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“A train pulls through every 15 minutes, scattering away the shoppers and shopkeepers in a jiffy....”
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Know before you go! SUMMER SPECIAL ISSUE 1
Nǐ hǎo, Taiwan! Meet East Asia’s underrated beauty High on Champagne Inside the intoxicating heart of France
Ride the Circle Train Roam Rangoon like a local
Picture Perfect Kamran Ali captures a magical sunrise PLUS: GUJARAT • DELHI • SWITZERLAND • RAS AL KHAIMAH
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ummer is here and everyone is busy searching for that perfect ‘offbeat’ destination. Dear readers, relax! We’ve got the base covered for you. Allow us to plan that perfect holiday for you. Catch a flight to Taiwan. The Portuguese called it “Ilha Formosa” or the beautiful island, and rightly so as TS writer Siddharth Birla found out. With its beautiful landscapes, heritage-rich capital, diverse folk traditions and feted night market scene, this sweet potato shaped island offers a continent-sized travel list. And while you’re there, don’t forget to scribble your wish on a sky lantern. Who knows, the year of monkey might bring you good luck and grant you another holiday, maybe? I am delighted to show you around the wine belt of France, where the towns, vineyards and people all give off the heady whiff of champagne! Foodies have a reason to rejoice too as we explore the southern Thai town of Trang, where the Chinese, Muslim and Thai traditions have arrived to a delicious culinary compromise. Intrepid and interesting: those are the kind of stories that Shozeb Haider regularly brings our way. This time, it’s a tour of the Yangon Circular. An offbeat journey with dramatic pops of colour! Looking to map out the domestic lands? Follow Mohita Kaul’s temple trail in Saurashtra as she cruises with the sea gulls and spots a lion along the way. In this issue, you’ll also meet: a famous solo traveller and blogger, the cycle-tour guy in Delhi, and a passionate food lover from Paris. Safe travels, and happy times.
Shubhra Krishan, Publisher & Editor
travelsecretsmag.com
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SUNRISE in CHILE My name is Kamran Ali. I was born and raised in Pakistan but studied and settled in Germany. I hold a doctoral in computer sciences. About a year ago I resigned from my job in order to travel around the world by bicycle. Last year, I finished a 10 thousand kilometre bicycle journey from Germany to Pakistan in six months across 16 countries. www.facebook.com/KamranOnBike
Turn to page to learn how Kamran captured this picture perfect moment in Chile.
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Just Add Champagne 12 Travel Secrets MARCH-APRIL 2016
FRANCE Excuse me if I sound a touch dizzy. Champagne does that to you. The place, that is. This is the vineyard-laden heart of France, and you are always slightly high, on the scenic vistas and the sparkling bubbles. Next time you visit France, take the train from Paris to Champagne-Ardenne. It ’s intoxicating, indeed!
By Shubhra Krishan
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COVER STORY
Time for Taiwan Smoking springs, a sky full of lanterns and a sea of lilies against lush mountains—Taiwan is a candy store of sensory treasures, says Siddharth Birla.
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#1 Million Travel Secrets
TRAVEL SE RETS
#1 M I L L I O N
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We are on an ambitious mission to collect 1,000,000 travel secrets! Here is a selection of secrets from our worldwide band of correspondents, tourism boards, bloggers and other reliable sources. Each secret is picked with one aim: to make your travel experience smoother, smarter and richer. Join the campaign! Send in your secrets and win incredible prizes including air tickets, hotel stays, gift vouchers and more. Get the details on our website: www.travelsecretsmag.com. Mail your travel secret to travelsecretsmag@gmail.com MARCH-APRIL 2016 Travel Secrets  45
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Valley of Milk, Kashmir
From: Shahnawaz, artisan at Delhi Haat, New Delhi
Around 40 kilometres away from Srinagar is the valley of Doodh-e-patri. Recently discovered, with its lush green meadows and pine tree enclosures, it is fast becoming a tourist hub. It’s called the valley of milk, since it is believed that the cattle in this region produces rich milk in large quantity. Sip some tea at the stalls run by the locals, sit by the river and make it your picnic spot, or simply soak in the tranquillity all around.
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Ferrari’s Black Prancing Horse
From: Bruno Wiley, Vice President of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
It’s one of the most recognisable logos in the world, but where does it come from? The origin can be traced to Count Francesco Barraca, a World War I fighter pilot. After his first victory against the Austrians in 1916, he painted this emblem on his plane, to pay homage to his former cavalry regiment, The Cavallino Rampante. In 1918, he went on his last mission against the Austrians and never returned. Even though he was killed in action, he is regarded as one of the highest scoring Allied pilots in the war. In 1923, a young racer named Enzo Ferrari had the opportunity to meet Francesco’s parents, Count Enrico and Countess Paolina Barraca. Ferrari describes the moment when the prancing stallion badge was bestowed on him, saying “The horse was painted on the fuselage of the fighter plane of Francesco Baracca — a heroic airman of the First World War. In ’23, I met count Enrico Baracca, the hero’s father, and then his mother, Countess Paulina, who said to me one day, ‘Ferrari, put my son’s prancing horse on your cars. It will bring you good luck.’The horse was, and still is, black, and I added the canary yellow background which is the colour of Modena.” 46 Travel Secrets MARCH-APRIL 2016
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Frauenkirche - Church of Our Lady, Dresden From: Kai Kulleck, Traveller from Germany
The Frauenkirche, Church of our Lady, is the most popular building in Dresden, Germany, but a lot of tourists are not aware of it. What makes this church so fascinating is its history. It was bombed during World War II and has become a symbol of destruction caused during the war, and reconciliation between the German and the Allied forces. It was left in ruins for fifty years and served as a war memorial. The church was rebuilt in 1994, after the re-unification of Germany, using original stones that were salvaged from the debris and combined with new stones. The golden cross on top of the Church, was crafted by a British goldsmith, whose father was an Allied pilot in the air-raids over Dresden.
The Saurashtra Diaries
Saurashtra Diaries Unravel mysteries of the age old temples, take a peek into the past, cruise with the seagulls, relive the childhood of Mahatma Gandhi and spot a lion. Because there's so much you can do in Saurashtra, says Mohita Kaul. MARCH-APRIL 2016  Travel Secrets  61
power secrets
Insure Your Travel Secret Travel insurance is something you will need on the road. You never know what might happen, and most health plans won’t cover you overseas. While a lot of people think “I’m healthy, I don’t need travel insurance. I won’t get sick,” travel insurance is much more than just medical protection. It covers you when your camera breaks, your flight is cancelled, a family member dies and you have to come home, or if something is stolen. Image Source: www.herbiewiles.com, Content: www.nomadicmatt.com
Hotel Booking Secret Check one of the ‘Hotel Search Engines’. They instantly search hundreds of different travel websites and then post the lowest rates. Also you can use an opaque travel sites such asHotwire’s hidden hotels and Expedia’s unpublished rate hotels. These offer the best price that is sometimes 50% of the prevailing rates. They don’t tell the exact details of what you’re booking until you’ve made the booking, which is non-refundable. Many modern opaque sites will allow you to choose everything you want by showing you the best deals. Source: www.travel.stackexchange. com, Image Source: www. asianhospitality.com
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