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Pilgrimage to Normandy

There is something second nature about the landscapes of the French region of Normandy. After all, most visitors have an image of these iconic locales etched in their consciousness long before they even arrive. It’s like a déjà vu, owing much to the 19th century artistic movement instigated by the artists called the impressionists.

Life through the lens of a cultural navigator

The recent volcanic chaos over the skies of Europe were a jolting reminder of our society’s dependence on air travel, accustomed as we are to jet off to far-flung lands. But do we really know about the cultures of the places that we visit? All too often left out of the mix of our busy lives are the very reasons why travel and tourism are so magical.

Floating down the Mekong

Things have certainly changed in Ho Chi Minh City. But so have I. The last time I was here, well over a decade ago, I travelled by local bus and cyclo, my heart in my mouth as vehicles and pedestrians mingled at suicidal speed on the ripped-up streets of a Saigon that had aspirations of modernity but was still very much in the chaotic “developmental” stage.

Vino done differently

About 150,000 hectares of vineyards make Moldova one of the regions largest grape growers, trumping both regional Hungary and Bulgaria in terms of size; yet it merits barely a passing mention in most wine encyclopedias. Surprising to many is the fact that viticulture is one of the strongholds of the country’s economy, producing over 100,000 hectoliters annually according to figures from Moldova-Vin Agricultural and Industrial Agency.

Dreamliner takes flight to the giant-screen

Imax film director Mr. Stephen Low is like a kid when it comes to his excitement for complex toys. This adventurous director has taken his passions to the giant screen and is set for this week’s launch of his latest Imax 3D film, Legends of Flight, a large-format film chronicling man’s fixation with flying machines.

Imagining history

Only in Israel can a lake become a sea as the Sea of Galilee. Only here can you float magically in the strange and acidy waters of the Dead Sea; and it is only here that the earth below your feet reveals tales that can easily become a gathering call for nations or religions, and even calls to arms. It is the conflicting tales of the history bellow your feet that represent the magic that impregnates the Holy Land.

Uniktours travels

  • Europe

  • Claude Monet’s water-lilies paintings have long been synonymous with the Impressionist movement. To see the actual water-lilies that inspired Monet, you have to make your way to Giverny. Photo © 2010, Andrew Princz, ontheglobe.com [FRANCE]

    Pilgrimage to Normandy

    There is something second nature about the landscapes of the French region of Normandy. After
  • Balaton is no longer viewed as just a place for sailing. Photo courtesy the Hungarian Tourism Authority.

    More than Balaton

    Hungary's famed Lake Balaton has been undergoing significant transformations of late. While a decade ago,
  • The remnants of the so-called "famine cottages" are found throughout the countryside. Photo © Andrew Princz, ontheglobe.com

    Green horizon

    An aerial view of Ireland reveals the one thing Irish people seem to cherish most:
  • Hotel Four Seasons Gresham Palace lobby looks like a snazzy film-set.

    All five stars of Budapest

    Landmark buildings painstakingly renovated into 21st-century luxury, as well as newly constructed modern five-star hotels
  • Keller feels he has been given the cold-shoulder treatment. Courtesy photo.

    Andras Keller

    But Keller feels he has been given the cold-shoulder treatment, and now he is threatening
  • Warsaw's skyline has undergone a dramatic shift. Photo © Anna J. Kutor, ontheglobe.com

    Restyling Warsaw

    Gone are the days when Warsaw's urban landscape garnered the aesthetic appeal of a shot
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