Travel Lakshadweep
Hundred Thousand Islands
Hit The World’s Happiest Spots
Nov 5th
In Lonely Planet‘s latest publication, 1000 Ultimate Experiences, you can find the world’s 10 happiest places! Pack your bags for a “happy” vacation – head to one of these sites.
We’re always looking for happy places to visit. You’ll be spoilt for choice here. The list goes like this:
1. Denmark
2. Wuyi Shan, China
3. Andorra
4. Malawi
5. Hidakagawa, Wakayama, Japan
6. Colombia
7. Bhutan
8. Happy, Texas
9. Montreal, Canada
10. Vanuatu
World’s First Underwater Cabinet Meeting at Maldives
Oct 17th
Imagine an official presidential meeting held 20ft under the sea? Well, that’s exactly what Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed did. He held the world’s first underwater meeting at Girifushi Island, about 20 minutes from Male. The meeting which just finished was chaired by the president and was attended by the vice president and the cabinet members. Only a couple of ministers with health issues were absent from it.
They signed a declaration calling for united global action on climate change, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in December in Copenhagen. Talk about signing, the documents were covered with waterproof plates. This underwater meeting was just one of the climate-related international activities of the environmental NGO 350.org.
After the meeting, the president will hold a press conference and a bicycle ride will be flagged from the official jetty at Male, at 1:30 p.m. local time.
Ministers spent half an hour on the sea bed and they communicated with white boards and hand gestures. They had been practicing diving for two months and for the meeting, each minister was accompanied by a diving instructor and a military minder. A few journalists sporting snorkels also attended it.
Maldives, which is the world’s lowest lying country, is the most affected by global warming. It is said that if the current situation continues, Maldives become uninhabitable by the year 2100. Also, Maldives, a country that depends on tourism and related activities such as Scuba diving and snorkelling will suffer much due to the global warming’s affect on its reefs and coral atolls.
Spectacular white diamond from Pretoria
Oct 5th
Diamonds are forever. Indeed. And the Cullinan mine in Pretoria, South Africa just seems to reiterate that fact. A white diamond, weighing 507 carats (about a 100gm) was unearthed from the mine on September 24.
The Cullinan mine is also famous for having produced the world’s largest diamond ever found, the Cullinan, in 1905. This diamond, which weighed 3,106 carats in the rough, was cut into several smaller ones and the biggest is part of the Crown Jewels of Britain.
Don’t be amazed – this mine has also produced other huge diamonds – the Golden Jubilee (755 carats rough) and the Centenary (99 carats rough), and the Taylor-Burton (69 carats polished).
Foster Botanical Garden, Honolulu
Sep 9th
This is Hawaii’s oldest garden! It was built in 1855 by German doctor William Hillebrand and his wife. He was also a botanist and he stayed within the area leased to him by Queen Kalama. The garden now covers 14 acres and has a collection of more than 10, 000 rare tropical plants from across the globe, besides the trees planted by Hillebrand. Located in downtown Honolulu, it has been filmed in many TV shows and Hollywood movies. The garden has been the scene for many a wedding and commercial photo shoots.
The garden is divided into different sections housing a range of plants and trees. Guided tours within the garden will bring you close to orchids, variety of medicinal plants, ones used for fabric and dyes and a prehistoric garden containing primitive plants.
The garden is open throughout the year, except on Christmas and New Year’s Day, for a nominal fee.
Saving The Komodo Dragon – Indonesia
Aug 21st
The Komodo Dragon is the largest lizard in the world, and it is only found in the volcanic islands of Komodo, Pinca, Padar and other nearby small islands in Indonesian archipelago. The Komodo National Park came into being in 1980 and in 1986, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere reserve.
According to UNESCO, the park has about 5,700 lizards. An adult Komodo Dragon can weigh up to 70kg and can grow up to three metres in length. The park also conserves animal like the lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo, cobra, friarbird, vipers, Timor deer, fruit bats and orange-footed scrubfowl. The park is also home to different varities of coral.
The area used to have human inhabitants even before the park was established. Now, about 4,ooo people live on these islands. They are mainly fishermen and traders. They trace their ancestry to Indonesians as well as Chinese settlers.
Bali is the nearest point from where you can charter a flight or travel via road to the park. There are boat services from Bali, Labuan Bajo, Bima and Lombok. The islands are a treat for Scuba divers. Places like Toro Oi, GPS Point, Nisaleme Island, Letuhoh Reef, South Tala, Tiga dara and Crystal Rock are popular dive sites.
In order to conserve the flora and fauna of the national park and the near by waters, authorities are providing alternative livelihood for the inhabitants of the park and there are many programs for research and to keep a check on the islands’ intricate ecosystems.
Cruising Ahead – Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong
Aug 15th
The Victoria harbour is located in the South China Sea, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula. It was earlier known as Hong Kong Harbour. During its British rule, it was a huge centre for trade. It still continues to be.
What makes this beautiful islands paradise so is its stunning cruises. You can take a ride in a traditional Chinese Junk or in more modern cruises. There are day, evening and sunset cruises to choose from. One even promises dolphin-spotting.
Victoria harbour is a busy port and attracts a huge number of tourists every year. Victoria Peak here is a major tourist spot.
Vladivostok – Lord of The East
Aug 14th
This beautiful Russian port located on the south-eastern boundary of Russia. The capital, Moscow, is more than 9,000km away! It is only 100km from the nearest Chinese border, and the nearest Japanese territory is the Honshu island.
The Vladivostok port, located on the western coast of the Golden Horn Bay, was established in 1897. It was opened to international cargo in 1991. Japan, South Korea, Thailand, China and Vietnam are some of its key Asian trading partners.
The city is picturesque mix of forts, hills, quaint streets and nature trails. It also has a lot of art collectives and museums. There is a huge oceanarium and dolphinarium in the city.