recap!!!
99. wild wadi water park, dubai
98. taj mahal by the full moon
97. amsterdam's red light district
95. coffee plantations in coorg
94. jogging in central park, new york
93. crossing the panama canal
92. driving on the autobahn, germany, austria and switzerland
91. dev deepavali, varanasi
90. driving a vintage in udaipur
89. walking through pondicherry'e french quarter
88. fly over mount everest
87. roller coaster riding at six flags great adventure
86. fete de la musique in paris
85. switzerland, yash raj style
83. incan and mayan ruins in central america
82. cross the karlov most
81. ecology lessons at lake baykal
79. wander through bundi
78. club hopping in tallinn
77. under the andalusian sun
76. yunnan
75. cross the danube in budapest
74. durga puja in calcutta
73. amazon rainforest
72. the beijing-tibet railroad
71. learn tango in buenos aires
70-61 follow
70.
visit
the rann of kachchh
kutch is special, trust me. it has the routine colourful village with colourful people with colourful crafts, great gujarati thalis, and the option of running from beaches at mandvi to the salt flats of the rann in three hours, by the way of desert, villages, palaces and even a spectacular set of hills (kalo dungar). shopping too is fun.
where to stay : shaam e sarhad resort is the local answer to jaipur's chokhi dhani, but with more attractive non-highwayside locationing.
69. hike through the canadian rockies
the rocky mountains are sort of juvenile dreams. amrika, one could call it. but as american slopes remain over-run with yuppie tourists in vail, aspen and jackson hole, the canadian rockies remain far more pristine, much more people free, and twice as spectacular. think of snowcapped mountains, dense pine forests and glacial lakes. hiking through these, dream enough.
where to stay : hike means camp. otherwise, settle down in four seasons, banff.
68. climb borobudur
i'm a sucker for the esoteric. now imagine java's lush mountainous countryside. then, think of esoteric buddhism. now make a step pyramid, with exotic friezes and countless meditating buddhas capped in latticed stone canopies. very lara croft like.
where to stay : amanjiwo
67. shikara ride on the dal lake
i'm thankful for this one. having done kashmir before it became un-do-able again. kashmir is as beautiful as all of bollywood and half of urdu poetry claims it to be, and theres nothing better than simply lazing on a shikara as it floats along on the placid dal lake. make the effort and do it around sunrise, with a light mist over the lake, and the mountains in a shade of blue.
where to stay : on the houseboats, ofcourse!
66. visit sigiriya
sigiriya is just a good excuse to run through sri lanka. its an island, its exotic, its beautiful, and blah blah blah. sigiriya happens to be its best archaeological site.
where to stay : amangalla and amanwella, hands down.
65. luxury safari lodge in kruger park
kruger park is south africa's largest, so you can count on a lot of wildlife viewing. add to it a collection of the finest lodges on earth (and also some of the most expensive) and you get your cheetah views with a glass of sauvignon blanc in hand.
where to stay : singita grumeti reserves, which has been topping the worlds best lists since time immemorial, and looks drop dead gorgeous.
64. oscar niemeyer's brasilia
purely architectural whim, this one, but brasilia is a pure homage to oscar niemeyer and his architectural legacy.
where to stay : not really a luxury haven, but brasilia is still good. royal tulip brasilia alvorada looks funky and has a lakeside location.
63. spot the nilgiri tahr in idukki
idukki is probably south india's most scenic district, high in the western ghats, with famous locales like munnar and periyar to its credit. even more enchanting is the eravikulam national park and its rollying hillside, home to the nilgiri tahr, an endemic and endangered species, as well as the toda tribals, and the once-in-twelve years neelkurunji flowers, which give the mountains a blue-wash.
where to stay : taj's thekkady property is the best bet, but comfy at max.
62. go shopping in milan
does this even need explanation? you're let loose in milan, with boutiques, left, right and centre! and that includes all you can wear, sleep/sit on, eat, drink and drive.
where to stay : bulgari hotel milano, to maximize the design quotient, but milan has no shortage of fine places to stay. other greats are the park hyatt, the chedi and the four seasons.
61. cycle in bled and triglav
national park
if a picture postcard nation needed a picture postcard district, bled and the neighbouring triglav national park would be it. as if the country is not beautiful and charming enough, bled offers a blue lake in the middle of the julian alps, complete with a mid-lake-island-church, while triglav park has a host of amazing places to see, like the breathtaking vintgar gorge. best explored on cycle, which cuts time and flab.
where to stay : slovenia is a tiny country, but doesnt boast of hi-fi luxury. villa bled is an option, or you can opt for one of the more convenient hotels in ljubljana, the capital (another pretty place).
current score - 11/40
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