Get Inspired: A Place in the Middle of Nowhere for the Artist in You

There are many places that inspire artists, writers, dramatists, painters...or anyone with a creative bent of mind. Different destinations around the world world inspire different people. India - the incredible land of saints and philosophers - has quite a few spots that let you be you. Places where you can reflect on life and where you can be with yourself.

Great for people with creative pursuits, one can choose to spend some time in Andretta, Himachal Pradesh. It is well known for its Artist Colony founded by Norah Richards, an Irish writer and dramatist who settled here in early 20th century. She built a mud house in Kangra-style architecture and soon the place started getting visitors, which included Prithvi Raj Kapoor, the old man of Hindi Cinema and  father of legendary Raj Kapoor. 

BC Sanyal, the well known painter and sculpture has a house in Andretta. Portrait painter Sardar Soba Singh and Sardar Gurcharan Singh were among a few of those Norah Richards invited in her quest to establish Andretta as an Artist Village. Today, Andretta Pottery is run by Mansimran "Mini" Singh, son of famous potter Gurcharan Singh. Andretta Pottery and Craft Society was started in 1983. It is situated between the old Shuahk hills and the towering range of the Dholadhar Himalaya.

Besides being an apt destination for artists, Andretta has equal opportunities for travellers, who can trek, enjoy bird watching and indulge in paragliding and river rafting. If you want to get your hands dirty but take solace in sculpting opt for any pottery courses that run for one week to three months.


Pics Credit: mirageandretta.com & andrettapottery.com

10 Most Tourist Unfriendly Nations of the World

There are countries blessed with beautiful scenery, culture and great architectural heritage but they make it difficult for tourists to visit them. World Economic Forum in its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked countries on scale of 0 (very unwelcome) to 7 (very welcome) and came up with a list of most tourist unfriendly countries. The report among other things have taken into consideration "Attitude of population toward foreign visitors."

World's Most Tourist Unfriendly Countries
1. Bolivia  4.1
2. Venezuela  4.5
3. Russian Federation  5.0
4. Kuwait  5.2
5. Latvia  5.2
6. Iran  5.2
7. Pakistan  5.3
8. Slovak Republic  5.5
9. Bulgaria  5.5
10. Mongolia  5.5

Image Credit: nomadicexpeditions.com

How About a Dinner in the Sky? Yes It's for Real!

Now this one is little different from ordinary and in a sense out-of-the-box in its truest sense. Just imagine dining mid air in 'front' of the Eiffel Tower or in the middle of  a river. A company - Event in the Sky - is arranging these mid-air jaunts for the rich and famous who have a head for heights.

The mid air events are not limited to dining but the company has a long list of events, which may include fashion show, wedding, birthday party, press conference, product launch, business meeting and Christmas Party.

To arrange a mid-air event all they need, "any site accessible to both crane and truck with trailer that provides minimum 30 x 15 meters space which can be secured for such an exclusive event."

Live the moment in these pics:

 Pics courtesy: Dinner in the Sky

High Season: Busiest Travel Dates to Keep in Mind this Summer

If you want to take it light and easy this summer, mark the busiest dates when most travelers will set out on  vacation. According to a poll by a travel agency about 88 per cent  of Americans are planing to take a vacation. Thursday through Saturday are believed to be the busiest days when airports, highways and train stations will be crowded. 

That means, considering vacations Sunday through Wednesday may get you plenty of space on airports, trains stations and the destination of your choice hopefully. Family vacations should be all about quality time and bonding no?     

Here is the list of busiest dates this travel season:

1. Friday, May 23 (Memorial Day weekend)

2. Saturday, May 24 (Memorial Day weekend)

3. Thursday, May 29

4. Friday, May 30

5. Thursday, June 5

6. Friday, June 6

7. Thursday, June 19

8. Thursday, June 12

9. Thursday, July 3 (July Fourth weekend)

Get innovative and figure out a way to dodge the crowd. Have a great idea, share with us!

NGC Traveler Photo Contest: Take Your Killer Pics to the World

Do you think the pictures you take speak to the world? Do they inspire or make a connect with human emotions? National Geographic Channel takes your 'killer pics' to the world. Enter the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest to win name and fame apart from the Grand Prizes, which are:


1st Prize: An 8-day National Geographic Expedition to Alaska for two
2nd Prize: A 5-day National Geographic Photo Workshop for one in Santa Fe, New Mexico
3rd Prize: A 6-day cruise for two on a Maine windjammer schooner

There are four categories under which entries can be submitted:

1. Outdoor Scenes
2. Sense of Place
3. Travel Portraits
4. Spontaneous Moments

30th June is the last date to submit your entries.

And if you want to have an idea about the kind of entries, check the following stunning pics:

 

 Pics courtesy : National Geographic Photo Contest

Top 5 Iconic Bridges in US

What is a bridge (n)? A structure that connects two pieces of land and makes it possible for us to reach from one part to another. Yes that's what all bridges do. But there are others that have caught the fascination of today's traveler. These are the bridges that are iconic to say the least.

Here are the top 5 famous bridges in US

1. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Opened to public in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco connects the San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County. Over the years, the bridge has become a symbol of United States around the world. The length of the bridge is 2737 meters.

2. Brooklyn Bridge, New York
One of the popular tourist attractions in New York, the Brooklyn Bridge was built in 1883. It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. The bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River.

3. George Washington Bridge, New York
Built on the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge connects Fort Lee to Manhattan. The bridge is designed in such a manner that additional lanes can be added to it to cater to the increasing traffic. The bridge was inaugurated in 1931.

4.  Navajo Bridge, Arizona
It is the bridge with the view. Built over the Colorado river, the Navajo Bridge almost 250 meters long.

5. Mackinac Bridge, Michigan
The third biggest suspension bridge in the world, the Mackinac Bridge connects the upper peninsula of Michigan with the lower peninsula. The bridge was opened to public in 1958 and it took three and a half years to complete the bridge. Every Labor Day, two of the lanes of the bridge are closed to traffic and open to walkers.

5 Packing Tips to See you Through a Lifetime of Travels

Not everyone loves packing. For some it is too much to think about what to pack and what to leave. This confusion at times makes travelers forget important stuff while packing. On the other hand, there are people who live out of a suitcase and packing comes naturally to them. And even if it doesn't, they get so used to packing and unpacking that a thing here or there hardly bothers them. 

Image Courtesy: www.smartertraveling.com

For others who are not very good at the art of packing nor they intend to. Here are five packing tips to see them though a lifetime of travels. 

1. Travel Uniform

By this time you must have figured out what suits you best while traveling. If you have, great; every time you travel, don't think too much about what to wear, just go for what you have been wearing thus far. If you haven't yet figured out your travel uniform. Take some time out to do so. It'll save you plenty of time and hassle of deciding what to wear.

2. Wrinkle Free Clothing

What an invention! Roll them, crumple them or ball them and stuff them in your suitcase without worrying. A few sets of wrinkle-free clothes can save you time and effort of neatly folding and then placing clothes of cotton and other fabrics in your suitcase. 

3. Pack but do not Unpack

You probably won't need an inflatable neck pillow, mini toothpaste, adapter or mini laundry bag in daily life. There are things that we need only when we travel, so why unpack them once we are back from a trip. Let them lie in your suitcase and next time when you travel, you do not need to think about packing them again.

4. Buy a Toiletries Case

The best way to pack toiletries is to have a toiletries case. Keep it pre-filled with a set of travel sized tooth paste, soap, tooth brush, shaving cream, brush  etc. So the next time you travel, just lift your toiletries case and put it in your suitcase.  

5. Packing Basket

If you are not a last minute traveler and know about your trip quite in advance, just keep a basket in your bedroom. Every time you come across something that you think needs to be packed, throw it in the basket. Just a day before your travel date, empty the contents of basket in your suitcase.