The Bangalore Palace: In pictures

The Bangalore Palace: In pictures

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Owned by the Mysore royal family, the Wadiyars, Bangalore Palace was particularly used the Maharaja in the late 1800s and early 1900 as a getaway from the bigger and fancier Mysore palace. The audio guide includes stories from family members who have fond memories of intimate summers at the palace.If you’re in Bangalore, its worth a visit, if only to admire the turrents and towers from the outside and the fading grandeur from the inside. Downstairs, the medieval looking ballroom is…

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Introducing Pondicherry

Introducing Pondicherry

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Pondicherry, affectionately known as Pondi, is a large town on the East Coast of India, about three hours drive south of Chennai. It was the largest French colony in India and the town is very proud of its ongoing links to France and its French heritage. On our walking tour of the town, our guide told us about the schools and hospitals the French built (which us Brits hadn’t seen fit to do when in charge), helping explain why the…

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At the temple in Bangalore

At the temple in Bangalore

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Shiva statute at the temple I might become a Hindu!  I am not a religious person, but our visit to the Shiva temple on Old Airport Road, Bangalore was quite the experience. And I had a lot of fun! Taking part in a spiritual activity You enter into the temple by walking through a grotto-like tunnel, with encouraging statements on the wall, telling you to have hope and to believe! Chants of Om Namah Shivaya are played out through the speakers. …

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Highlights of Bangalore

Highlights of Bangalore

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Bangalore is not a city filled with must-see tourist sites. Instead, it is a vibrant, lively and fairly modern place where people live and work, rather than visit and sightsee. And this was why we were here. Not to live and work ourselves, but to visit some friends, Sara and Mike, who are working out here and to see a snapshot of their new lives, living in India. Eating out! They looked after us very well, taking us to some…

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Photo Friday: the birds at Guatapé

Photo Friday: the birds at Guatapé

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While visiting Guatapé in Colombia on a day trip from Medellin, as well as enjoying the amazing views from La Piedra, we also enjoyed a spot of bird watching. These impressive birds were circulating La Piedra the whole time we were climbing up the 659 steps to the top. They were even gracious enough to do a little posing for us to take more pictures of them! We’re not very knowledgeable about birds and so we aren’t sure what they are….

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Drinking craft beer in Tallinn

Drinking craft beer in Tallinn

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The craft beer scene in Tallinn is alive, well and worth a sample! The most obvious place to try out Estonian beers and to sample beers from around the world is in Pudel Baar in the Telliskivi Creative City, in the Kalamaja area of the city. This laid back, relaxing small bar has a great range of different beers and a good method for choosing your perfect beer – a flowchart on the wall leads you through to a beer choice,…

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South American craft beer

South American craft beer

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The craft beer industry is booming in Europe and the US. During our trip around South America, we were pleased to find its popularity on the rise there too. So, during our 7 months in South America, as well as supping on the national drinks of each country, we also spent some time seeking out the local craft beers. Here our our favourite beers, microbreweries and places to drink.1) Bogota Beer Company (BBC), Colombia. We found the BBC bar in…

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The big fat guide to South American bus travel

The big fat guide to South American bus travel

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Long distance bus travel is likely to form a central component of any South American trip. For cash-strapped backpackers, an overnighter also helps save money as it gives you a nights accommodation as well as the means to get from a to b. The level of comfort (and safety) of South American buses depends on the country you’re in and the bus company you go for. On one bus, we were served champagne (yes! champagne) after our meal (yes! we were served a…

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KGB museum in Tallinn: A short review

KGB museum in Tallinn: A short review

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Looking out to the port from the balcony of the Viru hotel The Viru Hotel – a conspicuous high rise overlooking Tallinn’s old town, just outside the city walls – has a secret. The Viru hotel – how many floors does it have? It has a hidden 23rd floor.  The lifts in the hotel only go up to floor 22, from where, behind a locked door, you’ll find a staircase taking you up to the 23rd floor. This was where…

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Introducing Tallinn

Introducing Tallinn

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Medieval Tallinn I (Sarah) had had the pretty Estonian capital of Tallinn on my wish list for a number of years after a former housemate had headed off to the Baltic state for a short break. I had looked at photos of the walled and turreted old town and my wanderlust was ignited!  St Catherine’s passage As the 2015 long Easter weekend approached, I was searching for cheap flights for a short break and Tallinn kept coming up. So now was…

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