A Fresh Perspective on Travel Every Day
With Ramadan generally meaning a wind-down all over the Muslim world, you might expect that the red city of Marrakesh shuts up shop for the month, but that isn’t exactly the case. While the holy month means that many in Muslim-majority Morocco will be fasting during daylight hours, that doesn’t mean that Marrakesh is in any way off limits (though it might make finding an end-of-the-day beer a bit harder).
Visiting Jordan during the month of Ramadan is an extraordinary opportunity to experience local life and culture, and it’s unlike any other time of the year. The holy month is known as a period of spiritual discipline for Muslims, but it’s also incredibly festive with family gatherings, decorative lights, late-night eats, and entertainment. For the most part, the tourism industry operates as usual. However, some services – such as alcohol sales – and opening hours are noticeably affected, so it’s wise to be prepared. Here’s what travellers can expect to encounter in Jordan during Ramadan.
Texas has always had a unique love affair with music. Fiddles and steel guitars are as ingrained in the fabric of the Lone Star State as blue bonnets, cowboy boots, and 20-ounce steaks.
From sea to sky, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) shines like no other South African province. Its 600km-long, beach-lined coast serves as an unparalleled playground for visitors and locals alike, while the towering peaks and passes of the mighty Drakensberg mountain range enchant explorers. Between the two lies an enthralling landscape that beautifully intertwines cultures of past and present and is also home to some of Africa’s most extraordinary safari experiences.
Covered in impenetrable forests and lined with craggy coastlines, Alaska has achieved almost a mythic status as the Last Frontier – a land of hardy explorers and off-the-grid adventurers, raw wilderness, and crevasse-cut glaciers. However, how easy is it to get a sense of the call of the wild that draws many people to this state? To find out, I followed in the footsteps of the American artist Rockwell Kent, whose urge to explore led him to live in a cabin on a barely inhabited island off the coast of Alaska, 100 years ago.
The Silk Road is renowned as one of the world’s earliest trade routes, facilitating the exchange of goods between China and Europe, via Central Asia. Notably, Buddhism began spreading into China from India along this route as early as the first century AD. This exchange brought forth the construction of temples and holy sites by hollowing out rock faces: Buddhist caves adorned with exquisite mural art emerged across China.
Tremblant, a bilingual pedestrian village in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains, is celebrated as one of the best ski resorts in Eastern North America and welcomes more than 2.6 million visitors each year. While it has a well-deserved stellar reputation for snow sports, the long summer days are just as exciting.
Recently discovered and still largely unknown, Kazumura Cave on the Big Island of Hawai’i isn’t just the longest lava tube in the world – it’s also a unique national treasure of both geological and cultural significance.
From the ultimate Rembrandt exhibition to ground-breaking vegan restaurants, with sustainable sightseeing and limited-edition craft beers thrown in for good measure, 2019 is shaping up to be a fantastic year to visit Amsterdam.
Over the centuries, the medinas of the Maghreb have disseminated their magic far outside the monumental walls that surround them. Weary traders have sought shelter infanadiq(ancient inns used by caravans) after bargaining for medina-made goods to export to every corner of the globe. Artists, including the 19th-century Orientalist painters, made fashionable careers by capturing medina scenes on canvas. Furthermore, Hollywood directors have long used medinas for exotic location shoots and as inspiration for over-the-top set designs back at the studio.
Some popular tourist sites in Japan, from temples to bars, are starting to refuse entry to foreign visitors due to bad behaviour and poor manners, according to local reports.
Great literature can bring places to life, stirring our wanderlust as it ignites our imagination. Whether it’s the tale of a search for buried treasure, a battle against one’s inner demons, or an epic, perilous journey home, brilliant narratives can inspire us to embark on new adventures.
Between the rugged summits of the Rockies and the swooping crests of the Appalachians, the Ozarks seem to barely spring out of the ground. However, these relatively unassuming mountains, which cross from Arkansas into southwestern Missouri, hide more than 300 miles of mountain biking trails that cater to both beginner and expert riders alike.
For the Greek Orthodox Church, Easter (Pascha; 28 April 2019) is the biggest religious festival of the year, celebrated with utter reverence and almost total participation. The Holy Week serves as the climax of Lent, a period of devoutness and church attendance, even among those who aren’t deeply religious. The Resurrection symbolizes the seasonal return of life in nature after winter, reflecting the blooming glory of spring, where the floral scents in the warm air enhance the spirituality of the event.
In any trivia quiz, there’s always a trick question about capital cities – the one that fools quizzers into mistakenly naming a major metropolis as the seat of power. And no wonder: there’s a host of top-class, attraction-heavy, bucket-list places around the world that you would be forgiven for thinking are their country’s capital… but aren’t. To help you avoid this booby trap, here’s our list of urban heavyweights whose cultural, historical, and financial pre-eminence speaks for itself, even if officialdom lies elsewhere.
London has been home to some of the greatest writers who have ever lived. The city provided a backdrop for some of the most memorable characters ever created, and it inspired some of the best literature ever penned, from the wonderful novels of Woolf to the perfect poetry of Wordsworth and the gripping insights of Dickens.
Few places in Hawaii are as untouched as the sibling islands of Moloka’i and Lana’i. Rare are the high-rises, shopping centers, and crowded beaches of the other islands. Instead, visitors can immerse themselves in the tales of the islands’ past.
The water towns of eastern China, located near Shanghai, are celebrated for their charming whitewashed houses, arched stone bridges, and lively canal-side streets. Most of these towns are situated in a region known as Jiangnan, meaning ‘south of the Yangzi River’. Many locals still continue their traditional lifestyles along the waterways, using the Yangzi’s tributaries and canals for various daily activities, such as washing clothes, catching food, and transportation.
A surprisingly world-class art scene awaits in the Midwest, and it’s not where you think. Chicago may have its Art Institute, but the place to be is 450 miles due west, in Omaha, Nebraska. Here, a wide swath of works – from classical masterpieces to public art projects to hand-crafted artisan works – make their mark on and add color to this underrated city.
Prior to my departure to Antigua, I had received commendations regarding the stunning beaches and excellent snorkelling opportunities available. Therefore, after a refreshing day of exploration, my primary objective was to engage in snorkelling.