Dubrovnik : A gem in Croatia

One of the best parts about watching a Bollywood movie is the visual treat they endow with. The locations are explored even for a minute’s scene or for a single song. Thanks to the team behind, we have been introduced to countless exotic locations.

The latest Bollywood release “FAN” showcased brilliant cinematography at Dubrovnik. One of movie’s most important scenes is shot here giving us a glimpse to marvel at the beauty of Dubrovnik.  The place has just made its entry to my bucket list. Read on to know more about this gem in Croatia.

About Dubrovnik

The pearl of Adriatic, Dubrovnik lies in the extreme south of Croatia. You are awe stuck the moment you set your eyes on the beauty of this old town. It seems as if the entire city is turned towards the sun and the sea. The description of the city is straight from a poet’s heart – The warm southern climate, the clear blue sky, attractive turquoise green and dark blue depths of the sea along with the rocky coast, the numerous gulfs, bays, cliffs and subtropical flora.

How to reach

All major airlines fly to Dubrovnik from metros in India with a 1 stop/ 2 stops+ flight.

For people planning Euro trip, you can add Dubrovnik as one the cities as there are direct flights from all important cities in Europe to Dubrovnik.

 Visa for Indians

Only two or multiple entry Schengen Visa is valid for entering the Republic of Croatia.

Source: schengenvisainfo

When to go

Throughout the year the weather is worth a visit. The mild Mediterranean climate makes the winter appealing with fine sunshine.  Snow is a rarity here and the summer is not too harsh. The best months to go are April – September.

Currency

1 Croatian Kuna = 10 INR approx

Where to stay

Hotels/ Apartments are easily available. 1 star to 5 star hotel properties can be booked for a comfortable stay. Our choices are:

For Luxury stay

Radisson Blu Resort & Spa

Experience not just world class comfort & luxury but also fall in love with the postcard-perfect views. It is on the edge of the Adriatic Sea and not too far city centre and old town.

Source: https://www.radissonblu.com/en/resort-dubrovnik

For Budget stay

Lafodia Sea Resort

Lopud Island, which is situated 5kms from the town of Dubrovnik, has a pristine resort by the name of Lafodia. Despite being a budget hotel, Lafodia enjoys being on an island where no car is allowed! Noise and air pollution are unknown here. Lafodia is one of the best and most praised hotels in Dubrovnik region.

Source: http://www.lafodiahotel.com/en/location/dubrovnik

 

Things to do

       

       Ancient City Walls

       Dubrovnik Cable Car

       Island of Lokrum & Lopud

       Old Town

       Forts & Museums

Tip: Purchase a Dubrovnik card for sightseeing, entry to several museums and use of city’s bus system gets free.

5 Must Visit Heritage Sites in India

18^th April is celebrated as World Heritage Day across the globe. The purpose of this day is to create awareness about the heritage sites and the highlighting the need to conserve and protect them.

As of now, there are 32 monuments and sites in India that are recognized by UNESCO and are considered having outstanding universal value.

The Suitcase brings you 5 of the 32 heritage sites that should be added to your bucket list right away.

Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam

The park covers an area of 42,996 hectares (1, 06,250 acres) & has the distinction of being home to the largest population of the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. There are many other mammals and birds species in the sanctuary.

Source: wikimedia

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, Bihar

Spread over an area of 12 acres, it was inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage list as a unique property of cultural and archaeological importance.

Source: Wikimedia

Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal

It has the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world. It also has the largest reserves for Bengal tigers.

Source: Wikimedia

Ajanta & Ellora Caves

Both are listed in UNESCO under the cultural heritage sites.  The Ajanta caves depict richly decorated paintings, frescoes which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya paintings of Sri Lanka. The Ellora Caves are a cultural mix of religious arts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.

Source: indianluxurytrains

Western Ghats

Also known Sahyadri Mountains, it is a mountain range along the western side of India. It is considered as one of the world’s top ten “Hottest biodiversity hotspots”. 

Source: Wikipedia

New Destination Alert – Ras Al Khaimah: The New Jewel in The Emirates' Crown

Spend a relaxed day at pristine beaches

If you want to get away from the hustle bustle of Dubai’s fast paced life and yet want to enjoy the authentic Arabian experience, this is the place to be! Another jewel of the Emirates’ crown is shinning and will soon be the next most sought destination for the all kind of travellers. With options ranging from mountains to desert, from beaches, mangroves to water sports and many ancient cultural sites, Ras Al Khaimah is the quieter sister of Dubai.

Learn to Sail

 

How to reach?

Fantastic high speed drive of 45 mins from Dubai International airport, Ras Al Khaimah can be reached by hiring a cab or by daily shuttles from most of the hotels. One can stay in Ras Al Khaimah and can explore the cities of Dubai, Oman and Abu Dhabi as a stopover destination, one day tour or extended emirate holidays. The lure of staying at Ras Al Khaimah is that it is tranquil, calm and not too far from the most happening places.

Airlines such as Emirates and Fly Dubai operate to Ras Al Khaimah along with Air Asia and very soon Qatar Airways will be joining the line.

The beautiful mosque

 When to go?

The Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah receives round the year sunshine with little rainfall and perfect winter temperature. While the west has a long stretch of sandy coastline, the east has a majestic mountain range called the Ru’us Al Jibal which has Jebel Al Jais – the highest peak in the entire UAE where sometime it snows during the winter!

The best weather to visit is October-April when the climate is cool; rest all five months record high temperatures especially during the daytime.

Snow at Jebel Al Jais

Where to stay?

Ras Al Khaimah is home to many high end hotels and resorts for a luxurious break. There are options of boutique hotels as well offering authentic hospitality and local culture.

You can opt for budget hotels like Double Tree or experience high end luxury with Banyan Tree and Hilton. There are many beach front resorts for a relaxed break.

Luxury @ Banyan Tree

What to do?

• Book a private yacht and enjoy swimming, snorkeling, fishing or book a champagne package for a beautiful & romantic sunset view.

• Book a desert safari for dune bashing, belly dancing, Tanoura and Arabic barbeque.

• Visit Tower Links Golf Clubs set in mangrove reserves with mountains as the backdrop.

• Join Ras Al Khaimah Sailing Academy between the months of October and April to learn sailing since the weather conditions are ideal.

• Enjoy one its kind experience falcon and raptor display & fight show featuring region’s most diverse collection of falcons, hawks, owls, eagles and kestrels.

• Beat the heat at Iceland Waterpark with extensive range of games, slides and food court. Be a part of the world’s tallest man made waterfall which has facilities for guests to be in the midst of it.

• Live a life of a "Bedous" (nomadic tribes) with one of a kind desert camp at Bedouin Oasis Desert Camp.

• For party loves – beach, music & dance is the best combination! So head for the famous beach parties.

• Camel Race is an interesting way to spend the morning which in turn is a fun filled unforgettable experience.

Falcons fight competition

Trekking the mighty mountains

Catamaran Ride - Fishing in the azure water

Visa Procedure: Standard Tourist Visa required for Emirates. “Ok to Board” is a must for flying to the UAE. Documents such as return air ticket, accommodation detail, scanned copy of passport’s first & last page and 2 passport size photographs are required.

Exotic massage@the beach

Source: http://www.rasalkhaimahtourism.com/

 

Unusual, Unheard & Unknown Attractions in India

The curiosity of knowing the unknown and unseen attracts everyone. India is a land of mystery with diverse culture and tradition. We have plenty of options when it comes to popular tourist attractions but most of us aren’t aware of many unheard places in India that can be a traveller’s delight.

Thalon Cave – Manipur

The cave in the Tamenglong district of Manipur provides the first concrete evidence of Hoabinhian culture in India. The cave is located 900m above sea level and is around 80kms from Imphal. The darkness gives a feeling of irk and people feel frightened when they enter the cave.

Image Source: eenaduindia

Hide and Seek Beach – Orissa

Orissa has a long coastline of around 480kms with plethora of beaches, few of them being outstandingly pristine. Chandipur beach is one such beach where high and low tide plays an interesting game. The sea water recedes up to 5km in low tide and hits the surf of the shore during high tide. You can see the sea literally vanishing before your eyes and then see it coming back rhythmically, as if playing hide and seek.

Image Source: thrillophilia

Mohammadpur Umri – Allahabad, UP

A small non-descriptive town in Allahabad is known as the “Twin Capital” of India because it is the highest producer of twins, perhaps in the world. There is no mythological or scientific reason behind it, the main cause is still unknown. This unusual population is not just limited to humans but to animals too.

Image Source: himsamachar

Floating Islands of Loktak – Manipur

Another astonishing place in Manipur is the floating islands of Lohtak located in Moirang, about 39km from Imphal. The Lohtak Lake has assorted mass of soil, vegetation and other organic matter collectively called as Phumdis floating on the lake. The beauty of the lake doubles because of the floating phudmis of different geometrical shapes.

Image Source: indiamarks

Malana – Kullu, HP

An ancient village in north of Kullu Valley lies Malana (also known as Village of Taboos) still completely isolated from the rest of the world. This remote village is mainly known for its Charas and has also attracted hashish lovers from all across the world. The Malana natives prefer their own world and are still untouched by technology and globalization; rather it is the oldest standing democracy of the world with people abiding their own rules. The Malana people consider themselves as descendants of Alexender and have their own religious beliefs. P.S: They consider non natives as untouchables!

Image Source: piczload

Roopkund Skeleton Lake – Chamoli, Uttrakhand

Around 16,000 feet above sea level, at the bottom of a valley, lays a frozen lake full of skeletons. Creepy!! Definitely! The trek to Roopkund is considered as one of the most breathtaking treks in India but inside this paradise the ghostly skeletons surely makes this place a must visit. There are many theories behind how more than 500 skeletons are there but no concrete proof to support the theories.

Image Source: indiamarks

Mass Bird Suicide – Jatinga, Asaam

The village of Jatinga in Assam witness a bizarre phenomenon every monsoon. When its dark & foggy and the clouds come down on the hills during the months of September-October, hundreds of migratory birds fly full speed towards trees and buildings crashing themselves to death. Since 1960 when the “Mass Suicide of birds” was first observed, until this day the mystery remains unsolved.

Image Source: inyminy

Dhanushkodi – Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

The ghost city at the tip of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu is the only land border between India and Sri Lanka. Also known as the Lost Land, the place is junction of two seas – Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean. The remains of Rama’s bridge from Ramayana are found here and indeed Sri Lanka is just 31kms! The entire village was devastated in a massive cyclone that swept away everything including the railway tracks, engines, carriages etc.

Image Source: erwinvoogt

Barren Island – Andaman, Nicobar Islands

The island has the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia that has erupted 10 times in couple of decades last being in 2008. The journey from Port Blair to Barren Island is awe-inspiring with captivating natural beauty. No one is allowed to stay at the Island but if you get lucky you never know when next you will be able to have this once in a lifetime experience of nature’s fury (read as beauty). The water surrounding the Island is supposed to be among world’s top scuba diving destinations.

Image Source: volcano.si.edu