I have been to quite a few travel destinations away from my home country in the past 5 years; from Asian cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Phuket, Bali, Singapore to European cities such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Florence, Rome. I have also been to many local Malaysian destinations such as Penang, Langkawi, Redang Island, Port Dickson, Melaka, Genting Highland, and Cameron Highland. If I had to choose my favourite travel destination to date, the Gold Coast would be my choice.
I love the Gold Coast for everything it has to offer: the subtropical weather, the scenic view of it rainforest hinderland, the 57km of white sandy beaches, the waterways, the wildlife and Koala sanctuary, the 6 major theme parks, the friendly local people (aka Queenslanders), the unique and delicious Macademia nuts, and the Tamborine highland tea and wines! On top of that, the Gold Coast is for solo travelers, couples, and families.
What made it my favourite destination among others is indeed very personal. Favouritism is always personal, is it not? I fell in love with the Gold Coast for 5 main reasons:
It is where I honeymooned with my beloved wife. Anything during a honeymoon trip is always sweet and lovely, right!?
It inspired me a lot in starting my travel photo blog. With its full varieties of attractions, there are always new stories to write about.
Its temperate climate is pleasant all year round for travel. The air quality is amongst the best I have experienced.
Local Queenslanders are nice, polite, sincere, and trustful.
The sunny, clear blue sky with long beautiful beaches and tropical forest mountains in the background have definitely made it my favourite photography destination.
All of the other travel destinations that I have been to have their own unique attractions to travelers, but none offer the same perfect combinations as the Gold Coast. Perhaps my dream destination of Miami, Florida could match? Miami shares a similar climate of the Gold Coast, along with beautiful beaches and national parks. The only aspect left to be explored would be the local people. I hope I can find this out myself one day soon. With a flight time of 18 hours from my home, Miami remains as a dream travel destination on my travel wish list.
Cecil Lee is an avid traveler who is also a passionate travel blogger and travel photographer living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and on his own travel photo blog, Travel Feeder.
With a door as intriguing as this, does it not just beckon you to walk through it? I mean of course something as equally intriguing must be waiting on the other side, right?
I would say my assumption was pretty accurate!
The gardens of the Amber Fort.
And what about this door, what could possibly be behind it?
If you guessed a myriad of mirrored mosaic walls, you would be correct!
One of the Queen's quarters.
Not only was the surrounding architecture gorgeous, but if you took a moment to look out the windows, the views easily rivaled in aesthetic appeal.
It was as if this place was pregnant with the near magical.
Imagine waking up every morning with elephants roaming just below you.
You did not think I was really done with elephant pictures now did you???
Oh please, oh please can I keep her???
After I gave my elephant a big hug on the trunk goodbye, I set off to explore the Amber Fort.
And the exploring begins!
After walking up the stairs I was afforded with an indescribable view. Maybe some photos and a video will express what words cannot?
Once I was able to fully take the view in, it was time to enter the 1st of many parts to the Amber Fort. Interestingly enough, the Amber Fort does not get its name because of its rich amber hue, rather it was built in the city of Amber. Amber is located about 10km outside of Jaipur and used to be the capitol of Rajasthan state, however now it has been shifted to Jaipur.
India is found in the details.
A photo of me taking the above shot. Do not let my facial expression fool you, I am normally always smiling!
What surprises await in the 2nd part of the Amber Fort. . .
I love my little red Toyota Prius. In my opinion it is quite a sexy car! However, I think if I had the option of riding around in it OR being taken around town on the back of an elephant I would choose the latter in a heartbeat.
Our ride for the day.
The name of our elephant wasor flower (in case you do not read Hindi). I really do not believe that there is a more docile or gentle creature than an elephant.
I was sooo happy in this moment!
In my next life I want to come back as the person who gets to paint the elephants every day.
Our "driver."
Sadly, the 20 minute ride was over way too quickly. Though I was very excited to explore the Amber Fort more intimately. . .
I must preface this post with admitting that I had no idea what to expect regarding the Amber Fort and to be honest my mind was completely focused on the elephant ride that I would soon be taking (I could care less where the elephant was taking me, I was just elated to be on an elephant). To my surprise the Amber Fort was mindblowingly gorgeous! The normal adjectives that travelers use to describe the awesomeness of something simply fail in this case.
My first view of the Amber Fort.
The initial thing one notices when gazing upon the Amber Fort is the way the sun illuminates the amber color. If I were a poet I would definitely be inspired to write a poem about this phenomenon.
THE necklace again!
Like most monuments in India, the Amber Fort was quiet large and was protected by a wall that closely resembled the Great Wall of China.
As we got closer I began to see the elephants and I seriously wanted to forget about the group I was with and run to them! I have no idea why I am so obsessed with elephants, but I have been for years and my fondness for them only grows deeper by the day.
I have had the good fortune to have ridden an elephant prior to this trip in Thailand. It was an incredible experience and I knew that this would be too, how could it not with this equation: elephant ride + stunning scenery = Andi heaven.
Me with my elephant!
Unfortunately, we had to wait about 30 minutes before we could start the ride and I have never been a fan of the old adage, “Good things come to those who wait,” but I sucked it up and decided to use the time to photograph my surroundings.
While I was looking for things to photograph I noticed a doorway where the elephants were passing by and it made for some incredible shots, in fact they are some of my favorite from the entire trip.
And then before I knew it, it was time for my elephant ride. . .
Just recently I was introduced to Andi’s beautiful blog, and since then I’ve been following along on her India travels and dreaming up my own beautiful adventures! It was a pleasure then when she invited me to write a guest post about my favorite destination and my dream destination in the world.
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For both we’ll be traveling to Italy, where I have been living for the past three years. I am very fortunate to be living in my favorite destination on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. I love everything about life in the small town of Amalfi. The people here are lovely – exuding the traditional warmth and kindness of southern Italy.
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The natural beauty is intense, with rocky cliffs dipping down to the blue Mediterranean sea, houses stacked up one on top of the other and mountainsides lined with terraces of lemon trees.
I also find the architecture of this beautiful city stimulating, having written my masters thesis on the spectacular 19th-century façade of the Duomo of Amalfi. When I first set foot in the Piazza Duomo and looked up the long flight of stairs to see the colorful and striking façade, I was a goner. After three years I still look at it with awe when I pass through the piazza, and often find myself asking new questions.
Compared to all the exotic places in the world that I could long to visit, I have to admit that my dream destination seems quite modest. After a recent visit to Florence visiting so many gorgeous churches that were an important part of my research, my dream destination is the small Umbrian hilltop town of Orvieto, Italy.
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Yes, you probably guessed it! I have been dreaming of seeing the stunning Duomo of Orvieto for many years now. Certainly one of Italy’s most impressive Gothic churches, Orvieto’s Duomo boasts a colorful and elaborate façade with intricate stone carvings and mosaics. One day when I stand in front of this church, it will be a beautiful dream come true!
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Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and blogs about life on the Amalfi Coast at her own site Ciao Amalfi.
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* Photos of Amalfi in this post are copyright, Laura Thayer, Ciao Amalfi!
Because I love the necklace that I purchased the day before sooo much, I am going to dedicate this post to it. FYI, it is 15 strands of multi-colored tourmaline. I am totally smitten! You will see more of it over the rest of my India posts. . .
Me, my necklace, and the extraordinary Amber Fort.
The ride from Agra to Jaipur was around 3 hours and our driver definitely kept us entertained with his interesting command of the English language. The following video is of us entering the city limits of Jaipur.
I mentioned in my last post that I had a “special date” awaiting me. It turns out that one of my dear friends, Connie, was traveling through India and our paths just so happened to cross in Jaipur. Because it was terribly hot outside, we decided to first meet for some ice cream. Once we were adequately refreshed and updated on each others travel adventures, we went off on search for jewelry!
Me and Connie in front of the jewelry store where I bought 5 pairs of earrings for less than $10 (score!).
After our successful shopping mission, we said goodbye to Connie and wished her an extraordinary journey in Nepal, as she was headed there next, and decided to take our 1st rickshaw of the trip back to the hotel. When I was in Thailand I took a lot of these and I found them to definitely be the best mode of transportation. They were quick and cheap, plus they afforded you a great view of the city, as seen in the following video.
Back at the hotel, I showed off my new purchases to our tour guide. However, I mentioned that I was still looking for an unique piece of fine jewelry. He said that he knew the perfect place and would take us there immediately. The second I walked into the jewelry store I felt like a princess. I had about 5 people attending to my needs, bringing me fruit and chai, and the charming owner let me try on anything I desired in the store. And trust me I desired a lot!
Me with a million dollar diamond necklace/earring set. It was love at 1st sight!
Do not worry, I did not buy the jewelry in the above picture, but I did end up finding the necklace of my dreams (make sure to read the next post to see what it looks like). Our tour guide then brought us back to our hotel and we invited him and his friend to dine with us at the hotel’s restaurant on the roof.
The hotel's pool on the roof at night.
The heat had dissipated finally and it was the perfect temperature for dining al fresco. I really enjoyed talking with my tour guide in depth about his country and hearing a native’s perspective. At the end of the evening we were surprised with a fireworks show! The best way to end an evening in my opinion.
Since my friend was still not feeling well and I too woke up with the dreaded “Delhi belly,” we decided to eschew the bus ride that our tour company had arranged for us and instead booked our own private taxi, which would save us about 3 hours of driving time from Agra to Jaipur. Yeah, I am a bit of princess sometimes!
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The traffic we faced while trying to leave Agra was a nightmare, as is the case for pretty much everywhere in the country. I think if I had to drive on a regular basis in India I would probably become an alcoholic from the stress.
A typical street in India.
I looove the following video I took while stuck in the midst of one of the various traffic jams. It’s just SO India!
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Along the way we saw lots and lots of water buffalo. Apparently, their milk is highly desired.
They also happen to cause major traffic problems too!
Since pink is my favorite color I was super excited to see “the pink city,” otherwise known as Jaipur. I had a feeling that I was in for some adventures there, especially since the next day I would be riding my favorite animal through an ancient fort, but first I had a special date lined up for later in the day. . .
Sadly, my friend who I was traveling with was not feeling well, but we wanted to do something special for our last night in Agra and to celebrate our extraordinary day at the Taj Mahal. While lounging by the hotel pool, we decided to watch the sunset at the Agra Fort and then to have dinner and drinks at The Oberoi, which is considered one of the most luxurious hotel’s in all of India.
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We were warned by the concierge at our hotel that the Agra Fort would be closed by the time we arrived at 6PM, however his warning was completely inaccurate. It did not close for at least another hour and I believe that we went at the perfect time. The weather had cooled down and there were hardly any people there. Normally, I am a planner and researcher when it comes to all things travel, but I must admit that I knew nothing about the Agra Fort before we arrived. I must also admit that it was quite thrilling to not know what to expect (this is something I never thought I would say)!
The entrance into the Agra Fort.
The fort stretched for miles and while it was no Taj Mahal it definitely was worth the visit. Between the way the light illuminated the amber color of the fort and the monkeys jumping from tree to tree, it felt like we were in another world.
Why don’t I take you for a stroll through this other world. . .
Of course there was another photo request.
The building peeking out behind the fort walls is considered the "Baby Taj."
I was already enchanted enough with the Agra Fort, but imagine my surprise when I discovered that from one of the rooms I could see the Taj Mahal in all its glory!
In the midst of me trying to get the perfect photo, I overheard a guide tell the people in his group that the smoke surrounding the Taj Mahal was from a cremation that was taking place. It felt like such a holy moment that I just had to put down my camera to honor it.
Then the sun began to set, turning the sky into a rich amber color almost matching the Amber Fort perfectly. It was as if everything became one.
I could have easily stayed there for hours contemplating the oneness, except our driver was expecting us to return to the car. On our drive to The Oberoi we happened to get quick glance at 1 of the 2 elephants that roams the streets of Agra. He is considered to be the city’s pet (I love this idea by the way).
As our car pulled up to the hotel, I was instantly taken aback by the opulence. It was without a doubt one of the most stunning hotels I have ever seen. I think it would be impossible to not feel like royalty if you stayed there.
The entrance into The Oberoi.
The walkway over fountains into the hotel.
While the dinner my friend and I enjoyed at the hotel was not the best culinary experience of my life to date, it certainly was delicious and it was the perfect setting to honor the incredibly memorable day we had experienced and would never, ever forget.
or flower (in case you do not read Hindi). I really do not believe that there is a more docile or gentle creature than an elephant.
