Rafting in Rishikesh

Written by Zara Jones

The holy Ganga River is one of the strongest anchors of the Hindu religion. It holds the faiths of millions of people and is looked upon as a saviour. The journey of a Hindu life begins and ends in Ganga. The river immerses not only the sins of the people but also the bodily ashes of the departed souls.

The sacred waters of Ganga originate from the mighty glaciers of the Himalayas and after a journey of 250 kilometres, it reaches the plains of Rishikesh (in Uttarakhand).

River Rafting Tour Rishikesh  Photo Credit : Bhandariseo

Rishikesh is the base for undertaking the ‘Chota Char Dham’ pilgrimage comprising - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. The city is also famous for its Yoga and Ayurvedic treatments. The rejuvenating effects of the therapeutic practices get more enhanced through the spiritually enriched in the  picturesque land of Rishikesh.

There is one more facet of Rishikesh for which it has become renowned world over - the adventurous side of the revered land. Rishikesh offers various enthralling activities like river rafting, body surfing, cliff jumping, rappelling, rock climbing, waterfall trekking, kayaking and canoeing. Among all of them, river rafting, which is famously called white water rafting, is the major sparkling attraction, bringing thousands of people to Rishikesh.

Steven Moore of Lowestoft ENGLAND

28. Featured Traveller 
 Steven Moore

Writer : Novelist : Traveller

 Lowestoft ENGLAND

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, 
in the end." ~ Ernest Hemingway

Featuring a fellow traveller is fun and fulfilling. It's a great honour, especially to me as a blogger who tries to reach out, not only to a cool guy who blogs, but that is also a seasoned writer. 

Flag of the United Kingdom

I am talking about nomadic Steve, who, once upon a time, hailed from England.  He has since travelled to many places around the globe (and still counting). I cannot help but publish the list of countries he has explored, not just once, but a couple of times. Have a look and tell me if you notice something.

England (home),  Republic of Ireland,  Wales x 5,  France x 3,  Monaco,  Spain x about 20,  Italy x 2, Vatican City x 2,  Holland x 3,  Belgium x 2,  Czech Rep x 2,  Poland,  Austria,  Germany x 3, Greece x 2,  Turkey x 3,  Slovakia,  Hungary,  Israel x 2,  Egypt x 2,  Tunisia,  Morocco,  Nepal, India x 2, South Korea x 3,  Japan,  China (Hong Kong),  Singapore x 3,  Indonesia x 4, Philippines,  Malaysia x 5,  Thailand x 8, Cambodia x 2,  Vietnam,  Laos,  Australia x 6,  New Zealand x 4,  Fiji,  French Polynesia,  Argentina,  Chile,  Brazil,  Peru,  Mexico x 3,  U.S.A x 2, Canada.

It's no wonder Steve does not stay long in the UK. He is always on the road, and possibly at places we still haven't heard of. 

You might ask why he's visited Spain the most (20 times) and not India (x2) which is his favourite destination. Steve must have a good answer to that. Please note that he is a writer, so he can surely justify as you read on.

Steve in the Red Sea

Steve loves to travel by train but prefer to walk on his travels.

He muses, "Budget is important, as I tend to go on longer "trips" than short holidays. But sometimes, you've just got to splash out on once in a lifetime moments. Carpe Diem, right?"

Taiwan- beautiful island blending East and West

Written by Ruth Sheffer

The lure and magic of the East with the comforts of the West - what could be more tempting?

After living in China for a while, the attraction of modern toilets and a clean environment could never be overstated. So with this in mind we hopped on a ferry boat to the island of Jinmen and from there onto a small domestic flight and soon found ourselves in the heart of the capital city, Taipei.

Maobitou Rock Formations & Cliffs - TAIWAN

How can I describe Taipei - bustling, cultured, fascinating, illuminated? 

All of these are true, but not enough to capture the charm of the city. It has a great subway system, cheap and easily navigated even by those who don't read Chinese characters. It has skyscrapers, the famous Taipei 101  being one of them, it has Asian markets full of cheap knock-off goods, but also exclusive glitzy fashion stores for the fashion conscious, and it has every style of restaurant imaginable, from the hole in the wall noodle guy to the fancy elegant upscale seafood place. 

It also has a fascinating history and enough museums to prove it, and finally it has art galleries and exhibitions. We were lucky enough to be there during a Hello Kitty exhibition in a building formerly a tobacco factory.

Autumn in Patroklos Island

Written by Antonis Iordanoglou

Years ago I heard my father talking about Gaidouronisi (donkey island in Greek), as we drove to Cape Sounion, watching this remote island, located quite close to the shore. We now know the place as Patroclos (or Patroclus’) island and since I got my speedboat I often moor at its sandy beaches and protected bays.

Island of Patroclus...

On that October Saturday, I had gone spearfishing with a friend, again in that island. The weather was weird: it started like a north wind but kept changing direction west - east. The clarity at the atmosphere was amazing. We loiter at the spotless horizon all the nearby Cyclades islands up to Serifos. What a sweet autumn afternoon...
 
Very few boats had come out to the sea that day and quiet was absolute. Underwater it was quiet too; fish were not many, but the images were full of greatness.

I was watching around, during my dives, the remains of the many shipwrecks of Patroclus. Broken crockery everywhere, iron plates, wires, handles from ancient jugs tied to incredible formations with the colourful rocks of the seabed, trimmed with all kinds of seaweed, anemones and sponges. I've seen those remains many times.

A Whistle Stop Tour of Ireland

Written by Kate Power

If you can, I would advise spending a whole year in Ireland.

Visit the best cities in the world like Cork, Galway, or Belfast. Go to the small towns and soak up the sights and sounds. Get invited to go surfing on the Atlantic Coast at Doonbeg, find yourself in Enniscrone, find out why it’s called the Devil’s ladder in Kerry or discover the undiscovered beauty of islands like Baltimore off the Cork Coast. You could spend a long time in Ireland and still not discover everything. But, we don’t always have the time, so I’ve taken a couple of highlights for a quick stopover in Ireland.

Dublin

Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. Photo Credit: Tinou Bao

A hop-on hop-off bus tour is a good way to spend a morning.

Dublin is a small city so it only takes an hour or two and if nothing else, it’ll help you figure out where everything is.

A good place to stop off is at either the National Gallery or the National Museum; both are free and offer a real insight, if in broad sweeping strokes through Irish history. You cannot leave without visiting the Guinness Storehouse. Its reputation is well earned; offering a fun and imaginative tour. It finishes off with a pint of the black stuff in the Gravity Bar, one of the best views of the city.

The Science Gallery is an incredible science and information hybrid, with real life experiments like growing cheese out of your armpit or clothes from a pint of Guinness as well as a great lunch. It’s free in, just check their programme to see what’s exhibiting when you arrive.