ATLAS MOUNTAINS Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: THRILLING - Atlas Mountains is active, adventurous, super scenic, tribal, and hyper local.
MARRAKESH Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: COSMOPOLITAN - Marrakesh is westernized, welcoming, fun, stylish, posh, and tourist-friendly.
VOLUBILIS - SCORPION HOUSE AT MOULAY IDRISS Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: DELIGHTFUL - Volubilis and Scorpion House were a complete surprise, they're a must-see, must-do, and never-miss.
FEZMagical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: ADDICTIVE - Fez is frenetic, unapologetically chaotic, unique, culturally-rich, and super authentic.
CASABLANCA - RABAT - CHEFCHAOUEN Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: DRAMATIC - Casablanca's coast is powerful, and fearsome. CONFIDENT - Rabat is orderly, with wide open spaces and greenery, highly livable, and wealthy. CHARMING - Chefchaouen is quaint and picturesque and am thrilled to report that all my tourist trap fears were completely unfounded.
The Pintô Art Museum is a Must-See, Must-Do, and a Never-Miss!
Definitely worth the trek.
FUN FACT:
“It is the most Instagrammed museum in Asia, No. 23 all over the world.”
As excerpted from their website:
“Pintô Art Museum is an exhibition space and contemporary museum located in the Philippines’ historic pilgrimage city of Antipolo outside of Manila.
The museum was founded in 2010 to publicly exhibit the art collection of Filipino neurologist and patron of the arts, Dr. Joven Cuanang.
The museum (pintô means door in Filipino) was founded on the principle that art plays a diplomatic role in bridging distinctive nationalities, worldviews, and communities.
The museum is housed in a complex designed by artist Antonio Leaño and located within a two hectare botanical garden known as the Silangan Gardens, an ecological haven for the appreciation of local flora and fauna.”
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#specialpersonalsojourns, #sps_travel, #privateguide, #bespoke, @shysala
Our family won a staycation at @fullertonoceanpark thanks to their generous sponsorship of the @familiesofsmafoundation gala.
With its expansive views of the outlying islands and the East Lamma Channel, this definitely feels like a near-total escape from the urban jungles of HK.
The rooms are generously proportioned with soaring ceilings; beautiful manicured grounds; infinity pools; Spa, Gym, and a cute herb garden on the 5/F for a farm-to-table experience. We were even given a quick tour of this herb garden by a fellow Pinay, Bernie, who works for the hotel. Big Bonus, the Explorers Kids Club. “Kids Club” — two of the most magical words for parents of small kids!
Their restaurants were a nice treat — the Satay Inn for Southeasian favorites; and delicious dimsum at Jade, where we tried their famous “Bak Kut Teh” Xiao Long Bao.
Next time, we will have to stay longer so we can explore the adjacent @waterworldoceanparkhk, Asia’s first all-weather, year-round seaside water park. And, a quick free hotel shuttle can also take us to the @hkoceanpark Hong Kong’s home-grown, world-class theme park and marine-life aquarium.
Definitely worth several more visits!
If Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus were siblings….
Ephesus is so Extra! Ever the over-achiever, she boasts of having the some of the very best preserved Greco-Roman ruins in the whole world; and a vital city in the spread of Christianity. However, she is also a victim of her own success, with too many tourists eager to visit the major sites! Nevertheless, she will always be a must-see; must-do; and a never-miss.
We Saw, We Did, We Stayed:
The Healing Center of Pergamon
House of Virgin Mary
Ephesus, the second largest city of the Roman Empire
Ephesus Highlights: largest theatre in the ancient world, third largest library in the ancient world
Basilica of St. John
Hierapolis
Cleopatra’s Pool
Pamukkale Thermal Pools
View of stunning Sirince Town from our hotel, Nisanyan Houses
Sampling the local produce (aka wine)
If Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus were siblings….
Cappadocia is captivating and utterly charming. She is the secret favorite child. Gifted with talents in ceramics and rug-making; naturally beautiful with her spectacular underground cities, rock carved churches; and fairy chimneys. But her small size just won’t allow too many repeat visits as there is only so much you can do — unless you just want to chill at your cliff side hotel & enjoy the surreal views. The first impression will always be the best.
We Saw, We Did, We Stayed:
The Rock Carved Churches at Goreme Open Air Museum
Hittite-era design and Contemporary
Sampling the local produce (aka wine)
Ceramics at Avanos
World’s Largest Silk Carpet by Cinar at Avanos
Hot Air Ballooning along the Valleys
Fairy Chimneys at Pasabag Valley
Imagination Valley
Kaymakli Underground City
Pigeon Valley
Old Greek House at Mustafapasha
Argos Hotel at Uchisar Cappadocia
Argos Hotel 70,000 bottle (capacity) underground wine cellar, one of the largest in Europe
If Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus were siblings….
Istanbul — the perfect mix of old and new. Quietly confident, with nothing to prove as she knows her own worth. People will just naturally gravitate towards her, again and again, as there is always something for everyone in this truly cosmopolitan city — from lowbrow to ultra-luxe!
Part 2 of 2
We Saw, We Did, We Stayed:
The Karnak Temple Obelisk at the Hippodrome of Constantinople
Hagia Sophia
Blue Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque
Rustem Pasha Mosque
Spice Bazaar
Dolmabahce Palace
Galata Tower
Nisantasi District
Istiklal Shopping Street
Istanbul Modern
Galataport
Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus
If Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus were siblings….
Istanbul — the perfect mix of old and new. Quietly confident, with nothing to prove as she knows her own worth. People will just naturally gravitate towards her, again and again, as there is always something for everyone in this truly cosmopolitan city — from lowbrow to luxe!
Part 1 of 2
We Saw, We Did, We Stayed:
The Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet
Soho House Istanbul
Topkapi Palace
Basilica Cistern
Grand Bazaar
Bosphorus Cruise
Team Lab Super Nature Macao
“Immerse the Body, Create with Others, and Become One
teamLab SuperNature is an extremely complex, three-dimensional interactive space with varying elevations that spans 5,000 square meters and is comprised of enormous 8-meter-tall works by Tokyo-based art collective teamLab.
It is a “body immersive” museum centered around a group of artworks that aim to explore new perceptions of the world and the continuity between humans and nature.”
Now a permanent exhibition at the Venetian Macau’s Cotai Expo.
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#specialpersonalsojourns, #sps_travel, #privateguide, #bespoke, @shysala
SAKKARA AND THE GREAT PYRAMIDS OF GIZA
In Ancient Egypt, 3100-30 BC, they believed that the present life was temporary, but the afterlife was forever. Mummification was expensive; so the richer you were, the better the burial. Hence only these tombs and mummies lasted and were eventually discovered. All burial grounds are located west of the Nile River, the West Bank. The west is where the sun sets; where their supreme god of the sun, Amon-Ra comes to die, every day.
Pyramid is Greek for “pointy wheat cakes”. Before these were built, people used to be buried in mud-brick mastabas (“bench of mud” in Arabic). Flat-roofed, rectangular structures with sloping sides and interiors beautifully decorated with scenes of daily life.
During King Djoser’s era (2687-2668 BC), he tasked his Chief Minister Imhotep to stack several mastabas on top of one another, as a pointer to their sun god Amon-Ra; this time using much sturdier limestone. Nowadays, Imhotep is credited as the creator of the “Step Pyramid” in the Sakkara necropolis, 30km away from modern day Cairo. This also happens to be the very first stone construction in the entire world!
The next King Sneferu wanted one with smoother sides. Tried and failed with the “Bent Pyramid.” A for Effort though!
King Cheops (Khufu) finally nailed it with The Great Pyramid of Giza. At 150 meters, it was the tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years! Next to this are two others for Kings Chephren (Khafre) and Mykerinus (Menkaure). Adjacent are three small symbolic ones, with no burial chambers, for their wives and their daughters.
The Pyramids of Giza were once covered in a white casing made of highly polished limestone which would reflect the sun’s rays; with capstones covered in gold and silver plating. Unfortunately, throughout the years, most were all either stolen or repurposed for other building projects.
While these pyramids were magnificent, but they were easy targets for tomb robbers. L
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATIONS
With Rita, our trusty private Cairo guide by our side, we went back in time through our time machine, The National Museum of Egyptian Civilizations. This is Egypt’s newest museum which finally opened just as COVID ended. Here, we were shown clear timelines of how Egypt developed from the Stone Age 100,000 years ago to the Modern Age. How the very first King, Narmer, united the Lower (North) and Upper (South) regions and formed one Kingdom. From there, advances in agriculture; sciences; art; languages; and math flourished.
Among them, the Great Pyramids and the hidden tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens; first use of “paper” from the pith of the papyrus plant; the first prosthetic toe; the mirror; the sun clock and the moon clock, the senet (a precursor to chess); the harp; the first brain tumor surgery with many of their surgical devices still in use right now; and braces to straighten teeth! Good hygiene; clothes and cosmetics were essential as these were deemed pleasing to their gods. And, one of the world’s greatest discoveries, written words in 3 forms (for the priests; noblemen; and commoners), were all deciphered thanks to the Rosetta Stone.
They also perfected the method of mummification for the nobles to attain resurrection. In fact, 20 mummies are all on dazzling display at the Mummies Hall, where we paid our respects to superstar Queen Hatshepsut and the legendary Ramesses The Great (Ramesses II). No photos and videos are allowed in this area.
The rest of the museum highlights the rest of Egypt’s timeline from the Persian occupation; the Greeks (Alexander the Great; the famous Cleopatra VII was actually Greek, not Egyptian); the Romans; the Byzantine Age (Christian Coptics); the Dawn of the Age of Islam (Sunni-Shiite-Sunni); and finally the Ottomans who ruled Egypt for 436 years from 1517 till 1953. It may be a small museum, but it does pack a big punch! Not to be
THE SMALL TEMPLE OF ABU SIMBEL
The Small Temple is the other rock-cut temple, 100 meters on the right-hand side of The Great Temple of Abu Simbel. This rescued temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II’s favorite, the love of his life, Queen Nefertari.
(Remember, he had several other wives and consorts, plus more than 100 children, so this is saying a lot).
This was in fact only the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. The first time, the Pharaoh Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti.
A couple of things stand out:
1.On the façade of the Small Temple, her statues are the same size as those of her husband — very rare as traditionally, the carved images of queens were never taller than the knees of their kings)!
2.All the reliefs inside the temple show her to be a great and graceful beauty, fashionably and seductively (read: scantily) dressed with explicit anatomical features. This is highly unusual because ancient Egyptian art has always been very conservative.
All in all, some 23 temples were rescued by the “greatest archaeological rescue campaign of all time” spearheaded by Egypt’s Ministry of Culture, Mr. Tharwat Okasha, who will forever be remembered in history as the one who led the campaign to save the monuments of Nubia from the flood caused by the High Aswan Dam (spanning 5200 kms2)! Knowing that Egypt cannot afford to bear all the costs, he present his proposal to UNESCO who helped campaign for 60 other countries to contribute to the cause either thru financial assistance or practical contributions. Egypt shouldered a third of the project’s costs. The country was also very generous in showing gratitude to all those who helped. Every nation that had provided financial support received at least a sculpture or other artefact as a gift. The 4 countries that had been the biggest contributors — the United States, Spain, Holland, and Italy — receive
