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Fairy chimneys – that’s what Cappadocia in Turkey is famed for. No not man-made, no not those in children’s fables, no not a few in a garden for a birthday party! Spread all over the 100 sq kms of Goreme National Park and beyond, formed naturally from the volcanic ash of eruptions, shaped over the years by wind and water erosion.
On our last day in Istanbul (Turkey) we took a walking tour exploring the Chora Church, Greek neighbourhood Fener and old Jewish quarter Balat on the southern shore of the Golden Horn. We ended the day with the popular Bosphorous tour at sunset, nay ending the day looking up to the imposing Galata Tower.
At Fethiye by the Mediterranean Coast of South Western Turkey I hadn’t ever imagined that the Saklikent Canyon tour would include a challenging river walk to Gizlikent (Hidden Waterfall), a pit stop at Tlos – an ancient ruined Lycian hilltop citadel, an adrenalin rushing river tubing and a wacky mud bath. Each experience was an adventurous memorable first.
George Town is part of Penang island and the capital city of the Western Malaysian state. Ranging from Colonial and Chinese to even Thai and Burmese besides of course Malay, Penang offers a diverse experience and a tremendous mix of culture and history contained in its architecture, temples and bylanes. However, the interactive street art stole our hearts.
Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is the largest Hindu Temple ever built. It took 30 years to build, 300000 workers, 4 million tonnes of stone, in the 12th century. Seeing the day’s last rays of the sun fall on the temple and bathe it with golden light is a magical experience.
A 2 week road trip took us through 2000 year old Buddhist caves in Dambulla, the 5th century AD Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress, our tryst with wildlife at Udawalawe and Bundala, whale and dolphin watching at Mirissa, a stint at stilt fishing (a dying tradition), getting close to sea turtles at a conservatory and more.
In Central Province of Sri Lanka, lies Sigiriya Lion Rock, also called the 8th Wonder. Said to have formed from the magma of an extinct volcano, Sinhalese King Kasyapa I built it in the 5th century A.D., atop a plateau, 200 meters above the surrounding jungles. At the entrance of the palace is a gateway in the form of an enormous lion.
Franschhoek in South Africa’s Western Cape Province surrounded by the vineyards, lying in the shadow of dark enigmatic mountains has a storybook setting with a stunning landscape. It is considered to be the food and wine capital of South Africa. The highlight of our stay indisputably was the The Franschhoek Wine Tram hop-on hop-off tour.
Bastakiya Quarters in Bur Dubai is a quaint neighborhood built in 1890s by Iranian merchants and restored by Dubai Municipality in 2005. Walk through labyrinth alleyways and visit heritage courtyard houses topped with wind towers. Enjoy the open art galleries and those within the restored traditional houses. Here is a photo essay of Bastakiya’s mystic old merchant settlement!
Adrift Couple 