Visiting Portugal is a great choice, particularly if you like all things maritime related, as Portugal stretches for 800 kilometers along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is graced with Lisbon as its capital city which sits at the entrance of the majestic River Tagus. Much of the country is a mix of rugged …
The town of Chaves in the far north of Portugal has been settled since Roman times. They built a city here around the thermal springs, and left behind a stone bridge which still bears its Latin inscriptions. Fast forward more than a thousand years and you come to the rule of Dom Afonso I, illegitimate …
Pombal is a name you’ll hear a lot in Portugal, and that’s partly because of its role in the country’s politics. The 1st Marquis of Pombal was one of the nation’s greatest prime ministers, and there’s even a whole architectural movement named after him (Pombaline). He retired to this town in the Centro region in …
Sulawesi is one of the main islands of Indonesia and enjoys a strong domestic tourist market, making it one of the top travel destinations in the country. Foreign visitors to Indonesia however often leave it off the list in favor of Lombok or Bali, but anyone willing to make the trip will be rewarded with …
The Nusa Islands consist of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, and Nusa Ceningan and are often wrongly thought of as being part of Bali. The Nusa Islands are actually located in a different regency but you can easily visit them via a short ferry ride from Padang Bai in Bali. In recent years the Nusa Islands …
Maluku is also known as the Moluccas and in the days of old also went by the colorful moniker ‘the Spice Islands’. For years explorers tried to find the elusive islands in search of the delights grown here such as cloves, nutmeg, and mace, and although Maluku is no longer one of the main producers …
One step in from the coast, Caldas da Rainha is a spa town founded by a queen. In the 15th century Eleanor of Viseu discovered locals bathing in the strange-smelling springs, and so began Europe’s first hydrotherapy resort since Roman times. People descended on the town from far and wide in the 1800s, when it …
On the River Tagus, Póvoa de Santa Iria is a municipality edged by wetlands around 20 minutes on the train from the centre of Lisbon. The waterside, once a hive of fishing and industry, has been reclaimed with a “linear park”, transporting you over the marshes via a boardwalk for dreamlike views of the estuary …
Inside Porto’s Metropolitan Area, São Mamede de Infesta is a short hop north of this alluring UNESCO city. It couldn’t be easier to get to the centre of Porto, for enough sightseeing and cultural activities to make your head spin, whether it’s lively old town squares, Baroque churches or photo-worthy monuments like the Clérigos Church …
On the right bank of the Douro, Valbom is a small town just upriver from Porto. You can be in the centre of the city in the blink of an eye, sightseeing, appreciating art and architecture, tasting Port wine and exploring historic neighbourhoods. Valbom has its own appeal though, as goldsmith artisans have been crafting …