Chuga Chuga Train in the Kuranda rainforests of Australia. Elsie Gabriel

               Chuga Chuga Train in the Kuranda rainforests of Australia. Elsie Gabriel

Exploring the world heritage rainforest in Kuranda Australia, which is millions of years of old is simply overwhelming! On the Kuranda Scenic Railway, you will meander through a rich green world filled with foliage both tall and small, a tropical paradise framed by rough mountains and splashing waterfalls tumbling forever into the  rocky landscape and deep ravines.

It was wonderful to be a child again, chugga chugga train rumbling on wooden tracks, cherishing every moment as against the super speed ones I have been on under the English Channel or USA NY.

With my senses soaring, letting the wind kiss my forehead on and on, lapping up the  raindrops, gosh was I in love? Of course yes, I ultimately realized I live, eat and breathe nature and was heavily smitten by the travel bug. Big Time.

Authentic timber carriages transport you between Cairns and the pretty village of Kuranda, via hand carved  tunnels and across towering bridges, through the Barron Gorge. Your senses will come alive to the exotic beauty of Far North Queensland’s wet tropical rainforests, marveling at the incredible array of plants and animals encountered all along the way. Simply awe inspiring!

 

 The tourist railway snakes its way up the Macalister Range and is no longer used for regular commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford and Freshwater stopping at Freshwater Station and Redlynch before reaching Kuranda. The railway is 37 km (23 mi) in length. It takes about one and three quarters of an hour to climb one way. This tourist train stops at a lookout, with a sweeping view of Barron Falls. A number of smaller waterfalls are passed, including Stoney Creek Falls, just metres from the train.

As the train travels up and down, a detailed commentary of the railway's construction is provided. Construction of the railway began in 1882. The railway was completed as far as Kuranda in 1891. Passenger services began operations on 25 June 1891.Many lives were lost as numerous tunnels and bridges were built. 15 hand-made tunnels and 37 bridges were built to climb from sea level to 328 metres up the Macalister Range. Three million cubic metres of earth had to be excavated during construction. The first operation of a tourist train from Cairns to Kuranda was in 1936, using four longitudinal seating carriages.

This photograph is very close to my heart and simply taught me that the journey is more important than the destination! Enjoy your life now!

copyright pic elsiegabriel.

A living Wall.

A living Wall.

Elsie Gabriel

Vertical gardens or green walls enforce the green ecosystems, designed  as an aesthetic green structure. I experienced one of these outstanding examples right in the heart of a concrete jungle which took my breath away. I have to share this one hot spot which simply kisses the sky with it’s green vertical wall overlooking the sky pool. Meluha the Fern, the award winning ecotel in Powai, Mumbai India has the only one of its kind sky garden located on its rooftop. Made with the special and specific intentions of retaining sound  and  regulating heat.
The Ecotel highlights urban gardening, which is well-suited for the urban environment where space on the ground is very limited but vertical space is plentiful. This vertical garden wall is quite spectacular and colourful in appearance,
It not only improves the characteristics of  the ecotel green building but restores greenery in an unique manner using the sky rooftop.
The  seasonal appearance, multi colors of this vertical garden makes your stay and swimming at Meluha the Fern ecotel  awesome. This Green wall is part of an ecological revolution. It regulates heat gain and losses of buildings as well as humidity, improve air quality. Moreover it protects the walls of solar radiation and cools the surroundings.

The species of plants chosen here are well suited for this Indian micro climate, sun exposure and the surrounding context. The aim was to create a one of a kind and site-specific garden that stands beautiful through all the seasons of the year.

The right combination of plant species is used in order to keep the competition between plants at a healthy level. As ornamental objects, not only can the beauty of plants be fascinating, but also the fact that they are alive and always changing.

The ecotel truly reflects the green inspiration, sensation of the natural life and unpredictability that plants bring within themselves.

Theses plants stay green all year, therefore allowing it to continue to absorb carbon during all year around. To facilitate vegetation and maintain natural processes, vertical islands of vegetation like moss and  ferns is maintained in the facades.
If you ever dine at its terrace or hotel restaurants don’t forget to check out this vertical garden, for yourself!

I simply love the surprise and variation.

Island Hopping in Bali -Indonesia

                  Island Hopping in Bali -Indonesia. Elsie Gabriel

An island of enchanting possibilities, Bali an island belonging to Indonesia, which beckons every traveler who longs for island getaways. Several islands are enclosed with blue lagoons, you wonder which island to travel first! Lets start first with the Lembongan island.Come dive with me under the ocean waters, off the coast of this small unspoiled Lembongan island, home to seaweed farmers in Indonesia. The sight of corals and coloured fishes envelope you, as you become one with nature underwater! It is sheer Nirvana!

If you want to pamper yourself then, cruise the spectacular waters of Bali to beautiful Lembongan Island with Bali's Hai Cruises. After lunch, join a guided village tour of  the Lembongan island. The cruise offers an array of water sports activities, including banana boat rides, pool volleyball, snorkeling, semi submersible coral viewer and glass bottomed boat tours. Other water sports options include a parasailing adventure which will take you high above the water for a birds' eye view of the island and then with scuba diving experience life beneath the waves in this vibrant ocean channel. And after all this, the international buffet lunch is endless!! Heaven!
For me, Life is surely a beach! Have you ever realized that a beach is so well contained, looks soft with white sand all around and yet strong enough to protect the inland from the ocean; filled with little turtles, star fishes, shells and crabs all very fascinating creatures you don’t really find elsewhere?  The Beach really turns me on!
My hearts desire to see about fifty beaches or more before I die, which is slowly but surely coming true. The island hopping trip to Indonesia last vacation was a high in itself, very different from the beaches I have been to in L.A., San frisco, Mauritius, Lakshwadeep, Coral Islands, Malaysia, Orissa and Kerala! Come take a break and share my trip from beach to beach!

Being in Bali is like being in a stationary time machine, where past and present coexist without any hints of contradiction. I planned to go on the offbeaten tracks and schedule my own itenary and tow the road less travlled! So, Island hopping from Turtle island to study marine turtles, to Lombok island for snorkeling trips to Gili island and on to unspoiled Lembongan island on the Bali Hai cruise for the thrilling submarine safari which is home to seaweed farmers was fulfilling!
Yes, Bali has been described truly as the ‘The Hidden Paradise’! This Island of Gods is situated approximately on latitude 8° South and longitude 115° East. Bali and the neighboring island of Lombok are the most westerly of the Little Sunda Islands and part of the 13,700 islands that make up Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world.
The Benoa beach is a good way to kickstart your interaction with locals and learn the history of the beach, flying gigantic dragon kites and talking to local fishermen about sea tales is what we did.
After parasailing, I took a boat trip to Serangan Island which is also known as Turtle Island as for many years it was nesting ground for the Green Sea Turtle. Locals used to catch the live turtles as well as their eggs for consumption and unfortunately this exploitation resulted in the near elimination of all turtles in this area. In 2004 with the aid of international funding a Turtle Conservation and Education Centre was established on the island and the government imposed a strict ban on turtle trading. With local help, the aim of this conservation centre is to nurture the growth of newly hatched turtles and release them at an age where survival rates are quite favourable. The fishermen of Serangan now try to safeguard these ocean creatures to prevent extinction.

Next was Lombok, which is the island located directly east of Bali across the 1300m deep Lombok Strait. Lombok has stunning bays with white sand beaches. Just take a drive north of Senggigi, the likelihood is you won’t see anyone on the beach. The south coast of Lombok also has great untouched beaches. Lombok Island has a lot of beautiful beaches and volcanoes which makes its landscape very diverse. Take a trip to the traditional weaving village of Sukarara and see how cloth is hand woven for their everyday sarongs. You will be amazed by the variety of pottery made in the Penujak Village and its designs are quite unique.

Lounge on the Kuta Beach and soak up the sun. The kids had a blast spending hours with baby starfishes, crabs, coloured fishes and sea urchins prancing around in the water.  If you are feeling adventurous, climb the promontory for spectacular views of the bays and beaches. This visit will let you interact with the local people and also enjoy the diverse topography of Lombok Island in Indonesia.
In the Gilli Islands, there is no shortage of small local boats willing to transport you, from island to island and back to the mainland. Sitting on a boat piled with vegetables and fish being transported by locals to fetch a price at the hotels nearby wasn’t exactly my idea of traveling but giggles and sign language fascinated my conversation all the way to my destination alright!The universal language of friendship is your SMILE –use it!! Otherwise, none of boats has any kind of safety equipment and the waters around the Gili’s can be choppy. Regardless, they are a handy form of transport and make exploring the islands easy.

From the popular tourist hotspots of Bali and Lombok to the white sandy beaches of the tranquil Gili Isles, Indonesia's archipelago is bursting with culture, dramatically rugged coastlines and bustling nightlife. The little known Gili Islands are a collection of three unspoilt havens, sitting off the north west coast of Lombok. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are all strikingly beautiful with vast swathes of pure white sand and evian-clear waters that boast stunning coral reefs.

With a variety of special flights, boat transfers and ferry services available, an island hopping adventure is a fantastic way of experiencing Indonesia's intriguing diversity.

Like I keep telling myself, beaches and water bodies strengthen my bond with nature. With this environmental tour of Indonesia Island hopping trip it was sheer rejuvenation !

 

Fact sheet on Bali-

There are direct and indirect flights to Denpasar which is  Bali’s international airport. The Indonesian Rupiah is the local currency. You can expect pleasant climate,day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas.People are very friendly.Truely an island Mother Earth has pampered!

 

Mauritius-The land of the extinct Dodo! Elsie Gabriel

Mauritius-The land of the extinct Dodo!

It is easy to run out of adjectives when attempting to describe the awesome natural luscious beauty of the tropical Indian Ocean island paradise of Mauritius. The volcanic island Republic, lies east of Madagascar, near Africa just south of the Equator. 

Besides the sun and sand, Mauritius is a very educational destination for the student community. Remember the ‘Dodo’, the extinct bird which always comes up at quiz time in school, well it lived in Mauritius before it disappeared. Amazingly, after man arrived on this island, it only took 30 years for the Mauritian Dodo to reach extinction in the late 1600s. This plump flightless bird is now seen as an emblem in every gift shop, t-shirt  and flag on the island. The country has some of the world's rarest stamps at the Blue Penny Stamp Musuem at Port Louis, founded by the Mauritius Commercial Bank, this museum houses items of high national heritage including the famous stamps of the “Post Office” series printed in 1847.to the first ever race course to open in the southern hemisphere!

The ‘Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolan’ sixty-acre botanical garden features a pond of Victoria amazonica lilies and an extensive collection of palms, which bring back many science lessons. Then there is the glass factory where craftsmen bring glass back to life using traditional techniques with 100% recycled glass! Of course one can not miss the sugarcane factory, tracing the history of Indian men and women, who used simple methods to cultivating ‘Sugarcane’and contributed to making it the country’s largest industry. 

 Mauritius, since it’s discovery in 1505 by the Portuguese, the Dutch, French, British as well as Africans and Indians all have added to the melting pot that constitutes the island's human heritage over the centuries. Hindu is the most widely practiced religion, though Muslims, Christians and  Buddhists are also prominent. Amazingly a good proof that our Indians were among the first settlers here there is a Hindu temple on Lake Grand Bassin, said to be created with water from the Ganges River. During the Mahashivaratri Festival in February, thousands of Hindus make pilgrimages here to worship Lord Shiva, the Destroyer.

Another all-time favourite for kids and adults alike is Dolphin chasing!! Allow a full day for this catamaran cruise which combines dolphin watching and introduces you the exquisite beauty of the South West coast, Crystal Rock and Benitiers Island. Most often seen in the West of Mauritius and in groups of four or five, the dolphins are more than happy to perform their ballet in the water, as they ride alongside the boat! A sumptuous barbeque lunch with grilled chicken, lobster and fish await you on board, just after you finish snorkeling in the crystal clear waters for which masks and fins are also supplied. 

There are regular speed boat shuttles from the shore that take people to the famous islet of Ile-aux-Cerfs and back. One gets to see the importance of ‘Mangroves’ here, their long roots with plenty of fish and birds hovering around this breeding ground! Besides hunting for corals underwater,one can indulge in deep sea fishing,paragliding or go racing on the banana boat.

The official language of Mauritius is English, being part of the national curriculum, though in practice French or Creole are more widely used. Believe it or not Bhojpuri is quite widely spoken too confirming the original fact that most North Indians and Bihari Indians who came here were sugarcane farmers and business men who eventually setup Mauritius greatest export asset which is the sugarcane industry! I know the dialect well and had a field day speaking in Bhojpuri leave alone dancing to-‘ Chatnee Kaise Banee” famous naughty song from a Bhojpuri bollywood film back home, right there on the beach with a handful of local ladies! Full on orange sindur on the forehead Bihari  style and ulta palla saree and all…..on the beach!!!

 The coastline of 330 kilometres is almost entirely surrounded by one of the largest unbroken coral reefs in the world paradise oasis perfect for scuba diving, sunbathing and surfing. It is simply heaven on earth!

Ofcourse we took a private sail boat to Gabriel Island..no jokes and as you can imagine I was already in heaven, not knowing they had names an Island after me!!! Barbeque and champaigne teamed up well with more African beats and dances!

Hah! But I had a blast!