Travelogue | The Daily Star

  • Jewel in the ocean: Sri Lanka

    With long pristine beaches, verdant expanses of lofty rolling hills, and rushing waterfalls on every turn on the snaking roads, Sri Lanka should definitely be on the bucket list of next destinations.

  • Spain through a diplomat’s eyes

    During childhood, I heard a lot from my mother about the famous Muslim civilisation of Cordoba, the great mosque and also the magnificent Alhambra Palace, a splendid architectural landmark of Granada; both situated in the historic and picturesque southern region of Andalusia, Spain.

  • Manali: The kingdom of snow

    “Srijon get up… you don’t want to miss this!” my sister cried. And all I could think of was what could possibly be so important.

  • Rangpur: History within easy grasp

    Just after crossing the Jamuna Bridge, the road that goes to Rangpur is beset with fields that spread as far the horizon.

  • A getaway to Cape May

    To those who reside in the US, summertime is synonymous to beach vacation, and a beach getaway is something Americans look forward to every summer. This year, we explored the historic Cape May, New Jersey, which has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

  • Multicultural China

    Our plane touched down on 14 August, 2019, and the first thing we noticed in China was the heat and humidity, but the most difficult part of the trip has to be the language barrier, as most people were only familiar with their own native tongue.

  • It’s lovely in London!

    A week in London is not enough to fully explore the historic city, which stands on the River Thames and enchants visitors from every corner of the world.

  • Cinque Terre — A tale of sisters

    Cinque Terre means ‘five villages,’ because this band of five picturesque fishing villages are bound by a single thread, as if to tell a collective tale, along the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, Italy.

  • A Cretan holiday

    I knew little of Crete while making my travel plans. The tickets were cheap, I had never been to Greece before, and was advised against my initial choice of Corfu; people were quick to inform that the waters would be too cold to enjoy a dip, even in June.

  • Beautiful Ratargul

    The Meghalaya river pours into the Gowain, and a narrow stream flows through the Chengi canal to flood the entire region of Ratargul — not only the only freshwater swamp in the country, but also among very few in the entire world.

  • The city of music

    About an hours’ drive away from bustling, busy Frankfurt is the modest city of Mannheim. While it may fly under the radar for the average traveller, a closer look yields a more dynamic picture of this small city.

  • Francophone Montréal

    It’s the second-largest francophone city in the world after Paris; it’s a slice of Europe in North America. It’s Montréal! The second-most populous city in Canada, Montréal is in the Québec province. Montréal, which means Mount Royal in English, is a city that bustles with tourists during the summer months.

  • The City of Gardens, and Ajanta

    Bangalore, now called Bengaluru, is the capital city of Karnataka in South India. The weather is relatively pleasant throughout the year, hence referred to as ‘the air conditioned city’. And because of several well planned parks and gardens within and outside the city, Bengaluru deserves to be called “the city of gardens.”

  • A visit to South Asia’s little Israel

    In Kerala sits the idyllic port city of Kochi, the bustling and ever thriving capital and tourism hub of a region famed for beaches, forests, and backwater lagoons. The landscape of Kochi remains scattered with lagoons, far entrenched greenery and places of

  • Amazing Amsterdam, The Hague, and Groningen

    We landed on a chilly winter evening at Schipol International Airport, Amsterdam — one of the busiest airports in Europe. The airport formalities were pleasantly efficient and we passed through easily. A mere 20-minute drive brought us to our hotel in the famous Museum District

  • Where the hills rest against the sky

    It was a place I had visited once, but the intense love I felt for it drove me to visit the small Garo village of Achkipara twice. The first time was in summer, my group went as guests to a Garo family.

  • Wakatobi Islands – Acronym like no other

    Indonesia is a country where acronyms abound. If a title is too long, acronym it. In politics, there is Capres (Calon President) – Presidential Candidate and Wapres (Wakil President) – Vice President!

  • Victoria Memorial: A majestic architectural beauty

    If you visit Kolkata, and not visit the Victoria memorial mansion, then you really haven't experienced one of Kolkata's best sites.

  • The Haor's of Bangladesh - Birders Paradise

    But a place little known to foreigners are the Haors. Especially the knowledge that during the Bangladesh winter months, when the water levels go down, thousands of water birds come sweeping in to these areas, from as far as Siberia, to feed and rest before they migrate onwards.

  • Ispahani tea estate in Habiganj

    It was the second of November, and our destination Habiganj is about a two-hour drive from Sylhet city centre. Our agenda was to visit a tea factory, specifically the Ispahani Mirzapore tea factory. The manager of the Mirzapore tea garden is a friend of a friend, so we had special privileges.

  • Europe Trotting- Phase 1: Turning the 'Bucket' upside down!

    The most commonly cited bucket list places to visit have never had much meaning to me as I always believed in going places less travelled — always wanted to see the world at my own pace and to see things that people do not normally consider most desirable must sees!

  • Sublime beauty of the Scottish Highlands

    Conventional wisdom has it that the Scottish Highlands tour is a must for the travellers' bucket list because it is as beautiful as one can imagine. The highlands, with an average elevation of 20 metres above sea level, have an eye-catching beauty to behold.

  • Incredible Beijing!

    We reached Beijing from Taipei late at night, after a 2-hour flight. It took an hour to drive from the airport to downtown Beijing, where the hotel was.

  • The waterfall on the Sangu

    Winter leaves us too early every year, and is already bidding adieu this time too, but if you want to catch a touch of it still, head to the hills and valleys in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

  • Banda Islands - birth place of the Nutmeg

    That little brown nut you grate into your meat curry or favorite sweet or drink, and which fills your kitchen with its heady, inviting aroma, is exported to the world out countries like Granada and Sri Lanka. But before it got to these exotic sounding places, the little nutmeg had its own fascinating history.

  • Barishal the unspoilt

    Legends speak of holy men travelling places carried by large fish, turtles, birds, carpets, animals, jinns, and such, but I am yet to hear of anyone travelling on the back of an Ilish.

  • Cambridge: Of arts, architecture and history

    Needless to say, the English county town of Cambridge is much more widely talked about for its academia aspect rather than its enriched culture, arts and architectural beauty.

  • East Timor: The blues in the sky and the sea

    Five of us friends were sat on a suspended balcony over a sizable mountain, with the Timor Sea underneath; an unobstructed view of the sea meeting the horizon and the nearby mountains, with a road snaking through.

  • Delectable Paris

    That was what the late Anthony Bourdain had to say about the Eiffel Tower.

  • Stonehenge - the mysterious World Heritage Site

    As the visit to mountains and sea let us feel and realise their magnificence, the third epitome could be Stonehenge, an English world heritage site.

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