On the Top

Prague Castle




A little Prague promo...



The Prague Castle is the key statement in Prague. A little bit like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or Buckingham Palace in London.

The castle can be seen beautifully from Charles Bridge as well as other areas around the centre. It is worth visiting Letna park to enjoy views from a different angle and see the castle from a more 'local' perspective instead of the tourist stereotype.

On the castle grounds instead, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the golden city, best at sunset/evening, but it is obviously up to individual taste. The castle, apart from being adorned by St Vitus Cathedral, is surrounded by beautiful gardens often blessed with art expositions. Additionally you can explore the Golden Lane, which is filled with cute houses and a lot of charm. The castle is also guarded by slightly 'less serious' guards than you would find in London... and certainly with less amusing uniforms than a fluffy tall hat... :)

It is difficult to write about the charms, elegance and beauty of the castle with just words. I think pictures say it all... so here they go.

Prague Castle view from a different 'bridge'.

the typical night view of Hradčany (including the castle) and Charles Bridge.

The Golden Lane or 'Zlatá ulička" in Czech 

On a misty day...

Taken from Orloj Tower 3 years ago. My view of Prague.

And that was my little introduction to the Prague Castle and all its magnificence :)

Have you been there? Of course...

- "I've been to Prague. It's a beautiful place, just amazing."  - a typical tourist.
      
We Praguians do not say we are from the Czech Republic. We say we come from Prague.

As was once said, Prague is a great city whose glory will touch the stars. 

Prague or "Praha" [czech] is a city of all possible surprises.  Even to those who believe that there is still no electricity in the Czech Republic, that we each have a cow in our kitchen to provide milk, and that our men hunt for food outside with sticks... Especially to those, and you know which countries you are from, Prague comes as a big surprise.

As my home city, I think Prague is amazing. It is rich in culture, it is romantic, exciting, mysterious, young and old, full of life and mainly it is unique.

Like many cities, it represents something different. Like London represents ultra-cool-fashion-central slash amazing night life, great food, cosmopolitan multicultural heaven --- and Paris stands for cliched romance, stunning architecture, artistic expression and that elegant cool, well Prague stands for none of what I just said, because it is completely unique.
Each city represents something to someone. There are no two same places in the world, which is what makes travelling so exciting.

So from now on, my little world travel guide will take you on a trip through Prague... and then through the all-now-developed nation of Czech Republic.

Enjoy ;)

Enchanted, heavenly Prague

Mauritius... Just "relax"

So to continue my Mauritius escapes with you, I will talk about all the exciting sport & spa activities that are available on the island.

In terms of sport Mauritius is amazing for scuba diving. The coral reefs and thousands of tropical fish are awaiting discovery! There are many places that offer scuba diving lessons, where you train in the swimming pool first before they take you out to sea. If you are into that sort of thing than I would recommend trying it out!

Also if you like fishing... deep sea fishing and shark fishing at 5 in the morning is available to you. Fishing is not my thing, but I know that people enjoy it... and Mauritius offers plenty of it to anyone willing to participate.

And whilst you're on a boat somewhere around the Mauritian coast, swaying on the waves through the sapphire ocean... you may even spot some dolphins. I've been lucky once! Dolphins like boats... and tend to swim with them, or even underneath. Just a warning, Mauritius has a law that when dolphins are spotted, the boat engine should be turned off and the boat should stay far away as not to disturb the animals. Of course... the local tourist boaters do not respect this... but just out of interest I thought I would mention it.

Other sport activities on the island include water skiing and all other crazy water activities such as the stereotypical water banana.... which no one ever stays on for longer than 30 seconds! Sailing is also a big hit on the island, as well as parasailing, which I have tried.


It is ridiculously scary, if like me you are not an adrenaline junkie, but the view is amazing!

Other non-active sports include helicopter rides around the island... just had to include that, because it is worth every overpriced penny!

 

Golf is another favourite. My mother plays it.... ALL the time! If you're ok with the scorching heat, than Mauritius really does offer excellent golfing facilities. Belle Mare Plage hotel is one of the places to go, if you are an obsessed golfer yet want some luxury to add to your sport.

But let's talk about Spas.... for a moment.

Nearly every hotel on the island has a spa on its grounds. I have visited a few of these that I can recommend. Ultimate luxury and very interesting therapy habits -> Maradiva Spa. This place is probably the most beautiful and calming spa I have ever been to. As a guest, you are welcomed by very professional therapists in beautifully scented surroundings. A basil honey tea (yes it sounds strange... but tastes great!) is served as a welcome drink whilst you select your therapies. This spa is definitely worth the visit, even if pricey, it is like being on cloud nine...and then ten... and then eleven.

Other spas I'd recommend include Belle Mare Plage Spa.... Prince Maurice Spa... and the Seven Colours Spa, which is in all honesty not as luxurious as the other three, but the massage huts are placed right over the beach, which makes up for the lack of luxury!

Overall... in terms of spas and sports... Mauritius is a great place to have some fun and relax at the same time.


                   ...making it an all in one luxury getaway....

World Discovery Continued: *MAURITIUS*

....sugar cane, rum, white beaches and a sapphire ocean...

           
               The on and on blog visits the island of the Dodo.

Ile Maurice is a place where I have been perhaps six times, maybe more. It is a multicultural rainbow country in terms of people. Yet its heritage is long and complex. Its independence, its languages... it has a lot of variety and a lot to offer.

Mauritius is definitely a hotel destination, with the top hotels offering magnificent service and excellent facilities. Among many there are Prince Maurice  for a hidden getaway... Maradiva for luxurious privacy... Royal Palm for the demanding guest... and Labourdonnais Hotel for business.

The capital city, Port Louis, is situated at the north of the island. Probably the only place for tourist-spoiled civilisation including shopping and so on. A nice visit to the fruit and vegetable market in the city gives you a bustling sound of traders, vibrant colours of exotic fruits and heavy aromas of vanilla, banana and papaya, making it worth the trip.

Mauritius brings together tropical escape with outstanding hotels, great water sports and exciting night life. But it also bring to the visitor fabulous restaurants with quite a show.

All in all, a paradise place to visit.

But there is more to this place than just hotels, water sports and restaurants. There is a spinning web of cultural discoveries, which I want to share with you soon.

:)

Seychelles to the Third

As promised I'm writing the third part of my tropical islands discovering. Still keeping my mind on the Seychelles, I thought I would in the last chapter note down a few funny, memorable and interesting moments from my trip.

              First, when going to Bird Island... Taking a tiny plane, for only ten people, you get transported via air by a 'trainee' pilot (indeed...) only to land on a grass runway of about 50 meters in length. If afraid of flying, I recommend either taking very strong sedatives before the flight (which I should have done), or taking a boat... May I point out that on this island also lives the biggest tortoise in the world, called Esmeralda. You can see it if you are lucky, but I think all the tortoises on the island look the same, so good luck spotting the biggest one.

Warning: It is unbelievably easy to get addicted to Seychelles food. If you have the luck to be invited by some locals for food, then go! Or try to go to more local restaurants... or grill on a boat and go to the local supermarkets. Red snapper is a great fish choice to eat on the islands and always tastes great no matter how it is prepared.

...Be ready to snack on all possible types of fruit crisps! Whether it be breadfruit or banana crisps etc., all are delicious. Often sold in clear plastic pouches, I think I bought some everyday at local food stores or supermarkets.... Coconuts are another favourite of the Seychellois and are put into nearly everything. Plus fresh coconut water is not only refreshing, but also full of vitamins and 'healthy' fat :)

          Finally when taking a trip to the Seychelles, be prepared to spend most of your time out of the hotel, because it is really worth the extra trouble. Second, understand the fact that there is no normal length landing strip on the island, and even in Victoria you have to land on an airport set on a very small semi-island surrounded by the sea. Also stroking a turtle's head/neck is totally normal and should be tried by all means and... to top it all of eating a lot of yummy food on holiday is not a sin, rather a cultural discovery worth every kilogram gained.

       That is all from the Seychelles.
            I will write soon again... x

Seychelles Discovering Part II

Perhaps the most interesting thing once on the islands is the scenery and the tranquility that the islands bring to a person. As a twenty three year old, not much brings tranquility to me, or more likely I do not appreciate its forms. However, the deep green coverage of tropical trees and tall slanting palms was enough to make me feel pretty tranquil without the usage of any illegal substances...

What is more, the islands fill you up with a vibe of happiness and relaxation already in the morning when you look outside your window to take in the glimmer of the sunshine, the humming sound of the wind in the trees and the mysterious shimmer of the indian ocean. This may be sounding rather poetic, but this was the effect that the Coco de Mer islands had on me. And as I said, I am only twenty three. So imagine what the effect would be on a person that is actually of age to appreciate this stuff.

Another thing I noticed was the way the Seychellois people look at you. You can walk in a bikini into a supermarket somewhere on the islands and no one stares at you. They don't care. Why should they? I have not met one prejudiced, unfriendly or somehow in other ways negatively-motivated person whilst I was there, and it was a great change from other tropical islands; where the mild hatred towards caucasian tourists is visible.

But to quickly escape from political correctness, I have to say that the Seychelles made an impression on me, that I cannot dismiss easily. I loved every minute of my holiday there. It goes that far that I got a ridiculously expensive golden necklace from the airport (yes, tourist trap) with the Seychelles symbols of the Coco de Mer on it.

              Yet even if I fell for the touristy things, which I usually don't, I enjoyed all the miniscule and hard to get to locations, that as a tourist you cannot experience. I touched a few giant tortoises, and scratched their rough necks and heads, with a constant fear that my hand will be eaten... and I saw the most beautiful fish you can imagine just swimming under a boat. I drank coconut water until I felt slightly sick, but could not get enough anyway, and I went fishing on slightly rough sea with a strangely old fashioned rope and hook... and managed to catch the first fish of the group!

It's the little impressions in life that make the biggest impact on us, and this experience certainly did that.
And since there is so much more to write about the Seychelles, I will not overdo it, but will write one more entry about them, and then will continue on about another tropical paradise, called Ile Maurice. :)