Huacachina – Peru: A desert oasis invites tourists who dare

About three years ago, I shared a post about a desert oasis in the sizzling hot Gobi Desert of China. Many of my readers doubted the authenticity of the existence of a lake right in the centre of one of the hottest deserts of the world where water evaporates in seconds. But it was right there – an oasis with a crescent shaped lake.

An oasis with a crescent shaped lake in one of the hottest deserts of the world: The Gobi Desert (China)

But as if that was just the beginning. There is yet a similar lakes right in the desert of Peru at Huacachina which has recently been an attractive tourist and travel destination from people around the world.

Huacachina – Peru - Just see the similarity between the two oases

The town of Huacachina is located in one of the driest place on the earth with only 96 residents. But it has hotels enough to accommodate those daring tourists who would not only like to enjoy a boat ride or a swim in the lake but also sandboard on the slops of the high dunes surrounding the oasis. 

The unique and awesome Huacachina oasis is situated only 4km from the southern city of Ica, a former Spanish colonial town located on the borders of the desert. Today, descendents of the Inca people make their living by hosting guests coming from afar to climb to the top of a wind-sculptured sand dune and watch the sunset illuminate the golden landscape, before sailing down the slopes on rented sandboards or dune buggies.

The lake is naturally formed, but there is a legend that a young princess was bathing when she was discovered by a hunter and fled, leaving behind a pool of water. Her flowing cloak was said to have created the surrounding sand dunes.

Watch tourists sandboarding on the high dunes surrounding the Huacachina oasis in the video below:

Read more and see more photos of this unique oasis at Daily Mail
Attributes: All photos above are the property of people/organizations as shown each on the photo and are being shared as shared in the Daily Mail.

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Top Travel Information from Around the World

World is full of strange and diverse travel destinations - not every traveler would like to go to Paris to watch the rusty Eiffel Tower Scottish Islands of Westray, or  since everyone has his/her own peculiar reasons and liking to select a travel destination.  While those in love will like to go to Rome's Trevi Fountain, those interested in slot machines will head towards Las Vegas. Similarly all other places which have their own exclusive attractions and if one is equipped with peculiarities of places or countries being visited, it will not only ease one's travel plans.

There also some local customs and traditions one must be abreast of. For example if in Iran a shop keeper 'nods' - which is normally taken as yes, beware of it as 'nod' in Iran means a bog NO. And if you happen to be in Switzerland, do not add salt and pepper in the dish served to you in a restaurant - such an act is considered offensive and against the etiquette.

Here are some interesting travel information that may come handy when planning a visit to various destinations around the world:

And now something about the Rome's Trevi Fountain. remember the famous movie 'Three Coins in the Fountain?' And the famous song with the same name sung originally by Frank Sinatra, followed by Dean Martin and Doris Day, and many others? Well this is the place where lovers come in flocks every day, make a wish a throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. 

Whose wish come true - you must watch Three Coins in the Fountain of the bygone days. But if you happen to be in Rome, do make a wish and throw a coin. Whether your wish come true or not, your coin will certainly help the charities to continue with their humanitarian work:

Photo Source: Funzug

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Travel Pakistan: Visit Nathiagali this Summer

With the summer vacation already set in and the heat of the hottest months of June-August making its effects felt, many form the plains moves up country to many cooler travel destinations of Pakistan. 

Generally, Murree is the most attractive place for all and sundry as it proivdes a shortest distance from Islamabad to reach the hill station. But Murree during summers gets overcrowded and noisy. It is OK for those who like the noisy thrill, the hussle and bustle and taking rounds of the lone Mall Road up and down many times a day. And when tired, one takes rest in many road side eatieries that provide sizziling hot foods and cold beverages.

Road to Nathiagali in late winters [Photo credit: Wikipedia]

But for those seeking a peaceful place to rest and enjoy the tranquility of a hill station amid its cool breeze, one has to go a little distance ahead of Murree to Nathiagali.

Nathiagali, part of the Kyhber Pakhtunkwa province of Pakistan, is a tourist haven, located 35 kilometres away from Murree and Abbotabad. It is almost equi distant from both these hill stations, or about two and a half hours' drive from Islamabad. During the British Raj days, it served as the summer camp of the Peshawar Commissioner.

The scenic Nathiagali [Phto credit: Asif Oghi]

Nathiagali, located at 8,200 feet ot 2,500 meters, is famous fo its scenic beauty, tall Pine, walnut, Oak and Maple trees. En'route from Muree to Nathiagali, one comes across scores of monkeys thronging the road side, which are largely attracted by tourists, who stop and offer them eatles and have tem photographed with these native  Dennises, the Menace. One should be careful not to go very close to these animals, as sometimes, these monkeys can really turn out to in menacing mood.

Monkeys of Nathiagali - frequent visitors of motels and road blockers [Photo credit:  Maytalking ] 

There are many small to medium sizes motels and hotels located atop the hill. But during the peak tourist season, it is advisable to have advance booking ensured so as no to turn back having reached such a peaceful resting place. 

Once in the hotels and motels, tourists are advised to sun their bedding on arrival to get rid of bed-bugs, and take repellents and pesticides along to fight back insects as these have a tendency to show up a lot, especially in old homes, and in the monsoon season.

Nathiagali Bazaar  [Photo credit:  Maytalking ] 

Nathiagali is a much smaller as compared to nearby Murree and Abbottabad. It has a small bazaar, but not compared to the underground bazaar of Murree, which generally thronged by ladies in search imported cloth.

The wooden St Mathew's Church [ Photos Courtesy: Maytalking ]

The St. Matthew's Church, entirely made of wood, is a tourist attraction - the church, a remnant of the bygone British Raj days, is located at the edge of the hill with a nice panorama towards Kashmir. On a clear day, the Nanga Parbat can been seen in the distance.

Miranjani Hill - view from Nathiagali [Photo Credit: Wikipedia]

There are many trekking sites available, specially the one that commences near the Governor's House and leads to the 2,90 metres high Miranjani Hill - it takes around 6-8 hours both ways. Miranjani is clad in Western Himalayan sub-alpine conifer forests, with Pine, Walnut, Oak, and Maple trees and shrubs and herbs. Or else, one can just stroll amid the tall pine forests on Nathiagali and collect pine cones as souvenirs for family and friends back home.  

The mountain treks on a misty day in summers   [ Photos Courtesy: Maytalking ]   

Nathiagali wears a heavy winter cloak of snow in months from November to March and becomes a haven for the honey moon couples, who find the place solitary and just right for the nostalgic early days of marriage. If one is attempting Nathiagali during the peak snow season, one is advised to travel from Abbottabad to Nathiagali as the road between Murree-Nathiagali gets generally blocked due to heavy snowfall.

So if you have plans this summer to move up north, do include a stay at Nathiagali - you will cherish it for many years to come.

Tags: | Travel | Places | Mountains |

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Around the World in 13,140 Days (36 Years)

Traveling has always been a passion among people from around the globe. But if adventure is added to it, it become, thrilling, exciting, fun and a bit dangerous too. 

There was a film that was made in 1956 with the title of 'Around the World in 80 Days.' The film was based on fiction, a novel written by Jules Verne. The star studded film, directed by Michael Anderson, had the main characters of the film performed by some of the famous and finest actors of the time including David Niven, Cantinflas, Shirley MacLaine and Robert Newton. The supporting roles were performed by equally famous performers like Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Trevor Howard, Buster Keaton, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Rober Cabal, Charle Boyer, John Mills, Melvine Cooper and many ohers.  John Wayne turned down an offer for the role of the Colonel leading the Cavalry charge, which was later performed by Col. Tim McCoy.

The film revolves around an interesting plot wherein an English gentleman Phileas Fogg (David Niven) claims he can circumnavigate the world in eighty days somewhere in 1872. He makes a £20,000 wager (equal to £1,324,289 today) with several skeptical fellow members of the Reform Club, that he can arrive back within 80 days before exactly 8:45 pm. And then the fun starts. The films takes off from Paris in a helium balloon and then takes you around Spain, India, Hong Kong, San Fransisco and through the wild West before culminating in the Reform Club. 

There was another movie with the same name made in 2004, wherein a bet pits a British inventor, a Chinese thief, and a French artist on a worldwide adventure that they can circle the globe in 80 days. The story is different from the story in the book written by Jules Verne, but this movie had its own  peculiarity as filmed in other places with different adventures. Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan and Jim Broadbent were the main stars of this version of the Around the World in Eighty Days. You may watch the trailer of the film here.

Motion Picture Around the World in 80 Days: 1956 (L) - 2004 (R)

And yet again there has been an adventure of a real kind in which Kien Lam from San Francisco has ventured an 'Around the world in 6,237 photos and in 343 days.' Kien Lam captured over 6,000 photos taken from his Panasonic Lumix GF-1 camera of the 17 countries he visited and traveled in 343 days. When he returned, he joined together these thousands of beautiful photos edited in Adobe Lightroom, Adobe After Effects and Final Cut Pro. He then transformed the photos in a 290 seconds long time-lapse video which I shared awhile ago at Jaho Jalal and can be seen here.

While the earlier two movies were based on fiction, the short time-line video of 290 second by Lam has realism in it as it is actually been traveled and photographed, though there is not induced adventurism or drama in it. But it can be called as the most modern use of travel means and photographic gadgets and techniques to capture the place visited and traveled.

Bill And Laurel Cooper: Around the world in 36 Years - Bill and Laurel (L: 2005), Laurel  (R: 1981)

But what I am going to talk today is another real-life travel spread over some 36 years or we can say 13,140 days. This is the journey by a couple Bill and Laurel Cooper who in 1974 decided to sail to different and distant places around the glob and continue doing so till they thought it was enough of a fun. In 1974 Bill was almost 48 years and still energetic to undertake this adventure with his wife Laurel.

Their odyssey spanning  more than three decades and 100,000 miles, berthing in 45 different countries, has finally ended with the docking of their third boat at river Medway at Kent, UK. 

During thier almost lifelong sailing, they have docked at the ports of Gibraltar, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Crete, Turkey, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Sicily, Sardinia, Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Canary Islands, Caribbean islands, Rhode Island, the US coast, Portugal, Cadiz, Morocco, Greek islands, Monaco, Azores, Lowestoft, Corsica, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Tunisia and Cambrai.

However unlike the fiction journey of the Jules Verne, they did not come to Asia or Australia. Their journey mostly centered around Europe and coming to Turkey at best in Asian continent. 

Summarizing their 36 years on the sea, Laurel Cooper, now 82 says:

‘I’m like  a cat, I can be comfortable anywhere – it’s how I have survived all this time. Bill’s a brilliant sailor. He was very much the captain and I was the mate – he would always steer and I dropped the anchor. We have had an absolutely amazing life. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.'

Read more at Mail Online about this amazing journey around almost around the world by this now elderly couple who devoted their life at sea, visiting places and destinations many have only dreamed of. 

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Bizarre and unusual destinations around the world

In April last year, I shared an unusual destination " Darvaza - the Door to Hell " to the travelers who are always in search of unique and bizarre destinations. as the name suggested, the place in Turkmenistan in the Central Asia is a burning hole of fire since God knows when. The locals have given it the name "Darvaza" or Door and relating it to the dooms day judgment when the sinners will put in to the hell, a similar place of burning fire as a punishment for the sins committed when living.

Some of the most bizarre and unique destinations around the world ('Darvaza' being on the top)

But Darvaza is just one countless bizarre place around the world, both natural and man made which one would wish to see at least once in one's lifetimes. If I start counting these places, perhaps the space in this post will fall short too early.

LA Times has short-listed many such destinations in wonderful slide show form to introduce these awesome  places to its viewers. Some of these are pictorially shown above, like Darvaza, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Calif, Bay of Fundy, Canada, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, Pamukkale, Turkey and Cancun Underwater Museum.

Of the ones shown above, the Cancun Underwater Museum is really unique as it is under water, featuring 400 life-size concrete sculptures. It's free, but visitors are recommended to go with tour operators - and needless to say you have to be a good underwater swimmer to pay a visit to this unique museum.

One such bizarre place is the Hostel Celica, Slovenia - which was once a military prison. Now the place has been converted into a hotel, but still maintaining much of its 'original' shape. The rooms still have a steel grilled door and padlock style door lock.

I will get back with detailed account on some of these places or the ones that haven't been mentioned above. So for the time being, enjoy the slide show and be absorbed in some of the unique and bizarre destinations around the world - and it may be no wonder if some of these actually attract you to be taken there and actually see their uniqueness in awe.

View the slide show for many more bizarre and unique travel destinations: LA Times

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Top 10 most visited countries in 2011

[ via otel.com ]

Seeing the many travel perks and privileges we can easily obtain today, it’s safe to say that travel has really gotten easier in the past years/decades. With the rise of budget airlines, alternative forms of transportation, travel promos, and lots of accommodations to choose from, more and more people get to go to places—more opportunities for travel have loomed, says otel.com.

Here are some of the places that have been hits in 2011:

1. The USA
2. The UK
3. Italy
4. France
5. Spain
6. Germany
7. Thailand
8. Switzerland
9. Turkey
10. United Arab Emirates

So if you intend planning your tours in 2012, know why these countries have been selected Here

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