We live in the age of the selfie but visitors to Buddhist temples should not turn their backs to statues of Buddha to take photos. “It is seen as disrespectful to Buddha,” said Luxman, on how Buddhists regard tourists snapping pictures of themselves at temples. Some temples display signs that discourage visitors from taking selfies by statues, though photography is widely permitted at religious and historic sites.
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India’s most southerly state, Tamil Nadu, is home to 46 kilometres (28.5 miles) of railway that, since July 2005, has the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway opened in 1899. It twists up from Mettupalayam, on the hot and dusty plain, into the lush countryside and altitude-induced coolness of the Nilgiri Hills.
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After most of the De Stijl artists died, it grew out to be one of the most important art movements in the 20th and 21st centuries.
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After touching down in Ljubljana, you might be tempted to hire a car, board a train or travel by bus. However, one of the most rewarding ways of exploring Slovenia is on foot to explore trekking and walking in Slovenia.
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The coastal city of Mahabalipuram, 60km (40 miles) south of Chennai, is a popular spot with backpackers and culture lovers touring southern India. Locals know this place as Mamallapuram and it’s a place that I’ve grown fond of, visiting several times in recent years.
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After a brief look around I head next door to view the Honours of Scotland, the country’s crown jewels. First used together for the coronation of Mary Queen of Scots in 1543, the shining sceptre, crown and other symbol-laden artefacts are displayed behind heavy-looking security glass. King Charles II was the last monarch to be crowned using the Honours of Scotland.
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My chances of ever being a winning jockey in the Kentucky Derby are beyond slim. And my waistline expanded beyond slim years ago.
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Travelling to Germany during Advent means being able to visit Christmas markets. Stuttgart, in Baden-Württemberg, has stalls at its centre and is a convenient base for exploring those in nearby cities, including Esslingen.
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Basically the design is very simple, it’s nine holes out, nine holes in; the course is 4.5km long. The nine holes out you play on the lower level, on the sea level, and the nine holes in you play right above. That has the positive effect that from every single hole you see the sea. You always think you play directly to the sea because from the upper level you don’t see the lower holes, so the greens seem to be above the sea on the back nine.
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Beautifully landscaped, The Alnwick Garden was created by the Duchess of Northumberland. Highlights include a cascading fountain, a vast treehouse and the world’s largest orchard of Japanese Taihaku — flowering cherry trees. Typically, the cherry trees in Alnwick blossom in late-April or early-May.
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