I thought that Tom Bourdon's photograph of a sadhu offering water to the sun on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi would be a perfect choice to end my blog posts for 2009. It projects the optimism we ought to feel today while we are at the cusp of welcoming a brand new year.
Tom Bourdon is UK born, and is an award winning international travel photographer who specializes in photographing religious and cultural festivals/celebrations across the globe. To my knowledge, he's one of the very few who specialize in documenting festivals, and if I'm not mistaken he might be traveling to the Kumbh Mela this year in Haridwar. If he does, you can bet he'll have splendid images to show.
Happy New Year to all my readers...and looking forward to see you again next year!
National Geographic Traveler's Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows presents his favorite pictures published in his magazine throughout 2009. The audio slideshow features 14 photographs made by various photographers in countries ranging for Malaysia to Peru.
I'm always intrigued how photo editors choose the photographs that are published, but I haven't learned much from Bellows' narrative. This collection actually mystifies me...sure, there is a bunch of lovely photographs but many are pedestrian and unimaginative, to say the least. The photograph of the four women on a bench in Shanghai is one of those. I looked at it for a while, trying to figure out the reason(s) for its inclusion here, but honestly couldn't.
I don't know if this was rush job put together by novice interns, but it's certainly not a shining effort by the National Geographic.
I like big pictures, and Michael Bednar's website galleries have such large photographs, that viewing them is a virtual immersion into his imagery. His photo story about the Eagle Hunters of Mongolia is a visual treat...especially since it features not only environmental portraits of the hunters and their eagles, but also breathtaking imagery of the stunning Mongolian landscape.
For Kazakhs, hunting with eagles is ingrained in their cultural heritage, and historians believe hunting with birds of prey was practiced by nomadic tribes in Central Asia almost 6000 years ago.
Michael Bednar is a travel and documentary photographer based in Vancouver. He started by discovering the diversity of life and cultures in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. After some years of globetrotting, Michael returned to Canada to attend the Western Academy of Photography and secured a diploma in Professional Photography.
He worked at daily newspapers in Southern Alberta, and eventually turned freelance, with his photographs published internationally.
Vanity Fair magazine has featured the work of Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer, who dedicate themselves to documenting in portraiture the human cost of the climatic changes.
Schlepping large-format cameras from Timbuktu to Siberia, and from Australia to the Alps, Braschler and Fischer visited 21 countries during 2009, and have photographed the inhabitants of deserts, mountains, forests, and glacial valleys....thus documenting examples of accelerating environmental changes.
Both photographers were nominated in Vanity Fair's Hall of Fame for their work.
Continuing the wrap up of the "Best Of" for the year, here is The New York Times' best travel photographs as picked by their own photo editors, and which were published in the newspaper's Travel section during 2009.
The photographers whose work is shown in the feature are Chris Bickford, Peter DaSilva, Lalo de Almeida, Josh Haner and Todd Heisler, Andy Isaacson, Michael Kamber, João Pedro Marnoto, Kevin Moloney, Justin Mott, Michael Nagle, Jeff Pflueger, Susana Raab, Scott B. Rosen, Brian Sokol, Vanessa Vick and Dave Yoder.
I was surprised at the statement made in the feature that 19 photographs are the maximum number for The New York Times slide-show player, and wonder why that is so.
American Photography Magazine is featuring Images of the Year 2009 . Rather predictably (but deservedly) Ed Kashi is the Photojournalism Category Winner with his essay documenting the Trans Amadi Slaughter, an abattoir in Nigeria that had sprung up after petroleum-related pollution destroyed local fisheries.
Other winners in the Photojournalism category are Larry Louie, Ed Ou, Andrew Biraj, April Maciborka, and Achille Piotrowicz. I thought that April Maciborka's work (above) documenting shrimp farmers in India was the best. Her toned photographs are really impressive.
I featured April Macibroka on this blog earlier this year, in which I thought that her work exemplified the essence of what a travel photographer is, or should be. The post can be found here, so I'm glad she earned the recognition that she did.
The newspaper version of the New York Times's Week In Review yesterday was a real fillip for photojournalism. The totality of the first page was of Tyler Hicks' superb blurry photograph of a US soldier in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, and much of the section was filled with the remarkable photographs by Emilio Morenatti, Moises Saman, Jehad Nga and Rita Castelnuovo.
On the section's second page, I paused at the editor's decision to publish two photographs by Tyler Hicks of the utter devastation of the Gaza Strip and the terrific loss of innocent lives, and the nearby positioning of a third photograph by Rita Castelnuovo showing a group of Israeli soldiers grieving over the loss of a colleague. I imagined the editor's cerebral gymnastics as to how to present a "balanced" view of the Gaza atrocity with a couple of photographs. Ah well...
As I said, the Week In Review section this week is a job well done. You can see it as a slideshow on the NYT's website.
Unearthing Asia bills itself as a travel 'zine focusing on culture, lifestyle and attractions all around Asia.
It was started by Nikolas Tjhin and Michelle Lee, whose initial idea was to publish a travel related real-life publication, but as the costs were prohibitive, decided to publish it online. It's available online and downloadable in PF format.
If my understanding is correct, it can also be found in paper form in South East Asia.
It may be an interesting addition to travel photographers who seek new venues for their photographs.
The news media are reporting that the incident on the Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit was certainly an attempted terrorist attack. This is causing extra security measures being implemented on all flights destined to the United States, which include body searches of all US bound travelers.
As I mostly fly Virgin Atlantic, I visited its website and it now (as of December 26) advises its passengers of additional security measures, which will cause traveling photographers considerable difficulties, especially regarding their camera bags.
The new regulations include restrictive hand baggage allowances for all passengers flying into all US airports, and have now been reduced to only one item of hand baggage.
According to Virgin, This item should not exceed 23 x 36 x 56cm, (approx 9 x 14 x 22 inches) and 13lb/6kg in weight, and should only contain the items needed during the flight.
Knowing the herd mentality of airlines, it won't be long before this restriction may be applied to all flights, in order to either economize on fuel or to generate fees on additional (or heavy) check-in luggage.
And here's the worst part of the regulations: "...should only contain items needed during the flight". This is not good news for us, folks.
Is the way forward to dump all our expensive gear in a Pelican hard case(s), check it in (and pay for it), and spend the flight praying that the case(s) and contents make it back to the US from wherever we are flying from???
And the coup de grace? From CNN's website: "There were no reported delays from Heathrow Saturday, but passengers boarding a U.S.-bound Virgin Atlantic aircraft were told there would be no in-flight electronic entertainment in the wake of the incident."
Nori Jemil is a writer, photographer and a teacher who joined The Travel Photographer's Bhutan: Land of the Druk Yul Photo~Expedition™, and she has produced a broad body of work during the trip's two weeks' duration.
The above photograph of a novice was made at the Wangdicholing Palace, which had served as the principal summer residence of the first and second kings of Bhutan, but currently houses novices and monks.
This vertical photograph was made at the ancient Ura Goempa. The normally quiet temple was bustling with monks when we arrived, as a prominent judge had just died in the Ura area, and funerary rites were being held in its small ceremonial hall. The photograph captures the wisps of smoke rising from incense sticks, next to the head monks who were officiating the ceremony.
The above photograph of a novice throwing his cape over his shoulders was also made at the Wangdicholing Palace and monastery.
As I mentioned in a previous post, Nori was commended for her entry in the Travel Photographer Of The Year's New Talent 2009 - A Traveller's Tale competition with a series of four narrative photographs on an island in Chilean Patagonia.
She was also the runner-up in the Landscape category of the 2008 Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition with her photograph of the Cerro Torre and Monte Fitz Roy mountains in Patagonia.
Management & Satff of PNG Explorers Internatioanl express Big "Thank You !!" for your support in 2009 and we wish you all a Happy Christmas & a prosperious New Year 2010.
Oh, and my photography New Year's Resolution? It's to go wider, increase my use of prime lenses and to be more complex in composition (ie more layers, etc).
And to counterbalance excessive seasonal consumerism, here's an end-of-year bit of wisdom: No-name soft gear (bags, pouches, jackets, etc) available at Army Surplus stores are often as good/tough/reliable/useful as branded and much more expensive products. A $5 no-name canvas pouch or a $30 branded one? It's a no brainer.
I wish all the best to my blog's readers, its Google followers, my Twitter page followers, and many others.
The Travel Photographer blog will soon be three years old! Incredible!
Rather than imitating the "Best of 2009" photographs that are put together by various media blog sites, I thought that I'd show those photographs that are best reflective of my photographic style and interest, which were made while on my Photo~Expeditions™.
The galleries in which these photographs appear are linked in the credit notice under each photograph.
The first photograph is of a pensive worker at a trader's "godown" in Mattencherry (Kochi). The area is where trade in spices such as pepper and turmeric, as well as ginger and tea was conducted. It still has remnants of this trading activity, but it's not what it used to be.
The worker wasn't posing...he was just standing there against this beautifully colored background.
Theyyam is a unique ritual which is performed only in Northern Kerala. After a complex preparatory ritual involving elaborate make-up and meditation, the performers are incarnated as deities, and dispense advice and counseling to the throngs of devotees who attend these rituals. It's a living cult of several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs, and is observed by all the castes and classes in this region.
I have never been so close to a living deity before!
Another favorite photograph was made at a Kathakali school in Thrissur in Kerala. I had arranged to spend half a day at the school to photograph the preparations for a Kathakali performance, and had total access to the performers being dressed for it. It was interesting to see that rigid wholesale plastic bags for basmati rice were used to fashion petticoats for some the dancers. These provide support and lift to the pleated yellow skirt seen in the photograph.
Kathakali is one of the oldest theater forms in the world, and originated in Kerala and in which dancers/actors take part in performances based on Hindu mythology, such as the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The Gnawa (or Gnaoua) Music Festival 2009 in the coastal city of Essaouira was a sensational visual and aural experience, and an opportunity to photograph musicians belonging to the mystical Sufi religious order in Morocco. Descended from former slaves from Sub-Saharan Africa, these musicians perform a particular rhythmic (some say cacophonous) style of music, part African, part Berber and part Arab. Many of the hard core devotees of this music experience trances and loss of consciousness.
The photograph was made during a performance by Ganga Zagora, a Gnawa group from the south of Morocco, at the ancient zaouia of Sidi Bilal within the walls of Essaouira. The large castanet-like hand cymbals used by the Gnawa and seen in the photograph are called querqab.
This is a simple portrait of a Rajasthani woman, whose magnetic but innocent beauty just jumped at me. I was photographing at a Rajasthani encampment in Manali while teaching at the Foundry Photojournalism Workhop, and there she was, under a tent and tending to a small child. I was told that the Rajasthani families in the camp were seasonal migrants, coming to Manali to work and escape summer's torrid heat in their home province. Apart from her radiant smile, she was very shy.
One of the many photographs I made while on my Bhutan Photo~Expedition™ during the Tamshingphala tsechu near Chamkar in the heartland of the country. This dancer was rehearsing his steps for the dance of the stag and hounds (Shawa Shachi), and his agility was such that his jumps were almst to fast for my camera to capture.
I was glad to photograph his spinning as much as he was willing to do, as these photographs were used to create the illusion of movement with the "flip book" technique in a slideshow.
One of my favorite photographs of Bhutan made during the aforementioned photo trip last October. Photographed a the Chimi Lakhang monastery in Wangdue, and proving that Buddhist novices (usually called monklets) are still children. Here, a novice is perched on the window sill of the abbot's room, watching an Indian television serial. Fearing of being discovered, his companion runs away.
Being dedicated to Lama Drukpa Kuenley, the Divine Madman, the temple is popularly considered to be a temple of fertility.
After a long construction period, work is almost completed at Gateway Hotel. One of the latest features is the new "Wild Orchid Restaurant", which replaces the old "Ani Ani Brassiere". The new Restaurant is much spacious, brighter and comfortable. If you come to Port Moresby, please try a Wild Orchid Restaurant.
In his short website biography, Emyr R.E. Pugh describes himself as a linguist, translator, interpreter and a documentary photographer based in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia....but I think he's way more than that. I have no way of knowing how good his translation skills are, but what I do know is that he's an excellent documentary photographer.
Emyr won Grand Prize in the National Geographic Traveler 2009 World In Focus Contest with this lovely photograph of Master Weng, a master calligrapher in the village of Tunjiao (southwest China), who is seen preparing to write a traditional blessing.
Most of his galleries on his website are portraits; some environmental and others straight facial studies. I gather these were photographed in Hohhot (Inner Mongolia) and Guizhou (Yunnan).
My favorite style of photography is most assuredly photographs taken of people where they either live or work, or in situations that tell a story about who they are and what they do....so I find Emyr's work to be really compelling.
I hope that Emyr will be tempted by multimedia...I can just imagine an audio slideshow of Master Weng in his cramped studio, describing his work among ambient sound.
I was tempted to delay this post until the first days of January, in order to include his work in next year's The Travel Photographer Of 2010, however decided that since I'm the editor (and chief coffee-maker) of this blog, I can do as I please and will include Emyr in next year's poll. I think my readers will agree.
To those of us whose knickers are occasionally pretzel shaped about expensive cameras and lenses, Emyr works with a Canon 40D and a 17-40mm f4...I'm just sayin'.
I recently received one of my photographs that had been fotoflōt'ed, which means it had been printed on quality photographic paper and then fused on to a 1/8" thick acrylic sheet (10"x15" size).
I chose one of my Theyyam photographs to be fotoflōt'ed, and I'm very pleased by its frameless design, and by the protection it provides to the photograph. The acrylic has low reflection and low glare, and it's a cinch to hang on my walls because of its magnetic wall mounts.
Via fotoflōt's website, I created an account and uploaded (directly from my hard drive...about a 5 minutes wait because of its size) a TIFF version of the Theyyam photograph, and it was totally hassle-free from there on. Within a couple of hours, I received an email from the company saying that my photograph was being processed, and would arrive to my address within two weeks.
Less than 8 days later, I received another email from the company informing me that my fotoflōt frame had been shipped and I would receive it in a couple of days.
I received it as promised, and I ought to add that I really impressed by the packaging, which protected my fotoflōt'ed photograph very well.
An innovative and aesthetically attractive alternative to old-fashioned picture frames. Well recommended.
The Travel Photographer's readers have voted, and the award goes to Joey Lawrence who gleaned 45% of the total votes cast amongst the four candidates.
Joey is the young photographer I raved about in a post this past summer. He has been shooting commercial photography, photojournalism and music videos around the world by the age of 17, and has the established reputation of being a pioneer of new aged digital hyper-realistic photography, lighting and manipulation.
Joey Lawrence's website is replete with phenomenal photography: his most recent is of the Mentawai (a tribe who live on the Mentawai Islands, off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia). He also photographed the Mursi in Ethiopia's Omo Valley and other tribal groups, as well as of Abyssinian Christian holy men, and the Aghori sadhus in India.
If you haven't already, set aside some quality time to savor Joey's galleries, as well as his thrilling blog. You'll be amazed...that's all I'm going to say because you'll soon know what I'm talking about.
A well deserved applause from the readers of The Travel Photographer blog!!
Andy Isaacson is a writer and photojournalist whose work The Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan has just appeared in The New York Times, and was published in Slate and National Geographic Adventure, among others.
He seems to have made a specialty of photographing Central Asia after traveling in Asia for over a year. He considers Brooklyn and the San Francisco Bay Area as his home.
I visited his photography website WorldWebEyes, and greatly enjoyed his diverse portfolios, and was slack-jawed at the beauty of the uncredited music he added to his web site. It must be Tajik or Uzbek, as many of his photographs are from that region, and there are many inflections in the song that sound Persian or Turkic. This plaintive song is just wonderful. Normally, I always turn off the audio embedded in non-multimedia websites, but this time I kept it on and replayed it many times.
Global Post features an article and photographs by Nichole Sobecki titled Death of Rumi Breeds A Lively Dance relating to the most celebrated mystical poet of the Islamic and Sufism, and how the Mevlevi religious order founded by the poet celebrates his life 800 years on, with performances by Sufi whirling dervishes.
The Dervishes are Sufi Muslims who have chosen an ascetic way of life, and were known their extreme poverty and austerity, very similar to the Hindu sadhus.
Sufi whirling is a non-passive form of meditation which is practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. It is a dance performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which the dervishes seek to reach the source of all perfection by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning around in repetitive circles.
When I started taking photography seriously a little over 10 years ago, I attended a Sema dances at the Galata Mevlevihanesi in the Beyoglu area of Istanbul. I recall being seated next to a professional photographer, who intimidated me with his air of utter confidence. He started photographing with a bunch of top level Nikons, and so did I with my shiny new Canon Elan II (I just checked and used models are sold for $70). The above photograph was one of my better results, which I am quite sure was a fluke. Whatever it was, I think Nichole Sobecki's photograph is much better.
As the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop will be held in Istanbul, I wager that documenting the dervishes at the Galata Mevlevihanesi will be one of the students' project.
Some days days ago, I posted a new poll asking my readers to choose The Travel Photographer's Travel Photographer of The Year, and so far Joey Lawrence is leading, with Zackary Canepari not too far behind.
So head for the poll here and, if you haven't already, cast your decisive vote for one of the four superb photographers.
One of my favorite photography blogs is The Boston Globe's The Big Picture which has recently featured a look over the past 12 months through photographs. These photographs were spread over three parts.
Out of the total 120 photographs, I've eliminated all photographs dealing with politics, demonstrations, violence against Palestinians, wild-eyed so-called mullahs and anything that has to do with either Iraq or the war in Afghanistan. I'm frankly tired of seeing photographs like these in our media day in and day out. I happen to think that no one really "sees" them anymore. They've become just wallpaper of sorts.
So the above three photographs are those I found to be my favorites out of the 120.
The first photograph is of Orthodox Jews belonging to the Vishnitz Hassidic sect who are peforming a dance as they celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim near Tel Aviv. The photographer is Menahem Kahana.
The second photograph is of a young Kazakh hunter with his hawk during an annual hunting competition near Almaty, Kazakhstan. The photographer is Shamil Zhumatov.
The third photograph is of a Chinese performer dressed in traditional costume singing during the lantern festival in the city of Tianjin, east of Beijing. The photographer is David Gray.
The New York Times' Travel section brings us a welcome feature (especially to those of us living in the frigid North-East) titled Street Flavors of Bali describing some of the island's street food vendors, known locally as warungs.
The slideshow starts off with Naughty Nuri's, a Ubud institution, which occupies a modest shack and where tourists flock to sample its typical menu. During my photo~expedition in 2007, we were supposed to dine there but the wait was too long and we went elsewhere. Another well known spot is Ibu Oka, in the center of Ubud, which only offers roasted pork for a pittance. Naturally, it's a magnet for tourists and locals who sit shoulder to shoulder at its wobbly tables. Despite having an aversion for pork, I ate there once just for the experience and can vouch that its clients walked off with satisfaction.
However the real warungs are those I frequented when traveling on my own in Bali. The no-name roadside stalls and shacks that offer skewers of chicken sate (or satay) grilled to perfection on a few embers of wood coal, and accompanied by pungent tiny red onions. The New York Times article by Gisela Williams mentions Immodium, but I have never had any problems in Bali.
The third warung mentioned in the article is Merta Sari, known island-wide for its sate lilit ikan, a minced fish satay. I've never been, but it will certainly be on my list for my forthcoming Bali: Island of Odalan Photo~Expedition&trade at the end of July 2010. (It's sold out but a wait-list available).
The Travel Photographer Of The Year has announced the winners of its 2009 competition. Travel Photographer of the Year 2009 was awarded to G.M.B. Akash, an award-winning and well-known photographer from Bangladesh, who was unanimously voted as the outstanding entrant in the 2009 awards by the judging panel for his vibrant photographs.
There were many more awards and recognitions granted to other well known names such as Karoki Lewis, Larry Louie and Poras Chaudhary...most of whom have been featured on The Travel Photographer blog.
While Akash's quality and scope of work is impressive, I also very much liked the photograph submitted by Johan Ensing of the Netherlands of the fishermen cleaning their nets by Erhai Lake, in the Chinese province of Yunnan (above). His entry won Best Single Image in a Portfolio - People of the World.
I'm also pleased that Nori Jemil of the UK was commended for her entry in the New Talent 2009 - A Traveller's Tale competition with a series of four narrative photographs on an island in Chilean Patagonia.
Nori was one of the talented photographers on my Bhutan Land of the Druk Yul Photo~Expedition&trade this past October.
TPOTY will be shortly making available Journey Three for sale, a portfolio book containing the winning and other highly placed images from the competition.
*According to The Travel Photographer Of The Year's judging panel: Caroline Metcalfe, Steve Bloom, Jeremy Hoare, Nick Meers, Chris Weston, Simon Bainbridge, Andrew James and Manfred Zollner.
LaCie just announce the availability of one of the smallest mobile hard drives on the market, which was dubbed by the company as Rikiki. It appears that Rikiki means "tiny" in French. The august L'Académie Française would frown mightily at this claim as it's certainly not in the language of Voltaire, but slang.
Having cleared the linguistic mishap, LaCie Rikiki is available in 250GB, 500GB, and soon in 640GB capacities. The Rikiki is a user-friendly choice, regardless of whether you’re on a Mac or a PC. LaCie Backup Assistant is included to help manage backups. The price is priced between $75 and $150.
Despite the aesthetics of the Rikiki, I prefer the sleekness of the 500GB eGo Helium I bought some weeks ago...and my LaCie Rugged Hard Disk, but that's me.
Diu has inspired me to write this blog. Diu is not just another island of India. It is probably one of the most peaceful islands of Indian subcontinent. If you are a person born and raised in a metropolitan, if you are a serious traveler than you would fall in love with this paradise. I have tried my best to provide maximum travel information in this blog about Diu.
Please feel free to email any suggestions to me on mrugesh.thaker@ymail.com
LOCATION: Diu is an Island city, district and a part on union territory. Diu is located in the southern region of Saurashtra. Saurashtra region is the western part of Gujarat state in India. Diu is separated from the mainland Gujarat by a tidal creek. With 3 beautiful beaches around it, Diu is not a part of Gujarat. Diu is administrated by the central government. It has an area of 40 square kilometers.
HISTORY: No history is available about since when the island is inhabited. In 1535 the emperor of Gujarat allowed Portuguese to construct a fort and maintain a garrison on the island. He allowed Portuguese to build a fort as a part of building a defensive alliance against the emperor of India, Humayun. Diu was under the Portuguese rule from 1545 until 1961.The Indian army got the island back from Portuguese in 1961
A MAJOR TOURIST SPOT : Because of sunny beaches and beautiful sunset, Diu attracts a lot of tourists. Nagoa beach, Chakrateerth beach and Ghoghla beach are 3 best beaches in Diu. There are 3 churches and a ShivTemple. A seashell museum, bird watch tower, Diu fort, fortim-do-mar (Pani kotha), the caves of Nayda are main attractions of Diu. Tourism is the heart of Diu.
BEACHES:
Nagoa beach: is a horseshoe shaped beach with various water sports facilities. A perfect and safe beach to swim and rest in the sunny weather. Napping under palm trees in cool breeze makes the experience memorable.
Ghoghla beach: is the largest and gentlest beach of Diu. You can do swimming, sunbathing, parasailing, surfing etc.
Chakrateerth beach: although no watersports and other activities are available, you can love the sandy beach. It has a beautiful sunset point and a memorial of Indian battleship INS Khukri which was destroyed by Pakistan in the 1971 war (It was the only Indian ship destroyed by Pakistan in the battle)
RELIGIOUS PLACES:
Gangeshwar Mahadev: Gangeshwar Mahadev is 3 kilometers from the Jethibai Bus Terminus of Diu. This beautiful and sacred place has 5 shiv-lingams. The Shiv-lingam gets an abhishek by the ocean when it is on high tide. The legend is that the Pandavas worshipped load Shiva here during their exile.
St.Paul's Church: St.Paul is a beautiful church dedicated to Virgin Mary. Built in 1610. It is perhaps one of the most elaborated Portuguese churches in India. The architecture style is lot like the churches of Goa. It is known for one of the best craftsmanship on the wood. St.Paul church would attract those seeking peace and god.
St.FrancisChurch: This church was built in 1593. It is still a place to worship. However, the cloister is used as a hospital.
St.ThomasChurch: It was built in Gothic style in 1598. Been converted into a museum, it has stone carving from earlier rulers, wooding carving, idols and antique statues. It looks beautiful in the evening when multicolored fountains and special lighting decorates the building.
OTHER PLACES:
Fortim-do-mar (Pani kotha) : A stone structure (a fort) built between the sea. Approximately a nautical mile from the mainland Diu. It also has a lighthouse and a place dedicated to the lady of the sea. Tourist boats are available to reach the Pani kotha.
Sea Shell museum: A unique and amazing museum for lovers of ocean life. Sea shells and several interesting sea creatures are displayed under the magnifying glass. There are approximately 2500 seashells in the museum.
Diu Fort: Among all the places, the Diu fort has a prominent position in the places of tourist interest. It is a huge and impressive structure. It was constructed between 1535 and 1541 by the Portuguese, the fort has gorgeous view of the sea and Panikotha. You feel the history and battle fought by gallant soldiers.
INS Khukri Memorial: It was inaugurated on 15th December, 1999 in memory of the heroic sailors and officer who chose not to stop fighting and leave ship until it completely sank. INS Khukri was a frigate of the Indian navy. In the war of 1971 three torpedoes shot by Pakistani navy sank it. It sank 40 nautical miles from Diu taking down 8 officers and 186 sailors. Except having a chance to save his life, captain Mahendra Nath Mulla (Mahavir Chakra winner) chose to go down with the warship. An example of spirit and courage of Indian navy officers. It was the one and the only ship destroyed by the Pakistani navy. Indian navy finished the whole Pakistani navy and the port of Karachi in just 48 hours.
SPEACIAITY - Those who are interested in food, Diu has a special variety for them which is found no where else in the country. It is called Hoka (Hyphoena indica) the only Indian tree which has African genus. Portuguese brought them from Africa. Surprisingly Diu has a great number of these trees. Probably because it is believed that the western part of Gujarat (the Saurashtra region) was the part of African mainland in Triassic age. The fruit of Hoka tree is tasty and edible. Hoka fruits are believed to be good for hearts.
TRANSPORTATION: Rickshaws, private buses and cars are available in Diu. However, the best way to explore Diu is on Bicycle or a motorcycle. Your can hire a Bicycle at $1.00 (approximately Rs.50.00) a day and Motorcycle at $3.00 (approximately Rs.150.00) a day.
HOW TO GET THERE: By air: Diu has an operational airport of Jet airways. There is a flight from Mumbai to Diu twice a week.
By train: The nearest major railway station is Veraval which is 90 kilometers from Diu. Veraval is connected to major cities like Ahmedabad and Mumbai. There are two daily trains to Veraval from Ahmedabad. More information on Indian Railways Website
WHERE TO STAY:Diu has a wide range of hotels offering comfortable accommodation and food. From a 3 star hotel costing $60.00 per day to a discount hotel costing $6.00 per day. Below is the list of good hotels to stay:
Delux hotels : (Rs,1000 to Rs.1700. Approximately $20.00 to $34.00) The Hoka resort, Hotel Ankur, Hotel Galaxy, Hotel Triveni and Hotel Alishan
Discount / Budget hotels : (Rs.500 to Rs.800. Approximately $12.00 to $20.00) -Hotel Aavkar and Hotel Sukoon.
FAMOUS PLACE NEARBY : The Jyotirlingam of Somnath is 2 hours from Diu. It is one of most important Shiva temples in India. It attracts 100,000 tourists every year.
Diu is also known for its seafood and liquor. As the Gujarat state has prohibition on liquor, the liquor lovers visit Diu to enjoy.
With the third Foundry Photojournalism Workshop scheduled to be held in Istanbul in June 2010, I thought of featuring Alex Webb's Istanbul: City of a Hundred Names showcased on the Magnum In Motion website as an inspiration to those interested in registering for the workshop.
The audio slideshow shows us Alex Webb's vision of Istanbul, a city of minarets, ATM machines and designer jeans. A historical and imperial city, Istanbul was the capital city of the Roman Empire, of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Latin Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. As one sees from the slideshow, the storytelling possibilities available in such an ancient city are just enormous, and will provide a wealth of exciting visual opportunities to photographers.
PhotoPhilanthropy's stated mission is to promote, support and connect photographers to non-profit organizations around the world. It has created a community for photographers, photo enthusiasts and non-profit organizations to network, to tell their stories, show their work, exchange ideas, find opportunities and financial support for their efforts.
It also encourages student, amateur and professional photographers to publish photo essays designed to educate and engage people in a wide variety of social campaigns.
Interestingly, it has also created The PhotoPhilanthropy Activist Award; an annual endorsement of excellence for professional, amateurs, and student photographers.
For the award, it received 219 essays from 187 photographers residing in over 30 different countries. Of these entries, 150 were from professionals, 49 from amateurs and 20 from students.
The 2009 Grand Prize winner was photographer Zoriah Miller on behalf of the International Rescue Committee.
Note : I have provided the link to the websites of train service, bus services and airlines at the end of the post. Please scroll until the bottom of the page.
Neilisland- Andaman and Nicobar
Neil island is situated in Andaman and Nicobar. The south western part of India. Neil is one of the several gorgeous islands of Andaman. An ideal holiday spot for those who loves nature. It is favorite among eco-friendly tourists. Beautiful beaches of Laxmanpur, Bharatpur and Sitapur are worth visiting. The bridge formation at the seas shore (the Howrah bridge) is a must see. The widest part of the island is 5 kms. You can walk on the whole island in about an hour.
The population is about 4000. Neil is referred as vegetable bowl of Andaman. There is not a huge market. Locals would love to cook you fish and vegetables while hiking. Sitapur beach is the main attraction. You can see live corals in shallow water and beautiful species of fishes.
Neil is connected with Port Blair (the capital of Andaman) 4 days a week. One way ticket costs Rs.200 (approx $4.00) Book your tickets atleast 3 days prior you visit. The boats leaves early in the morning at 6.30 am.
How to reach -You can reach Port Blair which is the Capital of Andaman from Kolkata or Chennai (3rd and 4th biggest Indian cities. Kolkata and Chennai have International airports and well connected with all major Indian cities)
Anjunabeach- Goa
Anjuna is a village in Goa. Place of one of the Brahman commodities. During the 60's and 70's it was the favorite destination of hippies.Besides the beach it is known to the travelers from all over the world for its flea market. This market has anything from Indian souvenirs to antiques. Once it was a hippie center of Goa is now one of the aging tourist destinations.
Anjuna is safe for watersports. White sands makes it awesome for sun bathing. It is favorite among sun starved European tourists.
How to reach - Anjuna is 18 kilometers (10 miles approx) from the Goa's capital city Panjim. Panjim is well connected to all the major cities of India by Railways, Airways and Buses.
Lakshadweep the paradise
Lakshadweep is probably among top 5 most beautiful beaches of the world. Lakshadweep is a Sanskirt word which means "1000 islands". It is the smallest union territory of India. It is only 200 to 300 kms from the Kerela coast. Out of hundreds, only 10 of the Islands are inhabited. The total land area is 11 sq mi or 32 square kms. The main language of the island is Malayalam and a dialect of Malayalam
Lakshadweep has a large scenic appeal. The water is crystal clear and beach is sunny. The ideal and best place for scuba diving. Lakshadweep cannot support big industries because of being a small region. Tourism is the only industry. World first low temperature thermal desalination plant was opened in Lakshadweep.
How to reach by Air- Lakshadweep only has 1 operating Aerodrome in Agatti. The Indian Airlines provides air service. From 2007, the Kingfisher airlines has started flights to Agatti from Bangalore (Karnataka) and Kochi Kerela.
By ship - The other islands has well connected ship services from Kochi or Calicut (Kerela) There are 5 ships from Kochi to reach the Lakshadweep islands. Advanced booking prior 4 days is recommended. There are larger ships which are operated between islands. Information about ship fares Click here - Website of Ship fares and timings
KovalamBeach– Paradise of the South (Kerala)
Kerela is called God's own country by world tourism. Kerela is blessed with beauty of hills, rainforests, beaches and backwaters. The beaches of Kerela are among best in the world. KovalamBeach is best of all beaches. It is totally opposite of Goa. Goa is for backpackers but Kerela is for those who want a peaceful vacation in nature's lap. The clam beauty attracts more upper-class tourists. The best time to visit is October to March.
Kovalam is on the west coast of Kerela. It is only 8 miles from Thiruvananthapuram (the capital city of Kerela state) The lush green surroundings around the beach, shade of tall coconut trees and coll breeze makes a memorable holiday. The international tourists prefer Kovalam to relax and get an Aayurvedic Herbal Massage. The delicious sea food attracts thousands and scuba diving with colorful corals is an experience of life time.
How to reach ? - Kovalam is only 30 minutes from Thiruvananthapuram which is the capital city of Kerela. Thiruvananthapuram is well connected to all the Major cities of India by Air, Road and Trains. Below is the Website links for airtravel.
Radhanagar Beach - Andaman
Radhanagar is probably one of the top 3 beaches of Andaman. It is full of natural beauty, white sand and a small tropical rainforest. It has an extra ordinary marine life which can be seen through naked eyes as the water is crystal clear.
How to reach - You can reach Andaman from Kolkata or Chennai (3rd and 4th biggest Indian cities. Metros with International airports) Radhanagar is well connected with Port Blair (the capital of Andaman) through regular ship service.
Benaulim Beach, Goa
This Portuguese named beach is not very well known. It is one of the reasons of it’s charm. It is a beach town a little south of Margao in Goa, India. It is in the center of Colva beach in South Goa. Being a fishing beach it gets fairly crowded in evening and weekends. The water is safe for swimming.
A legend says lord Parshurama shot an arrow from the SahyadriMountains and the town is now situated where the arrow landed. The place also sacred for Christians being the birthplace of Father Joseph Vaz.
How to reach - The town is well connected to the Goan capital of Panjim. Panjim is well connected to all major cities of India.
Minicoy - Lakshadweep
Minicoy is the second largest island of union territory of Lakshadweep. A prior permission is needed to enter Minicoy.It is cresent shaped and it is approximately 10 kilometers long. There is large lagoon deep enough for small ships.
A lighthouse built in 1885 is a good time to spent time. The cool breeze and the feeling of time being slow is awesome. The island has beautiful coral reef. Scuba diving facility is available. The beaches has change rooms and and facility to kayak and sail.
How to reach by Air- Lakshadweep only has 1 operating Aerodrome in Agatti. The Indian Airlines provides air service. From 2007, the Kingfisher airlines has started flights to Agatti from Bangalore
(Karnataka) and Kochi Kerela.
By ship - The other islands has well connected ship services from Kochi or Calicut (Kerela) There are 5 ships from Kochi to reach the Lakshadweep islands. Advanced booking prior 4 days is recommended. There are larger ships which are operated between islands. Information about ship fares Click here - Website of Ship fares and timings
Where to stay - There are 3 tourist cottages and a tourist house with a capacity of 20 beds..
