The world’s best Technicolor destinations

An exclusive guest post by:Holidaylettings – TripAdvisor

So weird, so vivid, so Photoshopped? Some landscapes are just so dramatically shaped and coloured that you can’t believe they’re real. Holiday Lettings travels round the world’s most rainbow-bright places, from strawberry lakes to yellow tulip roads.


Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, China

OK, it took some time to convince us that that this layer cake wasn’t an impressionistic painter’s masterpiece. It’s actually 6 million years’ worth of compressed rock and minerals spanning from colours of deep magenta to maroon and lemon. The impact is even more powerful during sunset when you can admire the shadows and rays of light across the formation. After rainfall, the rocks are like a blazing spectacle of kaleidoscopic colours.

You can hike some of the way around the park, or take a sightseeing car to the four viewing platforms. They’re around 8 km apart and you’ll need to allow about one hour to travel from one point to the other. The second viewing platform is the highest and the panorama is well worth the 666 steps.

Tulips fields, the Netherlands

The Netherlands have blossomed since the first tulip was planted in 1593. Every spring, red, pink, purple and orange flowers completely cover the area outside Amsterdam. The ‘roads’ of yellow blooms reputedly make it look just like a scene from the Wizard of Oz.

The best way to enjoy this landscape must be on an iconic bike ride. Routes through the picturesque fields lead you from the ancient town of Leiden to the gorgeous city of Haarlem. Visit the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens: its 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths fill over 32 hectares and offer you plenty of opportunities to take your own still-life picture.

Namib-NauluftPark, Namibia

No, it’s not an art installation. It’s the Namib-NaukluftPark. The tinted orange hue is due to the morning sun touching a towering dune – it makes a spectacular backdrop for the hulking camel thorn trees.

Do stay overnight in the park if you can. You can venture into the stark and striking desert terrain and walk amongst the tallest sand dunes in the world in the cool of the morning. Later, witness the breathtaking sunset before spending a blissful evening stargazing.

Lake Retba, Senegal

Photo credit: Jeff Attaway (license) via Flickr.com

It looks like a strawberry milkshake spill or the aftermath of a fuchsia dye disaster. In fact, the water’s high salt content attracts algae (dunaliella salina), which has a pigment that turns the water red. The lake is a striking contrast with the golden sand dunes and bleached mountains of salt stacked up on the shore.

When you visit the lake, you can cruise the dunes, try salt harvesting or just float effortlessly on its surface. You can also go out on the water in a vibrantly decorated wooden canoe (pirogue) to see other boats bobbing around and quaint settlements on the water’s edge.

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Photo credit: James St. John (license) via flickr.com

The spring’s multi-hued waters make it the ultimate real-life watercolour with a centre that fades from deep to light blue. Green algae grows along the shallow edge, and a bold strip of yellow deepens to orange around the outside before meeting a rusty red border. As the steam emerges from the water, it turns blue and green. Don’t be tempted to get in though: the spring’s water is too hot to sustain life.

Still fancy a dip of fire and ice? Try a natural hot tub in the Park’s Boiling River. Here a large, hot spring enters the Gardner River, mixing hot and cool waters so that it’s a comfortable temperature to bathe in. Soothe yourself into the warm water and soak up the natural beauty of your surroundings.

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What made us cherrypick Turkey as our next destination?

It’s been so long since we’ve been to somewhere far from what we know! It’s been so very long since we’ve seen the clouds from top. My down to dusk job doesn’t allow me to look beyond the numbers & stats. I know, we desperately need a break but can’t travel now due to personal commitments. But there’s nothing that stops us from planning for a getaway. It was a lazy Friday morning and we had nothing special to do. Out of boredom, we found an interesting way to talk about our next holiday destination.

It’s never easy to decide. We have so many parameters to be considered – nice weather, friendly people, rich culture, delicious food, unique landscapes, indulging adventures and so many things. Most importantly it has to be affordable and not similar to somewhere we’ve already been. After lots of arguments, brainstorming, persuasion and research, we finally zeroed in. I thought it’s worthwhile to share with you what prompted us to zero in on Turkey. Here’s why:

People and Climate: Nobody would like to spoil a holiday by negotiating and bargaining things with people. Travellers love welcome, albeit implicit –from people and the climate. Turkey would not fall short to provide that comfort. People of Turkey are like its weather – they have best of both the worlds - warmth of Asia as well as coolness of Europe, accentuated by the goodness of the Mediterranean. From oceanic to arid, from hot summers to cool winters, from snow to rain, you get to experience everything in different regions of Turkey in different times of the year. However, the best times to visit are April-May and September-November when the weather is pleasant particularly in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Likewise, the people of Turkey are multi-ethnic and multi-cultural and at the same time warm and friendly.

Affordability: The destination must suit our pockets. So, the first thing we did was to search for online air fares. Here’s what we found: Muscat to Istanbul for less than USD300. Not only it is pocket friendly, but also reachable within just 6 hours from Muscat.
If you are flying from some other country then: London to Istanbul for USD 175 (4 hours), London Gatwick to Antalya for USD 150, New York to Istanbul for USD 360 (13.5 hours), Shanghai to Istanbul for USD 470 (15 hours), and so on.

There’s a host of inland flights for travelling from one region of Turkey to another. Travelling by bus for journey within the country is yet another cheaper alternative.

Needless to say, Turkey has great hotels and resorts for both budget as well as luxury travellers. So, Turkey perfectly fitted our criteria.

Cappadocia hot balloon ride. CC image courtesy MrHicks46, flickr.com [license]

Ride a hot air balloon over Cappadocia: Go through any “x number of things to do before you die”, you will find hot balloon ride as one of the experiences to indulge in. I have never done this but always dreamt of doing it. Just imagine yourself in a hot air balloon over the stunning landscape of historic Cappadocia (a world heritage site), observing the volcanic rocks, fairy chimneys, ancient houses and temples carved into rocks and all the geological wonders. It’s definitely an experience of a lifetime!

Witness the rich heritage and architecture: The Ottoman Empire has left behind its mark which can be seen in the historic monuments. A perfect culmination of Europe, Middle East and Mediterranean, Turkish heritage and architecture can be best seen in Istanbul’s 400 years old Blue Mosque, more than 2000 years old Hagia Sofia, Ancient Greek town of Ephesus which dates back to 10th century BC, underground city of Derinkuyu which was built to hide its citizens from the invaders, ancient city of Troy made famous by Homer’s epic Iliad and so many places that offers a peep into the history of Turkey.

Hagia Sofia

Taste the delicacies: Turkish cuisine is a gastronomic delight. We had first tasted Turkish food in a Turkish Airlines flight. Also, there’s no dearth of Turkish restaurants in Muscat. Nevertheless, taking Turkish food in Turkey is something that will appeal to all the foodies. On top of my list are: a delicious Menemen breakfast, well known foods such as Kebabs, Doner, Kofte or Dolma, fresh fish stuffed with eggplant, Baklava sweet, Turkish cheese, yogurt and all the other specialities including a refreshing cup of brewing Turkish Coffee.

Baklava Sweet. CC Image Courtesy: Garrett Ziegler, flickr.com [license]

Experience the culture: If you appreciate music and dance, Turkey will never fail to score high in your list. Turkish culture has originated from its Ottoman Empire and influenced by Sufi, European and lately by the western wind. Visiting Turkey means a chance to enjoy its traditional as well as modern dance & music. Among others, traditional folk Halay dance (National dance), Hora dance, Zeybec dance and Belly dance would definitely appeal culture lovers.

Courtesy: Odil Ruzaliyev (VOA) (Voice of America) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Landscapes: Turkey is bestowed with so much natural beauty and varied landscapes that it would be hard to list down a few attractions. Yet I’ve found the following choices intriguing:

To spend leisurely time in one of the many spectacular beaches of Mediterranean, Black Sea or Aegean Sea.

To take a boat trip and visit one of the nearby islands.

Experience, the 17 hot springs of Pamukkale and swim for free in the hot waters of the natural pool formed by the white calcium – another world heritage site.

Pamukkale. CC Image courtesy: Josep Salvia i bote, flickr.com [license]

Visit Gallipoli peninsula and see the war memorials and the wild valley.

Visit one of the magnificent waterfalls such as Manavgat or Duden waterfalls.

The list is never ending.

And that’s not all. There’s so many other activities. You can stay back, relax and take a Hamam Bath. It’s a traditional Turkish spa that refreshes mind and body. If you are a shopaholic, you can get all you want from traditional items and souvenirs to modern and fashionable apparels. Istanbul is famous for carpets, ceramics, dry fruits, textiles, jewellery and handicrafts.

So, what you are waiting for? Get the backpack and head for Turkey. It will be an experience to remember beyond doubt. Do share your thoughts on Turkey or about any other place that you consider your dream destination.

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Al Mazara

Wadi Dayqah dam, Lake and the virgin landscape

How would you feel, if you happen to visit a pristine lake surrounded by unspoilt landscape, that too in a scorching dry country like Oman all of a sudden? Wouldn’t it be a pleasant surprise? What’s more could an explorer in Oman ask for, than a visit to Al Mazara – a hidden treasure carefully preserved by nature as a surprise gift to the visitors!

It was not so long after my beginning of life at Muscat that I started to appreciate the beauty of the sunlit naked brown mountains of the country. By that time, I just had some brief orientations of the hot rocky capital of Oman between my busy schedules and lots of surprises of the unknown land were waiting to be explored. Because, as they say Oman is not only about beaches and rocky mountains, it also offers hidden treasures for explorers and nature lovers.

It was November and the climate was beginning to become pleasant when one of my colleagues offered us a trip to Al Mazara without letting us know what it exactly is. I searched all overt Internet but couldn’t find anything. We went ahead and it turned out to be a fabulous trip both the journey and the destination. We thanked them for taking us to this little known gem of nature.  Since then, we have been to this place many times. Whenever, we had a guest or a relative, we made it a point to show them this amazing place.

The Lake of Al Mazara

The views: The dam, which was built on the wadi Dayqah to generate hydroelectric power has resulted in opulence of blue water in the lake. It has also dried up the wadi. It is only when the dam releases water, the wadi gets flooded. And when this happens, people in large numbers flock to the wadi to enjoy the cool waters of the wadi.

The Lake of al Mazara

The park at Al Mazara

However, swimming and fishing are not allowed in the lake. Public are not even allowed to go near the lake. It can only be viewed from the park. For this, one needs to enter through the gate of the wadi daqah dam and drive upwards through the slopes. There is ample parking space and a restaurant near the park. The first view from the park is the large blue lake surrounded by majestic brown hills. Moving ahead, one can see the dam and walk over it to reach the view point. The view point offers all encompassing 360° view of the lake on one side and the wadi on the other. The large green vegetation under the shadow of date palm trees which decorates the bank of the wadi can also be seen from there.

Wadi Dayqah Dam

Wadi Dayqah Dam

View from Wadi Dayqah Dam

The lake of al Mazara

It is also possible to reach the base of the dam. For this, one needs to come out of the park and drive downwards towards the base area. If you are lucky, you would visit this place on a day when the water is released from the dam. This is the place which offers a marvellous view of the water gushing out of the dam and one can hear the sound of water and can feel the scattering droplets of water all over body. What’s more, it even makes colourful rainbows when the sun shines on the water droplets that moisten and fill up the air that blows all over the place.

Water being released from Wadi Dayqah Dam

Rainbow formation at Wadi Dayqah Dam

In case you want to visit the wadi, you need to come out of the campus of the wadi Dayqah dam and move ahead towards the small Omani village through a narrow road. Once you reach the wadi, you need to park the car and walk down. As I said, there is nothing in the wadi unless they are releasing water on a fine day. However, there are lots to explore in the farmland where the Omani farmers grow varieties of fruits and vegetables such as papaya, banana, eggplant, etc. The farm is protected from the sunlight by a large number of date palm trees and irrigated by water cannels from the lake. I would strongly recommend you to buy some dates and other fruits from the farmers. If you are lucky you will be there in the right season and meet the right person to buy the fresh fruits.

Full flowing Wadi Dayqah

Omani farmland near Wadi Dayqah

A lot of things have been told in details about what Al Mazara could offer to you. However, it is not only this incredible place that would mesmerize you. The journey to this place is equally enchanting. So, now I must tell you about the panoramic path that leads to this place through grand mountains and imposing landscapes.

The journey: It was a Friday morning and we started from Muscat at around 9:30 am. It’s just one and a half hours drive along the ups and downs of the mountain road. Soon after, we took a left turn from the Hatat roundabout towards Al Amerat. It’s an old road which was completely destroyed during hurricane Gonu in 2007. The new road was under construction then. The new elevated road curved in the lofty mountains and connected with tall bridges was opened in the year 2013. This road offers a scenic drive and presents a breathtaking view of the valley and the mountains. 

New road to Amerat

After reaching Amerat, we turned left from the 4^th roundabout towards Quriyat. It’s a wide highway surrounded by mountains. The road leads to Sur through a small town called Quriayt. The road from Quriat to Sur offers a scenic coastal drive about which I will write in another blogpost.

For now let’s steer towards the beautiful lake of Al Mazara. After driving for about  80 kilometres from Al Amerat, we would take a right turn just before reaching Quriyat and move towards Hail Al Ghaf (a new signpost “Wadi Dayqah Dam” has recently been enacted). We would then cross a wide bridge over a wadi. The wadi remains dry most of the times but it had clear signs of water flow. Whenever there is a rainfall, the wadi gets flooded with water. A few minutes after crossing the wadi, we would again turn right on the signpost Al Misfah. A few more kilometres and we then turn left on the signpost Al Mazara. We would now ascend for about about 10 kiliomers along the sloppy road and finally reach the gate of the dam.

On the way to Al Mazara

On the way to Al Mazara

Entrance to Wadi Dayqah Dam

During the whole journey, one thing you can not escape here is the hills that come in different sizes, shapes and colours! As I said earlier, Oman is such a jewel of nature that will even make you enjoy the beauty of naked mountains! I do not know how and when these mountains were formed and who has painted them in so many varied colours, but the view was astounding with Black, red, pink, yellow, violet, maroon and so many unknown colours that adored the rocks of the hills. Some of them are marble stones, some looked like a stack of sand papers, some looked like iron hard and some like a brownie ice cream!

At the most I know is that a zillion years is required for formation these natural wonders. Nature takes its own course and creates marvels. Man makes endeavours to create the same wonders in a much less time. The rocks and sands of Oman have tasted time eternal. The natural spring water lake of Al Mazara from where the Wadi Dayqah originates has taken a different course with the construction of the barrier for generation of hydroelectric power.

The pristine Lake and the virgin landscape

Some more views of the  Lake

The Lake and the virgin landscape

The view of the resort

View from the top - the lake of Al Mazara

The place has also changed in last 3 years. The good thing is that a small resort with a park overlooking the lake has been built. The bad thing is that access to a part of the lake has been restricted for visitors. There has also been increase in the tourists over the years and nowadays the place becomes crowded on weekends. Many Indian movies have used this place as a backdrop for filming songs. The place is gradually finding a mention in many travelogues and is becoming a must visit attraction.

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Paradise Gardens of Kashmir

Kashmir – a place that has been associated with Paradise since ages, a destination that has been every Indian’s dream to visit, a valley that has caught every traveller’s fascination, a backdrop that has been filmed by numerous Indian movies of the bygone days. My childhood dream of visiting this heaven on earth- mostly fuelled by the Eastman coloured Hindi movies and fascinating travel stories has been slowly fading away. Modern day Indian films too have ignored Kashmir and found many better backdrops abroad while the terrorists have found Kashmir a better place to dwell! The insurgent activities have taken a toll on the tourism industry of Kashmir and the heaven started to become a hell.

I had to cancel once my planned trip to Kashmir due to the unrest in the valley. However, things are changing and hope it will continue to change for better and the tourism in this valley will prosper in days to come.

After much planning and thinking, one fine day, we flew from Muscat to Srinagar – the capital of Kashmir. It was April 2012, a great time to visit the valley, a season when the Tulips bloom and the ice starts melting. The situation of the valley was normal and tourists, mostly Indians have packed out all the must visit sites!

The first view: As our plane was approaching Srinagar, a magnificent panorama of snow capped mountains and yellow mustard fields appeared through the flight windows. Wish I had a window seat with a high resolution camera ready in my hands! Nevertheless, I kept my eyes wide open and tried to grab as much as possible this view of heaven from the top! Certain memories do not need a camera to hold, they are imprinted on mind. This was one of such memories.

The Dal Lake: The purpose of writing this article is to tell you about the hundreds of years old magnificent gardens of Srinagar. Yet, no writing on Srinagar is complete without mentioning the Dal Lake – the jewel of Kashmir, a sprawling lake of over 25 square km right at the heart of the city. This is the lake from where river Jhelum has originated. Nagin Lake and Wullar Lake are the two other prominent lakes in the city. These lakes are almost frozen during the winter. The spring and summer are best time for tourists to enjoy the beauty of Kashmir, be it the blooming flowers, yellow mustard fields or a night stay at one of the many houseboats across the length and breadth of these lakes. It’s truly an unforgettable experience to stay on these houseboats floating over the scenic lake with a panoramic view of the mighty snow clad mountains.

Floating market at Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir

The Dal Lake is also famous for its Shikara ride – a quintessential boat ride also known as the water taxi of Kashmir. Shikara can be used to visit the floating market, the floating vegetable & flower gardens, the floating post office and the majestic gardens such as Shalimar Bagh or Nishat Bagh.

This lake has found its place in many creative works and continues to inspire the artists be it for a creative art or for a lyrical masterpiece!

Shikaras at Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir

The breathtaking view of this lake also compliments the royal gardens of Kashmir about which I’m writing in the following passages.

Shalimar Bagh: Way back in the year 1616, Mughal emperor Jahangir built this beautiful garden for his beloved wife Noor Jahan. Designed in Persian style, this garden is surrounded by Chinar trees and is full of fountains, flowers and manicured gardens. The garden has got three terraces – each one designed with a specific purpose. During the rule of the Mughals, only the first terrace – known as Diwan-e-Aam was opened to the public. The second terrace was reserved for the royal guests and aristocrats and it was called Diwan-e-Khas. The third and the highest one called Zenana or Harem was only for the king and his wives.

Shalimar Bagh. CC Image Courtesy shahbasharat https://flic.kr/p/5emPem

Nishat Bagh: This is largest of all the Mughal gardens of Kashmir. Designed by Jahangir’s broder in law Asaf Khan, this garden was built in the year 1633. Located on the eastern banks of Dal Lake, Nishat Bagh, which means garden of joy, has 12 terraces, each one full with flowers, lawns and tall trees – the most impressive of which are the chinar and cypress trees. 
All the terraces of Nishat Bagh have water pools coupled with fountains, the 11th one has the highest number  of fountains, 25. The 12th terrace or the Zenana terrace was exclusively for the King and the royal ladies.

Nishat Bagh is at a distance of 25 km from the airport and can be reached by both road or a Shikara ride on the Dal Lake

Nishat Bagh. CC Image Courtesy mckaysavage https://flic.kr/p/6YkX4q

Chasme Shahi Garden:

Chashme Shahi Garden, Srinagar

Built in the year 1632 during the Shah Jahan rule, this one is the smallest Mughal garden of Kashmir. The garden is full with different varieties of fragrant flowers, lawns, waterfall and fountains and provides a breathtaking view of the green mountains.

The name Chashme Shahi means the royal spring and the garden is built around a spring. The water of the spring is believed to have medicinal importance. The garden is designed in Persian style and it overlooks the mighty Dal Lake on one side and the Zabarwan hills on the other.

Chashme shahi Garden, Srinagar

Char Chinar Garden :

This one is a tiny island garden located in the Dal Lake which can be reached by a Shikara boat. The name char chinar is derived from the four Chinar trees that stand across the boundary of the island as a landmark. Chinar trees grow in abundance in this region and have been a pert of Kashmiri life and tradition.

Char Chinar Garden, Srinagar

Pari Mahal:

Pari Mahal, Srinagar

Located on the slopes of Zabarwan hills, near the Chasme Shahi Garden, this charming garden was built at the ruins of a Buddhist monastery. This ancient monument is believed to be constructed for the purpose of astronomical observations by prince Dara Shukoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan in the year 1650. He  named it after his wife Nadira Begum, who was also known as Pari Begum.

The garden of Pari Mahal has six terraces spreading across an area of over 7500 square meters. The gardens are watered by a nearby spring. 

Tulip Garden:

Tulip Garden, Srinagar

This is a new addition to the age old tradition of Kashmiri gardens. Decorated with lines of different varieties and colours of Tulip flowers spreading across 15 hectars, this garden is a real delight to the senses. One of the most visited attractions of Srinagar, the ideal time to visit this garden is during March and April when the flowers are in full bloom. The garden was opened only a few years ago and since then it has found a place in the heart of the tourists. Tulips are very delicate flowers and can be grown only in favourable weather conditions. Kashmir is one of the very few places on earth that suits the Tulip plantation. Over 1.2 million Tulips of different varieties bloom every year here making this garden look like a colourful carpet on the foothills of Zabarwan mountains

Tulip Garden, Srinagar

Tulip Garden, Srinagar

Tulip Garden, Srinagar

Apart from these wonderful gardens and lakes, Srinagar has many other attractions  - Hazratbal Mosque, Hari Parbat Fort, Shankaracharya Temple, Sri Pratap Singh Museum and so many other tourist places which I could not visit during my short stay in the city. Finally, I conclude by sharing a few advices which might be helpful if you are planning a vacation to Srinagar for the first time.

1. How to reach: Srinagar airport is well connected with the international airports in Delhi and Mumbai. Some flights also have a stopover at Jammu. The airport security is very tight and time consuming. Be prepared for it and reach the airport early while returning. Srinagar can also be reached by car from nearest railway station Jammu (258 km) and from Delhi (876 km)

2. Be aware: Keep a track of the latest happenings in the state and if you come across any news of violence or unrest in the region, do not hesitate to cancel the trip even at the last moment.

3. Be safe: Book the accommodation well in advance. The tourists are often approached by stray agents, guides or porters. Better to avoid them. Also, do not buy anything from roaming vendors who try to lure the tourists to sell their products or services.

4. Be careful: Keep your belongings safely. Never trust strangers.

5. Dealing with locals: Bargain hard. The price is often overstated to the tourists, particularly the foreigners.

6. Things to buy: Kashmir is famous for Cashmere (Pashmina) shawls. You can buy it as a souvenir or for your winter use, but only from a good store. Never buy from stray vendors. You can also consider buying carpets and saffron (kesar). 

7. Nearby attractions: Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg are some of the great places to visit while you are in Srinagar. You can also plan one or two night-stays in some of these places. Kashmir is full of natural beauty. Try to enjoy it as much as possible with a well planned itinerary.

Notwithstanding the underdeveloped tourism industry of the state and incidences of violence, tourists can’t resist visiting Kashmir for its scenic beauty and the paranormal experience of heaven on earth. The beauty of Kashmir can only be felt by staying there and exploring the city at a slow pace. It’s a must visit destination for all, particularly for nature lovers. Kashmir is awe-inspiring, incredible, out of the world - I could have written more, only if I had any word left in my vocabulary.

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