close to the city of Almaty, such as the Ilí River, a perfect place to spend the day with the family and enjoy the sports activities you can do there, or the Park National of Ile Alatau , where you can enjoy a day outdoors while walking through spectacular natural landscapes.
To finish your tour of the country, we advise you to go to places like the Grand Canyon of Charyn an impressive landscape worthy of photography, or the fabulous Burabay Spa, where you can relax and rest before returning home. Another of the most important cities in the country is Almaty, which served as the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997.
This city is perfect to know as it has many places to see and areas that you must visit on a mandatory basis.
There is magic in the wind here. Bend an ear, and you will hear the echoes of hooves long past, the soft stirring of strings on a Kobyz, and the majestic voice of the Steppe - a silent and overwhelming roar.
And once Kazakhstan has awed you with your own insignificance, go back inside, sit down on a plush carpet, and wrap your hands around a steaming mug of chai. At last, you're warm, you're comfortable, and you're surrounded by those you love.
3. Iran
No, you wouldn’t have thought of that one. Despite its political reputation, it is home to ancient civilizations, and if you don’t think you like Muslim architecture, Iran’s monuments are often covered with turquoise which makes them fabulously beautiful. Iran is one of the culturally rich country and to the attractions such as skiing, gastronomy, architecture, museums, and more!
It has a lot of sites dating back to BCs and has a lot of UNESCO world heritage sites! Mount Damavand, the highest volcano in Asia is in Iran.
Add it with its rich history and uniqueness, you are bound to get an unique experience for sure! Iran’s historic capital city was Esfahan. Ladies, you will have to cover yourselves (but they want to promote tourism and a simple shawl on your head will do). It is better to take an organized tour.
If you plan to travel to Iran, it is very possible that Tehran will become your gateway to the country. Despite being less spectacular than Isfahan, Shiraz or Persepolis, the capital of the country also has its charms. You cannot miss the Tabiat bridge. In Tehran there are two towers that are iconic like the Azadi tower and the Milad tower.
It has an octagonal base that symbolizes traditional Persian architecture and has two panoramic observatories, one exterior and one interior. In addition to telecommunications facilities, it has a luxury restaurant and an art gallery. The entire complex has a congress center, a hotel, a shopping center and a business center.
Darband, which in Persian is translated as the door to the mountain, is literally a place to leave behind the bustle of the city to be able to look out to nature. It is full of small cafes and restaurants and is an ideal place to spend an evening.
To obtain the visa before the trip you must have completed an application form, have the authorization code, two passport photographs. Keep in mind that the passport does not have an Israeli stamp. The Iranian hotel offer is varied and for all budgets. In cities such as Kashan or Yazd it is common for old mansions to become hotels.
The traveler can also find shelter in the old Caravanserais, the accommodations that were built along the silk route. In the restaurants find different varieties of the tasty Persian kebab, served as a skewer and served with fresh bread. The Bademjan, a stew of eggplant and tomato, is also another dish of the most common, as well as the Tahchin, a kind of crispy rice.
Although not everyone can afford a Persian carpet or beluga caviar, being native products, they are cheaper. In a more modest price range (although do not expect bargains), Iranian pistachios and saffron are products that enjoy a great reputation. Another typical product is the printed fabrics or qalamkar of Isfahan, which can be found in the bazaars of the city.
Iran also has many beautiful Armenian churches, and generally beautiful Iranian architecture and it was worth mentioning. Holy Savior Cathedral is an Armenian Apostolic church located in Isfahan, Iran. The interior is so beautiful and masterfully crafted that it deserves to be mentioned. In Iran alcohol is forbidden, so you better get used to the idea that there will be no fresh beer after a long day of travelling in Iran.
The fabulous ruins of Susa (Shush) comprise a castle, an acropolis and the remains of a palace, as well as the nearby and impressive ruins of Shushtar. Travellers walking through the old town of Shushtar (city of Juzestan province) are attracted by a nearby ripple coming from the eastern part of the city.
Rasht: This northern Iranian city could be somewhere in Eastern or Central Europe locked in between the hills of the Baltic Sea, but again it’s in the Middle East. It’s located in Iran’s most greenest region Gilan.
Iranian food is pretty amazing. Every region, city and village in Iran has its own specialties, often dishes that are not made anywhere else. Fezenjan is prepared with pomegranate molasses and walnuts. This dish is traditionally served with duck, but more often with chicken. Rice is typically accompanied by a little saffron brewed and mixed with some of the rice, then added to the top.
It is also typically accompanied by Tahdig, which can be bread, rice or potato slices put on the bottom of the pot to cook to crisp, then rice on top of it. Barbari bread rises a little, has small traces of egg on it, and is very delicious and crispy. Then there's the Lavash flatbread which is now famous all around the world. This bread is prepared very fast and baked quickly. Typically used as a wrap or for smaller portions of bread.
There's Taftoon bread which is the more prepared brother of Lavash bread. It has more texture and substance, and is much tastier than Lavash. And then there's Sangak bread, the king of all breads, which is a whole grain wheat bread with a lot of substance and is baked in stone ovens over a few thousand tiny stones (the stoney texture). This is more expensive and also larger, typically about $1 PPP.
An Iranian bread portion would typically involve half (or one full) Sangak or Barbari, or 2-4 Taftoons or a few Lavashs, but usually only one of them. Gheymeh is a very famous and popular Iranian dish, served with saffron rice, is a curry made of a few lamb (or beef) cubes, sautéed with small-chopped onions, fried potatoes, yellow split peas, dried limes and tomato paste, plus the typical Iranian spices.
Ghormeh Sabzi (literally Gourmet Vegetables), is probably the most popular Iranian dish. It is a mixture of vegetables that are hard to find outside Iran, all chopped down and sautéed slightly, then mixed with red beans and meat cubes. Ash Reshteh (a type of noodle soup) is also a very famous, typically vegetarian dish. It's ingredients are a particular noodle, a mix of vegetables, chickpeas and beans. It is typically decorated with curd and fried chopped onions.
This dish is very common in northern areas of Tehran, among the mountain cafes, as it is served hot and is very tasty. And then there is Abgoosht (literally meat juice/water meat), a very tasty and popular Iranian dish. This dish is very flavorful and simple, but is a little hard on the stomach so is not frequently eaten.
Goosht Koobideh (literally beaten meat) consists of lamb and chickpeas cooked patiently in water for hours (or an hour in a pressure cooker), with a considerable amount of fat attached to the meat, which will dissolve in the water over time. Half a potato is added later, and sometimes a tomato as well to the pot.
The water is first separated from the rest of the ingredients, and then some good bread is cut down by hand piece by piece, and added to the meat-water, creating a mixture called Tilit. At the same time, a mighty warrior will mash the rest of the ingredients (the top bowl in the image) in their separate bowl, into a mixture called Goosht Koobideh.
Doogh (a kind of diluted salty yogurt drink) is also drank with Abgoosht frequently. And then there are Kebobs (called Kabaab in Iran). Kabobs do not have a strange flavor and are consumed by almost everyone in Iran. Since meat is a little expensive in Iran, Kabobs are a kind of a delicacy (specially the lamb ones).
Kabobs are made in all shapes and types, but the most famous three are Joojeh Kabob (literally chicken kabob), Koobideh (lit. mashed) which is made with ground beef and/or lamb, and Barg which is made with beef or lamb tenderloin. Koobideh, the least expensive of all kabobs. It has a good amount of fat in it when ground, and requires a master kabob maker to make it look intact and taste good.
It is common to find Koobideh that is not very well made, and that would not be the best thing to eat. That's why even though thousands of Koobideh places exist in Iran, in every neighborhood only a few are popular and enjoy long queues! Joojeh Kabob, typically served with grilled whole tomatoes, is made of marinated chunks of chicken breast or leg. It can be consumed either with bread or rice or even on its own!
Barg is the expensive kind of kabob, made of lamb tenderloin. It is the most tasty, the most tender, and the most pricey of all kabobs. For example, if a rack of Koobideh costs $5 PPP, and a rack of Joojeh costs $8 PPP, a quality rack of Barg might cost between $15 PPP and $40 PPP. Kabobs are typically consumed with onions and fresh vegetables as sides.
4. Syria
The Umayyad square is the most distinctive scene of Damascus. Mount Qasioun overlooks the whole city. The temple of Jupiter, built during the ancient Roman era is right across from the Umayyad mosque. Bab Sharqi, translates to eastern gate is one of the 7 gates that enclose the old town.
Al Hamidiya market is a historical covered market in the old town. It dates back to Roman times. It was named after an Ottoman sultan. The holes in the ceiling are actually bullet holes that were pierced by the machine-gun fire of French planes in 1925 during the french mandate of Syria. Khan As'ad Pasha is a beautiful public resting spot in Damascus. It was built during the Ottoman era. It perfectly reflects Syrian architectural style.
Most people don’t know about the world’s largest restaurant as it’s in the most unexpected place; Damascus. It’s called Bawabet Dimashq which translates to Damascus gate. It served different types of cuisines including Indian, Chinese, Iranian, and, of course, Syrian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
It had 6 themed sections and many decorative features such as waterfalls, fountains, replicas of famous archaeological ruins in Syria, and a big children’s playground. It had the potential to serve 6014 guests all at once. It occupies 54000 square meters. The kitchen itself is 2500 square meters. During the peak times in the summer there would be around 1500 employees to serve the customers that could reach up to more than 4000 at once.
The restaurant’s kitchen was said to resemble a mini production factory. The equipment and the preparations’ dynamics made it possible for each chef to serve up to 30 of the popular dishes such as hummus in one minute which means a plate was filled every 2 seconds.
Even though it was quite successful back in the day, it has been closed since 2012 as the area was affected by the armed conflict and was occupied first by the opposition fighters and later by the military forces who used the abandoned restaurant as a base for their operations. There are a few restaurants in that area getting refurbished and might re-open soon.
So, who knows? The biggest restaurant in the world might be open to the public again soon. Damascus used to receive a lot of tourists during the summer, especially from Arab Gulf countries since its weather is cooler and it’s a cheap tourist destination.
5. Israel
Israel is not an unknown place but people who have never visited don’t have a clue about how Israelis are very open-minded and how Israel is really a modern country where you find tech hubs, and many trendy places in addition to the historical monuments. Tel Aviv is more similar to Miami or Barcelona than any other city in the Middle East, and Jerusalem also has interesting places to visit.
A blend of modernism and art is what makes Tel Aviv your next destination. Tel Aviv is a city that grows on you. The lady in black would have been a Gothic model turned immigration officer, with enough number of piercings, rings and bracelets, all in black, beyond counting. She was one piece of art. Tel Aviv will be for sure referred as the Art capital of the world in times to come.
Religious tourism is, by far, the main reason for tourists who usually travel to Israel. Keep in mind that during the trip you will have the opportunity to see places that are part of one of the cradle of humankind.
You can sign up for a guided tour of Jerusalem, an excursion to see the Masada fortress and the Dead Sea or a trip to Bethlehem, or focus only on a trip to the Dead Sea. And another alternative would be to sign up for a 7 day tour of the best of Israel from Tel Aviv, visiting Jerusalem, Caesarea, Haifa, Tiberias, Nazareth and other prominent places in the country.
Inside you can move freely even in a rental car, although you must first request authorization from the Israeli authorities to access the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority. You will only have free access to this area, without prior authorization, if you are going to visit the religious enclaves of Bethlehem and Jericho.
The Ein Gedi nature reserve is part of the eastern end of the Judean desert, in Israel. It is located on the shores of the Dead Sea, near Masada, and includes two small valleys of Arugot and David through which water flows throughout the year as well as four springs. This high availability of water in such an arid environment favors plant and animal abundance.
Israel is not Thailand or Mexico, but if you’re not accustomed to hot stuff, be wary. Many street vendors sell really hot food, and everyone loves the headless chicken dance people do once bitten by a Yemen hot sauce. Fusion is the local specialty, so try as many restaurants as you can, you will not regret it.
There’s a great selection of dishes for vegetarians, vegans, lactose intolerant, Gluten-free, diabetic-friendly and tree-nut allergy safe dishes - just be clear when ordering about food restrictions.
Kibbutz Degania Aleph is the first kibbutz ever. It is located on the Jordan river, just as it flows out of the Sea of Galilee. There are several Kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) that are are worth visiting.
6. Jordan
Bekam Hada? - you must have figured out what this means if you're going to Jordan. And if you haven't, not to worry!
Petra is one of the world’s most incredible archaeological sites. Petra is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World that can be visited by car or bus from Amman. To Reach Petra you have to walk through a gorge for around 1.2 km. Petra's most impressive monument is Ad Deir Monastery which is scenically perched above the city in the Petra Hills.
Aqaba is situated on the tip of the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aqaba. It is known for its pristine sandy beaches, clear waters studded with marine life. It’s a great place for water sports. Try parasailing, water skiing, and fishing and enjoy it with friends or family. You can also visit Wadi Rum, Jerash, Madaba, Ajloun Castle during your visit to Jordan.
Wadi Rum is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan. It is a protected area and famous for its stunning desert landscape, spectacular sandstone mountains, desert valleys, canyons, dunes, arches. It is also known as the valley of the moon. Wadi Rum has been used as a filming location in Lawrence of Arabia, Prometheus, The Martian, Star Wars and other movies.
Dead Sea has the most salty water on the surface of the earth. It is 60 times salty than a normal ocean. Dead Sea salt is 8.6 times saltier than any sea or ocean water; no water on earth that nears its salt make up, not even, Lake Assal in Djibouti; Garabogazkol in Turkmenistan; and McMurdo in the Antarctica.
The sea is located between Israel, West Bank, and Jordan has a 423-meter or (1,388 feet) surface and shoreline areas; below sea level making it, earth’s lowest elevation. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the surface of Earth. It is known as the Dead Sea as no one can live in, no fishes, seaweed or plants. No single life lives in the water because of high concentration of sodium chloride.
The best part about the Dead Sea is come what may, you'll float nevertheless, thanks to its salty waters. The salt content of the water increases water density, which makes floating humans possible. No drowning, no sinking. The mineral content prevents pollens and allergens in the atmosphere, which help reduce ultraviolet rays; more important, the higher atmospheric pressure make the sea have specific health effects.
You can see the sparkling crystal salt clusters. These clusters are mineral salts. The salts have power and therapeutic qualities which are used in local spas for various body massage. Don't miss out a massage from the Dead Sea salt that will help you rejuvenate. There are a couple of ground rules though. DON'T shave before entering the waters (salt, it's gonna burn) and don't attempt to swim - just relax, float and grab a newspaper while you're at it.
And you have to wear your shoes while swimming because the ground is incredibly rocky, it hurts your feet to walk on it. And if you have any open wounds, hard luck! And do not stay in the sea for more than 20 minutes because it gets really itchy/ burns after that. However, if you do it right, it is a wonderful experience. You float like you're on top of a raft, except without one. It's magical.
It appears to have formed in a rift - a part of the earth where one tectonic plate pulls away from the other. Usually, such rifts fill with water from the sea, but the Dead Sea is totally isolated from the nearest large bodies of water.
The surface of the sea is about 1,400 feet below sea level, making it much deeper than any other similar depression, such as Death Valley in California (which has mountains between it and the Pacific Ocean). Not only that, the Dead Sea is about 900 feet deep at its deepest point, making it deeper than the two other notable inland salt lakes, the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea.
However, because of diversion of its water source, the Sea of Galilee (which is actually a fresh water lake), the Dead Sea is slowly shrinking.
Does Jordanian food make vegetarians suffer? The moment you step into a meat lover's paradise, that's the first question that comes to your mind. What if I find just meat everywhere? As a vegetarian, do I have any good options? Or do I have to stack up on food from home? Relax. There aren't just good vegetarian options that are lip-smacking delicious!
7. Saudi Arabia
Cradle and spiritual headquarters of Islam, Saudi Arabia has many tourist attractions like Mada'in Saleh, a pre-Islamic city that, like Petra, was inhabited by the Nabataeans. Riad is a jewel of modern Saudi Arabia. Jedda combines modernity and old with a captivating old center with coral buildings and the coast of the Red Sea offers first-class diving options.
With almost 2000 petroglyphs and cave paintings, this country is one of the richest open-air museums in the world. And for the Muslim travelers, Mecca and Medina suppose the most sacred destiny. Another tourist attraction is the Asir region, culturally and geographically close to Yemen. It is a mountainous region that breaks the desert stereotype of the country.
The coastal region of Yizán, near Asir, also offers some appeal. Specifically, the Farasán Islands offer cultural and scenic assets.
Located in Mecca, the Abraj Kudai is a mammoth of a hotel. This massive $3.6 billion project offers an unprecedented level of luxury and brilliance and spans a massive 1.4 million square meters. Or, in other words, around 262 American-sized football fields. Now, what does exactly will you find within this mega hotel?
10,000 rooms, 70 restaurants, 4 helipads, a bus station, a whole shopping mall, a ballroom, the largest dome atop a hotel, and a conference centre among other things. The hotel has 45 stories, along with five floors dedicated entirely to the Saudi royal family. It has not been completely built yet, but once it is, it will carry the title of the world’s largest hotel, beating First World Hotel, Malaysia, which has 7,351 rooms only.
The hotel will be open for the public to stay in at a cost of potentially £4,000 per night or $5250 approximately.
After coming here if you want to go out for shopping or eating then plan ahead according to timings of salah (prayers) because all businesses would close during prayer timings (five times a day). If you are coming from November to January then you will find most of the places cool or pleasant weather. In other months of the year you will find it very hot so pack your bags accordingly.
If you want to visit the country to have fun then remember you won't find any night clubs, bars here.
8. Kuwait
Once an oasis in the desert, Kuwait has exerted for centuries as a magnet, attracting Bedouins from the interior. The Towers of Kuwait, the most famous icon of the country, deserve a visit for the panoramas offered of the sea and the city.
9. Tajikistan
Tajikistan is a landlocked Central Asian republic, a bit bigger than Greece. Its Soviet-style capital, Dushanbe, lies on the confluence of two rivers, in the backdrop of high mountains. Speaking of mountains, Tajikistan is one of the world’s highest nations, on average. With an average elevation of 3,180 metres, only Bhutan and Nepal surpass it.
The many mountain ranges of Tajikistan make it arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Hiking into the mountains along the path of a beautiful river with a sublime shade of blue, listening to the gushing sound of water is quite therapeutic.
The Saratogh river forms Iskanderkul, named after Alexander the Great after his stay at the lake. It is a mountain glacial triangular shaped lake due to congestion of waters in the mountains and the outflow of the lake is in the form of a very turgid river named 'Iskander Darya'
Many of its tourist destinations are in the Fann Mountains, such as Iskanderkul Lake. Iskanderkul means Lake of Iskander, with Iskander being the Persian name for Alexander the Great.
While it might seem like a remote, backwater country, Tajikistan is home to some seriously impressive engineering feats. Along the Vakhsh, you can find the towering Nurek Dam - 300 metres in tall, it’s the world’s second-tallest dam. It has a concrete core beneath about 54 million cubic metres of rock and earth.
In the soaring Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, you can find the world’s longest glacier outside the polar regions. Named Fedchenko Glacier, its extends over some 77 kilometres, and is over a kilometre deep in some places. It was discovered in 1878, but never really explored until 40 years later, as part of a German-Soviet expedition. The glacier gets its name from Alexei Pavlovich Fedchenko, a Russian explorer who never actually went there.
10. Qatar
Qatar has become one of the most visited destinations in the Middle East. Doha, the capital, concentrates the main tourist attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art or the Museum of Islamic Art. The State Grand Mosque is the greatest symbol of the ostentation of Qatar and a place of worship for the Qataris.
In the Katara Cultural Village, full of theaters, concert halls and galleries you can meet several global cultures and the Heritage Village presents the history of the country in the pre-oil period. To relax, walk along the Doha Corniche promenade in the Doha Bay.
Lovers of shopping have at their disposal the Souk Waqif, the municipal market. The best beaches in Qatar are Al Ghariya, Maroona, Khor Al Adaid, Ras Abrouq and Fuwairit. Finish your Qatar itinerary with a visit to the most elegant neighborhood of the city, the Pearl-Qatar, where you will feel a true oil tycoon with so much splendor and ostentation.
11. Oman
Al Ashkharah beach is particularly popular among Omanis. At the end of the afternoon or on weekends (Friday and Saturday) they like to come to the wide beach of almost 15 km long for swimming and picnics in the stone pavilions. The long beach with great conditions of kitesurfing and surfing is less popular among tourists due to its remoteness from a big city, although in reality it deserves more attention.
The Masirah island is located off the west coast of Oman and is known primarily by water sports enthusiasts. Because it is possible to surf and dive all year round in front of the beaches of the discrete island. But the island is also perfect for pure beach tourists, as the sunset walks along the long beaches of Masirah are especially suitable.
It is better to get to Masirah by car. Since there is no railway system in Oman, it is essential to have a car. From the capital, Muscat, it takes about 6 hours to reach Shannah. From there, ferries depart several times a day to the Masirah island.
In the province of Al Sharqiya, 220km from Muscat and its airport, the city of Al Wasil, located 11 km from the slopes, is the gateway to the Wahiba Sands desert. You can sleep in several desert camps in the Wahiba sands, lost in the depths of the desert with true Bedouin tents (without air conditioning) for a total desert experience.
Musandam Governorate is one of the most unique biospheres in the world, which cross the limestone mountains of Haja, being its unsurpassed beauty and incredible marine life in the area. Your visit is made through a cruise with a duration of four hours, which is available with departures from Dibba and Khasab, both in the neighboring country of Oman.
So it is required to carry your passport and depending on the nationality the processing of a visa. During cruises with departures from both ports, we stop for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and fishing. If I had to choose one of the two, I would take the cruise that leaves from Khasab, because on most occasions you can see dolphins.
The landscapes, once you pass the border of Oman to Khasab, are impressive, with mountains on one side and the sea on the other.
12. Yemen
For the Romans, Yemen was Arabia Felix (happy Arabia). Gilgamesh came in search of eternal life. Noah threw his ark here. The Queen of Sheba ruled the territory, and the incense trade brought incredible riches. The One Thousand and One Nights aura of its capital Sanaa in the west has multiple layers, colors and drawings.
There are the mud skyscrapers in the east, the beautiful mountains of the north, the unusual and fantastic landscapes of Socotora in front of the south coast. The traveler can tour the cities like sand castles of the strange and beautiful Wadi Hadramaut, where once giants wandered and scorpions flanked the entrance to the underworld.
The city of Shibam, known as the Manhattan of the desert, is one of the highlights of the valley. The former capital of the ancient kingdom of Saba is considered the most beautiful archaeological attraction in Yemen. Currently, the immemorial domains of the Queen of Sheba are home to Bedouin tribes. One of the most fascinating areas of Yemen is the province of Marib, which was the famous kingdom of Saba.
Rising steeply in the humid coastal plains of the Red Sea, the Jabal Haraz mountains of steep slopes have been for centuries a cultural stronghold that protects the heart of Yemen.
13. Iraq
1500 acres of graves, millions of buried dead, this is Wadi-us-Salaam. World's largest and probably the oldest cemetery has graves from Noah's times and what look like houses are actually family pits where members of the same family are buried. This town of the dead lies parallel to the surprisingly modern and bustling holy city of Najaf in Iraq.
Despite its size, it's the city's neighbourhood graveyard where you will find advertising billboards and souvenir shops mostly selling a special kind of moonstone called Durr-e-Najaf. It is a clear stone that is believed to be formed by raindrops being trapped in the sands of Najaf for years.
14. Lebanon
Lebanon has a reputation among Arab countries of being the most European country both in terms of attitude and fashion. Beirut is just a perfect example of that.
15. Turkmenistan
It is located near the center of Asia at the cross-roads of civilizations and was once part of the ancient Silk Road. Ashgabat, its capital city, looks like a city straight out of a sci-fiction movie. It is also filled with bizarre monuments made of white marble. It holds the Guinness World Record for the city having the highest density of white marble-clad buildings.
16. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a gem from the central Asia! It's a part of the historically significant silk route. So it's bound have a rich culture, heritage, warm people with some of the amazingly beautiful mosques in the world! Equally beautiful architecture will be found especially in Samarkand, the grand city of the Silk Road, and capital of Tamerlane.
17. Azerbaijan
Did you know there’s a city that looks very similar to Dubai in many ways that most people have never even heard of? Let me introduce to you Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The first thing that’s unusual about Baku is that it’s the lowest lying national capital in terms of sea level and also the largest city below sea level.
But what’s really unusual about Baku is its architecture. After all in how many cities can you find historic Islamic buildings right next to skyscrapers? And the modern architecture is stunning! Where do you start? Okay maybe the 597 foot flame towers, which are absolutely beautiful at night? Or how about the innovative Heyder Aliyev Center?
18. Afghanistan
Afghanistan is home to some exciting history. Buddhism is probably no where as old and evident as it is in Afghanistan. The remains of the 53 and 37 meters tall Bamiyan Buddhas, the thousand year old and 70 meters high Minaret of Jam, the magnificent fort of Herat and the Blue Mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif top the list.
You won't be disappointed with a culture represented by aesthetic handicrafts, comfy carpets, beautiful pottery and a hospitality that frankly can get too annoying but only because it is too abundant. Afghanistan is largely mountainous and rocks do tend to get fearsome and beautiful in that part of the world.
The lush green valleys of Kunar and Nuristan are unsafe for visitors but Salang, Hazarajat and Badakhshan continue to mesmerize visitors. Afghanistan is home to the most amazing natural lakes of the world. Just ask for Band-e-Amir and be there. You won't regret it. People can be interesting everywhere but what Afghanistan can offer is a rather diverse set of many different types of people.
You can interact with a chatty Kabuli in the capital who might be so nice you couldn't trust him. Then you could be in Parwan where your Tajik host will present you super spicy pancakes while bragging about his adventures and wars. You could hang out with a nice Pashtun fellow who could feed you so much food that you wouldn't be able to move.
A Mazari Uzbek will break the Pashtun man's record by feeding even more to his Yakhshi/Good friend. During the trip you will constantly see faces ranging from a light brown Indian or probably even a Greek or Italian to one who looks like a Chinese, a Kazakh, a Pakistani, or even an ambiguous race like yours truly. You will encounter people who might sound like Iranians or Indians, Central Asians or even Turks.
Take out your passport and visa and get going.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Also known as the blue city of India, Jodhpur holds a lot of historic value. The former capital of Marwar, is also one of the most entrancing cities in Rajasthan. Recently, it has also become famous for destination weddings. The sun city of Rajasthan, Jodhpur is the place to enjoy the gleaming sunrise after your Jaisalmer travel experience.
The city was found in 15th century and was glorified with many forts and palaces. Jodhpur is one of the largest cities in the state and is historically divided into old city and new city. If you love to enjoy the culture of the land, choose to explore the old city. For exclusive tourism activities and offbeat things to do in Jodhpur, get a glance of the new city.
Here are the top places to visit in Jodhpur.
Every luxury and exclusive Rajasthan tour packages covering Jodhpur, including Palace on Wheels will cover Mehrangarh Fort. This hill fort stands 400 m above ground. This fort is a great example for ancient Rajasthan styled architecture. Explore the fort museum, Ranisar Lake, Chokelao Bagh, Lake Padmasar and others, inside the fort. If you are looking for some adventure time, try flying fox (zip lining) tour.
Built in 20th century, this palace is the largest private residence of the world. This palace holds 347 rooms built with a mixture of European and Indian architecture. A part of the palace is used by the royal family, even today. If budget is not a constraint, you can try staying inside the palace during your vacation. Alternatively, visit the palace for exploring the architecture, museum, vintage car collection, clock collection and others.
Built in 19th century, this memorial was built for King Jaswant Singh II. The entire structure was built with marbles. You can find intricate carvings, portraits of Rathore rulers and multi-level gardens in this structure. The most amazing elements of this structure are the carved gazebos near a pond and great view of Umaid Palace from Jaswant Thada.
This is 6th century garden, which were built even before the modern Jodhpur was formed. Today, this garden holds a government museum, temple of 33 crore Gods of Hinduism, Hall of Heroes and others. Apart from these, you can find numerous other statues, artifacts and others scattered in the garden. It is one of the refreshing spots to enjoy photography. This garden is famous for spending picnic in the garden or exploring the ruins of Mandore Fort.
A man on his bullet died in an accident where currently this temple resides. The next day, police took his body and bike away and kept the bike in the police station. Next day, the bike was found in the exact same spot where the person died. Next day, the bike was tied to a chain but still it made it way to the spot.
This kept repeating several times, until the bike was permanently set there and a temple of Bullet Baba was created. The bikers and travelers pray at this temple for a safe journey.
This artificial lake is famous for bird watching during winter months. This lake was built in 19th century and is famous for boat riding, picnic evenings, photography, viewing sunrise and sunset and so on. Sunset boat ride on the lake is one of the most romantic activities of Jodhpur.
Other exclusive attractions to cover in Jodhpur are Rao Jodha desert Rock Park, Clock tower, Chamunda Mata temple, Balsamand Lake and others.
The city was found in 15th century and was glorified with many forts and palaces. Jodhpur is one of the largest cities in the state and is historically divided into old city and new city. If you love to enjoy the culture of the land, choose to explore the old city. For exclusive tourism activities and offbeat things to do in Jodhpur, get a glance of the new city.
Here are the top places to visit in Jodhpur.
1. Mehrangarh Fort
Every luxury and exclusive Rajasthan tour packages covering Jodhpur, including Palace on Wheels will cover Mehrangarh Fort. This hill fort stands 400 m above ground. This fort is a great example for ancient Rajasthan styled architecture. Explore the fort museum, Ranisar Lake, Chokelao Bagh, Lake Padmasar and others, inside the fort. If you are looking for some adventure time, try flying fox (zip lining) tour.
2. Umaid Bhawan Palace
Built in 20th century, this palace is the largest private residence of the world. This palace holds 347 rooms built with a mixture of European and Indian architecture. A part of the palace is used by the royal family, even today. If budget is not a constraint, you can try staying inside the palace during your vacation. Alternatively, visit the palace for exploring the architecture, museum, vintage car collection, clock collection and others.
3. Jaswant Thada
Built in 19th century, this memorial was built for King Jaswant Singh II. The entire structure was built with marbles. You can find intricate carvings, portraits of Rathore rulers and multi-level gardens in this structure. The most amazing elements of this structure are the carved gazebos near a pond and great view of Umaid Palace from Jaswant Thada.
4. Mandore Gardens
This is 6th century garden, which were built even before the modern Jodhpur was formed. Today, this garden holds a government museum, temple of 33 crore Gods of Hinduism, Hall of Heroes and others. Apart from these, you can find numerous other statues, artifacts and others scattered in the garden. It is one of the refreshing spots to enjoy photography. This garden is famous for spending picnic in the garden or exploring the ruins of Mandore Fort.
5. Bullet Baba Temple
A man on his bullet died in an accident where currently this temple resides. The next day, police took his body and bike away and kept the bike in the police station. Next day, the bike was found in the exact same spot where the person died. Next day, the bike was tied to a chain but still it made it way to the spot.
This kept repeating several times, until the bike was permanently set there and a temple of Bullet Baba was created. The bikers and travelers pray at this temple for a safe journey.
6. Kaylana Lake
This artificial lake is famous for bird watching during winter months. This lake was built in 19th century and is famous for boat riding, picnic evenings, photography, viewing sunrise and sunset and so on. Sunset boat ride on the lake is one of the most romantic activities of Jodhpur.
Other exclusive attractions to cover in Jodhpur are Rao Jodha desert Rock Park, Clock tower, Chamunda Mata temple, Balsamand Lake and others.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Kasol is a beautiful small village of India, situated on the bank of river Parvati. There are a great many things to do in Kasol, like trekking through the hills and fishing for trouts (You need permission for that). Moreover, you can indulge in some water sports like rafting and so on. Visit this beautiful hill station between March and May. You can easily get here through well-connected rains and buses.
Situated amidst a lush green valley, a majestic white-water river, and picturesque treks, Kasol is a major tourist yet an offbeat destination for backpackers and young travelers. The Israel of India is not just a delight for hippies but also for those seeking peace and tranquility. Here are the things to do in Parvati valley and a list of beautiful places to visit in Kasol to make the most of Himachal.
The most enchanting Himalayan Valley has the power to calm the dismayed soul. The most rejuvenating of all and most popular places to visit in Kasol for a backpacker is the Parvati River. Sit by the river for hours doing nothing and soak into the magical sounds of the water.
Known as the Amsterdam of India, Parvati Valley is truly a mesmerizing spot for relaxation. The hippie paradise is full of Israeli cafes which give it unique touch. One can also enjoy psychedelic vibes and rave parties in Parvati valley with mountains beautiful enough to leave your head spinning.
Every state in India has a myriad of things to offer in terms of natural beauty and cultural learning. Himachal changes a little with every district. The monasteries have crazy views, the hole-in-wall cafes here have a window opening up to a little heaven too, and even the wait for the bus is a blissful one thanks to the appeasing view.
Escape into the Himalayas on your Himachal holidays and head to Kasol for the riverbank camping experience. Notorious for its non-matriculated green beauty, a camping package to Kasol is all about an amalgamation of trekking, camping, and exploring the offbeat trails with your sweetheart. Plus, ignite the flames of romance by flaring up a bonfire to raise your camping experience.
Solo travel tips for Kasol are important especially if you are a first-timer to the region. While it may seem harmless enough, the hilly region of Kasol in Himachal Pradesh comes with its own set of risks. While groups traveling to Kasol are one thing, solo backpacking to Kasol is not that easy.
To make your first visit an enjoyable and hassle-free experience, you must keep a few things in mind. Your Kasol solo trip experience will be the best ever this way.
Thereby, follow some top solo travel tips for Kasol and things to do in Parvati valley if you wish to travel solo Kasol and its surrounding regions. We have already mentioned about the places to visit in Kasol and Kasol solo trip experience and now we have listed some of the best Kasol solo travel tips below.
Is Kasol safe? It absolutely is! So why do you need to follow solo travel tips for Kasol? Well, because the scenic but rough region can be a tricky one to traverse through even for seasoned travelers. There are chances of newbies getting lost. To make your solo Kasol trip a hit, follow these essential solo travel tips. These are good to remember even if making a spontaneous Kasol trip on last minute flights.
Here are tips for the best Kasol solo trip experience:
Your mode of transportation must be the right one. Transport-wise, among the best solo travel tips for Kasol is to pick the Volvo buses. These are safer since you are making the Kasol trip on your own. Even with unpredictable weather, buses are extremely reliable. In the rare case that they don’t show up, locals and fellow travellers are beyond helpful.
You can take buses from Bhuntar which is about 30 km from Kasol and head toward your destination. You can hire taxis like many of the groups traveling to Kasol but ensure they are verified and legitimate. While buses are often the top choice, renting bikes is another option for solo travelers and couples.
Backpacker hostels and guesthouses are better. Hotels are overrated. While the widely visited tourist spot in Himachal is sadly overcrowded with hotels, the interests travellers have shown in homestays has been helping serve the local communities that actually deserve any benefits that tourism’s bringing to the state. For anyone looking for a lovely, cultural stay, it does not get better than homestays!
Hostels are springing up in quieter locations and it's so conducive, especially for backpackers who are on a budget and want to meet fellow travellers - while being engulfed in peace! Finding safe accommodation can be a bit of a challenge to first-timers new to the region. However, finding safe lodgings is among the top solo travel tips for Kasol and being picky will serve you well.
You can scout for cheap homestays and other budget hotels in case you do not wish to spend too much. If budget is not a constraint, you can stay at a couple of slightly more polished hotels a little far off. In the end, whatever type of accommodation you choose, make sure it’s safe and comfortable enough for you. This is especially important if you’re making a long duration trip.
Trekking is a big part of any Kasol trip. However, one of the top solo travel tips for Kasol trekking is to do it with a group and carry the lonely planet guide. For one, you don't know anything about the place, the trails, and other important things. Second, it is unsafe to head out on unknown territory alone.
Trekking with a group will not only ensure your safety but it will also be fun. You will have the chance to meet other solo travelers in rave parties in Parvati valley just like you making their very first Kasol trip. Who knows, maybe you could hit up your new friends, book a few business class flights, and take the next trip together! Kasol remains one of the best places to visit with friends.
A large part of Kasol is made up of Israelis that arrived as tourists and never really went back. Many of these enterprising people have set up shop in Kasol and sell some of the most delicious Israeli dishes ever. Besides local dishes, trying a couple of these lip-smacking Israeli dishes when in Kasol is a must! Be it a croissant at a cafe or butter tea with sattu at a homestay.
This will make your Kasol trip truly complete. Top items to gorge on include bureka, shakshuka, and a whole lot more! Some popular Israeli cafes to visit are Stone Garden Cafe, Jim Morrison Cafe, and the Evergreen Cafe among others. Most cafes come with a view, live music and people open up their houses for you to come in for some local food!
Food hygiene and general safety standards are probably lower than you’re used to too. The quality of many goods and services will be lower. Life may just tick along at a lower pace – you’re not in Manhattan now, relax and fit in.
Eat a healthy meal and buy healthy snacks at the airport before boarding your flight. Loading up on sugar will weaken your immune system and are more likely to get sick. Nutrition is very important for long term backpackers. Eat fruits and nuts as well. Street food gets a bad reputation, but it’s ok as long as every item is cooked in front of you and there is a line of people.
Cooking will remove bacteria, in front of you allows you to ensure freshness, and a line of people shows you that it’s a tasty item and other people trust or know the person.
Among places around Kasol, this is a popular attraction in the region and one that first-timers will regret missing. Located approximately 6 km from Kasol, you can either go on a one day trek to the Gurdwara or through hitchhiking a ride. Visiting this place is among the best solo travel tips for Kasol anyone can give you.
The top attraction here is the hot spring. Devotees take a dip here believing they will be cleansed of all their ailments. The langar food is absolutely delicious. Do carry a scarf or stole to cover your head when going in. There are pictures of Gods of all religions in the Gurdwara.
Stayed hydrated at all times by drinking eight ounces of water per hour and avoid alcohol. It helps to keep your mucous membranes in your throat and nasal passengers moist and from drying out. If there’s no filtered water available at the guesthouse, buy packaged water. No tap water, no ice, no thin skinned fruits or uncooked vegetables (water penetration). Don’t even brush your teeth with unfiltered water.
If you've lived in India for years, obviously you have built immunity to use it.
Carry the sim card removal pin with you if you are wanting to switch SIM cards immediately post landing.
A lot of people speak very loudly to locals. A language barrier is not the same as someone who is hearing impaired. It’s quite rude. Also avoid intrusive photography.
Among the topmost solo travel tips for Kasol is to shop here. For great stuff, head over to the Kasol flea markets that sell anything and everything at insanely low rates! You will be able to buy woolen garments, semi-precious stones, Bob Marley T-shirts, pendants, and idols of Hindu deities at the lowest possible prices.
With prices so low, it will be easy to shop for a lot of things instead of having to limit yourself. This is a good way to collect some fabulous souvenirs as well as gifts for loved ones back home.
Keep the above-mentioned awesome solo travel tips for Kasol in mind when planning to travel to this spectacular region. Book a couple of discount flights to India and enjoy exploring this fantastic place. Have the best Kasol trip ever!
Situated amidst a lush green valley, a majestic white-water river, and picturesque treks, Kasol is a major tourist yet an offbeat destination for backpackers and young travelers. The Israel of India is not just a delight for hippies but also for those seeking peace and tranquility. Here are the things to do in Parvati valley and a list of beautiful places to visit in Kasol to make the most of Himachal.
The most enchanting Himalayan Valley has the power to calm the dismayed soul. The most rejuvenating of all and most popular places to visit in Kasol for a backpacker is the Parvati River. Sit by the river for hours doing nothing and soak into the magical sounds of the water.
Known as the Amsterdam of India, Parvati Valley is truly a mesmerizing spot for relaxation. The hippie paradise is full of Israeli cafes which give it unique touch. One can also enjoy psychedelic vibes and rave parties in Parvati valley with mountains beautiful enough to leave your head spinning.
Every state in India has a myriad of things to offer in terms of natural beauty and cultural learning. Himachal changes a little with every district. The monasteries have crazy views, the hole-in-wall cafes here have a window opening up to a little heaven too, and even the wait for the bus is a blissful one thanks to the appeasing view.
Escape into the Himalayas on your Himachal holidays and head to Kasol for the riverbank camping experience. Notorious for its non-matriculated green beauty, a camping package to Kasol is all about an amalgamation of trekking, camping, and exploring the offbeat trails with your sweetheart. Plus, ignite the flames of romance by flaring up a bonfire to raise your camping experience.
Solo travel tips for Kasol are important especially if you are a first-timer to the region. While it may seem harmless enough, the hilly region of Kasol in Himachal Pradesh comes with its own set of risks. While groups traveling to Kasol are one thing, solo backpacking to Kasol is not that easy.
To make your first visit an enjoyable and hassle-free experience, you must keep a few things in mind. Your Kasol solo trip experience will be the best ever this way.
Thereby, follow some top solo travel tips for Kasol and things to do in Parvati valley if you wish to travel solo Kasol and its surrounding regions. We have already mentioned about the places to visit in Kasol and Kasol solo trip experience and now we have listed some of the best Kasol solo travel tips below.
Is Kasol safe? It absolutely is! So why do you need to follow solo travel tips for Kasol? Well, because the scenic but rough region can be a tricky one to traverse through even for seasoned travelers. There are chances of newbies getting lost. To make your solo Kasol trip a hit, follow these essential solo travel tips. These are good to remember even if making a spontaneous Kasol trip on last minute flights.
Here are tips for the best Kasol solo trip experience:
1. Find the right mode of transport
Your mode of transportation must be the right one. Transport-wise, among the best solo travel tips for Kasol is to pick the Volvo buses. These are safer since you are making the Kasol trip on your own. Even with unpredictable weather, buses are extremely reliable. In the rare case that they don’t show up, locals and fellow travellers are beyond helpful.
You can take buses from Bhuntar which is about 30 km from Kasol and head toward your destination. You can hire taxis like many of the groups traveling to Kasol but ensure they are verified and legitimate. While buses are often the top choice, renting bikes is another option for solo travelers and couples.
2. Pick safe accommodation
Backpacker hostels and guesthouses are better. Hotels are overrated. While the widely visited tourist spot in Himachal is sadly overcrowded with hotels, the interests travellers have shown in homestays has been helping serve the local communities that actually deserve any benefits that tourism’s bringing to the state. For anyone looking for a lovely, cultural stay, it does not get better than homestays!
Hostels are springing up in quieter locations and it's so conducive, especially for backpackers who are on a budget and want to meet fellow travellers - while being engulfed in peace! Finding safe accommodation can be a bit of a challenge to first-timers new to the region. However, finding safe lodgings is among the top solo travel tips for Kasol and being picky will serve you well.
You can scout for cheap homestays and other budget hotels in case you do not wish to spend too much. If budget is not a constraint, you can stay at a couple of slightly more polished hotels a little far off. In the end, whatever type of accommodation you choose, make sure it’s safe and comfortable enough for you. This is especially important if you’re making a long duration trip.
3. Trek with a group
Trekking is a big part of any Kasol trip. However, one of the top solo travel tips for Kasol trekking is to do it with a group and carry the lonely planet guide. For one, you don't know anything about the place, the trails, and other important things. Second, it is unsafe to head out on unknown territory alone.
Trekking with a group will not only ensure your safety but it will also be fun. You will have the chance to meet other solo travelers in rave parties in Parvati valley just like you making their very first Kasol trip. Who knows, maybe you could hit up your new friends, book a few business class flights, and take the next trip together! Kasol remains one of the best places to visit with friends.
4. Try mouthwatering Israeli food
A large part of Kasol is made up of Israelis that arrived as tourists and never really went back. Many of these enterprising people have set up shop in Kasol and sell some of the most delicious Israeli dishes ever. Besides local dishes, trying a couple of these lip-smacking Israeli dishes when in Kasol is a must! Be it a croissant at a cafe or butter tea with sattu at a homestay.
This will make your Kasol trip truly complete. Top items to gorge on include bureka, shakshuka, and a whole lot more! Some popular Israeli cafes to visit are Stone Garden Cafe, Jim Morrison Cafe, and the Evergreen Cafe among others. Most cafes come with a view, live music and people open up their houses for you to come in for some local food!
Food hygiene and general safety standards are probably lower than you’re used to too. The quality of many goods and services will be lower. Life may just tick along at a lower pace – you’re not in Manhattan now, relax and fit in.
5. Eat healthy meals
Eat a healthy meal and buy healthy snacks at the airport before boarding your flight. Loading up on sugar will weaken your immune system and are more likely to get sick. Nutrition is very important for long term backpackers. Eat fruits and nuts as well. Street food gets a bad reputation, but it’s ok as long as every item is cooked in front of you and there is a line of people.
Cooking will remove bacteria, in front of you allows you to ensure freshness, and a line of people shows you that it’s a tasty item and other people trust or know the person.
6. Visit the famed Manikaran Sahib Gurdwara
Among places around Kasol, this is a popular attraction in the region and one that first-timers will regret missing. Located approximately 6 km from Kasol, you can either go on a one day trek to the Gurdwara or through hitchhiking a ride. Visiting this place is among the best solo travel tips for Kasol anyone can give you.
The top attraction here is the hot spring. Devotees take a dip here believing they will be cleansed of all their ailments. The langar food is absolutely delicious. Do carry a scarf or stole to cover your head when going in. There are pictures of Gods of all religions in the Gurdwara.
7. Stayed hydrated
Stayed hydrated at all times by drinking eight ounces of water per hour and avoid alcohol. It helps to keep your mucous membranes in your throat and nasal passengers moist and from drying out. If there’s no filtered water available at the guesthouse, buy packaged water. No tap water, no ice, no thin skinned fruits or uncooked vegetables (water penetration). Don’t even brush your teeth with unfiltered water.
If you've lived in India for years, obviously you have built immunity to use it.
8. Sim card removal pin
Carry the sim card removal pin with you if you are wanting to switch SIM cards immediately post landing.
9. Be respectful
A lot of people speak very loudly to locals. A language barrier is not the same as someone who is hearing impaired. It’s quite rude. Also avoid intrusive photography.
10. Shop at Flea Markets
Among the topmost solo travel tips for Kasol is to shop here. For great stuff, head over to the Kasol flea markets that sell anything and everything at insanely low rates! You will be able to buy woolen garments, semi-precious stones, Bob Marley T-shirts, pendants, and idols of Hindu deities at the lowest possible prices.
With prices so low, it will be easy to shop for a lot of things instead of having to limit yourself. This is a good way to collect some fabulous souvenirs as well as gifts for loved ones back home.
Keep the above-mentioned awesome solo travel tips for Kasol in mind when planning to travel to this spectacular region. Book a couple of discount flights to India and enjoy exploring this fantastic place. Have the best Kasol trip ever!
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Are you thinking about moving to an apartment or a house and do you like smart devices? Many people believe that having a smart home is a luxury that only rich owners can afford, but the truth is that today there are hundreds of affordable smart devices that we can install and dismantle when we need or move.
Sometimes all I want is to press a button to solve a problem. This is increasingly possible with the smart home revolution. Technology companies are leaving behind the creation of smart and cutting edge products and focusing on what matters most so that they are useful.
I can never wake up until I smell coffee
What do you think of this? Your alarm sounds. You turn around and press a button. And in the kitchen, the coffee starts simmering. Even your house starts to smell like a cafeteria.
With the smart coffee maker, I can experiment with the chemistry of coffee. It may be that it looks like a normal coffee maker, but from inside my home, I can control it with my smartphone, turning it on from a distance or setting the time in advance to prepare the coffee. In addition to allowing me to program specific water temperatures and soaking times for ground coffee, it has automatic preparation functions. With the option to release the aroma, the smell of coffee gets even stronger.
The winter cold freezes me
Winter never felt this good with the smart clothes. I wear heat jacket and warm my feet using thermal socks, which work with rechargeable batteries. With the buttons on the sleeve I can control the temperature easily.
Help! Our room smells bad
That pine branch that I have it hanging in my room now only serves as a decor item. Instead, now I connect my smart air purifier to the outlet to improve air quality, as it neutralizes smoke, bacteria, noxious gases, dust, pollen and other irritants.
When I go to the bathroom at 2 am, it's dark and cold
The toilet seat, yes, the toilet seat lights the way and also gives me a feeling of warmth. My smart toilet seat has a night light that illuminates the toilet bowl. The seat heater has options for optimum comfort.
Wait, what we need are apples and milk?
I have long stopped relying on my family's worn lists and messy text messages. My smart refrigerator notifies me on the smart phone which products are running out. It also has a touch screen that displays recipes and videos for cooking, and contains a shared grocery list.
It takes a long time to turn on and off so many lights
Clap to light, clap to turn off - I'm joking. I have installed smart lights that can be operated with the smart phone to turn it on and off, in addition to controlling brightness and even colour. The lights also detect my smart phone when I approach the front door. Ready! The light turns on.
Mom wants to look smart and feel safe
My mom's Smart Wearable bracelets have no screens, so they do not clash with fashionable clothes. She can also simply tap it several times to activate a signal. The message and the coordinates of the GPS navigator are sent to the indicated contacts. The bracelet also works as an exercise monitor and measures the daily steps, and also vibrates to notify her that she has received a call, text message or email.
Cooking meat is a nightmare
My smart thermometer with Bluetooth serves to monitor the cooking of meat. It warns me with an LED light of the condition of the meat as I want it: cooked, juicy or ready. It comes with a smartphone app.
We cannot afford a security guard
My smart camera provides live streaming so I can see what is happening in my home in real time, and also allows me to record videos and take photos directly from my phone. It also has an night vision function and offers intelligent sound recognition that allow me to receive notifications if the camera detects smoke.
Are you tired of looking for the keys to the front door of your home?
It doesn't matter how many pennies you pinch on your getaway if your home gets burglarized or a pipe bursts while you're away. Before you leave for the weekend with family, take steps to protect your home from catastrophe. Pick up any keys you have hidden around the home's exterior, lock the doors and windows, and use light timers to discourage a break-in.
To guard against floods, fires, and power surges, unplug appliances, shut off the water supply, and ensure your smoke detectors are in working order.
My smart lock does not need a physical key. This smart lock is so wonderful that it unlocks automatically when it detects that I approach the door and it locks up once I enter the home. It is activated to open the door with an application installed on my smart phone.
But the interesting thing is that I can authorize other people and set the authorization through a sound and share it with family and friends. This authorization lasts whatever duration I want. Also through the application, I can get a detailed record of the people who have had access to the house and when.
Sometimes all I want is to press a button to solve a problem. This is increasingly possible with the smart home revolution. Technology companies are leaving behind the creation of smart and cutting edge products and focusing on what matters most so that they are useful.
1. Smart coffee maker
I can never wake up until I smell coffee
What do you think of this? Your alarm sounds. You turn around and press a button. And in the kitchen, the coffee starts simmering. Even your house starts to smell like a cafeteria.
With the smart coffee maker, I can experiment with the chemistry of coffee. It may be that it looks like a normal coffee maker, but from inside my home, I can control it with my smartphone, turning it on from a distance or setting the time in advance to prepare the coffee. In addition to allowing me to program specific water temperatures and soaking times for ground coffee, it has automatic preparation functions. With the option to release the aroma, the smell of coffee gets even stronger.
2. Smart clothes
The winter cold freezes me
Winter never felt this good with the smart clothes. I wear heat jacket and warm my feet using thermal socks, which work with rechargeable batteries. With the buttons on the sleeve I can control the temperature easily.
3. Smart air purifier
Help! Our room smells bad
That pine branch that I have it hanging in my room now only serves as a decor item. Instead, now I connect my smart air purifier to the outlet to improve air quality, as it neutralizes smoke, bacteria, noxious gases, dust, pollen and other irritants.
4. Smart toilet
When I go to the bathroom at 2 am, it's dark and cold
The toilet seat, yes, the toilet seat lights the way and also gives me a feeling of warmth. My smart toilet seat has a night light that illuminates the toilet bowl. The seat heater has options for optimum comfort.
5. Smart refrigerator
Wait, what we need are apples and milk?
I have long stopped relying on my family's worn lists and messy text messages. My smart refrigerator notifies me on the smart phone which products are running out. It also has a touch screen that displays recipes and videos for cooking, and contains a shared grocery list.
6. Smart lights
It takes a long time to turn on and off so many lights
Clap to light, clap to turn off - I'm joking. I have installed smart lights that can be operated with the smart phone to turn it on and off, in addition to controlling brightness and even colour. The lights also detect my smart phone when I approach the front door. Ready! The light turns on.
7. Smart bracelets
Mom wants to look smart and feel safe
My mom's Smart Wearable bracelets have no screens, so they do not clash with fashionable clothes. She can also simply tap it several times to activate a signal. The message and the coordinates of the GPS navigator are sent to the indicated contacts. The bracelet also works as an exercise monitor and measures the daily steps, and also vibrates to notify her that she has received a call, text message or email.
8. Smart thermometer
Cooking meat is a nightmare
My smart thermometer with Bluetooth serves to monitor the cooking of meat. It warns me with an LED light of the condition of the meat as I want it: cooked, juicy or ready. It comes with a smartphone app.
9. Smart camera
We cannot afford a security guard
My smart camera provides live streaming so I can see what is happening in my home in real time, and also allows me to record videos and take photos directly from my phone. It also has an night vision function and offers intelligent sound recognition that allow me to receive notifications if the camera detects smoke.
10. Smart lock
Are you tired of looking for the keys to the front door of your home?
It doesn't matter how many pennies you pinch on your getaway if your home gets burglarized or a pipe bursts while you're away. Before you leave for the weekend with family, take steps to protect your home from catastrophe. Pick up any keys you have hidden around the home's exterior, lock the doors and windows, and use light timers to discourage a break-in.
To guard against floods, fires, and power surges, unplug appliances, shut off the water supply, and ensure your smoke detectors are in working order.
My smart lock does not need a physical key. This smart lock is so wonderful that it unlocks automatically when it detects that I approach the door and it locks up once I enter the home. It is activated to open the door with an application installed on my smart phone.
But the interesting thing is that I can authorize other people and set the authorization through a sound and share it with family and friends. This authorization lasts whatever duration I want. Also through the application, I can get a detailed record of the people who have had access to the house and when.
Sunday, December 02, 2018
My passion for travel photography began a long time ago while traveling with my parents and my father took his camera everywhere. His hobby became contagious, and although I started knowing nothing about exposure, ISO or composition, photography has become a real passion.
My beginnings in photography were driven by the fact that I had a job that required me to be constantly traveling to several cities within the country. It is then that there was a day when I realized that I had an extensive gallery of photos of people, places, objects and landscapes, but, all in my cell phone.
I started to organize my gallery in a very basic and personal way. I did not have any editing program, not even some basic one. Even so, I started to find love in these photos because they brought back vivid memories of people and places that I had seen in my walk and it was then that I finally decided to buy my first SLR. My first big trip in which I chose to use this equipment was one that I made to Chile.
I remember that just before leaving I bought an angular lens because according to all the reviews I found on the internet it was the ideal one to undertake my first photographic mission where my goal was landscaping.
I left for Puerto Natales, where I arrived in the middle of the afternoon. On the way, I stopped for a drink at a roadside restaurant in Villa Tehuelches, which I thought was the typical sea. The owner ended up taking me to the kitchen, which she told me was typical Patagonian cuisine, which reminded me of my grandparents' coal kitchen.
Being able to document those special moments for myself, and doing it in the best possible way is very important not only for myself but also to be able to share it with my friends and family upon return.
Our experiences are shaped by the places we go, the people we know and everything that happens along the way. Travel photography is for me the set of all of them converted into one. The fact of documenting my trips gives me a feeling of happiness, as well as creating many good memories with which to look back.
Moving on the best thing about Villa Tehuelches was the modern telephone booth that the people felt so proud of. I see picturesque houses, streets full of light and people, many restaurants, and even a cafe where I have a drink in the middle of the afternoon. I stayed in a cabin on the outskirts of the city. That day I had my first barbecue of varied meats, with the usual Chimichurri.
Day 2
I had hired navigation through Última Esperanza Sound to see the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. I arrived at 8 in the morning to the port, with a gray, sad day, freezing wind and drizzle, and sailed about 3 hours until we reached Balmaceda. The boat trip is frankly beautiful, and I imagine that with the sun it will be even more. I see multiple waterfalls and different birds and marine species. I saw a colony of cormorants, all together on a rock, and a couple of sea lions crouched among the rocks.
When the glacier appeared, I was impressed. As you can tell, I was a newbie in the glaciers! Now that I have seen more, I must admit that it was a glacial mess. Almost all the glaciers of the Southern Ice Field are in retreat and are leaving exposed rock walls eroded by the ice. In the Balmaceda, this backward movement was visible.
Then the boat headed towards the other glacier. We disembark in a lenga forest, a typical tree of the area, and walk around Serrano through a path full of vegetation and plants unknown to us. This glacier was something else, although nothing is comparable to Perito Moreno glaciers. I returned to Puerto Natales after stopping at a ranch to eat a magnificent Patagonian lamb!
When I returned home just as digital nomads of this world, I arrived to see that I have lost all the travel photos because my camera got overheated. Losing photos is extremely disturbing because these moments will never come back in the same manner for me to capture again. A specific moment which I had captured is lost forever. Fortunately, I managed to get some of it back, so I thought I'd share some tips with you.
As you can see by searching Google, there are hundreds of options to recover files, whether they are from a memory card, a hard drive or any data storage unit. Stellar Data Recovery has excellent software for data recovery. It has helped me several times in recovering data from discs or SD cards for other people. Following the installation of the software in a different location than the origin of data loss, select the data loss drive and start to scan. Depending on the size of your card, it will take more or less time.
It is very simple since the DIY software has a visual interface that guides throughout the process. Normally, the first thing is the selection of the logical unit that I want to analyze, then the choice of a recovery method, the type of data I want to restore and location where to save it.
At the end of the scan, the recoverable files appear in a list. All you have to do is mark the ones that interest you and validate. Stellar can recover data even if an SD card is formatted. The SD card, in this case, contained many photos, which is why the process took time. The information about remaining time for the completion of the process was reliable. At the end of this time, I was able to recover almost all the photos.
To put it briefly, the data recovery software by Stellar has a lot of features making it one of the best data recovery programs out there.
If you are unable to recover data from SD card via the data recovery software, then use their data recovery services. A professional data recovery provider such as Stellar will help you retrieve photos safely and securely in their Class 100 Clean room facility which is the only one of its kind in India.
The USP of Stellar, which differentiates it from others is:
• 25 Years of Expertise
• ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 Certified
• 3 Million+ Customers
• 18 Locations Worldwide
• 400+ Employees
• 100+ R&D Engineers
• 100+ DIY Software
• Recovering data since 1993
• No Recovery - No Charge*
• Free Door Step Drive Pick Up
• 100% Data Privacy
It is often said that prevention is better than cure. It is a principle that must be applied even more regarding backup in photography. There are solutions to catch a crash on an SD card or a hard drive, but there are also some good practices to adapt to avoid the worst or to limit the case. Here are some tips for making peace with this unfortunate event and, as a bonus, how to make sure it does not happen.
Clean up your cloud before you leave
No matter what type of photo storage you use, be sure to clean it before you go and have enough space for your travel photos to sync. Also, do not forget to make Wi-Fi stops every few days or so for synchronization to happen! If you need a backup solution one step above, I recommend the use of a wifi hard drive. This type of hard drive has its battery, with an average of ten hours of battery life. It is even possible to watch movies streaming from the disc.
Send photos to loved ones from time to time
There are now many ways to send travel photos to those who have stayed both feet on the ground, be it via email, Facebook Messenger, iMessage or others. Sharing photos with your loved ones assures you that there is at least someone else who has a copy of some landmark photos. Personally, I use shared photo albums from my iPhone. My relatives, who also have Apple devices, can follow me. It's a lot more private than Facebook and it's directly in my phone's photo app.
Keep your device around the neck
It limits any risk of theft, loss, forgetfulness or falling. Keeping the device in the palm is tiring. Go for the Asian method with your device hanging on your neck!
Choose good SD cards
There is no point in buying a device that can take 15000 burst pics in 0.5 seconds, or videos in 28K resolution if your SD card does not keep pace and has trouble recording and read the data quickly. It causes a bottleneck that can be a source of crashes and data loss.
Format your card in the camera
When you sort your photos, do not delete them one by one from your device. Copy them to your computer and then format the card with the camera, not the computer. In this way, you are sure that the card is configured in the best possible way for the camera.
Do not put all your eggs in one basket
Commercial SD cards are getting cheaper while offering more and more storage space. So we tend to buy cards with high capacity, even more, when shooting in RAW format (an image format that contains all the sensor data from your camera, and allows for better photo processing). RAW format files contain more data and therefore take up more space on an SD card. Each of the photos I take with my DSLR occupies 30 MB on my card!
The solution is merely to have several SD cards of average capacities that you will use along the trip. If you lose one of the cards, you will not have lost everything, AND you will be able to continue taking pictures with one of the replacement cards.
All of these precautions do not protect against accidental erasure of photos or momentary crashing. Here are the good behaviors to adopt and some tools to try to get out of trouble.
Stop everything!
When you notice a problem on your USB card, USB stick, hard drive, and you can not read your photos anymore, do not use the card anymore, do not save any more photos on it, put it in quarantine so as not to aggravate the situation while waiting to try to recover the data and we will have a good chance of recovering it. Of course, it should be done as soon as possible. How? Well with a software specialized in data recovery.
My beginnings in photography were driven by the fact that I had a job that required me to be constantly traveling to several cities within the country. It is then that there was a day when I realized that I had an extensive gallery of photos of people, places, objects and landscapes, but, all in my cell phone.
I started to organize my gallery in a very basic and personal way. I did not have any editing program, not even some basic one. Even so, I started to find love in these photos because they brought back vivid memories of people and places that I had seen in my walk and it was then that I finally decided to buy my first SLR. My first big trip in which I chose to use this equipment was one that I made to Chile.
I remember that just before leaving I bought an angular lens because according to all the reviews I found on the internet it was the ideal one to undertake my first photographic mission where my goal was landscaping.
I left for Puerto Natales, where I arrived in the middle of the afternoon. On the way, I stopped for a drink at a roadside restaurant in Villa Tehuelches, which I thought was the typical sea. The owner ended up taking me to the kitchen, which she told me was typical Patagonian cuisine, which reminded me of my grandparents' coal kitchen.
Being able to document those special moments for myself, and doing it in the best possible way is very important not only for myself but also to be able to share it with my friends and family upon return.
Our experiences are shaped by the places we go, the people we know and everything that happens along the way. Travel photography is for me the set of all of them converted into one. The fact of documenting my trips gives me a feeling of happiness, as well as creating many good memories with which to look back.
Moving on the best thing about Villa Tehuelches was the modern telephone booth that the people felt so proud of. I see picturesque houses, streets full of light and people, many restaurants, and even a cafe where I have a drink in the middle of the afternoon. I stayed in a cabin on the outskirts of the city. That day I had my first barbecue of varied meats, with the usual Chimichurri.
Day 2
I had hired navigation through Última Esperanza Sound to see the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. I arrived at 8 in the morning to the port, with a gray, sad day, freezing wind and drizzle, and sailed about 3 hours until we reached Balmaceda. The boat trip is frankly beautiful, and I imagine that with the sun it will be even more. I see multiple waterfalls and different birds and marine species. I saw a colony of cormorants, all together on a rock, and a couple of sea lions crouched among the rocks.
When the glacier appeared, I was impressed. As you can tell, I was a newbie in the glaciers! Now that I have seen more, I must admit that it was a glacial mess. Almost all the glaciers of the Southern Ice Field are in retreat and are leaving exposed rock walls eroded by the ice. In the Balmaceda, this backward movement was visible.
Then the boat headed towards the other glacier. We disembark in a lenga forest, a typical tree of the area, and walk around Serrano through a path full of vegetation and plants unknown to us. This glacier was something else, although nothing is comparable to Perito Moreno glaciers. I returned to Puerto Natales after stopping at a ranch to eat a magnificent Patagonian lamb!
When I returned home just as digital nomads of this world, I arrived to see that I have lost all the travel photos because my camera got overheated. Losing photos is extremely disturbing because these moments will never come back in the same manner for me to capture again. A specific moment which I had captured is lost forever. Fortunately, I managed to get some of it back, so I thought I'd share some tips with you.
As you can see by searching Google, there are hundreds of options to recover files, whether they are from a memory card, a hard drive or any data storage unit. Stellar Data Recovery has excellent software for data recovery. It has helped me several times in recovering data from discs or SD cards for other people. Following the installation of the software in a different location than the origin of data loss, select the data loss drive and start to scan. Depending on the size of your card, it will take more or less time.
It is very simple since the DIY software has a visual interface that guides throughout the process. Normally, the first thing is the selection of the logical unit that I want to analyze, then the choice of a recovery method, the type of data I want to restore and location where to save it.
At the end of the scan, the recoverable files appear in a list. All you have to do is mark the ones that interest you and validate. Stellar can recover data even if an SD card is formatted. The SD card, in this case, contained many photos, which is why the process took time. The information about remaining time for the completion of the process was reliable. At the end of this time, I was able to recover almost all the photos.
To put it briefly, the data recovery software by Stellar has a lot of features making it one of the best data recovery programs out there.
If you are unable to recover data from SD card via the data recovery software, then use their data recovery services. A professional data recovery provider such as Stellar will help you retrieve photos safely and securely in their Class 100 Clean room facility which is the only one of its kind in India.
The USP of Stellar, which differentiates it from others is:
• 25 Years of Expertise
• ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 Certified
• 3 Million+ Customers
• 18 Locations Worldwide
• 400+ Employees
• 100+ R&D Engineers
• 100+ DIY Software
• Recovering data since 1993
• No Recovery - No Charge*
• Free Door Step Drive Pick Up
• 100% Data Privacy
It is often said that prevention is better than cure. It is a principle that must be applied even more regarding backup in photography. There are solutions to catch a crash on an SD card or a hard drive, but there are also some good practices to adapt to avoid the worst or to limit the case. Here are some tips for making peace with this unfortunate event and, as a bonus, how to make sure it does not happen.
Clean up your cloud before you leave
No matter what type of photo storage you use, be sure to clean it before you go and have enough space for your travel photos to sync. Also, do not forget to make Wi-Fi stops every few days or so for synchronization to happen! If you need a backup solution one step above, I recommend the use of a wifi hard drive. This type of hard drive has its battery, with an average of ten hours of battery life. It is even possible to watch movies streaming from the disc.
Send photos to loved ones from time to time
There are now many ways to send travel photos to those who have stayed both feet on the ground, be it via email, Facebook Messenger, iMessage or others. Sharing photos with your loved ones assures you that there is at least someone else who has a copy of some landmark photos. Personally, I use shared photo albums from my iPhone. My relatives, who also have Apple devices, can follow me. It's a lot more private than Facebook and it's directly in my phone's photo app.
Keep your device around the neck
It limits any risk of theft, loss, forgetfulness or falling. Keeping the device in the palm is tiring. Go for the Asian method with your device hanging on your neck!
Choose good SD cards
There is no point in buying a device that can take 15000 burst pics in 0.5 seconds, or videos in 28K resolution if your SD card does not keep pace and has trouble recording and read the data quickly. It causes a bottleneck that can be a source of crashes and data loss.
Format your card in the camera
When you sort your photos, do not delete them one by one from your device. Copy them to your computer and then format the card with the camera, not the computer. In this way, you are sure that the card is configured in the best possible way for the camera.
Do not put all your eggs in one basket
Commercial SD cards are getting cheaper while offering more and more storage space. So we tend to buy cards with high capacity, even more, when shooting in RAW format (an image format that contains all the sensor data from your camera, and allows for better photo processing). RAW format files contain more data and therefore take up more space on an SD card. Each of the photos I take with my DSLR occupies 30 MB on my card!
The solution is merely to have several SD cards of average capacities that you will use along the trip. If you lose one of the cards, you will not have lost everything, AND you will be able to continue taking pictures with one of the replacement cards.
All of these precautions do not protect against accidental erasure of photos or momentary crashing. Here are the good behaviors to adopt and some tools to try to get out of trouble.
Stop everything!
When you notice a problem on your USB card, USB stick, hard drive, and you can not read your photos anymore, do not use the card anymore, do not save any more photos on it, put it in quarantine so as not to aggravate the situation while waiting to try to recover the data and we will have a good chance of recovering it. Of course, it should be done as soon as possible. How? Well with a software specialized in data recovery.
