Discovering Croatia

CROATIA- The tiny Central European nation, however, they discovered a land that was far more charming and delightful than they could've ever imagined.


-Zagreb City Square

When you land in the capital of any country, you expect highrises, mind-numbing malls and a typical urban buzz. Not in Zagreb, Croatia! The airport is small by international standards, but efficient, very clean and opens out to a lovely park. The drive to the centre of town takes an hour during which all you see is the colour green on the ground and blue above. Trams still ply from the city square to various parts of the city.

-Wet day in Zagreb

A slight drizzle brings down the temperature considerably. Summer peaks at about 28 degrees Celsius in June-July, making it the most popular season for tourists from other parts of Europe.

-Motifs on buildings

Buildings with offices and homes have interesting motifs on the facade depicting a facet of life. A bookstore on the ground floor, for instance, has a statue of a man reading a book near the entrance.

-Streets of Croatia

Zagreb - or any place in Croatia - requires you to walk, walk and walk! Wear sensible shoes before you venture out; stilettos will find their maker soon on these cobbled streets.

-Village of Kumrovec

A few hours drive from Zagreb brings you to a historical and important village in Croatia. This is the place where Josip Broz Tito was born in 1892. Croatia was part of Yugoslavia then and farmer-turned-soldier Tito became statesman and later dictator (benevolent, say Croatians) of Yugoslavia. The village is preserved as it was in the last century - but people live in it to the present day! We saw typical kitchens, tiny and constricted, perhaps great places to be in during bitter winters. The beds were tiny too, and our guide informed us that in the olden days people used to sleep either in the foetal position or sitting up, huddled together to keep warm.

-Josip Broz Tito

Statue of Tito, loved by Croats because despite being a socialist who drove homelessness out of the country, he could stand up against the Russians when they wanted to dictate terms. Tito is also known in India as a friend of Jawaharlal Nehru.

-Rovinj

Rovinj is a typical waterfront town, attracting tourists who want to do little but cycle down the old-fashioned city or go motoring on boats. Since the water all across the Croatian coast is super-clean, swimming and diving are major draws.

-The walled city- Motuvun

Motovun is a walled city, with a typical castle, homes sometimes dating back three centuries, shops, cafes and quaint hotels manned by eager-to-please young Croats. All young Croatians speak English well, so it's not a problem getting by anywhere in the country. When you ask for vegetarian food, they understand. Sometimes they ask if you would like to try fish - which my friend had practically every single day of her stay there and is the freshest she has ever tasted.

-Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik was our final destination. The main attraction is the old town that abuts right into the sea. The wall surrounding it is so wide it's become a walkway for tourists. Within the town, life centres aound tourism and most people here make their living catering to tourists, offering apartments on rent or running restaurants, selling artifacts or being their guide.

-Island off Dubrovnik

From Dubrovnik you can visit several islands - all beautiful and offering gentle water sports to those interested. The boat ride is fun, with tourists from all over the world making up the passengers while the crew of two doubles up as cooks, waiters and sundry entertainers.

Romantic Italy - 2

The iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Two men attired as centurions stand in front of a shop in Rome.

The frozen Lake Reschen reservoir around an old church tower at the Village of Graun in South Tyrol. Graun was destroyed after the damming up of the Etsch river in 1950.

A splendid view of a cruise ship from the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in the backdrop of the church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.


A colourful participant at the Venetian Carnival pictured at the Saint Mark's Square.

St Peter's Square at the Vatican lit up at dusk.


Silhouettes of marble statues at the Piazza del Popolo make for a brilliant picture as fireworks dot the skies during a light show

Romantic Italy - 1

Visuals from the picturesque country known for its vintage chic, glorious history, ancient architectural splendours, expansive vineyards, sports and much more.

Tourists flock outside Rome's ancient Colosseum.

A gondolier beats the summer heat in August by reclining on a garden chair at the Grand Canal in Venice.


Gladiators in action at a Roman amphitheatre.

A sleek Lamborghini Murcielago car at a Milan showroom.

The historical city centre of Perugia captured in all its glory amidst fog-enveloped hills.


Jockeys at practice before the Palio horse race in Siena. The winners at this race win the Palio, a silk banner that shows the Madonna and child. The famous race has been held annually since the mid-1600s around the shell-shaped central square at Siena.


A couple watch Steve Black of Australia dive past their balcony during the course of the 2010 Red Bull Cliff Diving world series in Polignano a Mare.

Tourists queue up on a raised platform in Saint Mark's square in Venice during a period of high water. The waters usually rise owing to high tides in the region during the winter months.

Inside Mexico- 2

A general view shows the "Plaza de las Tres Culturas", or the plaza of the three cultures, in the central Tlatelolco area of Mexico City. Archeologists have discovered the ruins of the 800-year-old Aztec pyramid in the heart of the Mexican capital that could show the ancient city is at least a century older than previously thought. The pyramid could have been built in 1100 or 1200, signalling that Aztecs began to develop their civilisation in the mountains of central Mexico earlier than believed.


Dancers take the stage at the Guelaguetza, a nine-day folkloric festival celebrating Oaxaca state's seven cultural regions through dance, parades and pageantry, in the southern city of Oaxaca. Guelaguetza means "offering" in the Mexican Indian Zapotec language, and historians believe different versions of the festival have been celebrated since pre-Colonial times.


The Cathedral in Oaxaca's main plaza.


Aerial view of the Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City.



Buildings around Zocalo Square are decorated with lights as part of Christmas celebrations in Mexico City.


Hundreds of Monarch butterflies line a tree in the Pedro Herrada butterfly sanctuary, on a mountain in the Mexican state of Michoacan. The Monarchs are the only migratory insects in their species and travel 4000 kilometres (around 2500 miles) twice a year between their summer home in Canada and their winter home in Mexico.


Mexican street vendors sell different products outside downtown Mexico City's cathedral. Battered stone facades and crumbling roofs across historical centre area betray little of this metropolis' one-time nickname, "The City of Palaces". Plagued by pollution, traffic and poverty, the city centre is a crucible of the problems afflicting the nation at large, and renovation means confronting bureaucracy, various mafias, financing hurdles and at times the forces of nature.


A waiter shows a bottle of tequila dedicated to late Mexican actor and comedian Mario Moreno "Cantinflas" to commemorate his 100th birthday this year, in Mexico City.

Inside Mexico- 1

We take you through some captivating visuals of the country which has as many as 31 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Tourists walk on Caracol beach in Cancun. Mexico is seeking to overhaul its image abroad after a raft of bad publicity over drug related violence, beheadings and shootings has taken its toll on the holiday industry. Foreign tourism is a key source of income in Mexico and the country wants to reclaim its share of the market by reminding potential visitors about its wonderful beaches and archaeological sites.


The Kukulkan pyramid stands at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Chichen Itza is one of the new seven Wonders of the World.


An actor performs on the streets during the "Three Kings Day" festival in Mexico City. "Three Kings Day" is a Christian holiday in Mexico which celebrates the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to Christ as a child.


Women dressed as Escaramuzas, also known as cowgirls, and a Charro are seen before their performance during the anniversary of the inauguration of Lienzo La Nacional in Mexico City in mid-2010. The Lienzo La Nacional is where Mexican cowboys known as Charros practice La Charreria, a type of a rodeo based on their working practices. La Charreria has been a national sport since 1933.


A aerial view of The Pyramid of the Moon at Mexico's Teotihuacan archaeological ruins. In the shadow of colossal pyramids left by a great Mexican civilisation, a Wal-Mart rises, and some locals have gone to court to overturn its approval. Local activists are fighting the warehouse style store, saying it threatens the ruins and will destroy local commerce and a way of life that dates back centuries.


The Metropolitan cathedral is lit by coloured lights and surrounded by lasers pointing towards the sky in Zocalo Square in Mexico City. Mexico is getting ready for the celebration of the Day of the Dead when Mexicans pay homage to their dead relatives by preparing meals and decorating their graves. The Day of the Dead festival has its origins in a pre-Hispanic Aztec belief that the dead return to Earth one day each year to visit their loved ones.


Folkloric dancers perform during the annual Charros and Mariachi parade in Guadalajara. Charros are cowboys and cowgirls, and Mariachis are traditional Mexican musicians who play songs for paying customers in public places, bars and restaurants and are renowned for their elaborate outfits and sombreros.


A Volkswagen Beetle in front of Mexico City's Cathedral.


A general view of stone figures in Tula city in Mexico. Tula is best known today for its fearsome 15-foot-high (4.5 metre) stone warrior figures. The grisly find of the buried bones of 24 pre-Hispanic Mexican children may be the first evidence that the ancient Toltec civilisation sacrificed children.


Mexicos' Popocatepetl volcano throws up a column of ash and steam thousands of feet into the air as Cholula cathedral, built on top of a pyramid, appears in the foreground.

Top places to ask: Will you marry me? -2

CROSBY STREET HOTEL, New York, USA
There's an English elegance about the Crosby Street Hotel, a kitsch-but-classy boutique bolthole on a calm, cobble-stoned street in sassy SoHo. While away the days watching romantic films in the sexy screening room, curled up by the fireplaces in the luxurious lounges or making the most of the spectacular bar and restaurant scene in the NY neighbourhood. Pick one of the Junior Suites on the 10th and 11th floors - their winning combination of height and huge warehouse windows will give you some of the best views in southern Manhattan.

THE LOUISE, Barossa Valley, Australia
Indulge your inner gourmand at the Louise, the Barossa Valley's brightest star. Concern for guest satisfaction and food-and-wine passion have informed every decision at this South Australian retreat: privacy is paramount, room facilities are state of the art, and the restaurant is truly outstanding. Hide away in No 29 - the best of the 10 suites revolving around the entrance piazza. It has a private courtyard and terrace, spa tub, underfloor heating and recessed candle nooks in the bathroom, and an outdoor shower.

LA RESIDENCE, Garden Route & Winelands, South Africa
This mini, modern Versailles presiding over Franschhoek's valley of vines has a contemporary shell and a romantic colonial interior. La Residence is filled with Persian rugs, exotic antiques and fine art works. This Winelands estate will make you feel as though you've been whisked off to your own private palace to live in the lap of luxury. White and gold Frangipani is the most tucked-away of the ground-floor suites and has a monumental four-poster bed, 18th-century French dressers and mirrored bathroom, complete with chandelier, roll-top bath and chaise longue.

AMANKORA, Bhutan
Not so much a hotel as a pilgrimage, Amankora consists of five luxurious lodges dotted around the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, set against a spectacular backdrop of plunging valleys, lush rice paddies, and mountaintop temples. Whether you make the full 10-day trip to visit each lodge or tailor-make your Bhutanese excursion to suit the time you have available, Amankora can arrange your travel and put together a programme of mountain-trekking, temple-hopping, or spa pampering as you wish.

HOTEL DE LA PAIX, Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Babylonian-meets-metropolitan facade of this spectacular spa hotel offers just the faintest hint of what awaits inside. White is the shade of choice throughout, set against dark tiles and brooding monochrome images of temples and carvings. The rooms have an understated elegance, the restaurant, Meric, is renowned throughout the city, and the breath-stealing majesty of Angkor Wat is just 10 minutes away into the jungle. Duplex Spa Suite 346 is swoon-worthy, with an alfresco rooftop bath and enough space to host a cocktail party should you have something to celebrate.

Top places to ask: Will you marry me? -1

Increasing prosperity has made people want to pop arguably the most important question in their lives in the most exotic locations on Earth. Here are some.

Asking someone to marry may be one of the most important questions of your life, and the right place can make it all the more memorable.
Boutique hotel travel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith have come up with a list of the top 10 hotels to propose.

PALAZZO BARBARIGO, Venice, Italy

This dramatic 18-room destination hotel adds a modern shot of plush velvet, saucy feather-trim and moody mirrored wall to polished parquet floors and period details. In the bedrooms, the theme continues with minibars in deco-style cocktail cabinets. Sigh over Grand Canal views in one of the lovely Junior Suites, which also have separate dressing and wardrobe areas. Then whisk your lover out of the door and straight onto the gondola you've arranged at the hotel's marble-clad waterside landing.

NOIR D'IVOIRE, Marrakech, Morocco

At this ravishingly restored riad, the delight is in the detail: capacious beds and baths; real fires for winter nights; fresh oranges brought to your room each evening; squirreled-away bowls of nuts and dried fruit dotted around; giant swags of tasselled silk and linen; and artisan toiletries presented in glass vials with silver caps. Add on a hammam, boutique, candle-lit courtyard and excellent chef, and you've already got romance with a capital 'R'. If you really want to push the love boat out, check into one of the Royal Suites, which have private roof terraces with plunge pools.

CAYO ESPANTO, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Three miles of the coast of Belize, this palm-fronded private-island resort is ultra-exclusive. It's surprising, then, that it can also nurture such a laid-back and unpretentious air. Hidden among the palm trees on the Caribbean shore, its handful of luxurious villas offer a uniquely personalised level of service. Your every need is met by a houseman who'll do everything from fix you drinks to accompany you on excursions - it's like having your own genie. Casa Ventana is set out to sea on its own wooden pontoon. It may be the smallest of the resort's six villas, and lack the private pools of its neighbours, but who needs a pool when you've got the Caribbean on four sides?

WILSON ISLAND, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
With just six luxury tents set beside the sea on a tiny tropical islet, Wilson Island may just be the most romantic campsite on earth. You can gaze straight out at the ocean from the comfort of your bed, taking in the empty beach strewn with coral, and spend days draped around each other in a hammock big enough for two. If you're planning to propose, you'll be looking for Isolation - the most private of the island's six luxurious beachfront tents.

MOLLIES, Auckland, New Zealand
Music, food and romance await at the elegantly attired Mollies, Auckland's bohemian boutique hotel famed for its sociable soirees. With classic-meets-arty interiors dotted with pianos, regular opera recitals, gourmet dining and a sensual spa, there's a fairy-tale feel about this glamorous harbourside getaway. Seclude yourselves away in Room 8, a New York-style loft with views over the water.