• Beaches - Nature's Wonders - Places

    Lombok: Go Beyond Bali, Indonesia

    Indonesia for most travellers begins and ends in Bali. Little do they realize that the Indonesian archipelago has several other stunning islands, too, and Bali’s scenic beauty may fade in comparison to these. Staying away from the crowded Bali was what we wanted, and a friend living Jakarta suggested Lombok. Thus we discovered this fabulous island, and it was worth it.  The 5-hour public ferry to Lombok starts at Padang Bai in Bali. There is also a fast boat service and there are speed boats, too. The ferry comes at a fraction of the cost of other options. Tickets are…

  • Arts & Culture

    Travel Tales with Kommune

    A young man enthusiastically makes a day trip to Pisa from Rome, only to be told on reaching Pisa station that the last train back to Rome starts in 15 minutes. A bush pilot flies a plane loaded with arms over Lake Victoria in Africa, trying to skirt active volcanoes and stay above the clouds, and safely lands in a middle-of-nowhere runway, right in the thick jungle of Goma in DR Congo; but loses his documents as the arms are unloaded. A solo young girl exploring the world gets lost in a red-light area in Spain, and later realizes her…

  • Cityscapes - Places

    MarketWatch: The Catania Market, Sicily, Italy

    Catania is the gateway to Sicily as it has one of the international airports in Sicily. Our final destination was Taormina, which is about 55 kms from Catania. However we managed some time to explore the Catania market during our 3-4 day stay in Taormina. This is unlike any other market we visited earlier. We did not buy anything at all, let alone touch a single item on sale, walking and watching the wares (dead and alive) was fun. Here’s a walk through the clean and odourless fish market in Catania. Adjacent lanes have shops that sell groceries, vegetables, and…