best things to do in – Page 13

South Africa

February 27, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AfricaTagged Albert Luthuli, best things to do in, bunny chow, Cradle of Humankind, Drakensburg, Durban, Johannesburg, Shaka Zulu, South Africa, Vredefort Crater1 Comment

As Chris and I looked at flights out of Mauritius and into Comoros, we found that most flights made use of the Johannesburg airport. Since we have friends in South Africa, whom we have not seen since we left Khartoum in 2011, we decided to stopover for a week and visit the area.

We arrived in Johannesburg, connected to Durban, and were picked up by our friends Paula and George. It was great seeing them and reminiscing about our days of the Khartoum Hash House Harriers and the crazy adventures we used to get up to in Sudan. We stayed with them for four relaxing days, and explored the area near Durban.

Nice to see a friendly face on our travels!

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Cruising the Indian Ocean: Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, and Reunion

February 18, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in Africa, AsiaTagged best things to do in, costa cruise, Diego Suarez, French overseas department, lemurs, Madagascar, Mauritius, Port Louis, Port Victoria, Reunion, Seychelles, Toamasina, Tomatave, travel, travel blog, travel journal2 Comments

We had planned to go to Central Asia after India, but since it’s cold and wintry there in February, we spotted a cruise that was visiting four Indian Ocean islands. After considering the prices for lodging, meals, and airfare to such remote places, the cruise turned out to be a good deal- being flexible with our dates, we were able to get a heavily discounted fare for an upcoming sailing. We signed up- and got a free $50 onboard credit from Expedia!

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The Maldives

January 28, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AsiaTagged atoll, best things to do in, Coca Cola saltwater, coral, dive, luxury resorts, Maldives, Male, reefs, scuba diving, Thulusdhoo4 Comments

Maldives Thulusdhoo boat island water beach

If the sea level continues to rise at the current rate, the Maldives will be the first country to cease to exist due to climate change. At 2.4 meters, it has the lowest high point in the world. Made up of over 1200 islands grouped over 26 atolls, it is the smallest country in Asia by both population and landmass. It is the first country in the world to aim to be carbon neutral by 2020, and tourism and “green taxes” provide a large source of income for the islands, which have seen tourism numbers double over the past ten years. Even with the threat of rising sea levels, there is still quite a lot of economic a activity going on here, such as skyscrapers being built, artificial islands being created, and metals being mined.

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India: Mysore, Chennai, Pondicherry

January 20, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AsiaTagged Bangalore, best things to do in, Chennai, hill station, India, India rail, Mysore, Pondicherry, southern India, YelagiriLeave a comment

In the most recent installment of our adventures, we were in the southern part of India, leaving Hampi by bus.

We headed south to Mysore, where the main attraction is the Old Fort Palace, built in the 15th century but sadly burned in the late 1800s. However, it was rebuilt by 1912, blending Mughal, Hindu, Rajput, and Gothic styles. It’s quite a sight, and by some counts is India’s second-most visited attraction. On weekends and holidays, and during their month long Dashara festival, the palace is lit at night with over 100,000 light bulbs, and a sound and light show. It’s really beautiful and worth going to- and it only costs 50 rupees!

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India: The Southwest

January 13, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AsiaTagged Asiatic Library, Baga Beach, best things to do in, Bombay, gateway to India, Goa, Hampi, Mumbai, night bus Goa, Night bus India, Queens Necklace, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, UNESCO world heritage3 Comments

After a short “staycation” with friends for the holidays, we were ready to spend our final three weeks in India in the warmer southern states!

Mumbai

We started off in Mumbai on January first, eager to see the amazing architecture and coastal atmosphere that makes up the bustling city of Mumbai. From the Mughal Gujarati rulers in the 15th century, Portuguese colonization in the 16th century, and a wedding gift to the British King Charles II in the 17th century, Mumbai (or Bombay, as it was previously called), has had a multicultural past.