Rajasthan is India’s largest and most colour-infused state. From cities dappled in pink and blue to wildlife sanctuaries teeming with endless opportunities for safari drives, you’ll find a little piece of magic suited for every type of traveller in the land of many colours, culinary delights and captivating natural landscapes.&nbsp;Lavish palace-turned hotels rise up from lakes like a mirage, the sound of haggling and the sight of sparkling handicrafts permeates through hidden bazaars, and pure white temples perfectly contrast against mesmerizing desert landscapes. Add historical forts, world-renowned cuisine and a regal culture that reflects the bygone era, and it’s easy to see why travelling to <a href="https://butterfield.com/get-inspired/in-rajasthan-a-range-of-emotion" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Rajasthan</a> concurs as one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that’ll change your worldview and never let go of your heartstrings.While the Taj Mahal in Agra is one of Rajasthan’s main drawcards (and a must-see if you’re visiting India for the first time!), there’s so much more to this sun-dappled state. You can easily spend a lifetime peeling back the layers of rich heritage, surprising traditions and warm hospitality that goes beyond the famous world wonder. Below are a few of my favourites.

In a kingdom that celebrates colour like nowhere else on earth, choosing which Rajasthani city to explore is like taking your pick from the rainbow. For starters, there’s the Pink City of Jaipur, the Blue City of Jodhpur, the Gold City of Jaisalmer and the White City of Udapair—and each have their own story to tell.

Explore rainbow coloured cities

Jaipur’s most distinctive landmarks include salmon-hued structures like the honeycomb Hawa Mahal and the shimmering pink City Palace, which houses the former Maharajas of India. The city’s pink history commenced in 1876, when Queen Victoria’s son, Albert Edward, visited India. Maharaja Ram Singh had the whole city painted pink since the colour represented hospitality at the time, and a law was later passed to maintain the colour for all future buildings.

Meanwhile in the Jodhpur, the history behind its blue hue still remains a bit of a mystery. Some say the colour represents the Brahmins, which are castles within Hindu society. Others say it’s because the colour reflects sunlight and keeps houses cool during the sweltering summer months. This dazzling oasis of a city sits in the vast Thar Desert and is known for its spectacular architectural masterpieces - namely the mighty Mehrangarh Fort, which rises upon a hilltop around 122 metres above Jodhpur’s glittering skyline. It's one of the most magnificent forts in all of India and is still run by the Jodhpur royal family. Looking straight across, you can see Umaid Bhawan Palace, the stunning heritage hotel B&amp;R calls home on our <a href="https://butterfield.com/trip/scheduled/essential-india-rajasthan-the-taj-mahal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Limited Edition Rajasthan &amp; the Taj Mahal</a> trip.

From stylish tented camps to opulent palaces that were once home to royalty, Rajasthan is known for their wide array of unique accommodations perfect for every taste. Here you’ll find jaw-dropping palaces, havelis and forts that have been converted into some of the world’s most over-the-top heritage hotels.

Retreat at the world’s most extravagant palace hotels 

Another favourite is Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, run by the Taj Group of Hotels and still lived in by the city’s royal family—meaning you might even spot the Maharaja when roaming the halls when <a href="https://butterfield.com/start-planning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">visiting Rajasthan with B&amp;R</a>. A section of the hotel is a museum dedicated to the history of Jodhpur’s royalty, and the grounds have been a favourite among Hollywood movie sets and lavish royal weddings.

Track big cats on safari

You’ve heard of tiger parks in India and the famous tigers in Rajasthan, but one little-known secret is that Rajasthani leopard safaris reap the rewards - you’ll spot leopards anywhere at any time. Our favourite spot to catch glimpses of these graceful creatures roaming in the wild is an isolated area close to Jawai Bandh Lake in the region known as Sena. The area’s tiny villages, dams and forested hills make the perfect setting to hop on open Jeeps and cruise into the sun-lit sand dunes, spotting leopards that reside amongst the rocky hills. The big cats can be seen foraging for food or roaming through granite hills, and according to the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/about-jawai-bandh-in-rajasthan-where-the-leopards-do-not-harm-the-unguarded-locals/photostory/82155431.cms?picid=82155460" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Times of India</a>, the Rabari tribe considers leopards to be the guards of their local deity, and hence, the leopards in this area reside safely.

Dubbed the ‘Venice of the East,’ the city of Udaipur is built around three interconnected lakes—Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, and the smaller Swaroop Sagar Lake—and is encircled by the hills of the Aravalli mountain range, creating one of the most romantic settings in all of India. Marble temples, family mansions and fairytale palaces (several of which have been converted into luxury heritage hotels), rise up from the shimmering lake like a mirage, most notably Udaipur’s Lake Palace, which is set on a small island in the middle of Lake Pichola and can be seen in the James Bond film Octopussy. There’s a wealth of great lakeside cafes and restaurants along Lake Pichola, and you can even take scenic cruises to the lake's surrounding islands (we recommend going at sunset!).

Embark on a regal lake cruise 

Rajasthan has a thing for festivals. As one of the most colourful, culturally-rich states in India, you’ll find all types of celebrations—from Makar Sankranti, which is the first major celebration of New Year, to Teej, which is dedicated to the Goddess Teej and traditionally observed by women celebrating the monsoon season in correlation to the Hindu calendar.Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun positioning itself from Capricorn to Sagittarius and is observed in correlation with the Jaipur Kite Festival, which celebrates basking in the long summer days after the winter season comes to an end. The festival is one of Jaipur’s most popular events and attracts travellers from all over the world with good reason: watching the sky transform into a million colours of flying kites is an exhilarating experience to behold. Delicious Rajasthani treats are served around every corner and the festival also includes folk culture performances and dance exhibitions.

Embrace Rajasthan’s rich heritage through festivals

Dubbed the greatest literary show in the world, the Jaipur Literature Festival takes place every January,, bringing together the world’s top writers, politicians, entertainers and humanitarians to have an open discussion about culture, history and social issues. The festival's core values are to serve as a democratic platform offering fair access and to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue.

No matter how you choose to spend your time in Rajasthan, you’ll quickly realize no other place in the world can compete with its ancient cities and fertile jungles; spirituality and vibrant festivals; incredibly warm locals and quirky traditions. Discovering Rajasthan is discovering a secret of life, all made possible by our close friendships with local teams. ﻿Feeling inspired to see and stay for yourself? <a href="https://butterfield.com/start-planning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(18, 20, 22);">Get in touch with Karen MacRae</a> to start planning your next trip to India’s most essential state.

Things To Do In Rajasthan Beyond The Taj Mahal 

Hotels

See + Do

The Slow Road

Best Hotels

Kasbah Tamadot

Morocco

The Best Hotels in Morocco

Inside B&amp;R

Media Mentions

Biking

hiking

Around The World

Food-Focused Bicycle Trips to Take For Your Summer Holidays

Essentials &amp; Advice

Italy

Umbria

Umbria’s 3 Essential Cities

Experts + Insiders

B&R Guides: The Artists Behind our 2021 Tote Collection

Safari

Africa and Middle East

Madagascar Travel Expert (and born-and-raised South African)

<h2>Continue your travels in Africa</h2>
A retreat at Miavana works well as an add-on to either an East Africa or Southern Africa safari experience. Take a look at <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/experts/michele-harvey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my trip portfolio</a> for inspiration: I&#8217;d be delighted to speak with you about any of these destinations, too!<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-44974 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/poolside-miavana.jpg" alt="Madagascar Miavana Luxury Resort" width="380" height="253" />
Miavana also works wonderfully as a stand-alone destination lodge. My suggestion is a 5 to a 7-night stay.
With its ample activities and serene setting, you can create your own adventure here that&#8217;s at once exhilarating and effortless.

<h2>Madagascar&#8217;s Unparalleled Biodiversity</h2>
From the world’s tiniest chameleon to the Crowned Lemur conservation efforts and the many turtles in between, Miavana’s raison d’etre is clear, making this more than your average beach destination. During my visit, I gained a real appreciation of how special the environment and wildlife here is. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-44978 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/madagascar-lemur.jpg" alt="" width="380" height="253" />
Of course, Madagascar&#8217;s unofficial mascot, the lemur, is a crucial part of any visit. Nosy Ankao is known for the endangered Crowned Lemur, which you can spot on a stroll through the island&#8217;s forests. For more lemur adventure, they offer treks on the mainland via a helicopter excursion.
I also had a brief swim with dolphins. They were hunting, but we got to be with them for a short while before they charged off. During whale season, whales can be seen breaching in front of the lodge, and you can catch whale sharks at various times throughout the year, too.
<h2>The Activities at Miavana</h2>
Kite-surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkelling and scuba – the well-rounded activities at Miavana cover water, underwater, land and air.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-44983 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/snorkelling-miavana.jpg" alt="Madagascar Miavana Luxury Resort" width="380" height="253" />You can set sail on fabulous boat excursions to other islands in the archipelago and snorkel at different sites, and anglers can cast their reels for some ocean fishing.
No matter what you choose, the lodge&#8217;s guides are passionate and engaging. The calibre of the staff here is truly beyond compare: they would probably go to the ends of the archipelago to please every guest. Plus, the naturalist guides are like walking encyclopedias!

<h2>The Accommodations</h2>
Villas with one, two or three bedrooms come with a lounge area, butler service, a stocked kitchenette and a private, sea-side pool. These guest sanctuaries are spacious, with the smallest coming in at a generous 450 square metres (4,843 square feet).<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-44989 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Room-miavana.jpg" alt="" width="380" height="242" />
The decor is reflective of the beachy vibes that permeate the throughout the island: bright and fresh, with crisp whites, pops of blue and ocean views at nearly every turn.
For families and large groups, each villa has an additional bathroom along with a study which can be flipped into a kids room. Guests can navigate the resort and explore the island using the property&#8217;s complimentary bicycles or electric buggies.
<h2>Getting to Madagascar&#8217;s Miavana Luxury Resort</h2>
There are two &#8216;launching&#8217; points from the mainland to Nosy Ankao. I flew from Johannesburg to Nosy Be, but the other option is to head to Diego Suarez from Antananarivo, Madagascar&#8217;s capital.
From Diego Suarez or Nosy Be, the Miavana&#8217;s helicopters whisk you away. The helicopter ride was an unexpected highlight for me; I saw more of Madagascar’s diversity during the 1-hour flight from Nosy Be to Nosy Ankao than I did during my entire 15-day research trip last year!<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-44987 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/helicopter-miavana-1.jpg" alt="" width="380" height="253" />
The pilots give brilliant commentary as you swoop past points of interest. You gain a tremendous understanding of the country&#8217;s biodiversity as you fly over so many different landscapes – from sea to tsingy (karst mountain formations) to agriculture to seaweed farms, forest and mangroves.
The helicopter flights give you great insight to the northern region and the complexities of the island’s biodiversity, history and social-economic challenges.

Miavana: Madagascar's Luxury Island Escape

Asia-Pacific

Bhutan

<h2>Go Deep: Meet the Locals, Try the Food</h2>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-41831 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bhutanese-boys-356.jpg" alt="" width="356" height="445" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bhutanese-boys-356.jpg 356w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bhutanese-boys-356-240x300.jpg 240w" sizes="(max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px" />You can’t truly immerse yourself in a country without getting to know the people who live in it. (Or, for that matter, trying the local cuisine). It’s actually quite easy to get to know the welcoming  Bhutanese to connect and converse, as English is widely spoken in the country.
And speaking of the food, Bhutan’s unofficial national dish is ema datshi, ‘chilies and cheese’, a stew that’s the most popular meal in the country. Other distinctive ingredients you will encounter include healthy red rice, buckwheat food items (mostly in Bumthang, where it’s grown), and the momo dumpling, also popular in Tibet and India. In general, though, everything in Bhutan is organically grown, and the fruits and vegetables are delicious, fresh, and abundant.
As for drinks, a common one is suja, Bhutanese butter tea, made by boiling tea with fermented yak butter (or sometimes cow butter), which turns it into a frothy, buttery drink with a salty undertone. The butter tea is also popular in Tibet and parts of Nepal. (Another fun activity to try when you’re here is cooking with a local family, learning how to make a staple, yak cheese and butter, as befits tradition).
The country’s traditional alcoholic beverage is known as ara or arag, and it is made from any grain available: rice, wheat, maize, millet, barley or buckwheat. It’s milky in appearance and can also be heated with butter or eggs for extra body.
<h2> Go Deeper: Attend a Bhutanese Festival</h2>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-41832 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bhutan-mask-400.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="265" />Immerse yourself in living tradition at any number of Bhutan’s unique festivals. The Tschechu (meaning ‘tenth day’) is an annual religious festival in which the whole community participates. They’re wonderful expressions of Buddhist culture influenced by (guess who? Padmasambhava). You can expect exuberant and colourful costumes, masked dances, which often tell the story of Buddhism in Bhutan, and nothing like you’ve ever seen before. Here are a few of my favourites.
Make your way to the Jambay Lhakang Drup, a flamboyant five-day festival held at the Jambay Lhakang temple, one of the oldest in Bhutan. It involves, among other things, Bhutanese running beneath flaming gates (the Mewang, or ‘fire blessing’) and, the most important part of all, the Tercham (naked dance), involving twelve masked male dancers who perform in the middle of the night. (No pictures, please.) The belief is that dancing naked blesses infertile women.
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-41844 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/crane-festival356.jpg" alt="" width="356" height="311" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/crane-festival356.jpg 356w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/crane-festival356-343x300.jpg 343w" sizes="(max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px" />Another festival I’m partial to—which involves no nudity but does involve nature—is the Black-Necked Crane Festival, which takes place in Gangtey, in the Phobijkha Valley. The birds, which are legally protected in Bhutan and are honoured with dances and songs. (People believe they’re blessed when the cranes circle around their valleys, and winter wheat is often not planted until after the cranes return). The birds summer in the Tibetan Plateau and spend their winters in Bhutan from October to mid-February, and are the reason why in some valleys, there are few (or no) electric power lines to protect the birds—a prime example of the Buddhist respect for all living beings put into action.
In the Bumthang Valley during late April, look out for the Domkhar Tsechu festival, held in the small town of Chumey. This tiny little village means that you can get up close and personal with the tradition of Bhutanese sacred festivals, minus the massive crowds that may gather in Paro or other large cities.
<h2>Rites and Rituals: Meet the ‘Divine Madman Monk’ </h2>
&#8220;Outwardly, I enjoy wine, women and song 
and inwardly I work for the benefit of all beings. 
Outwardly, I live for my pleasure 
and inwardly I do everything in the right moment. 
Outwardly I am a ragged beggar 
And inwardly a blissful Buddha.&#8221;
-Drukpa Kunley
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-41850 size-full alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chimi-lakhang-kids-400.jpg" alt="bhutan local children in red robes" width="400" height="266" />One of the wildest monks out there, Drukpa Kunley, whose nickname attests to the ‘crazy wisdom’ branch of Buddhist teachers who did bizarre things in the name of bringing enlightenment to others, which, in this case, involved having a lot of sex and drinking a lot. (Editor&#8217;s Note: Or urinating on sacred relics). As he was often found in a state of undress, he is one of the few Buddhist teachers to appear topless (gasp!) in paintings.
A cult of phallic worship linked to fertility meant that this ‘Saint of 5,000 Women’ and his, ahem, ‘Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom’ was sought after by infertile women, to bring the ultimate blessing of a child. To this day, people still flock to the Chimi Lhakhang temple established by this mad monk for its fertility rites. (These days, expect to get hit on the head with a 10-inch phallus statue instead).
The phallic statues painted on houses, affixed to rooftops, and over-the-top souvenirs for sale in the town continue to be a part of his everlasting influence!
<h2>Most Beautiful of All: Punakha Dzong</h2>
Set in the Punahkha Valley upon the confluence of the Pho Chhu (‘father’) and Mo Chhu (‘mother’) rivers, the second-oldest (and second-largest) dzong in the country dates from 1638, but is considered the most beautiful, especially in the spring when blooming lilac jacarandas release their fragrance.
Within, you’ll find relics from Tibetan Buddhist sects, from the Bhutanese saint Pema Lingpa, and the ‘Bearded Lama’, Ngawang Namgyel, the unifier of Bhutan. Don’t miss a walk across Bhutan’s longest suspension bridge across the river!
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-41833 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Punakha-Dzong-Monastery-Bhutan-960.jpg" alt="bhutan" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Punakha-Dzong-Monastery-Bhutan-960.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Punakha-Dzong-Monastery-Bhutan-960-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Punakha-Dzong-Monastery-Bhutan-960-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Punakha-Dzong-Monastery-Bhutan-960-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

The 7 Best Things to Do in Bhutan in 2019

Features &amp; Stories

Europe

Croatia

I’ve been lucky enough to traverse this planet from British Columbia to Bhutan and back again many times over, but even I was blown away by the spectacle. In particular, I was struck by the realization that something so big, so immense, had been hiding right under my feet. You could easily stand directly above the caves and have no idea they even exist, nevermind the fact that they look like an action-adventure movie come to life.
I couldn’t help but think about what a perfect microcosm the caves are for the corner of Europe they tunnel under. I’ve been designing trips in central and eastern Europe for years, long enough to see Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast become some of the continent’s most sought-after locales. And while I still recommend seeing the country’s stunning south, I was determined to find a way to experience Croatia without the crowds. Heading north into the country’s far less-trafficked Istria region, and across the border into Slovenia, I realized that UNESCO’s headline is spot-on, but its focus too narrow.
Some of the best food, wine, activities and adventures in all of Europe can be found in the former Yugoslavia, where few think to look, and even fewer visit. But as I discovered, those who do quickly come to understand that the “Outstanding Universal Value” isn’t hidden underground – it’s present nearly everywhere you look.
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Want to read more? Email Tom to get the full story: <a href="mailto:tom@theslowroad.com">tom@theslowroad.com</a>

Jordan

<hr />
<h2>Wadi Rum </h2>
The stunning desert landscape of Wadi Rum was made famous by the Oscar-winning film, Lawrence of Arabia. In Arabic, Wadi Rum means “the Valley of the Moon” and indeed, the landscape here feels distinctly lunar. The Wadi is a part of a sequence of parallel faults that run north/south through the Shara Mountains. The mountains themselves are comprised of granite, basalt and sandstone massifs rising 800 metres (2,400 feet) off the desert floor. The erosion of wind and sand gives these mountains the most extraordinary texture, prompting T.E. Lawrence to once describe the Wadi as “vast, echoing and godlike.”
The desert is not uninhabitable. Oases have allowed the Bedouin to survive here for centuries. The Nabateans built a temple here, and there are many rock carvings and inscriptions that date back to the early first millennium AD, indicating a thriving cultural presence despite a harsh environment.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40562 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px-400x300.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Wadi-Rum-960px-800x600.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Other Key Sites in Wadi Rum
The peak of Jebel Rum is on the western edge of Wadi Rum, rising to 1,734 metres (5,689 feet) is the second-highest in the country, and a popular spot for hikers, scramblers and climbers who attempt to make their way to the summit (a guide is required). Another landmark is the ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’ (also known as Jabal al-Mazmar to local Bedouins), a rippled rock formation that evokes the book of the same name by T.E. Lawrence.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40610 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Seven-Pillars-732.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="348" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Seven-Pillars-732.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Seven-Pillars-732-480x228.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h3>Dana Nature Reserve</h3>
Jordan’s largest nature reserve was established in 1989 with 308 square kilometres (119 square miles) of land. It is named after a crumbling little town set atop mountains and wadis that extend from the top of the Jordan Rift Valley to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba. The native inhabitants are the people of the Ata’ta/Al-Atata tribe, who have lived in the region for more than 6,000 years. Other evidence indicates that Paleolithic, Egyptian, Nabatean and Roman settlements have also established themselves here throughout history.
The plant life here is the most diverse in the country, notably the most southerly place in the world where you can find the Mediterranean cypress, along with three endemic plant species. Some endangered animals that make their home here are the Nubian ibex, Syrian serin (a bird from the finch family), caracal and lesser kestrel.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40606 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="636" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx-453x300.jpg 453w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx-768x509.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Jordan-BNR-Walkers-960pxxx-906x600.jpg 906w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Wadi Araba</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40563 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Bedouin-Lady-350px.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="419" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Bedouin-Lady-350px.jpg 300w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Bedouin-Lady-350px-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The desert of Wadi Araba lies south of the Dead Sea basin, northwest of Petra, and adjacent to Wadi Rum. Virtually free of rainfall, you will still find many specialized plants and animals who make their home in this harsh region, characterized by colourful cliffs and typical desert landscapes. During Biblical times, it is believed that King Solomon established some of the oldest copper mines in the world here.
<h3>The Bedouin People</h3>
A name for the nomadic Arab peoples who have traditionally inhabited the deserts of Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and the Levant, the English word ‘bedouin’ comes from the Arab term badawī, meaning ‘desert dweller’.
Observing a clan structure and the traditional practice of herding camels or goats, many of today’s Bedouin are urbanized and live and work in the city. However, there are many cultural festivals in which Bedouin come together to share in traditions such as traditional dance, music, poetry recitation, and the old ways. The traditions of desert camping and camel riding.
Most of Jordan’s Bedouin people arrived in present-day Jordan between the 14th and 18th centuries. Today, Bedouin make up to 40 percent of the population of Jordan, often referred to as the ‘backbone of the Kingdom’, as the Bedouin traditionally support the monarchy.
The Bedouin still populate Wadi Rum (and the area around Petra), although over the last century or so they have become far less nomadic. Today the Bedouin enjoy a truly modern lifestyle, with cellphones and all the attendant trappings of modern life. Nonetheless, they retain the knowledge of their environment that is the true inheritance of their culture.

Jordan's Must-See Desert Landscapes

Zimbabwe

<h3>Mana Pools National Park</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39303 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/leopard-singita-350px.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="376" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/leopard-singita-350px.jpg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/leopard-singita-350px-199x300.jpg 199w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mana Pools spans 219,600 hectares of land along the lower Zambezi River, a land of transition from floodplain into rainy-season lakes. As the cycle of summer returns, these lakes gradually dry up once more, as the ebb and flow of nature continues its eternal cycle. During the rainy season, the park attracts a wide range of animals who congregate where the waters gather, and is one of the continent’s richest game-viewing hotspots. The largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles in the country is found here; in the dry season, you can expect to find massive herds of zebra, elephant and Cape buffalo. Other species to be found here include the lion, cheetah, Cape wild dog, brown hyena and leopard.
There are four large permanent pools formed by the middle Zambezi River, spanning 2,500 square kilometres (965 square miles) filled with islands, riverbanks, pools and sandbanks. The vegetation is rich in wild figs, mahogany, ebony trees and baobab trees.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-39334 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/johns-camp-mana-pools.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="487" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/johns-camp-mana-pools.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/johns-camp-mana-pools-451x300.jpg 451w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h3>Matusadona National Park</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39319 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/kudu-kariba-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="227" />This national park sits on the southern shore of Lake Kariba (the world’s largest man-made reservoir), in the north end of the country. The national park’s name has been taken from the nearby Matuzviadonha Hills. First proclaimed a non-hunting area in 1958, a game reserve in 1963, then a national park in 1975, it is comprised of 1,400 square kilometres (540 square miles) of plains and mountains.
Since 2019, Matusadona has been under the management of <a href="https://www.africanparks.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Parks</a> who&#8217;s goal is to revitalize and reestablish the park as stronghold for black rhino and elephant. With increased programs to monitor and mitigate human-wildlife conflict, reintroduction of key species and a long term vision for the region, this park is undergoing an exciting transformation and set to become one of the country&#8217;s prime wildlife havens once again.
From grasslands to woodlands as well as rugged escarpment, this remote park is one where few tourists visit. It is best accessed by boat or small aircraft, but it is worth the visit!
The park is also notable for a fascinating wildlife rescue operation that has largely gone forgotten. When the Kariba Dam was constructed in the late 1950s, flooding the Zambezi Valley, a wildlife rescue operation took place to relocate more than 6,000 animals to new homes over five years, from elephants, antelopes to the smallest animals like birds and snakes. Without the technology they had today, conservationists and volunteers were literally catching animals, transporting them on rowboats(!) and taking them to higher, drier land, now the national park.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-39321 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="639" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px-451x300.jpg 451w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px-901x600.jpg 901w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Where to Stay in Zimbabwe</h3>
<a href="https://africanbushcamps.com/camps/bumi-hills-safari-lodge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bumi Hills Safari Lodge</a>
Blended among the stunning Zambezi escarpment and resting on a hillside overlooking Lake Kariba, this African Bush Camps property boasts one of the continent&#8217;s finest wilderness locations. The lodge’s proximity to Matusadona allows animals to roam freely between the national park and Bumi Hills’ private concession, creating endless game-viewing opportunities.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-51525 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-960x600.jpeg" alt="Bumi Hills Safari Lodge Zimbabwe" width="960" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-960x600.jpeg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-480x300.jpeg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-250x156.jpeg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-768x480.jpeg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1.jpeg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<a href="https://www.butterfield.com/stays/somalisa-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Somalisa Camp</a>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39309 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-elephant-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />Pitched along the edge of an ancient seasonal floodplain, Somalisa Camp, in the heart of Hwange National Park, bears witness to one of few remaining great elephant sanctuaries in Africa. Lucky for you, in this authentic bush camp elephants brazenly sidle up to the “Elephant Hole” at the edge of the camp’s wooden deck and take their fill. A natural watering hole just a few metres beyond allows for larger crowds to congregate (again, of the elephant variety). Don’t worry, plunge pool, open-deck homestyle dining and tented residences that are infused with old-world charm all mean that those of the human variety also get to have some fun.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-39308 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="641" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px-449x300.jpg 449w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px-899x600.jpg 899w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

Our Favourite Safari Spot Right Now: Zimbabwe

Botswana

<h3>Desert Dreaming in the Kalahari</h3>
More and more people are being drawn to the deeply spiritual feeling that deserts often invoke. It seems to have something to do with a sense of space and self. It has to do with vast horizons, the huge inverted bowl of the sky, the uninterrupted sweep of the simple landscape beneath it—as featureless as a saucer, with you at its centre. Somehow, it is both humbling and centring. You realize how puny you are, and at the same time, that you are all there is. As American poet E.E. Cummings put it, &#8220;when skies are hanged and oceans drowned, the single secret will still be [humanity]&#8221;.
Humans have been present around these pans from time immemorial. Indications of a bushman village date the earliest occupation back to 500 BCE. There are bushman hunting shelters probably built and used in the 20th century, made of calcrete boulders that contain fossilized antelope bones and embedded Stone Age tools. The shorelines of Makgadikgadi, for it was more than once a vast inland sea, are littered with the archaeological relics of continuous but scattered human presence. Even when the waters finally receded two million years ago and left these shallow depressions of saline clay and silt to catch the sparse summer rain, the rich herds of wildlife—zebra, wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest—would wander across the plains in ceaseless pursuit of water and grazing. Their presence inevitably drew their following of carnivores—lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, and hyena—which of course attracted their own following—the early hunters.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-39167 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/23Hyena-Pan-Starlings-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />During the dry season, today&#8217;s diminished herds of game tend to concentrate in the west, in the vicinity of the Boteti River. With the onset of the rains, they usually disperse to the east and the north, to Nxai Pan and beyond. It is not uncommon to see game far out on the pans eating the mineral-rich silt, as if up to their knees in water as the heat shimmers a mirage across the surface of the pans.
The birdlife is a specialist&#8217;s dream: white-backed and lappet-faced vultures, bateleur, ostrich, kori bustard, black korhaan and bronze-winged courser, four species of sandgrouse and a startling variety of larks. In the wet season flamingos, pelicans, avocet and a huge range of ducks move into the area. Sowa Pan, near the town of Nata, is a birdwatcher&#8217;s paradise when in water.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-39166 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

In Botswana, the Ultimate Safari Awaits

North America

Canada

<h3>The Wild West (Coast)</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38411 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/West-Coast-Red-Flower-Trail-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="263" />From hundreds of shipwrecks in the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ to spiritual, sacred old-growth forests and tidal pools brimming with marine life, it’s all about sea, sky, and forest in these parts. Turn off and tune into the rhythms of nature instead of your phone.
The Pacific Rim West Coast Trail is an ancient path first used by First Nations peoples. This  rambling trail along the coastline runs for 75 km (47 mi). With temperate rainforest, sandstone, dramatic cliffs and beaches along the way. This is also where the infamous stretch of the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ can be found. Hundreds of ships met their end along the rugged coastline, northerly current, and unpredictable combination of waves, fog, current and wind.
<h4>Old Growth Rainforest</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38414 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Gnarled-Tree-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="262" />With so many of us living in urban environments, the Japanese practice of ‘forest bathing’ (or simply, being in nature) has benefits for your physiological and psychological health. Near Port Renfrew, the Avatar Grove is a famous old-growth forest filled with incredible, thousand-year-old cedars and Douglas firs. The lower and upper groves are both worth visiting; with massive, gnarled trees (including an old cedar billed as &#8216;Canada&#8217;s Gnarliest Tree&#8217;) rising high, ferns, moss, and a few beautiful rivers on the way there, this spiritual place is one you won’t soon forget.
<h4><a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/carmanah/">Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park</a> </h4>
Another place for forest immersion, prepare yourself for shades of green, shadows and textured bark, with moss coating the trees and the rich smell of soil and fresh air, it’s as if you’ve stepped into an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Carr">Emily Carr</a> painting. This sanctuary—enclosed in an ecosystem that has remained untouched for hundreds of years&#8211;features some of the world’s largest spruce trees, some older than 800 years old and stretching taller than 95 metres (over 300 feet). Ancient cedars well over 1,000 years old complement the picture, along with diverse flora and fauna at every step.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38412 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rainforestboardwalk-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="628" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rainforestboardwalk-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rainforestboardwalk-960px-459x300.jpg 459w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rainforestboardwalk-960px-768x502.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rainforestboardwalk-960px-917x600.jpg 917w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h4>Juan de Fuca Provincial Park</h4>
From roaring surf to incredible old-growth forests, tidal pools, shale and quartz formations, and nature’s drama at its finest, this provincial park along the west coast of Vancouver Island delivers quintessential ‘PNW’ magic.
<h4>Tidal Pools</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38406 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/beach-clam-350-px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />At one end of the Juan de Fuca Trail, <a href="https://www.portrenfrew.com/botbeach.htm">Botanical Beach Provincial Park</a> is where you’ll find one of the richest tidal areas on the west coast. These incredible sandstone-and-granite pools are filled with colourful sea anemones sending out their flowery tendrils in the water and flowing with the tides, you’ll also see starfish, shells, crabs, barnacles, kelp, and more. It’s a really cool experience for families (or wannabe marine biologists), but take care only to look and not touch; these sensitive environments can be easily damaged (for instance &#8211; a film of sunscreen on your hand, if dipped in the water, could destroy the habitat in a pool).
<h4><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38407 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Juan-De-Fuca-Strait-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="546" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Juan-De-Fuca-Strait-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Juan-De-Fuca-Strait-960px-480x273.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Juan-De-Fuca-Strait-960px-768x437.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></h4>
<h4>First Encounters of the Aquatic Kind</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38415 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/humpback-whale-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="234" />One of the world’s best places to whale-watch, you&#8217;re in for a treat. Several orca pods live along the coast of Vancouver Island, and you may have a chance to see humpback whales, minke and gray whales in season.
Of the other marine animals, sea lions are the most entertaining; hear, see (and smell—your boat will get that close) these social animals gather in massive groups to frolic, bark, sun themselves, and haul themselves in and out of the water.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38417 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sealions.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="445" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sealions.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sealions-480x223.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Sealions-768x356.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Where to Stay</h3>
<h4><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38406 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/inn-laurel-point720x460-1.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />Inn at Laurel Point, Victoria 
</h4>
A quiet oceanside retreat in B.C.’s capital city, enjoy the harbour view from your private patio and listen to the quiet song of distant geese and sailboat rigs clinking in the breeze. The restaurant Aura, which I mentioned previously, has great cocktails and a superb waterside lounge area for sunset-viewing.
<h4>Brentwood Bay Resort, Brentwood Bay</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38406 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Brentwood-Bay-Resort720x460-2.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />Overlooking a peaceful bay, this luxurious resort offers a full-service spa and gorgeous views with the Butchart Gardens just across the bay, giving you an opportunity to arrive at the garden in style—by water taxi to the back entrance, avoiding the crowds. Each room boasts a private terrace so you can enjoy your morning eggs Benedict with a view
(they make the best in town)!
<h4>Sooke Harbour House, Sooke</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38406 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Sooke-Harbour-House720x460.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />A unique hotel on Vancouver Island, this charming oasis on Whiffen Spit is a place where you will be greeted with a glass of locally produced blackberry port and set free to explore the artwork and local antiques that occupy the living areas.  The culinary program at Sooke Harbour House was one of the very first to put B.C. regional cuisine on the map. Don’t forget to take in the spectacular views of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains!
<h4>Wild Renfrew Seaside Cottages, Port Renfrew</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-38406 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Wild-Renfrew-Seaside-Cottages720x460.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />This secluded and plush log cabin property allows you to get cozy and enjoy all the comforts of home without sacrificing your wild side&#8230;you can look forward to stunning views from your own private deck.  Unplug your phone—its remote location makes for an authentic-feeling stay. The food is equally impressive at the resort&#8217;s friendly pub.

Insider’s Guide: Vancouver Island

United States

<h2>Get in the Saddle</h2>
City slickers can try their hand at Western pursuits, as Montana’s rich tradition of ranching is still central to its way of life and economy. Unleash your inner cowboy or cowgirl with roping lessons and barrel racing, or simply go horseback riding. Whether you’re a first-timer in the saddle taking to some mellow trails, or an accomplished equestrian who wants to roam through hills, meadows, and streams, it’s all possible here.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37718 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Team-Roping-760px-compressed.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="482" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Team-Roping-760px-compressed.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Team-Roping-760px-compressed-480x241.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Team-Roping-760px-compressed-768x386.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h2>A Winter Wonderland</h2>
In the snowy months, it would be a mistake to pass over Montana’s cold-weather appeal. With plenty of trails for cross-country skiers and abundant snow, there are also enough peaks for downhill skiers of all levels.
In a place where most folks make the most of the outdoors, another wintry pursuit worth doing is snowmobiling: Montana is rife with groomed and ungroomed trails where you can zoom past frozen lakes and the stillness of winter wildlife. For the hardy, you can also dash through the snow on horseback (or take it easy and enjoy the comfort of a horse-drawn sleigh).
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37720 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Snowmobiling-732px-compressed.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="339" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Snowmobiling-732px-compressed.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Snowmobiling-732px-compressed-480x222.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h2>Things to Do for Families</h2>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-37722 size-thumbnail" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dinosaur-Skulls-350px-compressed-250x156.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="156" />In addition to national parks and natural sights, families will appreciate the <a href="https://www.museumoftherockies.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of the Rockies</a>, with its Jurassic-era wonders: the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skull in the world, a full Tyrannosaurus skeleton and many other dinosaur fossils, along with a planetarium and interactive kids’ discovery center that explores the science and history of Yellowstone National Park.
Another way to step into Montana’s history is heading to any number of abandoned ghost towns, now relics of the gold and silver boomtowns that sprung up during the 1860s. Some notable ghost towns include <a href="http://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/state-park/bannack-state-park.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bannack</a> (one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the country) and <a href="http://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/ghost-town/granite-ghost-town-state-park.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Granite Ghost Town</a>, both designated state parks.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37743 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Bannack-Ghost-Town-732-pix-compressed.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="390" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Bannack-Ghost-Town-732-pix-compressed.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Bannack-Ghost-Town-732-pix-compressed-480x256.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h2>Where to Stay 
</h2>
Once a 19th c. homestead, The Ranch at Rock Creek has been wonderfully transformed into a luxury dude ranch that marries the ruggedness of Montana’s surroundings with a modern, yet authentic take on luxury.
From rustic canvas-lined ‘glamping’ cabins, a remodelled barn, log cabins, and luxury homes that will fit larger groups and families, there’s a wide range of ways to stay; set upon 6,600 acres of land, you’ll feel like you’re on the frontier yourself, with lots of space around you in a natural setting at the foothills of a mountain range.
Most meals and activities here are included, which means you can hit the trail on two feet or on horseback, try your hand at skeet-shooting or archery with a guide, or fish nearby at a Blue Ribbon-rated spot. Families can also take advantage of the Little Grizzlies Kids Club, a dedicated children’s program with tailored activities for ages 4 to 12. In the summer months, all guests can look forward to weekly rodeos and outdoor cookouts, but there are plenty of activities and entertainment year-round to keep busy.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37742 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rock-Creek-Interior-Loft-960px-comrpessed.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="445" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rock-Creek-Interior-Loft-960px-comrpessed.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rock-Creek-Interior-Loft-960px-comrpessed-480x223.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rock-Creek-Interior-Loft-960px-comrpessed-768x356.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

Reasons to Roam Montana

Ireland

<h3>A World of Whiskey </h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-37668 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/WhiskeyIrish-350px-compressed.jpg" alt="irish whiskey" width="350" height="233" />Step back in time at a cozy pub for an impromptu Irish whiskey tasting at tiny O’Loclainn’s Pub in Ballyvaughan. Choose from more than 300 bottles of Irish and Scottish whiskies, including some from distilleries that are no longer around. (The word &#8220;whiskey&#8221; itself comes from the Gaelic term uisce beatha, &#8220;water of life&#8221;—derived from the Latin aqua vitae, used in the Middle Ages to refer to distilled spirits). If you’re lucky, some lively traditional music may accompany your sipping!
<h3>Cycling the Sky (Road)</h3>
Feel one with the landscape as you cycle along the Atlantic coast on Connemara’s jaw-droppingly beautiful Sky Road. At times, you’ll be close to sea level, where you can smell the salt air and hear the rush of the waves. As you rise through the undulating hills, you’ll soar higher, giving yourself a panoramic view of farms, peninsulas, and the ever-present sea and sky.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-37669 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed.jpg" alt="ireland" width="960" height="667" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed-432x300.jpg 432w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed-768x534.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Irelandbiking-skyroad-960px-compressed-864x600.jpg 864w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Not Your Grandmother’s Wool Sweater (Not That There’s Anything Wrong with That)</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-37672 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Inis-Meain-Sweater-Man-Cropped-Styled-Editorial.jpg" alt="ireland fashion" width="350" height="245" />The traditional handknit wool sweater is one of the Aran Islands&#8217; most beloved exports, and a souvenir you&#8217;ll want to stock up on in its place of origin. Exemplifying the rugged, solitary nature of the islands and the locals’ independence and resourcefulness, the humble fisherman’s sweater is an icon that was first popularized in 1940s England. A true find, the <a href="https://inismeain.ie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inis Meain Knitting Co.</a> reinterprets and updates traditional styles for both men and women, so you won&#8217;t look out of place in the country or the city.
Feeling inspired to experience Ireland&#8217;s West Coast for yourself? <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/start-planning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get in touch</a> with Dane Tredway to see how he can start planning your next trip here.

Top 5 Things To Do On Ireland's West Coast

<h3>The Other Side of Paradise</h3>
With the riches of wine country prosperity came the sophisticated side of Napa and Sonoma. The area&#8217;s best new restaurants and most luxurious hotels are a far cry from the rough-and-tumble prospectors of yesteryear’s frontier&#8230;and a reminder of how this rural community has &#8216;struck gold&#8217; in a very different way. 
<h4>Single Thread </h4>
One of the most-buzzed-about restaurants to open in the last year,  Healdsburg’s Single Thread restaurant more than earns its two Michelin stars. The restaurant (and inn) is owned by a husband-wife team (Kyle Connaughton cooks, Katina Connaughton manages the restaurant’s farm located along the Russian River) who are inspired by Japanese-style hospitality which highlights the spirit of ‘omotenashi’: warmly anticipating a guest’s needs in advance. 
The only option when dining here is a showstopper of an 11-course feast, which sings a song of the seasons; the whole experience is totally immersive, and every single detail is obsessed over from the dining room to the custom dishes. 
It’s well worth the visit to experience such a high level of craftsmanship, artistry, and care from start to finish. Oh, and the name? That ‘single thread’ refers to the humble onion, which is the only thing on the farm that grows year-round. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37285 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SingleThread-732px.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="530" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SingleThread-732px.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/SingleThread-732px-414x300.jpg 414w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<h4>Vallette</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37292 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Vallette-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="275" />A restaurant run by two brothers with deep roots in the region (their great-grandfather owned a bakery in Healdsburg), Vallette highlights the exceptional produce that grows here, with international flavours to surprise the palate, no doubt influenced by chef Justin Vallette’s stints in Hawaii, New York, Las Vegas, and beyond. (Foie gras chorizo and cocoa-nib-crusted duck breast, anyone)? 
The front-of-house brother, Aaron Garzini, looks after the wine list, which leans heavily on wines from Sonoma County, but also from France, New Zealand and further abroad. 
<h3>Where to Stay in Napa and Sonoma 
</h3>
Hotel Healdsburg
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37293 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="349" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px.jpg 350w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px-301x300.jpg 301w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HotelHealdsburg-350px-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />A breath of fresh air, the contemporary Californian vibe of the Hotel Healdsburg allows you to experience the charms of the town, without sacrificing your own seclusion. 
Relax at the outdoor pool overlooking the grounds, head to the spa post-ride, or indulge at chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant, featuring the best of the region, including an impressive wine list of over 500 wines from Sonoma County alone. 
Service hotel-wide is refined without being overly formal—the Healdsburg gets it just right. Located right on the lovely tree-lined main plaza of Healdsburg, you can sit and watch the locals, or join right in—the main square hosts a weekly farmer’s market. 
Auberge du Soleil, Napa
A wine country experience for the ages, a stay at the Auberge du Soleil may spoil you for all future hotel stays. 
This stunning property is set amongst the hills and a sprawling 33-acre olive grove. It more than earns its stripes with a Michelin-starred dining room and a Relais &amp; Chateaux designation, and the wonderful staff anticipate your every need, down to the smallest detail. 
From bespoke breakfast service to a guests-only spa, a meditative sculpture garden perfect for post-prandial strolls, a huge spa complex with a hot-and-cold plunge pool circuit, tennis courts and complimentary fitness classes means you’ll hardly want to leave this sanctuary. 
Major upgrades will be unveiled this year, including a re-imagining of the grounds, incorporating more drought-hardy grasses and plants native to the region.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37294 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="499" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px-480x250.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AubergeSoleil-Pool2-960px-768x399.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

The Rustic and Resplendent Charm of Napa and Sonoma

Culture &amp; Lifestyle

Need to Know

Reading for the Road

B&amp;R Picks

Germany

<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2FVPZRq" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-38015" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tin-Drum-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tin-Drum-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Tin-Drum.jpg 332w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />The Tin Drum</a></h4>
By Günter Grass
Considered to be perhaps the best German novel written since the end of World War II, this is the surreal story of a mute dwarf named Oskar who lives through Nazi Germany and finds himself in a mental institution. The film was adapted into a film which won the 1979 Palme d&#8217;Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
<a href="http://amzn.to/2FVPZRq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a>
<hr />
<h4><a href="http://amzn.to/2HAwHOF" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-38016 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dresden-199x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dresden-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dresden.jpg 332w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945</a></h4>
By Frederick Taylor
A re-evaluation of the Allied firebombing of Dresden, one of the most destructive, and still controversial, air campaigns of WWII.
<a href="http://amzn.to/2HAwHOF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a>

<h4>It&#8217;s Real and It&#8217;s Spectacular: The Blue Poppy</h4>
<h4><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36997 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/MeconopsisBluePoppy-350px-comrpessed.png" alt="" width="350" height="263" /></h4>
No, it’s not an opium-producing poppy, but it is a mythical one: the mesmerizing and hypnotically blue poppy, Meconopsis gakyidiana, was once believed to be a legend, as it’s notoriously difficult to spot in its natural habitat. Rare and endangered, its seeds take about two to three years to bloom, and it flowers only once, after which it seeds and dies.
The Bhutanese blue poppy blooms only after the heavy monsoon season and thrives in the rarefied air, the freezing soils, and extreme conditions of altitudes above 10,000 feet. This massive plant can grow to two feet tall, and the flowers are spectacular, about four to five inches in diameter! It’s also notoriously finicky to grow at low altitudes and warmer climes, making it a garden enthusiast’s holy grail.
<h4>No Smokes, Please, We’re Bhutanese</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-37007 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/5145943696_bcd6a3efdb_z-prayerflags-350px-cmopressed.png" alt="" width="350" height="234" />Another intriguing fact about Bhutan: it is the only country that has banned the sale and production of tobacco, and not without controversy. Therefore, you will rarely see an overt public display of smoking in the country. If you are a smoker, the best way to go about it is to ask your guide where you can smoke (they’ll probably point you to a discreet area; people also just use the balconies of their hotel rooms). If you are looking for cigarettes, they can be purchased on the black market, but are not of high quality (inexpensive Indian cigarettes are what’s generally available). Foreigners are allowed to bring in no more than 200 cigarettes into the country, but you will be subject to customs fees.
<h4><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36998 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bhutan-child-flickr-tea-250px-cmopressed.png" alt="" width="250" height="376" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bhutan-child-flickr-tea-250px-cmopressed.png 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bhutan-child-flickr-tea-250px-cmopressed-199x300.png 199w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />The Original Bulletproof Drink: Butter Tea</h4>
In Himalayan countries such as Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan, it’s common to drink this slightly salty, incredibly rich tea—although the consistency is more like an oily soup—enhanced by nak (that’s a female yak!) butter. The taste is a bit pungent but not unpleasant, although it is certainly an acquired taste for those who have never encountered it.
This protein-rich and salty drink helps provide nourishment and hydration at high altitudes, and is said to help alleviate altitude sickness. The best tea is collected from wild mountain herbs, but otherwise, boiled (not steeped) strong pu-erh tea is used.  After the long, strong boil and the churning (or blending) of the butter into the drink,  it actually looks a bit purple-tinged. It’s this fatty drink that inspired the <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3034539/what-its-like-to-drink-bulletproof-coffee-every-morning-for-two-weeks">‘bulletproof coffee’ movement</a> in North America. (Who knew?)

Zambia

<h4>Tongabezi—eclectic and fun</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36798 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Tongabezi-SunlightCanopy-350px-compressed.png" alt="" width="350" height="231" />This quirky and fun property is also set right on the river, with a selection of houses and cottages for accommodation. Sleep riverside, or choose a lofty lodging in a treehouse suite amongst the branches of an ebony tree. With a netted canopy bed and claw-footed tub, you’ll stay in your ‘room’ yet be able to experience the outdoors from your private perch. Another series of suites we love, perfect for families, is elevated, where separate ‘rooms’ are connected via walkway.
During high water season, the Zambezi flows underneath! If you’re brave, one of the excursions includes a visit to Livingstone Island, from where the missionary (and where Queen Victoria herself) first glimpsed the falls; as well as swimming in Devil’s Pool, right on the very edge of the Falls itself!
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36780 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TONGABEZI-RiverCottages45-082_2-Zambia-1600x1000-1.png" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TONGABEZI-RiverCottages45-082_2-Zambia-1600x1000-1.png 1600w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TONGABEZI-RiverCottages45-082_2-Zambia-1600x1000-1-250x156.png 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TONGABEZI-RiverCottages45-082_2-Zambia-1600x1000-1-480x300.png 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TONGABEZI-RiverCottages45-082_2-Zambia-1600x1000-1-768x480.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TONGABEZI-RiverCottages45-082_2-Zambia-1600x1000-1-960x600.png 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" />
<h4>Royal Chundu—secluded and exclusive</h4>
The five-star Royal Chundu is Zambia’s only Relais &amp; Chateaux property in a wonderfully secluded area (yet just 30 km or 18 miles from Victoria Falls). In my opinion, the best way to arrive is directly from the airport—by private helicopter. This way, you will get a proper bird’s-eye view of the Falls on your way in, and be awed from the get-go.
Once you’ve landed in this remote region, simply focus on enjoying the varied lodge activities for the rest of your stay, such as fishing, a birding safari, visiting a local community, or partaking in a sunset cruise watching crocodiles and hippos in the water, cocktail in hand. There are two types of lodges: one on an island, and another secluded series of private lodges along the riverbanks.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36781 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RoyalChundu-Canopy-960px-compressed-1.png" alt="" width="960" height="573" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RoyalChundu-Canopy-960px-compressed-1.png 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RoyalChundu-Canopy-960px-compressed-1-480x287.png 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RoyalChundu-Canopy-960px-compressed-1-768x458.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

Best Luxury Hotels in Livingstone, Zambia

Wellness

India

<h4><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36567 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sound-therapy-2711636_640-250p-compressed.png" alt="" width="250" height="375" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sound-therapy-2711636_640-250p-compressed.png 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sound-therapy-2711636_640-250p-compressed-200x300.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />Ayurveda</h4>
After a long day of hiking in foothills or exploring temples, chances are you may want to recover with a soothing massage or spa treatment. This is where the system of ayurveda, or &#8220;the science of life&#8221;, comes in.
Predating modern medicine, this all-encompassing and holistic system asks us to consider both the body and the mind. Ayurvedic practioners can also prescribe different foods to eat or avoid, or ideal environments to surround oneself with.
The philosophy of ayurveda posits that each person&#8217;s mind/body is comprised of different energies, or doshas. One dosha tends to dominate, and the others fluctuate in a lesser (or dormant) capacity. Here are the characteristics or qualities of each dosha:
Vata: ruled by the element of air and space, the general personality type of the Vata-ruled individual has an active intellect, may tend towards anxiousness, and also of absentmindedness. Their physical frame is slight. They are advised to eat warming, nourishing, fatty foods and avoid cold or raw foods.
Pitta: ruled by the element of fire, you can easily imagine a hot-headed person: aggressive, impatient, intelligent, sharp. They can be outspoken, short-tempered, and argumentative. A pitta constitution is advised to eat cooling, sweet, or bitter foods, avoiding sour, spicy, and hot foods.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-36564 alignleft" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A036_AP_IND_H_D_011_075.corrected-350pixelsHANDS-compressed.png" alt="" width="350" height="271" />Kapha: ruled by the elements of earth and water, they have heavier bodies than others, and can have a tendency to retain watery substances like fluids. Their emotional nature is calm, patient, and steady; on the other end of this, they can be stubborn or resist change. The best foods for a kapha-type to eat include warm, lightly cooked meals, or raw fruits and vegetables. Foods to avoid include sweet, fatty, salty, and fried foods.

A Brief Introduction to Indian Wellness

<h3>Get Lost</h3>
Simply walking around this indescribable city and its ages-old, mazelike streets, is something that must be experienced. No matter where you are, most streets lead to the ghats along the Ganges—no map necessary.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-35829 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Cover-Photo-Option-4-1600px.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Cover-Photo-Option-4-1600px.jpg 1600w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Cover-Photo-Option-4-1600px-250x156.jpg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Cover-Photo-Option-4-1600px-480x300.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Cover-Photo-Option-4-1600px-768x480.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Cover-Photo-Option-4-1600px-960x600.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" />
<h3>Silk Shopping</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-35843 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/indian-silk-shop-flickr-compressed.png" alt="" width="350" height="263" />A centre of silk in the country, experiencing the ritual of silk shopping in Varanasi is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture. It’s a whole ritual here: there’s a bit of colour, flair and flamboyance as merchants display their wares for you. Sit down for a tea, have a chat, and shop away!
<h3>Sarnath</h3>
The religious atmosphere pervading Varanasi can also be found in nearby Sarnath (also known as Isipatana), about 13 kilometres (8 miles) to the northeast, where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha">Gautama Buddha</a> founded Buddhism in 528 BCE when he gave his <a href="https://tricycle.org/magazine/the-first-sermon-of-the-buddha/">first sermon</a> here. You’ll see still-standing stupas, and an 80-foot statue of the Buddha. This popular pilgrimage site for Buddhists also features additional Buddhist temples supported by various nations: China, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and more, which are worth a look.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-35837 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sarnath-2-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="903" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sarnath-2-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sarnath-2-960px-319x300.jpg 319w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sarnath-2-960px-768x722.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sarnath-2-960px-638x600.jpg 638w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Make a move</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-35850 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/yoga-varanasi-flickr-250c.png" alt="" width="250" height="333" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/yoga-varanasi-flickr-250c.png 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/yoga-varanasi-flickr-250c-225x300.png 225w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />Another popular activity to do in India is taking a traditional yoga class. What better place to practise than in the country of its origin? One of B&amp;R’s good friends, Smrti, who comes from a family of yoga instructors, often leads classes in town. There’s nothing like working your way through a series of sun salutes (maybe even as the sun rises) in the city.

Colombo

Galle

Kandy

Sri Lanka

<h2>Kandy</h2>
Sri Lanka’s second-largest city after Colombo and the last capital of the ancient kings’ era of the island, Kandy has huge cultural and historical significance, dating back to the mid-1300s.
Kandy was the location of the resilient Kingdom of Kotte, which finally succumbed to British colonial rule in 1815.
These days, Kandy is very much a hub city, with many businesses having large branch offices and with shopping malls boasting large international brands.
Like much of Sri Lanka, Kandy is marked by the colonial area, with much of the original city destroyed during the invasion.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-35289 size-full" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kandy-aerial-350c.png" alt="" width="752" height="533" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kandy-aerial-350c.png 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/kandy-aerial-350c-423x300.png 423w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
That said, a number of buildings from the former Kingdom of Kandy still stand, with the best-preserved being the Lankatilaka Vihara temple.
The Royal Palace of Kandy also still stands, housing the Temple of the Sacred Tooth.
<h2>Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic</h2>
The Temple of the Tooth is a Buddhist temple in Kandy and is home to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha.
According to Sri Lankan legend, when the Buddha died in 543 BC, his tooth was extracted by his disciple, Khema, and given to King Brahmadatte in the city of Dantapuri, henceforth remaining a royal relic.
Belief grew that whoever was in possession of the tooth relic had the right to rule the land, thus provoking tension and wars over the ages. Because of the constant battle to keep the tooth, it has had many homes and shrines built in its honour.
The tooth first came to Kandy in the late 1500s, when the original Temple of the Tooth was built, however, it was later taken away to protect it from the Portuguese.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-35284 size-full" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/one-hundred-buddhas-tooth-960c.png" alt="" width="752" height="533" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/one-hundred-buddhas-tooth-960c.png 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/one-hundred-buddhas-tooth-960c-423x300.png 423w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
The tooth was returned in the time of Rajasinha II (1629-1687), the third king of Kandy. A new temple was reconstructed, although attacked several times, leading to many partial re-builds.
The temple is a most holy place for Buddhists and is extremely culturally significant. It is mainly due to the temple that Kandy was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
<h2>Sigiriya</h2>
Home to the impressive Sigiriya Rock, also known as Lion Rock, Sigiriya is an ancient city dominated by a 200-metre column of rock.
One of the shortest-lived capitals in history, Sigiriya was chosen by King Kasyapa as his palatial home. Building a castle on the top of the huge rock, the king had a vast lion carved into the stone and giant frescoes painted on the walls.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-35279 size-full" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/SriLanka_Sigiriya_FortressRuin-1600c.png" alt="" width="752" height="533" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/SriLanka_Sigiriya_FortressRuin-1600c.png 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/SriLanka_Sigiriya_FortressRuin-1600c-423x300.png 423w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
The capital and palace were abandoned following the death of the king in 495 AD and the building was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, after which Sigiriya was somewhat forgotten for several hundred years.
These days, Sigiriya is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ancient gardens on display at the palace are an example of some of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world.

In Deep: Sri Lanka

Food and Travel

Restaurants

Vietnam

<h3> Theravada Buddhism</h3>
Also known as Hinayana, the “doctrine of the elders,” Theravada Buddhism is practiced in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Burma. This school professes that the path to nirvana (or enlightenment—the aim of all Buddhists) is an individual one. The worship of deities is considered to be secondary. Individuals work toward breaking the cycle of rebirth by following the teachings of Buddha.
<h3>Mahayana Buddhism</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34904 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutan-azweger-350c.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="234" />In Mahayana, “the great vehicle,” the belief is that one seeks nirvana, not for personal gain, but to help others. The most important virtues are compassion (coupled with a genuine desire to alleviate suffering) and wisdom. The Buddha is seen as a supramundane principle and has many different realms. There is also a pantheon of cosmic and celestial buddhas and bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who delays entry into nirvana to help others on the path to enlightenment.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34895 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/thimphu-buddha-kartlasarn960c.png" alt="" width="960" height="720" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/thimphu-buddha-kartlasarn960c.png 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/thimphu-buddha-kartlasarn960c-400x300.png 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/thimphu-buddha-kartlasarn960c-768x576.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/thimphu-buddha-kartlasarn960c-800x600.png 800w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34907 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/monk350c.png" alt="" width="350" height="233" />This emerged in India as a further evolution of Mahayana Buddhism during the second to fourth centuries. In Vajrayana (which means “thunderbolt vehicle”), there is a Tantric, or dual energy, a manifestation also found in many elements of Hinduism. It espouses that one must learn to transcend opposites and view them as dual manifestations of consciousness. It also teaches the harnessing and channelling of different energies in the body. The aim of Tantric practice is to transform one’s mind, body and speech to reach the state of a fully enlightened being by special yogic means. This includes a variety of esoteric and ritual methods only available to the initiated. Today, Tantric Buddhism is found only in Tibet, Ladakh, Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan and Japan.
<h3>Bhutan’s Drukpa Kagyu lineage</h3>
This school of Buddhism was founded in Tibet by Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161–1211). It was introduced to Bhutan in the early 13th century by a lama from Ralung Monastery, Phajo Drukgom Shigpo. In the 17th century, the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal recognized the Drukpa Kagyu school as the official state religion.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34881 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutancity-1600c.png" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutancity-1600c.png 1600w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutancity-1600c-250x156.png 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutancity-1600c-480x300.png 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutancity-1600c-768x480.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/bhutancity-1600c-960x600.png 960w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" />

Cambodia

Laos

The best way to see Southeast Asia: by bike!
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34540 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sea_kids-350c.png" alt="" width="350" height="374" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sea_kids-350c.png 350w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sea_kids-350c-281x300.png 281w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />I’d be amiss to skip over B&amp;R’s favourite way to explore the world, by two wheels, so here are a few of my favourite routes and rides. If you’re trying to decide where to go, ask yourself what your activity level is, or what type of ride you’re seeking – hilly, flat, scenic, or with a lot of spots along the way to stop at?
If you want a mellow ride that’s relatively flat, my favourite ride in the Mekong Delta features a jaunt through local markets, rice paddies blowing in the breeze, and sometimes even joining along in the commute with local kids on their way to school!
For something hilly that will challenge your legs further, one of my favourite climbs is in Luang Prabang, Laos, as well as along the Hai Van Pass between Hoi An and Hue, Vietnam. The Hai Van Pass is particularly scenic with its twisting road, and was of strategic importance in Vietnamese military history. 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34554 alignleft" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/haivan-350-c.png" alt="" width="350" height="234" />
Biking the terrain in Northern Vietnam is also something I’m particular to: you will cross rivers, pass through rural villages, and even travel amongst towering limestone peaks. Feel like an adventurer and supplement your rides by taking a local boat through tunnels or hiking dramatic ‘dragon spine’ mountains for the full experience.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34548 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ricefields_beggs-960-c.png" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ricefields_beggs-960-c.png 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ricefields_beggs-960-c-450x300.png 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ricefields_beggs-960-c-768x512.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ricefields_beggs-960-c-900x600.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
I’ve already touched upon this if you head to Cambodia, but the loveliest scenic bike routes are, unsurprisingly, found when you leisurely pedal from one splendid temple to another. The roads are flat, and you’ll find some nice 10 to 15 km stretches that will give you some room to open up and speed up. (Also, there are less chickens along the road to slow you down!)
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34551 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cambodia-stock-960-c.png" alt="" width="960" height="638" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cambodia-stock-960-c.png 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cambodia-stock-960-c-451x300.png 451w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cambodia-stock-960-c-768x510.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/cambodia-stock-960-c-903x600.png 903w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

<h3>Chandni Chowk</h3>
This is Old Delhi’s ancient labyrinth of market streets. The best way to experience this “bazaar” phenomenon is to hire a cycle rickshaw and let the driver figure out where to go. It is a major assault on the senses, but a perfect glimpse into life in Delhi, and India in general.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34492 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chandni-chowk-jasegal-960-c.png" alt="" width="960" height="623" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chandni-chowk-jasegal-960-c.png 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chandni-chowk-jasegal-960-c-462x300.png 462w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chandni-chowk-jasegal-960-c-768x498.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/chandni-chowk-jasegal-960-c-925x600.png 925w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3>Imperial City</h3>
To get a better appreciation for India’s British colonial heritage, have your taxi drive down Raj Path, New Delhi’s broadest and most impressive avenue. Designed by British architect Sir Edwin Luytens, the area is filled with government buildings, diplomatic residences and affluent homes. The jewel in the crown is the Presidential Palace, formerly the Viceroy’s House, a 340-room Art Deco-inspired creation capped with a smooth oversized dome.
<h3><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34493 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PresidentialPalace-732-c.png" alt="" width="732" height="313" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PresidentialPalace-732-c.png 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PresidentialPalace-732-c-480x205.png 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></h3>
<h3>Indira Gandhi House</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34494 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/indiragandhi-350-c.png" alt="" width="350" height="230" />Like Birla House, this building features an informative exhibit of photos and newspapers (in a variety of India’s languages, including English) and other collectibles that detail the early years (as the daughter of Nehru) and political career of Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv. Also like Birla House, in the garden there is a sculpture covering the ground where Mrs. Gandhi took her final steps towards an assassin’s bullet (in her case at the hands of one of her Sikh bodyguards).
<h3>Gandhi Smriti (Birla House)</h3>
Gandhi lived his final years and final moments at Birla House, provided to him by the wealthy Birla family. The house can be visited and has an interesting, simple exhibit featuring events and many photos from Gandhi’s life and work. In the house you will find the modest study and bedroom where he slept his final sleep before walking through the property’s garden to meet an assassin’s bullet. (Recall the scene from the film—it happened here and there is an eerie installation sculpture of Gandhi’s last steps: several hundred footsteps leading across the garden to a small shrine where he uttered his last words.)
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34497 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gandhi-mural-960-c.png" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gandhi-mural-960-c.png 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gandhi-mural-960-c-450x300.png 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gandhi-mural-960-c-768x512.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/gandhi-mural-960-c-900x600.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />

Myanmar

<h2>Where to Eat</h2>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheTajMyanmar/"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34343 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TheTaj_c.png" alt="" width="350" height="258" />The Taj</a> 
Yangon has a large Indian population and an incredible array of Indian restaurants.
This authentic North Indian restaurant is one of Yangon’s best Indian eateries, featuring great prices and a semi-formal atmosphere that caters to Yangon’s professionals and expats.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexs-Gastro-Bar/160266417641347">Alex&#8217;s Gastro Bar</a>
Located in the Loft Hotel, this large design-oriented restaurant also includes a bar and lounge. There is a mix of European and Asian food available here. It can also accommodate vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners as well.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34344 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AlexGastroBar_c.png" alt="" width="732" height="421" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AlexGastroBar_c.png 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AlexGastroBar_c-480x276.png 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<a href="http://leplanteur.net/gourmet">Le Planteur </a>
Reputed to be the finest restaurant in Myanmar, Le Planteur is housed in a beautiful colonial mansion overlooking Inya Lake. On the menu, you’ll find French/Indochina elements and Asian flavours, as well as cheeses and desserts to round out your meal.
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34345 aligncenter" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LePlanteur_c.png" alt="" width="732" height="616" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LePlanteur_c.png 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LePlanteur_c-356x300.png 356w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LePlanteur_c-713x600.png 713w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" />
<a href="http://houseofmemoriesmyanmar.com/history.html"> 
<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34361 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/houseofmemories_c.png" alt="" width="250" height="305" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/houseofmemories_c.png 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/houseofmemories_c-246x300.png 246w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />House of Memories</a>
Enshrined in a hundred-year-old colonial villa, this restaurant features a range of international cuisines, so depending on what you feel like, you can dine upon Burmese traditional food, Thai, Chinese or Western cuisine. The home itself is also a museum of sorts that commemorates important times in Myanmar’s history: it once served as the first office of General Aung San, Myanmar’s leader of independence (and father to Aung San Suu Kyi), among other facts. Open daily.
<a href="http://www.greenelephant-restaurants.com/"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-34346 alignleft" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GreenElephant_c-403x300.png" alt="" width="350" height="261" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GreenElephant_c-403x300.png 403w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GreenElephant_c.png 732w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />Green Elephant</a> 
This chain of restaurants is known around the country, but with good prices and tasty food, it&#8217;s an excellent place to sample traditional Myanmar dishes. Although touristy, it&#8217;s still worth a visit. In the evenings, it&#8217;s nice to grab a seat on the wide open terrace for a meal.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Monsoon-Restaurant-Bar-Yangon-215941791813872/"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-34347 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Monsoon_Resto_c.png" alt="" width="350" height="246" />Monsoon</a> 
One of the first old shop houses to be restored for public use, you can find foods from around the region, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. Old colonial feel with photos of old Yangon cover the walls and is right downtown—definitely a great place to sit and have a cold drink too!

Insider's Guides

New Zealand

<h3>What to See &amp; Do</h3>
<figure id="attachment_32774" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32774" style="width: 350px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-32774" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Things-to-do-in-Christchurch-Art-Gallery.jpg" alt="Things to Do in Christchurch" width="350" height="477" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Things-to-do-in-Christchurch-Art-Gallery.jpg 400w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Things-to-do-in-Christchurch-Art-Gallery-220x300.jpg 220w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32774" class="wp-caption-text">The Christchurch Art Gallery</figcaption></figure>
Before the series of earthquakes that hit in 2011, Christchurch referred to itself as the “Garden City” of New Zealand.
With that dedication imprinted on the city’s mind, all attempts are being made to rebuild in that very image (and ideally to make it even better).
While many historic building are still fenced off and changes are happening in real time, here is what we would recommend if you have one day to spend.
Ask for directions from the hotel staff to Victoria Square; if your route allows for it, follow the Avon River downstream along the path to Worcester Boulevard.
Check out the Botanic Gardens, <a href="http://www.canterburymuseum.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Canterbury Museum</a> and <a href="https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the new Art Gallery</a> (which looks like a mini Frank Gehry “a la Bilbao” style building) all within a stones throw of each other. If you&#8217;re hungry, stop by a great little cafe called<a href="http://vbase.co.nz/venues/ilex-botanic-gardens" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Ilex Botanical Gardens</a> to grab something to eat. Located in the heart of the botanical garden, you&#8217;ll have the opportunity to eat surrounded by beautiful plants.
If you have more time go for a stroll in <a href="https://www.ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/christchurch-botanic-gardens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Public Gardens</a>, you’ll understand the reputation of the city as the “Garden City.”
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-32597 size-full" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gardens-752x500.png" alt="Things to Do in Christchurch" width="752" height="500" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gardens-752x500.png 752w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gardens-752x500-451x300.png 451w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
Give your feet a rest and take the tram; the route loops around the downtown area.
On a rainy day, or if you have more time, take a cab back to the airport (NO, don’t leave to go back home!) and go spend a few hours at the <a href="http://www.iceberg.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antarctic Interpretation Centre</a>. New Zealand has a long history with Antarctic exploration and research and the Centre is fascinating.

Latin America

Colombia

<h4>A People Divided</h4>
<figure id="attachment_32084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32084" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-32084" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-zipa.png" alt="Sagipa, the last southern Muisca ruler" width="300" height="297" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-zipa.png 352w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-zipa-303x300.png 303w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-zipa-150x150.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32084" class="wp-caption-text">Sagipa, the last southern Muisca ruler</figcaption></figure>
After Cartagena, the journey inward officially commenced.
Numerous expeditions delivered the Spaniards deep into the interior onto Muisca territory where two clans existed (and were divided), a situation that the Spaniards were happy to exploit to their benefit.
The southern clan was ruled by the Zipa from Bacatá (now Bogotá), and the northern fraction under the Zaque in Hunza (present-day Tunja).
<h4>An Outpost for King Carlos</h4>
<figure id="attachment_32086" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32086" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-32086" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-Carlos-V.jpg" alt="in-deep-colombia-carlos-v" width="300" height="360" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-Carlos-V.jpg 350w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/In-Deep-Colombia-Carlos-V-250x300.jpg 250w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32086" class="wp-caption-text">King Carlos V of Spain</figcaption></figure>
Suffice to say, the Spaniards were able to defeat the locals by taking advantage of their infighting and in 1538 Santa Fe de Bogotá was founded on the site of Bacatá. Following this, much more of the colony was conquered and by 1550 Carlos V, king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, had established a court of justice in Bogotá.
As the colony developed under Spanish rule, the usual changes were made. Spanish invaders began to bring in slaves from Africa to serve as the workforce, setting up Cartagena as the exclusive slave-trading port.
Thus the local population, originally consisting mainly of indigenous communities (and the Spanish invaders) began to diversify and mix, creating a new and emerging demographic, and, yet, power only existed for the Spaniards.
<h4>Independence</h4>
<figure id="attachment_32030" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32030" style="width: 237px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-32030 size-medium" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Simon-bolivar-237x300.jpg" alt="simon-bolivar" width="237" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Simon-bolivar-237x300.jpg 237w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Simon-bolivar.jpg 435w" sizes="(max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-32030" class="wp-caption-text">Simón Bolívar</figcaption></figure>
Independence from Spain wasn’t a quick win (is it ever?).
Prefaced and created by the colonial situation, inhabitants became extremely unhappy and by 1781 were making that known. Slavery, unfair taxes and duties prompted rebellion and brought about the rise of Simón Bolívar, who by 1812 had became the face (and hero!) of the Independence struggle.
After some failures and then numerous victories, Bolivar was finally able to claim victory for Colombia when it won independence on August 7, 1819.
<h4>Medellín</h4>
Medellín, unfortunately, has been on the map for many years not because of its beauty but because of Pablo Escobar, a notorious drug-lord, and the ensuing drug trade that operated out of the city.
&nbsp;
Since his demise in the mid-1990s, the Medellín cartel has disbanded and the city has rebounded tremendously, becoming a popular destination for travellers. As any conversation with a Colombian will make clear, Colombia is more than the drug trade that plagued the country for many years. The persisting narrative of Colombia as a haven for cocaine has been exhausting on the psyche of everyday inhabitants.
<h4>A Nobel-Winning Peace</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-32037" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/medellin-752x500-451x300.jpg" alt="medellin-752x500" width="350" height="233" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/medellin-752x500-451x300.jpg 451w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/medellin-752x500.jpg 752w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />While civil war and drug violence have been prominent in the country’s past, great effort has been focused toward remedying that. President Juan Manuel Santos was<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/07/colombias-president-juan-manuel-santos-wins-nobel-peace-prize-fo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize </a>for his efforts to pardon all FARC members, re-introduce them into society and end the country&#8217;s civil war.
On a smaller scale, Sergio Fajardo was responsible for initiating a series of architecturally beautiful parques bibliotecas and sports centres in the most destitute neighbourhoods in Medellín in an effort to bring about a sense of optimism and civic prosperity to the over-looked.
<h4>Gabriel García Márquez</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-32039 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-by-gabriel-garcia-marquez-profile-199x300.jpg" alt="one-hundred-years-of-solitude-by-gabriel-garcia-marquez-profile" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-by-gabriel-garcia-marquez-profile-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-by-gabriel-garcia-marquez-profile.jpg 298w" sizes="(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />No introduction to Colombia would be complete without invoking the memory and writing of Gabriel García.
This is a man who was described by a past president as “the greatest Colombian who ever lived.”
Starting as a journalist, Márquez is best known for his novels One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera. Both works are emblematic of the writing style magical realism, which places magical events in everyday existence, and (unsurprisingly, if you’ve read them) both works have earned him worldwide audiences.
He won a Nobel Prize in 1982. One Hundred Years of Solitude is set in the fictional village called Macondo, but is likely inspired by his birthplace, Aracataca.
Beloved by Colombians, Márquez has been an outspoken critic of Colombia and of foreign politics, while also committing to paper the strength, resilience and beauty of his country before his death in 2014.
<h4></h4>

In Deep: A (Brief) Introduction to the Prized Peace and Pristine Landscapes of Colombia

China

<h4>Reason 4:</h4>
<h5>The Cobblestoned Streets of Lijiang</h5>
As I mentioned, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a destination unto itself. Its cobblestoned streets and unique architecture make it feel distinct from any place else in China. Check out the 10,000 dragon carvings on the imposing Wangu Pavilion or learn to sip Pu&#8217;er Tea, a variety native to Yunnan province.
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<h4>Reason 5:</h4>
<h5>To Bike the Big Bend</h5>
Bike along the Great Bend of the Yangtze river. Here, the ruby-colored river forms a 90-degree bend, like a ribbon, as it wraps around a hilltop. The water then shoots across China, making the country fertile for rice and wheat and leading people to believe that this is the vein of the earth.
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<h4>Reason 6:</h4>
<h5>The Naxi Tribe</h5>
One of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People&#8217;s Republic of China, the Naxi are a matriarchal society famed for its wonderful textiles (as well as a rice-based moonshine!).
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Thought to originally hail from northern China before moving south toward Tibet, they&#8217;ve long traversed the dangerous trading routes along the tea route, but didn&#8217;t come to the attention of the west until the early 20th century when two explorers from America and Russia lived in Lijiang and chronicled their existence.
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<h4>Reason 7:</h4>
<h5>Tibet</h5>
Biking into the Tibetan cultural region on the west side of the Yangtze River, you&#8217;ll notice the difference between the faces of the Han Chinese and the Himalayan Tibetans. Of course, this isn&#8217;t all you&#8217;ll notice. Tibetans are famous for their peaceful and serene approach to life, and you&#8217;ll feel it potently as soon as you cross the river. Enjoy it, soak it up and embrace a beautifully simple approach to life.
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<h4>Reason 8:</h4>
<h5>Alright, fine, you win: to marvel at the mountains!</h5>
Don&#8217;t get me wrong: I believe my friend and fellow Trip Designer <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/02/27/georgia-yuill-hotels-and-haute-couture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia Yuill </a>when she tells me that <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2015/06/12/in-deep-the-dolomites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Dolomites</a> are breathtaking. And I&#8217;ve been to <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2015/08/04/in-deep-what-you-need-to-know-about-patagonia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patagonia</a> enough times to know that my colleague <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2016/07/20/experts-insiders-amanda-gary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amanda Gary</a> is definitely on to something.
But in the Himalayas, one undeniable truth quite literally looms large: these are the world&#8217;s largest peaks. Period. Full stop. End of discussion.
Walking among these towering heights is to feel truly humbled, in the best sense of the word, and to understand how lucky we are to be granted even a fleeting moment among them.
This is a place that has to be seen, smelled, breathed in and felt to be believed.

The Top 8 Reasons to Visit the Himalayas

<h3><a href="https://www.aman.com/resorts/amansara" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amansara</a></h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-29359 size-medium alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Amansara-Siem-Reap-resized-382x300.jpg" alt="Amansara, Siem Reap" width="382" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Amansara-Siem-Reap-resized-382x300.jpg 382w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Amansara-Siem-Reap-resized.jpg 763w" sizes="(max-width: 382px) 100vw, 382px" />Think: Zen mellow meets luxury. Horizontal lines. A khaki &amp; black colour scheme.
Basically, this is an oasis of calm in bustling Siem Reap. This place is ideal for a relaxed visit or a honeymoon stay. My favourite element is the preserved original structure that now houses the restaurant, which, if you’ve got the same cultural reference points as me, makes you feel as if you’ve descended into a James Bond movie from the 60’s—directly into the secret layer of Dr. No.
Vodka martini, anyone?
If I were to change one thing: It’s not ideal for groups or families as the vibe leans toward hush hush rather than ha ha (read: you’re not encouraged to have loud fun).
Room category I prefer: <a href="https://www.aman.com/resorts/amansara/suites/pool-suite" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pool Suite</a>
<h3><a href="https://angkor.shintamani.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shinta Mani Angkor &amp; the Bensley Collection Pool Villas</a></h3>
Meet a hotel with a social purpose. Shinta Mani is doing just about everything right in terms of training and support for the community in which it resides. On top of the social aspect, the food is excellent and the entire hotel is designed in authentic Khmer style by renowned architect <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/bill-bensley-profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bill Bensley</a> who found inspiration in the nearby temples of Angkor Wat.
If I were to change one thing: I would make the rooms just a touch bigger.
Room category I prefer: <a href="https://angkor.shintamani.com/rooms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pool Room</a>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29342 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Shinta-Mani-Siem-Reap-960x540.jpg" alt="Shinta Mani, Siem Reap" width="960" height="540" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Shinta-Mani-Siem-Reap-960x540.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Shinta-Mani-Siem-Reap-480x270.jpg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Shinta-Mani-Siem-Reap-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
<h3><a href="https://www.treelinehotels.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Treeline Urban Resort</a></h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-45118 size-full alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/treeline-urban-resort.jpg" alt="" width="380" height="253" />As the name suggests, this hotel aims to raise you to another perspective, with its pool, bar and terrace sitting literally at the treeline! The Cambodian property owner lent a hand in the design, which shows in the attention to detail, like the installations and works of local artists in the shaded courtyard and rooms, which change four times a year.
Natural materials, a zero-plastic policy and all-organic hygiene products add to the holistic feel. You&#8217;ll find restaurants and the exciting Siem Reap nightlife mere steps away.
If I were to change one thing: A higher-end restaurant on-site or adjacent would be a great addition!
<h3><a href="https://www.jayahouseriverparksiemreap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaya House River Park</a></h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-45117 size-full alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/jaya.jpg" alt="" width="380" height="214" />An irresistible package of sustainability, luxury and style, this boutique hotel engages fully in the natural and cultural life of Siem Reap: they have planted 849 trees around their location on the Siem Reap River and have eliminated 95% of their plastic waste.
Intriguing art and garden displays in the beautiful grounds add to the fresh, dynamic feel. The high number of return visitors at this hotel shows that their commitment to sustainability, environmental and otherwise, has been a wise choice. If you’d rather spend a day at the hotel, the stunning pools and spa (one free hour of treatment per day!) invite you to relax and refresh in an oasis of tranquillity.
If I were to change one thing: The hotel is a bit of a walk from dining options or the bustling city center, but that’s also part of its tranquil natural charm. Plus, with the free tuk-tuk service and loaner mobile phone provided, this doesn’t pose much of a problem!
<h3><a href="http://www.maisonpolanka.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maison Polanka</a></h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-29349 size-medium alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/maison-polanka-siem-reap-resizedx2-449x300.jpg" alt="Maison Polanka, Siem Reap" width="449" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/maison-polanka-siem-reap-resizedx2-449x300.jpg 449w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/maison-polanka-siem-reap-resizedx2.jpg 705w" sizes="(max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px" />This little Eden is my secret favorite (I really tried to be impartial). The layout features two private villas with a couple of rooms branched around tropical gardens and a classic pool. As you could say of the original Eden, this property is virtuous and tranquil with a twist of French style and service (the latter, my projection). I’m just waiting for the perfect group to do a complete takeover of this property, really let their hair loose and love it.
If I were to change one thing: Actually I wouldn’t, but I would prefer to use it exclusively for full takeovers. Not to exhaust the metaphor, but in such an intimate space it’s nice to know you’ve got it all to yourself: True Eden styles.
Room category I prefer: <a href="http://www.maisonpolanka.com/suites/khmer-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khmer House</a>
<h3><a href="https://www.salalodges.com/house/house-bram-bei/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sala Lodge </a></h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-51624 alignright" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sala-Lodges-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sala-Lodges-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sala-Lodges-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sala-Lodges.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />These authentic Cambodia houses have been lovingly rebuilt into a stunning hotel in the tranquil countryside. Each room boasts unique histories and architecture. The oldest date from the late 1950s. A 4-star stay full of love, attention and the occasional bug:
If I were to change one thing:  Somehow a bit higher end services so it could be this but 5 star.
Villa I prefer: <a href="https://www.salalodges.com/house/house-bram/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bram Bei</a>
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Insider's Guide: The Top 9 Hotels in Siem Reap

In Deep

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

<h4>New France and the Seven Years War</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-28569" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Seven_Years_War_Collage-300x300.jpg" alt="Seven Years War " width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Seven_Years_War_Collage-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Seven_Years_War_Collage.jpg 600w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Seven_Years_War_Collage-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />During the 17th and 18th centuries, Québec City was the centre of New France and its enormous territory. At the time, this empire covered all of what is today eastern Canada, the eastern United States, the Great Lakes and Louisiana, extending from Hudson Bay in the North to Florida in the South.
The British and the French had co-existed in North America for decades, but in 1754 the threat of French expansion into the Ohio Valley encouraged the British to take steps to eradicate New France from the map completely. The Seven Years&#8217; War began the following year, when the British attacked disputed positions in New France and seized French merchant ships.
In an attempt to keep the British out, the French constructed a wall around Québec City, which still exists today. But these fortifications proved insufficient, and Québec City was permanently lost by the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. In 1763, France formally ceded its claims to Canada; Québec City’s French-speaking, Catholic population fell under the rule of Protestant Britain, where it would remain until 1931 when the Statute of Westminster affirmed Canada&#8217;s independence.
In 1775-1776, American troops tried and failed to capture Québec City during the War of Independence, in which Aaron Burr and Benedict Arnold were key players. The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the “Province of Québec” into Upper and Lower Canada and designated Québec City as the capital of Lower Canada.
<h4>Modern-day Québec</h4>
From its origin as a fur trading post to its present status as Québec’s provincial capital, Québec City has restored and celebrated elements from its past. Old Québec was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and on July 3, 2008, Québec City celebrated the 400th anniversary of its foundation by Samuel de Champlain.
Few cities in North America have reached this milestone.

Profiles

Experts + Insiders: Veronika Macas

Bali

<h5>The Rise of Tourism and Modern Bali</h5>
The tourism boom started in the early 1970s. Though tourism has had some marked adverse effects, it has brought many positive changes, primarily in the form of money, which has allowed for improvements in infrastructure such as roads, telecommunications, education and health.
<h5>Eat, Pray, Love</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-full wp-image-28285" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Eat-Pray-Love-cover.jpg" alt="Eat-Pray-Love-cover" width="214" height="262" />After selling millions of copies, Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 book <a href="http://www.longitudebooks.com/find/p/68487/mcms.html" target="_blank">Eat, Pray, Love</a> put Ubud on the map, inspiring many tourists to visit Bali and Julia Roberts to star in a movie adaptation. Ten years after the book was published (and six years after the movie), a quick internet search reveals hordes of <a href="http://www.cntraveller.com/recommended/honeymoons-romantic-breaks/eat-pray-and-love" target="_blank">copycat itineraries</a> and testimonies from adoring fans whose lives were changed after following Gilbert’s journey. However, they aren’t the only ones who’ve experienced a rebirth.
Bali itself experienced a revival following the release of the best-selling memoir. Since the book was published, the once-sleepy tourist haven has embraced a steady stream of visitors. The book’s footprint is everywhere in Ubud, and there are now two different kinds of Bali experiences to choose from: for the literati, there&#8217;s &#8220;Bali from the book,&#8221; while the more visually inclined can experience &#8220;Bali from the movie.&#8221;
<figure id="attachment_28286" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28286" style="width: 380px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-28286" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Julia-robert-eat-pray-love-in-Bali-450x300.jpg" alt="Julia Roberts biking through Bali in Eat, Pray, Love. " width="380" height="253" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Julia-robert-eat-pray-love-in-Bali-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Julia-robert-eat-pray-love-in-Bali.jpg 620w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-28286" class="wp-caption-text">Julia Roberts biking through Bali in Eat, Pray, Love.</figcaption></figure>
For some, it’s a love/hate relationship. Though the book’s success has increased tourism, not every Balinese is thrilled about being the centre of attention and the prospect of price increases has locals worried.
As a result of the Eat, Pray, Love tourism boom, Bali&#8217;s also becoming more commercial—and, some fear, something of a cliché—with tours built around the book and the Balinese people too happy to name-drop locals who were featured.
But despite some reservations, the upswing has proven undoubtedly positive for the Balinese economy. Tourism has supplanted agriculture as Bali&#8217;s largest single industry, making it one of the wealthiest regions in Indonesia.

From Marco Polo to Eat, Pray, Love: A (Very) Brief History of Bali & Indonesia

<h4>Hindu gods</h4>
The Hindu doctrine is primarily spread through storytelling and in the temples built to honour the religion’s myriad gods. As the Hindu religion is rumoured to have over 330 million gods, only the most important will be mentioned here.
Supreme Brahma is the Om, and is seen in all things; as he is formless, he is not worshipped. Under the Supreme Brahma is the Hindu Trinity:
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24289" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gods.jpg" alt="Gods" width="625" height="356" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gods.jpg 625w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gods-320x182.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" />
Brahma is seldom worshipped, but both Vishnu and Shiva are popular. These two gods have their own sects, the Vashnavites and the Shaivites, which make up the two largest religious sects in India. Each of the gods has incarnations, or “faces,” which can be very different from their original form.
Some of Vishnu’s incarnations are Krishna, the god of love, and Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, The Ramayana. The popular incarnations of Shiva are: Nataraga, the lord of dance; Durga and Kali, two fearsome female incarnations to whom blood sacrifices are made; and the fearsome Bhairab, destroyer of ignorance and evil who is also the god of locomotion (hence his eyes on the front fenders of Tata trucks).
Shiva is also often represented as a lingam, a cylindrical object that is thought to represent a phallus. The flat shape below the lingam is called a yoni, and this represents the female sex organs. It is very common to see worshippers of Shiva laying flowers and pouring milk over the lingam.
<h5>Ganesh</h5>
<figure id="attachment_24288" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24288" style="width: 280px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-24288" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Ganesh_inset-243x320.jpg" alt="Ganesh_inset" width="280" height="369" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Ganesh_inset-243x320.jpg 243w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Ganesh_inset.jpg 455w" sizes="(max-width: 280px) 100vw, 280px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-24288" class="wp-caption-text">Ganesh</figcaption></figure>
The son of Shiva, the elephant-headed and pot-bellied Ganesh, is one of the most popular gods in Hinduism, as he is the remover of obstacles and deliverer of good luck. However, he ended up with an elephant’s head through a little bad luck of his own: when Shiva returned from a long trip, he mistook Ganesh for an impostor in his house and promptly lopped-off Ganesh’s head. When he realized what he had done, he couldn’t find Ganesh’s head to put it back on, so he replaced the head with that of the first living thing he encountered, an elephant.
Each God also has an animal “transport” for getting around. Vishnu’s transport is the man-bird Garuda; Shiva rides on the bull Nandi; and Ganesh uses a shrew or rat. Often the presence of these animals outside a temple identifies what kind of temple it is; for example, a temple to Shiva will have a bull outside.
<h4>Castes</h4>
Another virtually universal aspect of Hinduism is the division of society by class, or caste. Although the caste system has been abolished officially, in reality the structure not only still exists, but also permeates every facet of life in the country.
One’s caste is inherited at birth, and it dictates what one is and what one does; castes are indicated by names, so it is virtually impossible to move outside caste limitations. Brahmins are at the top of the heap, filling the religious and warrior roles of society. The other three Varnas, or colours, are the Kshatriya, or warrior class (known in Rajasthan as the Rajputs), the Vaishyas, the trading class, and the Sudras, the farming class.
Outside of the Varna hierarchy are the Dalits, or untouchables. Street cleaners, smiths and other menial workers occupy this class. The divisions between the castes are exemplified in such things as the consumption of food and water; a Brahmin would never accept food or water handled by a lower caste, as it would be considered polluted. Positions in the caste hierarchy are considered to be the result of good or bad Karma in a former life. However, no matter how good or bad one is, one’s caste position stays with you your whole life.
<h4>Further Reading</h4>
As mentioned above, Hinduism is far too broad a topic for a single blog post. Fortunately, a number of books have been written that will help you learn more about this complex and beautiful faith.
<h5><a href="https://amzn.to/2q2B3XP" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-38363" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Intro-to-Hinduism-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Intro-to-Hinduism-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Intro-to-Hinduism.jpg 333w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />An Introduction to Hinduism</a></h5>
By Gavin D. Hood 
From the back cover: &#8220;This book provides a much-needed thematic and historical introduction to Hinduism, the religion of the majority of people in India. Dr. Flood traces the development of Hindu traditions from ancient origins and the major deities to the modern world.&#8221;
<a href="https://amzn.to/2q2B3XP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a>
<hr />
<h5><a href="https://amzn.to/2GxQIJF" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-38364" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/American-Veda-195x300.jpg" alt="" width="195" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/American-Veda-195x300.jpg 195w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/American-Veda.jpg 324w" sizes="(max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px" />American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation How Indian Spirituality Changed the West</a></h5>
By Philip Goldberg
From the back cover: A fascinating look at India’s remarkable impact on Western culture, this eye-opening popular history shows how the ancient philosophy of Vedanta and the mind-body methods of Yoga have profoundly affected the worldview of millions of Americans and radically altered the religious landscape.
<a href="https://amzn.to/2GxQIJF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a>
<hr />
<h5><a href="https://amzn.to/2q3Dsl4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-38365" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Meeting-God-198x300.jpg" alt="" width="198" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Meeting-God-198x300.jpg 198w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Meeting-God.jpg 330w" sizes="(max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px" />Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion</a></h5>
By Stephen P. Huyler
This book documents the Hindu belief in the spiritual component of all human activity and looks at Hindu beliefs and practices, daily worship experiences, and ways of meeting God
<a href="https://amzn.to/2q3Dsl4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more on Amazon &gt;&gt;</a>

A (very, very, very) Brief Introduction to Hinduism in India

OK, Mr. &#8220;I&#8217;ve visited too many countries to name.&#8221; Is there anywhere you haven&#8217;t visited, but would like to? 
The Transiberian railway to Mongolia – it encompasses slow travel, off-the-beaten-path, little-visited and stunning mountain and desert scenery.
Favourite trip you’ve ever taken? (I know, I know, but try to narrow it down to one!) 
Easy: my honeymoon to Ladakh, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and the Andaman Islands.
Favourite hotel in the world? 
I don&#8217;t think I can narrow it down to one, so I&#8217;ll say both <a title="Soneva Kiri" href="http://www.soneva.com/soneva-kiri/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soneva Kiri</a> in Thailand and <a title="Clayoquot" href="http://www.wildretreat.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clayoquot </a>in Tofino, British Columbia.
Favourite restaurant in the world? 
Another tough one, and changing frequently. Currently it&#8217;s <a title="Varq" href="http://www.tajhotels.com/luxury/city-hotels/the-taj-mahal-hotel-new-delhi/Fine-Dining/Varq-Restaurant.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Varq </a>in New Delhi, India.
Favourite bar/wine bar/watering hole in the world?  
This one&#8217;s easy. <a title="The Faltering Fullback " href="http://thefullback.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Faltering Fullback</a> – my local!
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? (And where was it?) 
At <a href="http://www.wildretreat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clayoquot’s</a> dining cabin with the freshest West Coast Dungeness crab I’ve ever tasted.
Favourite bottle of wine? 
Anything by <a href="http://www.lapostolle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lapostolle </a>in Chile.
What’s your most embarrassing travel story?   
I once travelled eight hours in the wrong direction—by bus! I then proceeded to get very lost in Honduras.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen or done while on a trip? 
Canoed Belize from the western border with Guatemala to the coast in Belize City. It was four days, 180 km of ridiculous heat and humidity and zero previous experience. We capsized three times!
You&#8217;ve planned a ton of trips. Are there any that leap out as being particularly memorable (for either you or your travellers)? 
I planned a landscape photographer’s expedition to the cardinal points of South America – three trips, 150 days, remote camps, helicopters and a private yacht to Antartica. It was a challenge!

Experts + Insiders: Steve Wilson

Culture

<h4>Language</h4>
Though Bahasa Bali is the local language spoken in Bali, Bahasa Indonesia is the most commonly spoken language around the tourist areas.
<h5>Helpful Words &amp; Phrases in Bahasa Indonesia</h5>
Good morning: Selamat pagi (S’LAH-maht PAH-ghee) Good afternoon: Selamat siang (S’LAH-maht PAH-ghee SEE-yang) Good evening: Selamat sore (S’LAH-maht PAH-ghee soh-ray) No: Tidak (TEE-dah/) Yes: Ya (EEYAH) Thank you: Terima kasih (Tuh-REE-mah KAH-see) You’re welcome: Terima kasih kembali (Tuh-REE-mah KAH-see kem-BAH-lee) Excuse me: Maaf (mah-AHF) Excuse me (to get past): Maaf, permisi (ma-AHF, pehr-mee-see)
<h4>Balinese Wayang (Shadow Play)</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24166" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/800px-Wayang_Performance-e1438783603463.jpg" alt="800px-Wayang_Performance" width="625" height="446" /> The wayang, or Balinese shadow play, is perhaps the most famous show in Balinese theatre. In a wayang performance, flat cut-out figures are silhouetted against a translucent, rice paper screen, lit by a coconut- husk lamp. Accompanied by a gamelan (traditional ensemble music) orchestra and occasional chanting or singing, these entertaining performances harken back hundreds of years, tapping into religious mythology or well-known Balinese sagas blended with historical facts. This whole show is managed with just one highly skilled puppet master or dalang.
<h4></h4>
<h4>Indonesian Customs</h4>
There are a few simple rules of etiquette that can be applied that will show our respect for local culture. You can also look to your guides for help along the way.
<h5>Expressing Anger</h5>
Outright anger is to be avoided in Indonesia. Indonesians lose respect for people who do not control themselves. If for any reason you feel you have been mistreated, try to resolve the matter in an amicable way. The first step is to politely express your dissatisfaction. Usually, your host will strive to accommodate your request. If this strategy fails, the next best thing is to ask your guide to handle the issue. Remember also that speaking English is not yet a widespread practice. A lot of the staff in hotels have a rather limited scope of understanding. In order to not lose face, they will say ‘yes’ to anything you ask although they may not have understood a word. Speak slowly using simple structures and make sure they understood what you wanted. Generally, the employees at reception are the most proficient in English, and you can always refer to them for help.
<h5>Personal Contact</h5>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-48403 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bali-local-450x300.png" alt="Bali local" width="450" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bali-local-450x300.png 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bali-local-768x512.png 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bali-local.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" />
Religion is the soul of Indonesia; life rotates around religious ceremonies and temples, especially in Bali. You will see a drastic change in dress and customs between Bali and Java; one has a mixed Hindu/Buddhist approach to life wherein Lombok and especially Java, Islam is predominant. Muslim women are not supposed to talk to or be seen in the presence of foreign men. You should also refrain from such gestures as putting your hand on somebody’s shoulder and especially the head or taking them by the arm if the person is of the opposite sex. A slight bow of the head to express gratefulness is a nice touch. You will notice that there is very little physical contact between men and women in public, even when married. However, friendship among members of the same gender is freely expressed.

Cultural Considerations: What You Need to Know about The Culture of Bali

Patagonia

<h3>The Conquest of the Desert</h3>
After Argentina became independent, Patagonia was largely left alone, until it was cleared of Indian occupation in the Conquest of the Desert campaigns of the 1870s.
An attempt was then made to settle the region and to make it part of the national state. However, immigration was not massive, though people did come, for various reasons: some to exploit the economic resources and others (like the Welsh) to enjoy religious or political liberties.
<figure id="attachment_24119" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24119" style="width: 555px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-24119" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/La_conquista_del_desierto.jpg" alt="An 1889 depiction of the Conquest of the Desert, by Juan Manuel Blanes. " width="555" height="340" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/La_conquista_del_desierto.jpg 555w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/La_conquista_del_desierto-320x196.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-24119" class="wp-caption-text">An 1889 depiction of the Conquest of the Desert, by Juan Manuel Blanes.</figcaption></figure>
The mineral wealth of the region in particular attracted immigrants from Chile, and Chileans seeking temporary work rather than a fixed domicile now constitute the largest proportion of the population. Apart from major concentrations at Comodoro Rivadavia and in the towns strung out along the upper valley of the Negro River, Patagonia’s sparse population is mostly rural.
<h2>Fantastic (and Fantastical) Flora</h2>
Patagonia&#8217;s vast landscapes vary widely from one end of the region to the other, giving birth to a variety of flora and fauna that at first glance appear to be more fantasy than reality.
<h3>Patagonian Steppe (or Desert)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_24129" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24129" style="width: 290px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-24129" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/800px-Paramela_flower_Adesmia_boronioides_by_Liam_Q-320x213.jpg" alt="The paramela flower. " width="290" height="193" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/800px-Paramela_flower_Adesmia_boronioides_by_Liam_Q-320x213.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/800px-Paramela_flower_Adesmia_boronioides_by_Liam_Q.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-24129" class="wp-caption-text">The paramela flower</figcaption></figure>
With a precipitation of less than 400 mm (15.7 in) a year, the plants that exist here are limited.
They are primarily low perennial graminoid grasses, bushes and shrubs that can survive the cold winters, the dryness, and the strong winds.
The most common species here are coirón, calafate, mata negra, neneo, mata guanaco, and flowers called paramela, zapatitos de la virgen, and topa topa.
<h3>Pre-Andean Shrub and Transition Forest</h3>
<figure id="attachment_24126" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24126" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-24126" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/800px-Roble_Nothofagus_obliqua-320x214.jpg" alt="Nothofagus " width="320" height="214" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/800px-Roble_Nothofagus_obliqua-320x214.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/800px-Roble_Nothofagus_obliqua.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-24126" class="wp-caption-text">Nothofagus</figcaption></figure>
Increased precipitation towards the west permits the growth of more species and the beginning of forests of scrub and southern beech forests, Nothofagus.
The Nothofagus is of the same family as the beech in the Northern Hemisphere. The southern beeches are from an ancient stock that lived when South America, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Antarctica were united in a vast continent called Gondwana.
This zone is also home to medium-height shrubs, generally no taller than three feet. Typical vegetation of this area includes: ñire, farolito chino, barba de viejo, pan de indio; the shrubs chaura and siete camisas; and anemonas flowers.
<h3>Magellanic Forest</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-full wp-image-31372" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Patagonia-Redux-Magellanic-Forest-.jpg" alt="Patagonia-Redux-Magellanic-Forest-" width="400" height="258" />With an average annual rainfall of 800 to 2,000 mm, the lenga forests (another Nothofagus), the world&#8217;s southernmost forest, grow beside the glaciers.
The development of these forested areas is limited by two things: the presence of said glacier, and increasing altitude. Over 800 m above sea level, trees become smaller, eventually disappearing once they reach the tree line at 1,200 m (glaciers are 300 m above sea level). In this area, the following would be common: lenga, guindo or coihue de magallanes trees; and the notro bush.

In Deep: What You Need to Know About Patagonia

<h5>Seeking Nirvana</h5>
The ultimate goal of Buddhism is the cessation of suffering and the attainment of Nirvana. Nirvana can be achieved through a lifetime of strict adherence to the Eightfold Path, also known as the Middle Path, because it steers a course between materialism and asceticism. The Path is gleaned from the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. Many Buddhists believe they inherit bad karma from previous lives, and ridding oneself of bad karma is accomplished by performing good deeds. Karma is based on a simple system of cause and effect: good deeds have good effects, and bad deeds have bad effects.
<h5>What You&#8217;ll See at Buddhist Temples</h5>
<figure id="attachment_24084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24084" style="width: 212px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-24084" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Buddhism_inset-212x320.jpg" alt="Guan Yin, also known as Quán Thế Âm" width="212" height="320" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-24084" class="wp-caption-text">Guan Yin, also known as Quán Thế Âm</figcaption></figure>
Here’s some background information to help you better understand the layout of typical Mahayana Buddhist temples and pagodas. Outside the pagoda, you’ll often find Guan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy), a white statue representing fertility and mercy. A variation of Guan Yin shows her with multiple arms and sometimes multiple eyes and ears, permitting her to touch, see and hear all. Inside the main sanctuary are representations of the three Buddhas: A Di Da (Buddha of the Past, pronounced “Ah-zee-dah”), Thich Ca Mau Ni (The Historical Buddha, the representation of Siddhārtha Gautama) and Di Lac (Buddha of the Future, pronounced “Zee-lock”). Nearby are often statues of the eight Kim Cang (Genies of the Cardinal Directions), various other Bodhisattvas and an altar for funerary tablets memorializing deceased Buddhist monks and lay people.

Buddhism in Vietnam: An Education in Enlightenment

Columnists

Experts + Insiders: Lewis Evans

Eat &amp; Drink

Vines &amp; Wines

Vines 101

Prohibition lasted fourteen years, from 1920 to 1933. Some vintners survived by making sacramental or pharmaceutical wines. But for others, it would take years to build back their businesses. Still, one thing was clear—there would be no returning to wheat or cattle raising. Napa Valley was on its way to becoming America’s premier wine region.
<h4>Wine on the Rise</h4>
<figure id="attachment_19337" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-19337" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-19337" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Montelena_inset.jpg" alt="Napa Valley Wine " width="320" height="207" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-19337" class="wp-caption-text">This bottle of Chateau Montelena won the Chardonnay tasting that helped put Napa wine on the world&#8217;s radar.</figcaption></figure>
By 1966, wine was becoming fashionable, not only in California, but also across the nation. Between 1966 and 1972, wine consumption doubled. Visitors started pouring into the area to look, sample and buy. By the mid-‘70s there were again more than 50 wineries in operation in Napa Valley, and a new promotional technique had been developed—wine tasting. In order to let the public see how great the product was, vintners opened their doors and uncorked their bottles for sampling. Many opened their cellars for touring. Add to it all an outstanding showing by Napa Valley wines in <a title="Judgment of Paris " href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_of_Paris_%28wine%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a 1976 blind taste test with some of the world’s most prestigious wineries in France</a>, and the world-wide wine community was beginning to take notice.
In the 1980s, viticulture became a sort of dream occupation, a creative endeavour that could be both financially rewarding and personally satisfying. New wineries popped up almost overnight; many operated by individuals drawn into the field because they savoured living close to the soil.
Today, the Napa Valley thrives on being on the cutting edge in both wine making and production, with a fruitful future ahead.

Vines 101: A History of Napa Valley Wine

Favourite hotel in the world? 
<a title="Six Sense Ninh Van Bay " href="http://www.sixsenses.com/resorts/ninh-van-bay/destination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Six Sense Ninh Van Bay</a> in Vietnam is a fun one. I love the isolation, using a bike to get around on the property, the personal pools for each bungalow, the personal butlers and the beautiful scenery.
<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-18692 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Christina_1.jpg" alt="Christina Cain" width="320" height="212" />
Favourite restaurant in the world? 
I’m a big fan of the simple, local food spots. One that comes to mind is in Nha Trang, Vietnam. They literally pull up plastic seats and a grill on the sidewalk and cook up the freshest catch right in front of you. It’s the simplest thing sitting on the sidewalk watching the world go by like the locals do, but it’s meals like this that stay in my memory.
Favourite bar/wine bar/watering hole in the world? 
I love little old enotecas (wine bars). One of my favourites is in Le Marche and is run by the local Sommelier association. It’s like stepping into a library of wine from the region. I also love the small old-style ones you find in the south of Italy where you can sit outside on the piazza and enjoy a glass of wine and people-watch.
Favourite bottle of wine? 
Depends on the season. When it’s cold outside, I love a good <a title="Vines 101: Piemonte Wine " href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/03/25/vines-101-piemonte-wine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbaresco from Piemonte </a>. In the summer, I love a crisp white from the Südtirol and Alto Adige region in northern Italy, or a Rosato from the Salento in Puglia.
Do you have a favourite travel quote, mantra or words to live by? 
&#8220;Go with the flow&#8221; is the first. Be open, invite conversation, notice things.
Someone has just landed in a country they’ve never been to, where they don’t speak the language. What’s your number one piece of advice for them? 
Enjoy, turn off your cell phone, live in the moment.
And finally, what’s the craziest thing you’ve seen or done while on a trip? 
Ah man, you can’t ask that! You know the golden rule: what happens on a trip stays on trip. (Ed. Note: <a title="Tom Abraham" href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/09/26/experts-insiders-tom-abraham/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I get that a lot</a>, but I keep asking. Tough crowd, these guides turned Trip Designers.)

Experts + Insiders: Christina Cain

Cuisine 101

<h5>Salads</h5>
<figure id="attachment_18435" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-18435" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-18435 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Burmese_salad.jpg" alt="Burmese cuisine " width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Burmese_salad.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Burmese_salad-124x82.jpg 124w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-18435" class="wp-caption-text">No trip to Myanmar is complete without enjoying the traditional fermented-tea-leaf salad.</figcaption></figure>
Another delightful surprise I discovered in Myanmar is that fresh, raw salads are commonplace at Myanmar meals. I’m not talking about boring iceberg lettuce with tomato and cucumber salads, I mean salads of heirloom tomatoes, or crunchy green bean salads mixed with peanuts and fried garlic. Even more exotic salads I loved were lotus root salad, pennywort and citrus leaf salads, and no trip to Myanmar is complete without enjoying the traditional fermented-tea-leaf salad.
A tea-leaf salad consists of fermented green tea leaves, onion, tomato, fried crispy garlic, and crunchy nuts and toasted beans. I think one of the factors that help to make the salads so delicious in Myanmar is that they use local and seasonal produce. As the ingredients are so fresh, you don’t need to add much to get simple salads that are bursting with flavours. I highly recommend sampling as many salads as you can while visiting.
<h4>Still Hungry?</h4>
Burmese cuisine offers way too many pleasures to be contained in a single blog post. <a title="Cuisine 102: More Myanmar Cuisine " href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2014/06/02/cuisine-102-myanmar-cuisine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to learn about my all-time favourite dish in Myanmar—and the country&#8217;s favourite sweet treats!</a>

Cuisine 101: Burmese Cuisine

OK, time for the lightning round. What&#8217;s your favourite trip you’ve ever taken? (I know, I know, but try to narrow it down to one!) 
Syria.
Favourite trip you’ve ever designed? 
Myanmar and Bhutan is a fantastic trip. Very similar countries in many ways but the contrasts that do exist are stark and fascinating.
Favourite hotel in the world? 
Difficult question! I have so many favourites, but if I&#8217;m forced to choose, Amankora Punakha – a converted Bhutanese farmhouse. It&#8217;s small and intimate, only eight or nine rooms, and the setting overlooking the valley is incredible.
Favourite restaurant in the world? 
It ranges from holes-in-the-wall to street stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants. But taste is subjective and my favourite restaurant is generally where ever I ate the last meal I loved.
Favourite bottle of wine? 
I love Cakebread Sav Blanc.
Someone has just landed in a country they’ve never been to, where they don’t speak the language. What’s your number one piece of advice for them? 
Change money and have the hotel address written in the language of the country you are in. Have fun.
What&#8217;s one destination you haven&#8217;t visited, but want to visit? 
Iran. I am obsessed with visiting Iran. The history, the incredible friendliness of the people, the culture. I can&#8217;t wait to go!
What trips do you have in store for yourself: where are you headed in the next 12 months? 
Hopefully back to India and Bhutan—and Iran!
We all mistakes. What’s your most embarrassing travel story? 
What happens on trip, stays on trip.
OK, fair enough. But what&#8217;s the craziest thing you&#8217;ve seen on trip? Probably the monkey with a mustache and toy gun in Varanasi. Don’t ask.

Experts + Insiders: Karen MacRae

Accolades

Porter magazine

Ecuador And Galapagos Islands

Back to Nature

Guides

Local Experts

Trip Tales

<figure id="attachment_16616" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-16616" style="width: 212px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-16616" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Local-Potter-212x320.jpg" alt="Delwara" width="212" height="320" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Local-Potter-212x320.jpg 212w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Local-Potter.jpg 424w" sizes="(max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-16616" class="wp-caption-text">When Akhtar arrives, the local potter drops what he&#8217;s doing to demonstrate his trade.</figcaption></figure>
The hall is busy with preparations. A group of men, made ecstatic by our arrival, rush us to the outdoor kitchen, where a husband and wife team are squatted on the haunches, rolling the dough for tens of thousands of chapattis. The men offer a plate of sweets, which they insist on feeding us by hand. They won&#8217;t accept my reluctance.
It&#8217;s not all smiles in Delwara. Akhtar, a Muslim, leads us to the stepwell in the centre of town, where a few shirtless men are bathing in fetid water. People actually bathe in this? &#8220;Yes,&#8221; Akhtar says flatly. &#8220;The Hindus cremate their dead on the other side of the castle. Afterwards, they come bathe in dirty water in order to become clean. Hmm,&#8221; he says, crossing his arms dramatically across his chest, like a gangster rapper, leaving a beat of silence. Biting social commentary is translated from the slight twitch at the corner of his lips.
Every trip to India requires confronting the uncomfortable, even if it&#8217;s from the luxury of your castle suite. But a guide like Akhtar can woo exquisite charm like a cobra&#8217;s charmer. &#8220;Times change,&#8221; he says, after the tour is done, as he leans against the stone of a thousand-year-old Hindu temple. &#8220;We can too.&#8221; A small boy comes by and, affectionately, Akhtar rubs the top of his head. The boy looks up appreciatively.
Perhaps a new king is being crowned.
<h5></h5>

Cuisine

Holland

<h2>A Diversity of Dutch Restaurants</h2>
<figure id="attachment_13527" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13527" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-13527 " src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Inter2-320x220.jpg" alt="Dutch Cuisine: A dish from Inter Scaldes" width="320" height="220" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Inter2-320x220.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Inter2.jpg 441w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13527" class="wp-caption-text">Inter Scaldes will serve you a delicious work of art.</figcaption></figure>
This variety is also reflected in Holland’s restaurant scene—a great diversity of international cuisine, cross-over and fusion. To reveal a little bit of the secret, <a title="Inter Scaldes" href="http://www.interscaldes.eu/" target="_blank">Inter Scaldes</a> is the name not to forget. This creative, innovative and inspirational kitchen has two Michelin stars and will serve you high-quality pieces of art. Located between two important and rich waterways (the Scaldes), it is well known for excellent seafood like lobster, oysters and mussels. The patron chef, Jannis Brevet, is inspired by what he gets from the land and water, using natural and local products.
Your senses will obviously be triggered while cycling through the Netherlands. The smell of hyacinths in the fields. The sight of windmills, lined up by the dozen. Even the touch of serenity gleaned from the quietness of the lowlands and waters.
But take it from a Dutchy: your sense of taste will not be left out!

Dutch Cuisine: Europe’s Best Kept Secret?

Favourite trip you’ve ever taken? (I know, I know, but try to narrow it down to one!) 
In 2003 my wife and I kayaked the outside of the BC coast from the Alaska Border to Vancouver Island. Fifty-two days of pristine scenery, crazy weather, unforgettable wildlife sightings, huge ocean swells or mirror-calm seas, freeze-dried veggies (yuck!) paired with fresh fish and foraged berries, massive sand beaches and even bigger sea cliffs. Oh, and great company. Bliss and adversity—often on the same day. It’s a trip I revisit in my mind regularly.
Favourite trip you’ve ever designed? 
Impossible to answer, although I tend to really enjoy planning big rambling odysseys.  I’ve planned and researched  three  60-plus day trips in the USA and Canada in the last five years, which can be a bit harrowing but fun, and I’m working on a 40-day Himalayan journey for a couple right now. I’d like to go on that one myself, but I don’t think they’ll invite me. On the other end of the scale, I also planned a four-day Places on the Verge trip to the Alberta Oil Sands that was highly interesting and educational to research.
Food is such a gateway into a new region. What’s the most memorable meal you’ve had on the road? 
I was researching travel opportunities in Mongolia in 2006 or so. In the far west of the country there is an extensive population of expat Kazakh nomads, who live in yurts and follow their flocks around the open steppes and mountain valleys. I was lucky enough to meet a large extended family, who was celebrating successfully moving its herds to the summer pasture. They invited me for a meal, which consisted of five kinds of animal fat, boiled into submission, covered with a layer of homemade dumpling. I sat to the right of the headman, and after his wife placed the pot in front of him, he pulled a large knife out of his boot (honest), poked at the largest piece of Bactrian camel fat, identified by its luminescent yellow hue, and offered it to me. With 20 expectant faces watching every move, I managed to eat it, smiled at the cook, and settled in for a very long meal.
<h3>&#8220;I’d like to visit Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar&#8230; it will really annoy my friend Tyler Dillon if I get there before he does.&#8221;</h3>
What’s your most embarrassing travel story? 
I hate costume parties, dressing up etc. For the final night of a very fancy <a title="Bespoke" href="https://www.butterfield.com/private-travel/bespoke/" target="_blank">Bespoke</a> trip in Venice, I was coerced into wearing the most ridiculously foppish outfit of a baroque-era Venetian Prince. We had to walk through St Marks Square to reach the venue. There were four of us guides in period costume, and we must have been stopped by 100 tourists for photos. They thought we were street performers. However, luckily my embarrassment was upstaged by one of my co-guides, who stepped on the hem of her dress and went down in the middle of St Mark’s Square like a lacy sack of spuds.
You&#8217;re a B&amp;R veteran, you must have a good George Butterfield story. 
At the end of my very first guiding job for B&amp;R, I was sitting in the office in Beaune, labouring over my trip accounts. Sitting near me, also trying to balance his trip accounts, was an older guy. At one point he grumbled out to the rest of the office, “what happened to the days when we used to just hand the guides a pile of money and tell them to spend it and run a good trip? This paper work is killing me!” That was my introduction to George Butterfield. After that, I knew I’d be able to get along in this company.
And finally, in all your gallivanting around the globe, what’s the craziest thing you’ve seen or done while on a trip? 
Definitely classified information. First rule of guiding: what happens on a trip, stays on a trip. I can’t believe you even asked that!

Experts + Insiders: Tom Abraham

Must Sees

Cape Town

Cities

South Africa

<h4>The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve</h4>
In 1580, Sir Francis Drake sailed around the Cape in The Golden Hind, and the ruggedness and breathtaking beauty of the peninsula led him to write: “This Cape is a most stately thing, and the fairest Cape in the whole circumference of the earth.” Cape Point marks the confluence of two great currents: one from the equator (Agulhas Current, the strongest north-south current in the southern hemisphere) and the other from the Antarctic (Benguela Current), causing turbulent seas and monstrous waves.

<img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27350" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Flowers-450x300.jpg" alt="Flowers" width="450" height="300" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Flowers-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Flowers.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" />This harsh, wind-swept area became a nature reserve in 1936 when the land was donated to the state after it was discovered that farming was impossible here due to the high acidity of the soil and lack of grazing opportunities for domesticated animals. Eventually 7,700 hectares were made into parkland, an area that contains more flower varieties than the whole of Great Britain. One thing you will notice is the lack of trees in the reserve; this is due to high winds and infertile soils. The area is also home to the notorious chacma baboons, eland and bontebok (two species of antelope), and the rare mountain zebra. A large variety of birds are also regular visitors to the park, including sunbirds, black eagles, ostrich, and ocean-going species such as albatross and cormorant.
One thing you might notice is that the Cape Point lighthouse is curiously low on the headland; this is so it can be seen below the usual ceiling of mist. The first lighthouse was erected in 1857 on the summit of the Cape, and whenever the mists or fogs rolled in it would be obscured. As a result several ships were shipwrecked as they attempted to round the Cape of Good Hope.
<h4>The Flying Dutchman</h4>
Legend has it that there is a phantom sailing ship with tattered sails and storm-swept decks, and it has been sighted periodically off the Cape of Good Hope. Supposedly the ship of a 17thC Dutch captain, Hendrick van der Decken, was crippled by the “Cape Doctor,” and he vowed to round the “Cape of Storms” even if it took him until the Judgement Day. It has been over 30 years since the ship was last sighted!
<h4>Diverse Restaurants</h4>
<img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6921 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Roundhouse2-320x212.jpg" alt="Roundhouse, Cape Town Restaurant " width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Roundhouse2-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Roundhouse2-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Roundhouse2.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" />Cape Town has a restaurant to suit every mood, every budget, every craving. The city&#8217;s restored narrow streets, art galleries and parliament buildings provide South Africa‘s legislative capital with a bustling hub worthy of the continent’s most culturally diverse population. And for evidence of its diversity, look no further than Cape Town’s restaurant scene, where foodies can find just about any cuisine their heart desires.

In Deep: What You Need to Know About Cape Town

Spotlight

<h3>Udaipur</h3>
I love the small restaurant Ambrai, located right next to the lake, with its brilliant view of both the Lake Palace and the City Palace. It’s a small, family-run restaurant and the food is traditional Rajasthan fare, but it’s the view that makes you want to sit for hours. Another aspect that I love in Udaipur is the romance and femininity one feels there after visiting a city like Jodhpur; Udaipur feels softer, more regal but in a more feminine way. It is buzzing as a city, but out on the lake by boat you feel like you are far away from it all, looking back with history all around you.
<figure id="attachment_13611" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13611" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/08/01/in-rajasthan-a-range-of-emotion/city_palace_udaipur_12-si/" rel="attachment wp-att-13611"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-13611 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/City_Palace_Udaipur_12-si.jpg" alt="City Palace, Udaipur" width="640" height="424" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/City_Palace_Udaipur_12-si.jpg 640w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/City_Palace_Udaipur_12-si-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/City_Palace_Udaipur_12-si-320x212.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13611" class="wp-caption-text">City Palace, Udaipur</figcaption></figure>
It’s the perfect way to round off a visit to Rajasthan. The maze that is the huge and rambling City Palace was one of the first sightseeing experiences that made me love exploring in India—you feel like you are entering a different world just by walking through the many rooms and corridors and courtyards of this stunning palace and you need a guide by your side to answer the small (and big) questions that delving into this royal life provokes.

In Rajasthan, A Range of Emotion

Bargaining

Etiquette

History

Apparently, this statement didn’t reach some of the bureaucrats in England, because at the close of hostilities, the maharana was awarded the highest decoration for his war service. Singh is reputed to have told his interpreter, “It is the sort of thing that pattawalas (attendants) in offices wear. Put it on a horse where it would look better than on a king.” His interpreter apparently told officials that this was not an auspicious day, so His Highness would wear his medal some other time. When asked why he had received the honour at all, the maharana later said, “Because I rendered the British the highest service. While the British were away fighting the war in Europe, I did not take Delhi. Isn’t that a big enough service?”
<h5>City Palace of Udaipur</h5>
Built by the Maharana Udai Singh as the capital of the Sisodia Rajput clan in 1559, the City Palace of Udaipur (pictured above) is believed to be the largest in Rajasthan. The current maharana, Arvind Singh Mewar, affectionately known as“Sriji,” still owns the City Palace, including its two hotels, <a title="Shiv Nivas" href="http://www.shiv-vilas.com/about-shiv-vilas-hotel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shiv Nivas</a> and <a title="Fateh Prakash" href="http://www.hrhhotels.com/grand_heritage/fateh_prakash_palace/index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fateh Prakash</a>, as well as the Jag Mandir and Jag Niwas (known as the Lake Palace), and practically all the land surrounding Lake Pichola.

<spam>Experts + Insiders: Nathan Lane

Know Before You Go

Travel Tips

Know Before You Go: India Travel Tips

Lewis Evans

Silk Road

Taxis

Michelin Restaurant

Paris

France

Île-de-France

Insider's Guide: Our Favourite Places to See, Stay and Eat in Paris

Resto

Buenos Aires

Argentina

<h2>Buenos Aires Restaurants: Where to Eat</h2>
Five-star: <a title="Tomo" href="http://www.tomo1.com.ar/stop.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tomo I 
</a>Created  by the Concaro sisters, Tomo I is now run by Federico Fialayre, who doesn’t skip a beat. It truly represents French cuisine with an Argentinian vibe and stopping here should be a no-brainer.
<figure id="attachment_1812" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1812" style="width: 320px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1812 size-medium" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Filo-320x212.jpg" alt="Filo, Buenos Aires Restaurants" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Filo-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Filo-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Filo.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-1812" class="wp-caption-text">Filo, a downtown pizza place with an artsy edge, makes a phenomenal salad.</figcaption></figure>
<a href="http://wander-argentina.com/barrio-chino/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chinatown 
</a>Not a restaurant, per se, but not to be missed. Located in Belgrano, Buenos Aires’ Chinatown started some years ago with only a few restaurants and has since grown into a fascinating and diverse place to eat and wander. With the recent influx of Peruvian cuisine and the freshest fish in town, you won’t want to miss the food stands where you can munch on eastern delicacies al paso (on the go).
<hr />
<h2>Buenos Aires Attractions: What to See + Do</h2>
<h3>Museums</h3>
<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-6153 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/banner_home.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/banner_home.jpg 640w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/banner_home-320x106.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
You first stop should be the MALBA, otherwise know as the <a href="http://www.malba.org.ar/web/home.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires</a>, which offers a private collection of Latin American art.
After that, check out the MNBA, the <a href="https://www.bellasartes.gob.ar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Museo National de Bellas Artes</a>, only five minutes away and boasting an impressive collection of classical international art.
If you still have some time afterwards, take a peak at the <a href="https://museoartedecorativo.cultura.gob.ar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo </a>(MNAD) paying special attention to the French chateau-style building. In need of a coffee after all that culture? The café is charming too!
<h3>Neighbourhoods</h3>
Retiro
This classic, older neighbourhood is often overlooked by visitors. Sure it’s busy and can be hectic at rush hour but trust me, it’s worth it.
Take your time and pay attention to some of the  incredible buildings such as the French-style châteaux built by architects at the beginning of the 20th century for wealthy European families. Make sure you keep an eye out too, because a few are open to the public. Some of my favourites are Palacio San Martin and Palacio Paz.
Olivos
Located just outside of town, Olivos offers visitors the chance to see the city skyline and Rio de la Plata in all of its splendor. Filled with beautiful homes and gardens, this is one of the greenest suburbs of Buenos Aires.
Bike paths line the coast of Rio de la Plata, running all the way up to Tigre, another neighbourhood worth checking out for its art museum and Puerto de Frutos (fruit port). The best part? You can jump on a boat with your bike and commute back to the city in style (and comfort!).

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