Sabrina Horel feels there's no place like the west coast of America

"Always love coming home to the sunshine I haven't seen in months. Growing up in California, I always dreamt of going as far east as I could to NYC even Maine. I couldn't understood why people say to go west. After traveling the entire country in a year and a half, I get it. There's no place like the west coast from the mountains to the beaches, desert, and everything in between. No matter how far I wander, I'm proud this will always be my home." - Sabrina Horel, who claims to be a California hippie wandxring in a VW bus.

Sabrina Horel & her husband drove 55,000 miles, 43 states in the US, 7 in Canada, and 16 months later

55,000 miles, 43 states in the US, 7 in Canada, and 16 months later, Sabrina Horel and her husband did it!!!

The couple are back to where it all started. It was a beautiful journey to watch this dream come alive. she remembers talking on Skype when they started dating long distance in 2013. They dreamt of having a VW someday and doing exactly this. It felt like such a silly dream at the time. It wasn't easy and there were moments when they wanted to give up and turn around. Now, she is glad that they didn't.

(Source: @wandxrbus, @sabrinahorel on IG on 2017-11-10)

Kummatti festival at Kunissery in Palakkad district, Kerala, India

Kummatti is a festival of colour, fun and light at Pookulangara Bhagawathy Temple in the small, quaint and simple village of #Kunissery, #Palakkad district, #Kerala, #India.

Elephants’ parade with percussion music, votif art forms.

Coordinates: 10°38′20″N, 76°35′35″E

Festivals in Kerala are held according to the Malayalam calendar. In 2017, the Kummatti festival was held on 25th March.

The closest town from Kunissery is Alathur on NH544 and is about 7 km away.
Kochi to Palakkad via NH544 (i.e. via Aluva, Angamaly, Chalakady, Pudukad, Alathur, Kuzhalmannam) = 145 kms and takes about 3 hrs 30 mins by car.
Alathur to Palakkad via NH544 (i.e. via Kuzhalmannam) = 27 kms (30 mins).

Hostels and low budget decent hotels for backpackers in Varanasi, India

Hostels and low budget decent hotels for backpackers in Varanasi, India:

1) Stops Hostel.
2) Zostel.
3) Blox Hostel.
4) Granny's Inn
5) Palace on River (Rashmi Guest House) (www.palaceonriver.com).
6) Bunkedup Hostel (www.facebook.com/bunkeduphostelvaranasi).
7) Tiwari Lodge, B-1/243-A Road, Assi Ghat, Varanasi. Mobile: +91 94158 21033.
8) Shiva Ganga Lodge.

US Navy aircraft wreckage of 1973 in Solheimasandur's Black Sandy Beach in Iceland

White US Navy aircraft crashed 40 years (1973) ago in Solheimasandur's Black Sandy Beach in Iceland.
Wreckage never looked so surreal.
It's a 4 km one way trek to the wreckage site. The black sand beach a little beyond the site is amazing.
The site has been made even more famous by Bollywood, Hollywood movie shoots.
Thankfully everyone on the plane survived. Otherwise it would not be so cool posing in front of the wrecked airplane.
Try to visit in summer as you'll get over 20 hrs of day light. The photos were clicked at 10:30 pm.

Photo & content credit: @mdoutofoffice on IG.

Bubble-car "Isetta"

In the 1950s BMW teamed up with the Milan-based refrigerator company Iso SpA on this one, the bubble-car "Isetta".
This little car is soo cute!!

Road trip to Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa, near Bhubaneswar. Odisha, India

Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa (Buddhist Temple), off Bhubaneswar - Puri National Highway in the state of Odisha, India.
Dhauligiri is 7 Km from Bhubaneswar. The last 2 kms is a steep drive on a hillock.
The word 'shanti' in the name suggests peace. Since King Ashoka adopted the path of peace and tranquility and resorted to Buddhism, he laid the foundation of Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa at a place which is known for the end of Kalinga War. Here, one finds the edict of Lord Budddha which is visited by numerous Buddhist devotees.

Photos from Camille Toural's travel to Bali

Rice terrace at Tegalalang, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.


Rice terrace at Tegalalang, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.


Jatiluwih Rice Terrace.


Pula Tirta Empul, Tampaksiring, Indonesia.


Pura Ulun Danu Temple, Bedugul, Bali.


Kelinking Secret Point, Bali.


Nusa Penida, Bali.


Swimming with turtle at Gili Trawangan Island, Lombok.

Content credit: Camille Toural, Travel Blogger from Paris.
(@camille_trl on Instagram)

Fernhill Palace, Ooty, India

The first Fernhills bungalow was built in 1844 by Capt. F. Cotton. It changed hands over a period of time till mid-1860 when it was temporarily named Moonesami and served as one of Ooty's earliest country club. During the time of the British Raj, the English elite would flee the hot and muggy plains of the Madras Presidency and take sanctuary in the refreshing cool climes of Ooty, with its expanses of undulating hills and terraced tea gardens.

Fernhill Palace was the erstwhile summer residence of the Maharaja of Mysore. The palace resembles a Swiss Chalet. Its carved wooden bargeboards and ornamental cast iron give it that characteristic appearance. The palace grounds accentuate the alpine look of the place with its manicured gardens, firs and cedars. There is an interesting church like indoor badminton court on the grounds.

The Palace is spread out over 50 acres (200,000 m2) of green lawns, stylized gardens and dense woods with spectacular views of terraced tea gardens and lush verdant valleys.

Presently its a luxury hotel in Ooty named WelcomHeritage Ferrnhills Royale Palace.

John Lennon Peace Wall in Prague, Czech Republic

Featured in the photo: @li_dookie on Instagram.

John Lennon in Prague
John Lennon is in Prague – well, to be precise, his wall is in Prague although John Lennon himself never visited Prague in his short life.
In Mala Strana, near the French Embassy, you’ll see the John Lennon Wall. The wall that was formerly an ordinary wall in Prague has been called Lennon´s since the 1980s, when people have filled it with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.

John Lennon and the Communist regime
Lennon was a hero to the pacifist youth of Central and Eastern Europe during the totalitarian era. Prior to 1989 when communism ruled, western pop songs were banned by Communist authorities, and especially John Lennon´s songs, because it was praising freedom that didn’t exist here. Some musicians were actually jailed for playing it!

When John Lennon was murdered in 1980 he became a sort of hero to some of the young and his picture was painted on this wall, for whatever reason right here, along with graffiti defying the authorities. Don’t forget that back then the Czech people had few opportunities to express their feelings with their lack of freedom. By doing this, those young activists risked prison for what authorities called “subversive activities against the state”.

But the threat of prison couldn’t keep people from slipping there at night to scrawl graffiti first in the form of Beatles lyrics and odes to Lennon, then they came to paint their own feelings and dreams on the wall.

The Communist police tried repeatedly to whitewash over the portrait and messages of peace but they could never manage to keep the wall clean. On the second day it was again full of poems and flowers with paintings of Lennon. Even the installation of surveillance cameras and the posting of an overnight guard couldn’t stop the opinions from being expressed.

John Lennon Peace Wall
The Lennon Wall represented not only a memorial to John Lennon and his ideas for peace, but also a monument to free speech and the non-violent rebellion of Czech youth against the regime. It was a small war of Czech people against the communist police who cleaned the wall.

At first glance the Lennon Wall is like any graffiti-covered wall you see around the world. But this wall is special thanks to its history. I’ve heard people saying that it is Pague’s equivalent of the Berlin Wall. They are not far from the truth. Some people also believe that the „John Lennon Peace Wall“ helped inspire the non-violent Velvet Revolution that led to the fall of Communism in the former Czechoslovakia in 1989.

In 1998 the wall had to go through reconstruction of its crumbling facade but the spirit of the wall lives on. It used to be covered in anti-Communist graffiti, now it is covered in messages of love and peace. The original portrait of Lennon is long lost under the layers of new paints but if you look hard enough you can still find tributes to Lennon and a yellow submarine!

The wall, located at Velkoprevorske Namesti, Mala Strana, is owned by the Knights of the Maltese Cross, who allowed graffiti to continue. It will be a symbol forever.

How to get there
From metro station Malostranska (green line A) take trams no. 12, 20, 22, 23. The nearest tram stops to Velkoprevorske namesti are either Malostranske namesti or Hellichova.

Nikki Misurelli is biking the world solo because her ex-boyfriend said that it was too risky

You might not think that by the time you’re 30, you’d have slept by the roadside in a tunnel in Italy, sold all your belongings, and maxed out your Facebook friend limit, but Nikki Misurelli has done all that. She’s also motorcycled 17,500 miles across the world – and if that’s not enough, she’s done all that alone.

Ever since she passed her driving test, Misurelli used her modest Honda CBR600RR to nip to the supermarket and drive around town back home in Alaska. Then in September 2016, her boyfriend-as-was got the idea for the trip of a lifetime.

"He said he wanted to motorcycle all the way from Alaska down to Argentina," Misurelli told The Independent. “I asked him if I could go with him but he said no, that it was a 'guys only' trip. 'It’s too dangerous and intense,' he said. 'You probably couldn’t handle it'.

"So we broke up and I went by myself."

Since then - when she covered 12,000 miles from Alaska to Panama - Misurelli has barely stopped. On her sports bike (she's made it into an "adventure bike" by adding dual sports tyres), not only has she ridden the west coast of the Americas and spent time in Central America, but last month she finished a 5,500 mile journey over the other side of the pond. She ticked off Italy, Spain, France, Gibraltar, Portugal, Austria and Slovenia, and even nipped over to Morocco.

Much like van-dwellers, a predominantly American group of people who choose to live in vans, Misurelli doesn’t have a job, a house, or even a permanent base to live.

"A lot of people just assume I’m rich," she says. "But it’s not true. I have no house and barely any possessions. I pulled all my retirement money and sold almost all of my belongings. It’s amazing how little we actually need in life." In between trips, she works part-time; on the road, she carries a tent, hammock, sleeping bag and a few clothes. It also helps that she doesn’t have many outgoings: she never plans ahead, but sleeps wherever she can, whether that’s a hostel, tent, or sofa. In Italy, she once slept in a highway tunnel.

"I did some camping in the mountains but it was really cold – it was pouring down and I wanted somewhere warm, with no wind or rain," she tells The Independent. "I didn’t feel like socialising or finding an Airbnb so I just decided to go for it." She wasn’t nervous, she says – she’s rarely nervous, in fact – because "bad things can happen anywhere in the world, but there are more good people than bad." She never feels alone, she says because even a chat with someone in a petrol station gets her mood up.

Next on the agenda is a work stint – Australia or America, she says, to do anything that allows her flexibility (in the past she’s waitressed and done construction work). Within six months, she’ll be back on the road – ideally in the Middle East, she says, or possibly North Africa.

Misurelli does see herself as an ambassador – “I want women around the world to get out there and get travelling,” she says – but ultimately, roadtripping is something she needs for herself. Even if it’s not the easiest lifestyle. "If you want something enough, you can make it work," she says. "That’s how I feel about travel."

Source: Independent.co.uk dated April 12, 2017.

Old Havana in Cuba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal

Havana, Cuba

The Old Havana, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, is full of narrow streets, restaurants, bars, plazas, hotels and museums. It received intense revitalization work and today is colorful, full of street performers, live music, craft fairs and of course, lots of history. It is common to be approached by restaurants touts, but its better to search in applications and specialized sites.

Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal approves these:
Esto No Es Un Cafe - Good for a relaxed lunch;
Paladar Los Mercaderes - Must book at night.
Both come with a great Mojito.

(Photo and text: Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal - @travellingwithus on Instagram)

Havana tour in an old car by Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal during their travel to Cuba

Havana, Cuba

A city tour in an old car is among the most popular tours in Havana. The options are varied and to choose one to enjoy the three hours is a difficult task. There are many colors, models, convertible or not. Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal got one convertible Chevrolet almost 100% original, which is very rare here. The driver took them to every place and to a neighborhood called Miramar. It looked like Beverly Hills.



There are many forms of transport in Havana. The best of them is on foot. However, considering the distance or if you prefer, there are four taxi options: traditional taxis, tricycles (photo), the fun coco taxis and the famous old taxis (photo). We have experienced all and we liked better the last two. Regardless of the option, negotiate the value. There is no taxi meters and some drivers can charge double.

(Photo and text: Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal - @travellingwithus on Instagram)

'Floridita' is among the best bars in Havana, says Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal during their Cuba visit

Havana, Cuba

Floridita is among the best bars in Havana for many reasons. A bit touristic, but unmissable. It offers the best Daiquiri, Piña Colada and Mojito in the region. From 5pm on, it usually invites local bands to play, which makes it more fun.

Other places that also caught our attention:
Sloppy Joe's - For a snack and a good drink with comfort;
La Guarida - The best night restaurant with a charming bar on the rooftop.

(Photo and text: Lucas Lessa & Kelly Vidal - @travellingwithus on Instagram)

Marakkesh in Morocco visited by @virbc1 (on Instagram)

Photo: @virbc1 on Instagram.
Marakkesh, Morocco.

Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is a major economic center and home to mosques, palaces and gardens.
The medina is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with mazelike alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. A symbol of the city, and visible for miles, is the Moorish minaret of 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque.

10 secluded beaches in Philippines for 'skinny dipping'

A secluded beach in Philippines.
Photo: @doyoutravel on Instagram.

What is skinny dipping? Simply put, it’s the act of swimming naked. Although Philippines is generally a conservative country, it has many islands that are remote, hidden and even uninhabited.

The following beaches and islands are worth a try for fulfillment of your fantasy:
1. Nakabuang Beach, Sabtang, Batanes.
Ride a plane to Basco, Batanes then take a faluwa or boat from Ivana port. The waters can be rough at times so make sure to go when the weather is calm.

2. Mahabang Buhangin, Calaguas Islands, Camarines Norte.
The easiest and fastest way to go to Calaguas is via plane to Naga City. Then take a van going to Daet for about two hours. Alight in Paracle where you can hire boats to Calaguas Islands. You can also ride a bus or van from Manila to Naga City but it will take you about eight to nine hours.

3. Tinago Cove, Caramoan, Camarines Sur.
The way to Caramoan is similar to Calaguas. The jump off point is Naga City. From Naga, you can take a bus to Caramoan where you can find boats for hire. On our trip, we managed to take our car with us from Tacloban City to Caramoan. Just make sure to have a map with you.

4. Bitaog Beach, Palumbanes Island, Catanduanes.
The fastest way to Virac is via plane from Manila. Then you’ll have to take a bus ride for five hours to Caramoran. Go to Baybay port and then hire a boat to take you to Palumbanes.

5. Marilima Beach, Virac, Catanduanes.
From Virac, Marilima Beach is just a tricycle ride away.

6. Sibang Cove, Calayan, Cagayan Valley.
There are many ways to go to Sibang Cove. From Manila, you can take a bus to Claveria, Aparri or Sta. Ana. From those places, you can ride boats to Calayan and request that you be taken to Sibang Cove.

7. Sumilon Island, Oslob, Cebu.
Visitors to Sumilon usually come after whale-watching in Oslob. From Cebu City, take a van or ride an Oslob-bound bus at Cebu South Bus Terminal. Ask the driver or conductor to drop you off at the Sumilon jump off point. Then hire a boat to take you to Sumilon Island.

8. Nagaja Beach, Hernani, Eastern Samar.
The best way to go to Hernani is from Tacloban City. Travel time is about two to three hours. From the town, you can hire a tricycle to take you to Barangay Nagaja. The beach is quite secluded but locals would know how to get there.

9. Jagnaya Beach, Salcedo, Eastern Samar.
Travel time from Tacloban City to Salcedo takes about three to four hours by van. Then head to Barangay Jagnaya by tricycle or you can also take a hike to get there. You won’t get lost as locals are familiar with the area.

10. Mahaba Island, Cuatro Islas, Inopacan.
From Tacloban City, visitors will travel for about three hours. The dock for special boats is located near the municipal hall of Inopacan. Boatmen can offer a roundtrip package plus island hopping to all four islands. You can also take a boat from Ormoc City to Hindang and hire a boat from there.

The National Library, Kolkata, India

The National Library on the Belvedere Estate in Alipore, Kolkata is the largest library in India by volume and India's library of public record. It is under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. The library is designated to collect, disseminate and preserve printed material produced in India. The library is situated on the scenic 30-acre (12 ha) Belvedere Estate in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the largest in India with a collection in excess of 2.2 million books. Before independence, it was the official residence of Lt. Governor of Bengal.

The National Library of India collects book, periodicals, and titles in virtually all the Indian languages, with Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjab, Sindhi, Telugu, and Urdu. The Special Collections in the National Library of India house at least fifteen languages including "Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, etc with many rare works. The Hindi department has books that date back all the way to the nineteenth century and the first ever books printed in that language.

Interesting statistics about National Library:
Over 2,270,000 books,
Over 86,000 maps,
Over 3,200 manuscripts,
Over 45 kilometers of shelf space,
Reading rooms can accommodate over 550 people.

The Calcutta Public Library:
The history of the National Library began with the formation of the Calcutta Public Library in 1836.
That was a non-governmental institution and was run on a proprietary basis. People contributing ₹300 (US$4.60) in subscription became the proprietors. Prince Dwarkanath Tagore was the first proprietor of that Library. ₹ 300 at that time was a significant amount, so poor students and others were allowed free use of the library for some period of time.
Lord Metcalfe, the Governor General at that time, transferred 4,675 volumes from the library of the College of Fort William, Kolkata to the Calcutta Public Library. This and donations of books from individuals formed the nucleus of the library.
Both Indian and foreign books, especially British, were purchased for the library. Donations were regularly made by individuals as well as by the government.
The Calcutta Public Library had a unique position as the first public library in this part of the world. Such a well-organized and efficiently run library was rare even in Europe during the first half of the 19th century.

The Imperial Library:
The Imperial Library was formed in 1891 by combining a number of Secretariat libraries in Calcutta. Of those, the most important and interesting was the library of the Home Department, which contained many books formerly belonging to the library of East India College, Fort William and the library of the East India Board in London. But the use of the library was restricted to the superior officers of the Government.

Amalgamation of CPL and Imperial Library:
In 1903, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, the Viceroy of India, conceived the idea of opening a library for the use of the public.
He noticed both the libraries, viz. Imperial Library and Calcutta Public Library were under-utilized for the want of facilities or restrictions. He decided to amalgamate the rich collection of both of these libraries.
The new amalgamated library, called Imperial Library, was formally opened to the public on 30 January 1903 at Metcalfe Hall, Kolkata. Metcalfe Hall had earlier been the home of the Governor-General; Wellington, Cornwallis and Warren Hastings had lived in the building, and the last-named had fought a duel with a member of his governing committee on its grounds.
The Gazette of London reported, "It is intended that it should be a library of reference, a working place for students and a repository of material for the future historians of India, in which, so far as possible, every work written about India, at any time, can be seen and read."

Declaring the Imperial Library as the National Library:
Formal opening of the National Library was on 1 February 1953.
After the independence the Government of India changed the name of the Imperial Library as the National Library, and the collection was shifted from The Esplanade to the present Belvedere Estate. On 1 February 1953 the National Library was opened to the public.

Discovery of hidden chamber:
In 2010, the Ministry of Culture, the owner of the library, decided to get the library building restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). While taking stock of the library building, the conservation engineers discovered a previously unknown room. The ground-floor room, about 1000 sq. ft. in size, seems to have no opening of any kind.
The ASI archaeologists tried to search the first floor area (that forms the ceiling of the room) for a trap door, but found nothing. Since the building is of historical and cultural importance, ASI has decided to bore a hole through the wall instead of breaking it. There are speculations about the room being a punishment room used by Warren Hastings and other British officials, or a place to store treasure.
In 2011, the researchers announced that the room was filled entirely with mud, probably in an effort to stabilize the building.

Brick Lane, in London's east end is a must visit for great curry

Once a down-trodden part of the city, Whitechapel in east end of London has now become super trendy with its art galleries, small artisan shops, markets and array of social enterprises nearby - all just a stone's throw from the heart of London's financial centre.
Most of all, what's most lovable is the diversity and multi-cultured nature of London, which makes the city what it is. Around here the street signs are also in Bengali.
There's a large Bengali population since the 1960s in this part of London, which is right beside the London docklands.
This part of London is the best place to pop in for a curry!!
Bengalis operated 'Tayyabs', just off Brick Lane offers great curry dishes.

(Photo & content credit: @soultravelblog on Instagram)

P.S: @soultravelblog visited London's east end during her stay at @qbiclondon, a boutique green hotel.

A day's drive to Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar, Karnataka which boasts of the tallest Shivalinga in Asia

The Kotilingeshwara Temple lies in a very small village named Kammasandra in the Kolar district. The temple is extremely famous because of the largest and the tallest Shivalinga present in Asia. More than 2 lac devotees visit this temple every year.

Maha Shivaratri is a special occasion and a large number of devotees make it a point to be there on this auspicious day. The temple can be easily reached from the gold fields of Kolar.

Kotilingeshwara. Image courtesy Mithila

The Shivalinga is 33 mts tall. It has an accompanying Basava statue which is 11 mts tall and is surrounded by a large number of Shivalingas spread across the area. The project involves an establishment of one crore shivalingas hence it is named Kotilingeshwara and currently, there are about a hundred lakh shivalingas.

Kotilingeshwara Temple. Image courtesy pponnada

Quick Facts about Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar

The best time to visit: between July and January.Address: Kodilingam Temple Road, Ghattakamadenahalli, Kolar-563121 (Map)Timings: 6:00 AM- 9:00PMEntry Fee: INR 20 per personCamera Fee: INR 100 per cameraParking Charges: INR 30Linga Installation Fee: Starts from INR 6,000

Panoramic View of Kotilingeshwara Temple. Image courtesy Visurao4all

History of Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar

This temple has been constructed by Swami Sambha Shiva Murthy in the year 1980. The first linga was installed in 1980 and since then there have been many lingas present in the temple. There is also a huge and tall Nandi installed beside the linga. The Nandi is 11 mt tall and sits over a huge platform.

Within the premises of the temple, there are about eleven other temples for different deities. The first of them includes the temple of Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, and Lord Maheshwara temples. This is followed by a temple of Lord Kotilingeshwara.

Kotilingeshwara Temple. Image courtesy Pponnada

The temples include Goddess Annapoorneshwari Temple, Goddess Karumaari Amma Temple, Lord Venkataramani Swamy Temple, Lord Panduranga Swamy Temple, Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana Temple, Lord Panchamukha Ganapathy Temple, Lord Anjaneya Temple, and finally Goddess Kannika Parameshwari Temple.

The Government has declared this temple as a tourist spot so that hundreds of tourists from across the World can come and pay their respects to the largest Linga in Asia. Two flower trees, named one Nagalinga and Cannon Ball are located here, and many unmarried women pray for a blessed and happy married life.

Kotilingeshwara Temple. Image courtesy Pponnada

Poojas at Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar

Daily poojas are performed at all the installed Shivalingas by the priests every day. The pooja is carried out with music and drums and all the priests recite mantras as well as pour water on the lingas.

The devotees can also offer special poojas by installing the lingas. These lingas can be installed on any day chosen by the devotees in their names. Regular poojas will be carried out and offered to all the lingas installed.

Kotilingeshwara Temple. Image courtesy Pponnada

Facilities at Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar

There are rest houses constructed for devotees in the temple premises. In addition, free mass marriages are performed here every year. This is carried out by priests with drums, music and chants. Currently, there are around twenty weddings performed every week. There is also a meditation hall built for devotees who wish to meditate in peace.

Kotilingeshwara Temple. Image courtesy Mithila

How to Reach Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar

By Road

If you want to reach the temple by road, you need to head through Kolar. Kolar is at a distance of 2.5 hours from Bangalore. Kotilingeshwara Temple is a day's drive from Bangalore and back.

Harley-Davidson from Mumbai meets a ship of the desert in near Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India

It was near Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajasthan, India where a Harley-Davidson from Mumbai, almost 1200 kms away crossed paths with a ship of the desert, viz. camel.
India is one country where one gets to see a $160K LandRover Evoque sharing a highway with a $40K Harley or Indian and with camel carts strolling past at easy pace. It's a country of mixed demographic profile. Come to India. Do a 'backpacking India on road' and also 'be my car travel buddy in India'.

Photo courtesy: Bharat De.

PanchaMukha (five-faced) Hanuman Temple is 2 kms from Rameshwaram temple in Tamilnadu, India

PanchaMukha (five-faced) Hanuman Temple is 2 kms from Rameshwaram temple in the state of Tamilnadu, India.
Here Hanuman is dressed with vermilion. The temple also has deities of Rama, Sita and Hanuman which were originally at Dhanushkodi but were brought to the temple site after the killer cyclone in 1964. A few floating of the stones called 'Sethu Bandanam' supposedly for building the ancient bridge between India and Sri Lanka are carefully preserved in the temple.

By worshipping PanchaMukha Anjaneyar, one can get rid of enemies with the help of Narashima Mukha, overcome all types of Dosha with the help of Garuda, get all types of wealth with Varaha; and get Gnana with Hayagriva.
At this temple, there is an oil-fired lamp next to lord Ram which has been kept burning for over three decades. Panchamuga Anjaneyar’s huge idol is open to the sky without any canopy on top. It is believed that the 700 years old temple at Dhanushkodi, was also destroyed during the cyclone in 1964 and some of the 'moorthams' (idols) were brought here.

Temple timings: 6:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand visited by Manee (anniewanderer on IG)

Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand.
Photo: @anniewanderer on Instagram.

The Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of Sukhothai, literally "Dawn of Happiness", capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now Northern Thailand.
The Sukhothai Historical Park ruins are one of Thailand’s most impressive World Heritage Sites. The park includes the remains of 21 historical sites and four large ponds within the old walls, with an additional 70 sites within a 5km radius. The ruins are divided into five zones; the central, northern and western zones have a separate 100B admission fee.

Prada store in Marfa, West Texas visited by Yulia Dyukova

This is Yulia Dyukova in the small town of Marfa in West Texas. Every year Marfa is flooded by thousands of fashionistas traveling here with one goal – to take a picture in front of Prada store.
The shop is located right in the middle of Texan desert with nothing around but occasional cars passing and tumbleweeds rolling on the road. Prada was created as a land art project. Although the doors of the store are always closed, you can peek through the window and see real Prada shoes and bags from the fall/winter 2005 collection, selected by Miuccia Prada herself.
Prada boutique, though, is not the only strange thing you can find in Marfa.

Read about the rest in her blog http://www.thefoodiemiles.com.

Yulia Dyukova (@thefoodiemiles on Instagram) is a Russian food and travel blogger who found home first in Sri Lanka for 3 years, then in Brazil for a year and is currently based in Austin, Texas. She is the kind of person who starts a research of the new country by googling “what to eat in…” instead of “what to visit in…” Yulia is a self-proclaimed “food nerd” who will spend hours reading on the origins of pecan pie before trying it and who doesn’t consider waiting in line of 50 people to get a cronut a waste of time. She finds it hard to keep her delicious findings to herself and that is the reason why her blog exists.

Be my car travel buddy in India

That's me, Deep Banerjee (founder of Indian Roadie and Global Roadie) at Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, the land of leopards in the state of Chattisgarh, India while driving solo from Pune to Kolkata.
I love to see India while travelling together with wanderlust backpacking travellers from throughout the world. 3 to 4 persons at a time from across the world are invited to travel with me in my car (SUV or sedan) at a very low cost (we will go Dutch!) in total comfort and absolute safety.
In the process, my travelbuddies get a true feel of entire India, its culture, topography, people, food, etc, etc. I get them to talk to the local populace in villages/ towns/ cities, school students, and also engineering/ business school students at various locations to understand the true India.
Multiple numbers of driving circuits have been planned for all weather round the year drives. However, we strictly do not drive during the night.
For students, researchers, bloggers, photographers, friends, couples, backpackers this will be one cherished and unforgettable holiday. This is not a business proposition. We simply embark on a journey and drive around as friends!

Does this sound interesting? Do you have friends who could be interested in joining me?

Email me on: roadieglobal@gmail.com
Call/ WhatsApp: +91 82408 49300

Connect to me and 'inbox' me on: www.facebook.com/deepbanerjee.marketingpundit.
Also 'like'/ 'join' the Facebook 'pages'/ 'groups' @ IndianRoadie, @ GlobalRoadie.
Follow me on Twitter @IndianRoadie, @GlobalRoadie.

#BeMyCarTravelBuddyInIndia
#BackpackingIndiaOnRoad

4x4 option for an adventure on road

Amongst the best possible options for an adventure on road.
Looking forward to your adventure stories on road in these or similar beasts.

Wedding ceremony at Moore Beach, Tahiti

Tahitian wedding ceremony at Moore Beach, Tahiti.
Source: @timmckenna on Instagram.

Burj Al Arab, a must drive destination in Dubai

Amazing click of Burj Al Arab, a must drive destination in Dubai.
Photo curated from: @worldtravelig on Instagram.

The Burj al-Arab, is a luxury hotel with 202 rooms located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the third tallest hotel in the world; however, 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space. Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship. It has a helipad near the roof at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground. It has 56 floors, including 3 floors below the ground level.
Construction of the hotel started in 1994. The hotel opened its doors to guests in December 1999.

The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. Despite its size, Burj Al Arab holds only 28 double-story floors which accommodate 202 bedroom suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 sq mtr (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 sq mtr (8,400 sq ft).

The Royal Suite, billed at US$24,000 per night, is listed at number 12 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012.

Official website: www.burj-al-arab.com

Rain forest in north-west Oregon is gorgeous

Oregon is gorgeous!!

It's absolutely beautiful.

The North West portion of Oregon is a rain forest. It can rain a lot in Oregon. However, the summers are still wonderful. The huge mountains/ volcanoes are a sight to behold.
This is one of the first waterfalls you get to see on the gorge. It's maybe 30 min from Portland.

Source: @TheBucketlistFamily on Instagram

Big Ben in London

Big Ben, the majestic landmark in London, United Kingdom standing tall.
Photo: @the.littleme on Instagram.

Jeep Compass to be launched in India in 2017

Jeep has huge plans for India going forward. While they currently have their CBU range on offer, they will soon be making their products in India. The Compass will be the first product to be made in India and according to a report by Overdrive, the vehicle is expected to start as low as Rs. 16 lakhs, which means it is going to take the fight to the XUV500 and the top end variants of Creta.

When is the expected launch?



The vehicle is expected to be launched in India in August 2017 and will have an introductory price of Rs 16 lakhs ex-showroom, which is way below the 20-25 lakh expectation that most people had. The Compass will be the first Jeep to be built in Fiat’s Ranjangaon facility near Pune. The Compass will also be exported from India to other markets.

Possible positioning:
The Compass is a compact SUV that seats 5. It is based on the Renegade platform, which means it is a small SUV about 4.4 meters long and 1.9 meters wide. It borrows design cues from its elder sibling, the Grand Cherokee. It has the similarly designed front grill and headlamps that give it an aggressive yet macho look. At the back, it will get LED tail lamps. The vehicle is pretty stylish to look at and will surely bring in a lot of customers if the pricing is done right.



On the inside, the car will get a U-Connect infotainment system with Apple carplay and Android auto. The touch screen system will either be a 7″ or a 8.5″ one based on the variant chosen. Safety features will include 6 airbags, ABS, ESP, hill hold assist and reverse parking camera with sensors. Jeep has confirmed that all their products launched will come with the option of 4wd, which means we can expect both the 2wd and the 4wd version to be on offer. The 4wd model will feature a Terrain-select dial to choose between the various terrains.

Power:



Fiat will offer the 2.0 liter Multijet engine with the Compass. This will churn out 160 Bhp and 350 Nm and will be mated to both a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic gearbox. There is no clarity on what petrol engine will make it to the Compass, if any.

Variants:
The Compass will be offered in a total of three trim levels, Sport, Longitude and Limited. Details on the loadings that each trim will possess are still not available and will be known closer to the date of the launch.

Competition:
Given the 16 lakh introductory price tag, the Compass will surely take buyers away from the Creta and the XUV500. This Compass will take on the Tucson and the Yeti though, in terms of positioning. Yes, the XUV, Hexa and the Crysta all have a third row, something which the Compass doesn’t. However that third row is barely used. What you loose there, you make up for in terms of brand value. Also the Jeep will be more capable than its competition, given that we will be getting the 4wd variant as well.

Source: Overdrive