Monthly Archives: October 2015

Four Fascinating Museums and Galleries in Lahore, Pakistan

Lahore, as a cultural, intellectual, and artistic hub wins thousands of hearts. This city is a haven for the lovers of art, history and architecture. From formidable Mughal monuments to faded legacies of the British Raj, Lahore has it all for you. The city boasts a wide array of museums that narrate a rich history and galleries that exhibit the excellent work of highly talented souls. Read on to know about a few such mind blowing museums and art galleries that will enrich your trip to Lahore.

Lahore Museum

Lahore Museum by Guilhem Vellut/ CC BY

Lahore Museum by Guilhem Vellut/ CC BY

The Lahore Museum is the biggest and the most impressive museum in Pakistan. This superb museum houses almost 20 galleries with articles dating from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Gandharan sculpture (especially the haunting Fasting Buddha), miniature paintings, Qurans, carpets, artefacts from Mohan-jo-daro, Harappa and other Indus Valley civilisation sites, and a collection of coins from the Achaemenian period onwards are a few displays this museum is famed for.

Alhamra Art Gallery

The Alhamra Art Gallery boasts Lahore’s largest permanent collection of artwork. This gallery is situated in the premises of the Alhamra Cultural Complex. Divided across two floors, this art gallery exhibits great pieces of artwork by eminent Pakistani artists. You can also enjoy some musical and theatrical performances and events that occasionally happen in this complex. A visit to this gallery is like a deep dive into the appreciable art of Pakistan.

Chughtai Museum

Named after Muhammad Abdur Rahman Chughtai (credited as Pakistan’s greatest painter) who died in 1975, the Chughtai Museum is situated northwest of the intersection of Ferozpur Rd and Gulberg Main Blvd. Chughtai produced almost 2000 water colours, thousands of pencil sketches, and nearly 300 etchings and aquatints. He also designed many of Pakistan’s stamps and coins. You can also contact the director, Mr Arif Rahman Chughtai in advance, if you wish to see other works of Chughtai that are not displayed in the museum.

Ejaz Galleries

Situated just off MM Alam Road Ejaz Galleries is famous for its innovative collection of paintings created by talented Pakistani artists. The work of these artists will leave you stunned for sure! This museum should top the list of attractions, especially for the ones who have an inclination towards art. The best part is that you can even take any of these paintings home as they are also available for sale.

Top 3 Places to Visit in South Africa for Honeymooners

Booking tickets for South Africa for your honeymoon will be one of the best decisions of your life as you are sure to collect lifelong memories here.

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With its exotic and tranquil locations as well as lots of scope for adventurous activities, you can choose between a quiet honeymoon and an adventurous one!  Here is our pick of the top 3 honeymooning destinations in South Africa.

Hazyview, Mpumalanga

For the honeymooners who love adventure, Hazyview in Mpumalunga offers a wide selection of activities. Hazyview lies in the Kruger Lowveld region of Mpumalanga amidst the fruit orchards and is near to Kruger National park. You can enjoy aerial cable trailing, abseiling and tubing, horse-riding next to the Sabie River, a trip to the elephant sanctuary and an early morning hot air balloon ride to enjoy the most spectacular views with your partner.

Thanda, KZN

Thanda Private Game Reserve is a safari lodge situated in KwaZulu-Natal. It is a five star lodge with the best of amenities to make your honeymoon memorable. Thanda in Zulu means to admire or love. So, you may well know that the lodge is a perfect romantic destination for newlyweds.  The lodge has 9 private suites overlooking the game reserve. There is also a rim flow pool where you can enjoy delicious candlelight dinners and a spa to pamper you and your partner. But that’s not all; you can also go on the fascinating ‘Big-Five’ safari.  Thanda Private game reserve sure is the perfect blend of luxury and adventure.

Umhlanga, KZN

With colonial appeal, lush gardens and brilliant service, the Oyster Box, located in Umhalanga Rocks is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in South Africa. The rooms of the hotel are lavish and luxurious with rose petal turndown service, a bottle of select wine and robes with your personal monograms. You can relax beside the two luxurious outdoor swimming pools offering stunning views of the Indian Ocean. You can also choose to take a day off from sightseeing to enjoy a relaxing massage in one of the six service rooms of the hotel’s spa. Also treat your taste buds to freshly caught seafood and the delicious curries from nearby Durban.

Three Popular Beaches of Pakistan

Pakistan is famous for its rich historical and cultural heritage, but not many know that the coastline of Pakistan has its fine share of spectacular beaches.

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In fact, you will find a slew of spectacular beaches in the provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh. Come, have a look at the top three beaches in Pakistan.

Clifton Beach

Clifton beach, also known as Seaview, is the most popular beach in Pakistan. Situated near the Dolmen Mall Clifton in Karachi, it is a great place for recreation. With camel rides, monkey shows, and lots of restaurants, it is a family-friendly place for picnics and social gatherings. In 2003, the area was affected by an oil-spill which deteriorated the charm, yet it still remains a great spot for evening strollers, tourists and a social point for the locals.

French Beach

French Beach, situated between Paradise Point and Hawkes Bay is located near a small fishing village. The villagers have set up about 90 huts here that are available for rent. The beach is rockier than most of the other nearby beaches and the waters are cleaner than at the Clifton beach. The beach is perfect for various water-sports activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling and surfing. Most of these activities are carried out in the monsoon as the weather is favourable during July to September. As there aren’t many places to eat at, visitors should carry their food and drink.

Sandspit Beach

Situated in West Karachi, it is another famous tourist spot in the area. Unlike the Clifton Beach, the waters at at Sandspit are much calmer from fall to spring every year. October through March is the ideal time to visit the place. On your visit you will also be able to see various types of marine creatures such as crabs and marine algae on the beach. The calm and quiet surroundings of the beach make it an ideal place to unwind at. In fact, the beach is one of the best places for sunbathing.

Cheap and Delicious Food in New York: 3 Food Joints to Eat More for Less in the Big Apple

It has become a common notion that New York City is very expensive in terms for food. There are many posh restaurants in the city and even your average neighbourhood restaurants are somewhat expensive.

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Yet, New York has some of the best joints serving delicious food in the city. If the cost of those flight tickets have somewhat dented your budget, you may want to know about fine but affordable places for eating out in New York. Well, we recommend 3 places that will satiate your cravings without making you empty your pockets out.

Succulent Samosas at Five Star Punjabi Diner

The love and demand for the Indian cuisine in the US is a well known fact. If you happen to be around the 43rd Avenue at the 21st Street in Long Island City and are famished, the Five Star Punjabi Diner is just the place to satiate your hunger. Their best, the stellar samosas, are the perfect fill-ins after a long trip of sightseeing. The delicate and crisp deep fried envelopes, stuffed with spice infused mashed potatoes, boiled peas, roasted cashews, and coriander and green chillies are just melt-in-the-mouth. The samosas come with a spicy mint coriander sauce and sweet-savoury tamarind chutney. The best part is that the samosas cost just $3 for two!

Pleasing Patties at Blue Collar

Blue Collar is one of the most simple looking food joints, but you need to visit their joint in Havemeyer Street in Brooklyn to taste their heavenly burgers. Some of their most famous items include the Flat Top burger, which has your choice of patty and is pressed on a grill with Martin’s potato roll, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, a special mayonnaise based sauce and chopped onions. All of this for $4.75! Other items like DBL Burger, Beef Dog, and different types of shakes are just as light on the pocket. All of the thick shakes, including chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, cookies and cream and Nutella (hot favourite) are hand-spun!

Plentiful Platters at Hong Kong Mei Wei Kitchen

Imagine a plateful of delicious heaps of rice with delicious fritters and fries, stir fries, greens or Combination Platters such as roast pork Chow Mein, Roast pork with Chinese vegetables; all for $7.75! Yes, you can get the best out of your mouth-watering meals at Hong Kong Mei Wei Kitchen in Broadway, Brooklyn. In fact, most of their dishes are $15 or less. The dishes are mostly Korean, Cantonese and Taiwanese. So if you happen to visit Brooklyn, it would be a good idea to eat here.