My Visual Travel Experience: Phuket

A few years ago, my wife had taken up membership with the QVI Club, which allowed us several days of stay at properties across a cross section of countries, over a period of a few years. In December 2015, we made good use of this membership. My sister in law's family (consisting of her, her husband, her teenage daughter and her teenage son) was travelling from Macau (where they reside) to Phuket, because her son - a keen and aspiring footballer - was participating in an international football tournament. My wife, my 1 year old son, my mother in law and I joined them in Phuket and the entire family stayed at a QVI Club property, Patong Tower, right in the heart of Phuket. It turned out to be a memorable family holiday.

As always, I did all the research on what all to see and do, and I read up about the place's history. Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, is one of the world’s most popular beach locations and is extremely popular with tourists. The province of Phuket has a population of over 300,000 and an area of 576 sq km. It lies in the Andaman Sea, off the south western coast of Thailand. Phuket used to be along the trading route from China to India. In the 17th century, it became known in the western world because of the region’s supply of tin. The Dutch, English and French all became trading partners. In 1785, the Burmese attacked. The wife of the recently deceased governor and her sister mobilized forces and held off the attack – they became local heroines and were honoured by the King of Siam! Phuket gradually became a very popular tourist destination because of its spectacular beaches and natural beauty. Some 250 people were killed in Phuket in the December 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean and there was much destruction, but within a few months, the damaged resorts were restored and life slowly got back to normal.

The Big Buddha is perched up on a hill, and the large white Burmese marble statue is 45 meters high, and 25 meters wide at the base. The complex also has a smaller Buddha, a 12 meter high one made out of brass. Though it is a fairly recent addition to Phuket, the Big Buddha has become one of the island’s most popular attractions, as well as a pilgrimage site.

Big Buddha

Bronze Buddha, Big Buddha Complex

Patong Beach is the most popular among Phuket’s beaches. The beach is 3 km long. The area is full of restaurants, bars and massage parlours. Patong Beach is a favourite with swimmers and sun bathers, and also has many water sports activities. 

Patong Tower, Patong Beach

Patong Beach

Sunbathers, Patong Beach

Kata View Point is a popular place that offers beautiful views of Kata Beach and Karon Beach.

Kata View Point

Wat Chalong is Phuket’s most important Buddhist temple. It is dedicated to two monks - Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang – who led the citizens in fighting the Chinese rebellion in 1876. They used their immense knowledge of herbs in treating the injured.

Main Shrine, Wat Chalong

Sculptures of Monks, Wat Chalong

View from the top of the Main Shrine, Wat Chalong

Bell Tower, Wat Chalong

Elephant Statue, Wat Chalong

Tiger Kingdom has several branches across Thailand, including one in Phuket. Here one can have the opportunity to see tigers, and even touch tiger cubs, under supervision. My 1 year old son enjoyed petting a sleeping tiger cub, oblivious to how dangerous tigers can potentially be. How he cried when it was time for us to leave!

Tiger, Tiger Kingdom

Sleeping Tiger Cub, Tiger Kingdom

There are several Elephant Camps in Phuket. One can go on elephant rides, feed elephants and get photographed with them. 

Elephant, Elephant Camp

Phuket FantaSea is an entertainment park for children. It has a large auditorium with numerous sculptures of elephants, and it features a famous show with elephants performing stunts.

Phuket FantaSea

Phuket has a lot of small but spectacular islands and rock formations in its vicinity, and there are numerous day trips that one can take by boat to see these beautiful islands. Since our son was so young back then and we were nervous about taking him on a boat in the sea, my poor wife (and my mother in law) stayed in the hotel with him, while I went on the tour with my sister in law's family. Real pity that the whole family couldn't go, but I got quality bonding time with my sister in law and her family!

James Bond Island
(The Man with the Golden Gun, 1974, was shot there)

Barracuda Boat

Ferry Boat

Canoes, Lawa Island

Panak Island

Between its beautiful Buddhist temples, its sandy beaches, its water sports, its vibrant nightlife, its numerous eateries and bars, its serene hills, and its magnificent boat tours, Phuket has a lot for visitors and is certainly a place I enjoyed immensely and where our 5 days went by in a jiffy! A great place for a family holiday, with a good mix of relaxing places and sights in the conventional sense!

My Visual Travel Experience: Innsbruck

Innsbruck is a town I visited several times during our 4 year stint in Vienna from 1985 to 1989. I then visited this pretty Alpine Austrian town in 2008 and then again in 2011. Set in a valley surrounded by the Austrian Alps, Innsbruck in a lovely town having close to 130,000 inhabitants, and it is the capital of the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Innsbruck dates back to the 12th century AD. It was a major trading centre in the middle ages. It served as a main center of power for the Habsburg rulers of Austria, as the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, choose to reside there in the 1490's. In 1564, the Archduke of Austria, Ferdinand II, got control over Tyrol. Until 1655, branches of the Habsburg family ruled in Innsbruck with an independent court. During the Napoleonic Wars, Tyrol became a part of Bavaria, and continued to be so till 1814. It then became a part of the Austrian monarchy, until its fall in 1918.

The Dom St Jakob is a cathedral that was built in Baroque style in 1724. It was damaged in WW II and needed to be rebuilt in the 1950's. The cathedral has a lavish interior, and a large dome. The font facade has 2 bell towers. The cathedral has a famous painting, Lucas Cranach's Maria Hilf. It also has the Tomb of Maximilian III.

Dom St Jakob

Ceiling Frescoes, Dom St Jakob

High Altar, Dom St Jakob

Pulpit, Dom St Jakob

Sacred Heart, Dom St Jakob

Pieta, Dom St Jakob

The Goldenes Dachl, or Golden Roof, is where Emperor Maximilian I used to stand and observe the town’s activities. The building houses an interesting museum depicting the life and times of the Emperor and his two wives, Maria of Burgundy and Bianca Maria Sforza. The roof has numerous gilded copper tiles, that appear golden in colour, and hence the name. The balcony has some interesting coats of arms from that period. There is a nice view of Friedrichtrasse, the town's main pedestrian street, from Goldenes Dachl, though the balcony is netted to keep pigeons out.

Goldenes Dachl

Friedrichstrasse, with the Goldenes Dachl
and the Stadtturm

The Stadtturm has a viewing gallery at the summit. The tower is 56 meters high and was completed in 1560. It stands close to the Goldenes Dachl and lies on Friedrichstrasse.

The Stadtturm

The Hofkirche was built by Emperor Ferdinand I as a memorial to his grandfather Maximilian I, who was the Habsburg Emperor from 1493 to 1519. The tomb was designed by Maximilian I himself in his lifetime. For the last 5 years of his life, Maximilian I traveled everywhere with his coffin. He was badly injured in a fall from a horse in 1501 and he never fully recovered. The church was finally completed in 1587. Maximilian I’s son was Philip the Handsome, but he died young in 1506. Charles V, Maximilian I’s grandson, succeeded him on the throne after his death in 1519. Ferdinand I was Charles V’s brother and he took over the throne after his abdication.

Hofkirche

Maximilian I's Memorial, Hofkirche

Painting of the Dying Maximilian I, Hofkirche

Sculpture of Albert I, Hofkirche

Crucifixion, Hofkirche

The Jesuiten Kirche is one of Innsbruck’s prettiest churches, and stands out with its large dome and twin bell towers. The church was consecrated in 1646. It was badly damaged in WW II and needed extensive renovation.

Jesuiten Kirche

Nave, Jesuiten Kirche

Crucifixion, Jesuiten Kirche

The Annunciation, Jesuiten Kirche

The Hofburg dates back to the 15th century when Archduke Sigmund started construction. However, re-modelling took place in 1755 under the reign of the Habsburg Empress, Maria Theresia. The interior of the palace has beautiful furnishings and decorations, as well as paintings of Maria Theresia and her sixteen children. 

The Hofburg

Helblinghaus is an impressive work of architecture on Friedrichstrasse. This building was decorated in 1725 in an opulent Rococo style.

Helblinghaus

With its picturesque mountainous setting, its spectacular baroque churches and its charming pedestrian streets, Innsbruck is one of the prettiest towns in Austria. The town is also a preferred location for winter sports, and 2 Winter Olympics have taken place there, in 1964 and 1976. After Vienna and Salzburg, if I had to recommend another place in Austria, it would certainly be this beautiful town!

My Visual Travel Experience: Xi'an

I had heard a lot about the city of Xi'an, famous the world over for its Terracotta Warriors, which are often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. So when I got a chance to visit China for the first time in 2013, I made it a point to go to Xi'an. My wife and I spent 4 days in this fascinating city.

Xi’an is the capital of China's Shaanxi province and is a historical city with a population of over 6.5 million. Through its long history, the town served as a capital to 11 dynasties, spread over 4,000 years.  It used to be called Chang’an before the Ming Dynasty. Xi’an became an important town in the 11th century BC with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty unified China in the 2nd century BC and the capital was in the vicinity of modern Xi’an. The first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, built the famous Terracotta Army to protect his tomb. The City Walls around Xi’an were constructed in the 14th century AD during the Ming Dynasty.

With its rich historical heritage, Xi’an has many tourist attractions that make it one of China’s most visited cities. The top sites include the Terracota Army, the City Walls, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Great Goose Pagoda and the Small Goose Pagoda. The one unique feature of the city is that the city centre is enclosed within a 14 kilometer long rectangular wall, that was built to fortify the city and save it from attack. The City Walls are still intact.

The Terracotta Warriors were discovered by a group of farmers in 1974. The army of over 7,000 soldiers dates back to 200 BC, and the army was made to guard the tomb of Emperor Win Shi Huangdi, who is supposed to have been buried in a hill over a kilometer away. The army is present in three pits. Pit 1 is the largest, with close to 6,000 soldiers in battle formation. After the discovery, restoration was a major exercise, and each warrior has had to be individually restored carefully. The spectacular site has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pit 1, Terracotta Warriors

Pit 2, Terracotta Warriors

The Bell Tower lies right in the centre of Xi’an, where the city’s four main streets converge.  The Bell Tower stands on a brick platform. It dates back to 1384, but was moved to its present location in 1582. The structure has numerous bells, chimes and musical instruments. It used to house a bronze bell that was struck every morning.

Bell Tower

Interior, Bell Tower

Bell, Bell Tower

The Drum Tower lies close to the Bell Tower. It dates back to 1380. It has a collection of drums and other musical instruments. Upstairs, visitors can get to see beautiful wooden furniture.

Drum Tower

Tang Drum, Drum Tower

Xi’an’s City Walls are still intact, and form a 14 kilometer rectangle around the city center. The walls are 12 meters high. The City Walls date back to 1370, to the time of the first Ming Emperor, Hongwu. It is possible for visitors to climb the steps and get on the walls, where they can walk or even rent bicycles. A unique experience! My wife and I enjoyed our cycling experience along the City Walls.

South Gate, City Walls

The Great Goose Pagoda was built during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD. The pagoda was built in memory of Empress Wende. The pagoda’s tower is 64 meters tall. It was built to store scriptures from India, brought by the monk Xuanzang.  

Great Goose Pagoda

Hall of Sakyamuni, Great Goose Pagoda

Hall of the God of Wealth, Great Goose Pagoda

The Small Goose Pagoda dates back to the 8th century AD. It was built to protect scriptures brought back from India. The pagoda’s tower is 43 meters tall.

Small Goose Pagoda

Bell Tower, Small Goose Pagoda

The Shaanxi History Museum has a strong collection of ceramics, bronzes, jade pieces, gold and silver works and calligraphy. Different periods from China’s long history are represented here. The building itself has Tang Dynasty style architecture.

Green Glazed Dog (2nd Century AD), Shaanxi History Museum

Painted Female Figure Holding a Mirror (6th to 9th Century AD),
 Shaanxi History Museum

Tri Coloured Horse (6th to 9th Century AD),
 Shaanxi History Museum

Zhongshan Grotto, Shaanxi History Museum

White Glazed Porcelain Pillow (11th Century AD),
 Shaanxi History Museum

Bronze Ox Shaped Zun (10th Century AD),
Shaanxi History Museum

The Banpo Museum stands on an excavated site of the Banpo tribe, dating back 6,000 years. The museum has a collection of weapons, tools, utensils and skeletons of the Banpo tribe. There is also an excavated village. Also exhibited are life size models of Banpo tribals, engaged in different activities like hunting and fruit picking.

Fragments of Pots, Banpo Museum

Banpo Man and Woman, Banpo Museum

Banpo Hunters, Banpo Museum

Skeleton of 2 Banpo Men, Banpo Museum

The Muslim Quarter lies in the heart of the city, behind the Drum Tower. The area is charming and well worth a visit, with its narrow lanes and bazaars. It is a great place for souvenir shopping, and to experience local food.

Silk Outfits, Muslim Quarter

Terracotta Warrior Models, Muslim Quarter

After the mega cities of Shanghai and Beijing, Xi'an certainly ranks as one of the most interesting cities in China. The Terracotta Warriors are undoubtedly spectacular, but the city also has a lot of other sites that warrant a visit too.