Thursday, 1 August 2019

Admire the best museums and galleries in Muscat, Oman

Admire the best museums and galleries in Muscat, Oman
With thousands of artefacts and other valuables of historic importance housed under one roof, it is worth visiting a museum, like these five museums right here in Muscat.

Al Madina Art Gallery

Al Madina Art Gallery
Based in the Muscat suburb of Madinat Qaboos, the Al Madina Art Gallery first opened its doors in 2004. Since then it has excelled in exhibiting Omani and expatriate amateur artists, as well as more established painters and photographers. The gallery includes workshops and field trips for all ages; reconnecting Oman’s growing and diversifying population with its vibrant and historic culture.
The gallery also has an impressive gift shop full of intricate Omani artefacts, many of which are made in the gallery’s workshop. Al Madina holds exhibitions for local and international visual artists in the region like French-born Juliette Thomson’s, whose work resonates with her surroundings in Oman.

The National Museum Oman

The National Museum Oman
A newcomer to the cultural scene, The National Museum Oman was established in 2013 to display Oman’s cultural heritage, from prehistoric times to the present. The institution aims to spread appreciation and recognition of Oman within the Sultanate, but also to educate the international community about Oman’s role in history.

With an exhibition space and over 10 galleries, the museum hosts a permanent collection and also has a gallery for temporary exhibitions. On display are some rare gold coins and utensils found in a recently excavated 16th-century shipwreck, thought to be part of Vasco Da Gama’s fleet, among other surprising things.

Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum

Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum
Inaugurated in 1988 by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the Armed Forces Museum is a treasured monument that houses a variety of clothes, weapons, and other defence systems from the Omani armed forces, as well as walk you through the stages of its development throughout history.

Stal Gallery

Stal Gallery
Whilst the previous Omani galleries mentioned are increasingly international in their outlook, Stal Gallery focuses on Muscat’s residents and local artists. Set up by the non-for-profit Alserkal group in September 2013, the gallery serves as a shining beacon for the artistic community of Oman. The space serves as a hub for visual art lovers and artists; with exhibitions of refreshing mixed media; from photography to lithography.

One artist currently exhibiting at Stal, Alia Alfarsi, has gained recognition from her series of striking portraits of women. The artworks are created using a collage of textures, from real fabrics to create the woman’s clothing from torn pieces of writing as if to capture the woman’s conversation.

Muscat Gate Museum

Muscat Gate Museum
As guests ascend the stairs to the Muscat Gate Museum, they can take in a spectacular view of the city. Inside, the museum showcases Oman’s history and unique architecture, with an emphasis on the capital. There is also information about the ancient Aflaj irrigation systems, which Oman is famous for, and date back to 500 AD.

See more: Top places to visit Oman

Source Internet

The best patbingsu shops in Busan, Korea

The best patbingsu shops in Busan, Korea
Bingsu, or Korean shaved ice, is the perfect treat in sweltering South Korean summer weather. Here’s where you can get it in Busan.

Bibibidang

Bibibidang
Bibibidang is a traditional-style Korean teahouse, located on Haeundae’s artsy Dalmaji Hill. It serves a number of traditional Korean desserts, including a delicious hobakbingsu, or sweet pumpkin shaved ice. The teahouse has a lovely, vintage-style interior and sweeping views out over the ocean. As well as bingsu, you can try a wide variety of Korean teas, all of which are served with dashik (traditional Korean confectionary designed to accompany tea).

Dala 100% Chocolate

Dala 100% Chocolate
No prizes for guessing what kind of bingsu is served here. Dala 100% Chocolate is a dessert café that focuses on all things rich and chocolatey, and their ‘Dinosaur Egg Bingsu’ is no exception – comprised of shaved ice and chocolate flakes, it’s topped with chocolate syrup and a generous scoop of ice cream (and small chocolate dinosaur) inside a massive chocolate dinosaur egg. It’s in the popular café area of Jeonpo and the bright pink exterior makes it easy to find.

Sulbing

Sulbing
Sulbing is an iconic South Korean dessert café chain that specialises in bingsu. It’s one of the best places to go if you want to choose from a wide range of flavours, including strawberry cheesecake, mango and traditional injeolmi. There are Sulbing cafés all over Busan, but the best-located is perhaps in Millak, on the eastern side of Gwangalli Beach – the café looks out over the beach and the famous Gwangan Bridge, and is just a few minutes’ walk from the lovely (and underrated) waterfront between Millak Hoe Center and Millak Waterside Park where young Koreans congregate to eat street food in the evening. There’s also a Sulbing on the main road at Haeundae.

Bosung Nokcha

Bosung Nokcha
Bosung Nokcha is located in Namcheon, within walking distance from Gwangalli Beach. Although it’s a little tucked away, it’s well worth the journey. The café’s two floors are surrounded by greenery, making it look wild and overgrown from the outside. Inside, wooden floors and furniture meld harmoniously with the trees and leaves. It serves traditional-style patbingsu at an unbeatable price – a one-person serving is 2,500 won (approx. US $2.22).

Halmae Patbingsu

Halmae Patbingsu
Halmae means ‘grandmother’ in Korean and this shop sells simple, traditional (and cheap!) patbingsu, just the way a grandmother would make it. The name also makes it easy to spot – just look out for the smiling old lady on the sign. It’s a little way away from the main tourist drag, but close to Igidae Coastal Park. It’s best combined with a bracing walk along Igidae’s dramatic shoreline.

See more: Enjoy the best dishes from seafood in Busan
Source: Internet

Wednesday, 31 July 2019

6 reasons to visit Bagan, Myanmar

6 reasons to visit Bagan, Myanmar
Is Bagan a new destination in your note’s travel guide? Why you should visit Bagan?  One of the world’s greatest religious sites, Bagan offers a vast number of historic temples, magnificent sunrises and sunsets, and a magnitude of scale unimaginable to everyone.

Marvel at the ancient temples and monasteries

Marvel at the ancient temples and monasteries
Bagan is the perfect place to hop on a bike and explore, flying through the dusty dirt roads to view, climb and walk around endless temples. Now people can rent a horse-drawn carriage or e-bikes to zip along quicker.

Let your curiosity take over and witness most temples without a tourist in sight; gaze at the wild temple dogs that seem to have the wisdom of a thousand years as they guard the ancient edifices with little movement. Admire the crumbling dark stairwells, thousand-year-old peeling paintings, and grand Buddhas greeting you inside each marvelous architectural feat.

People are fantastic

People are fantastic
Those temples may not be perfectly authentic, but the people, the people truly are authentic. This goes for all of Myanmar and Bagan is no exception: without fail, the people are polite, pleasant and as helpful as they can be. Unlike in many countries and regions with an established or growing reliance on tourist trade, you will never feel harassed or pressured. Even the hawkers and beggars are relatively polite and quick to leave you alone once you have made it clear you are not interested.

Learn about a preserved culture

Learn about a preserved culture
After you watch the sunrise at a temple of your choice, bike over to Old Bagan near the Bu Paya where you can watch the hustle and bustle of the locals and monks. At this hour, watch as the procession of monks come to accept alms from the locals. Bike to one of the many villages like Min-nan Thu Village or Thuhtaykan Village to learn their special crafts and how the Burmese survive off the land.

Savor new foods

Savor new foods
Unlike fragrant Thai food, Burmese food is Asian cuisine fused from Southeast Asian, Chinese and Indian influences. There are many delicious snacks of pickled tea leaves, sesame seeds, peanuts, and fried garlic chips. You can have tasty candy treats made from coconuts, palm and peanut oil, and sugarcane.

The sunrises are stunning

The sunrises are stunning
It is an absolute must, one morning, get up before dawn, climb onto your scooter, and head out for the best vantage point to catch the sunrise over the Bagan Archeological Zone. Your hotel can likely provide you with a map of the Zone and favored sunrise viewing points. Many of these will be atop an actual temple. The other option is to leave extra early and cruise around as aimlessly as possible.

See more: The best places to catch sunset in Bagan, Myanmar

Feel like an explorer

Feel like an explorer
Although tourists are slowly coming to a land that was cut off for so long due to an oppressive military junta, there are still far less tourists than you would expect at other major world attractions like Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu. If you desire to travel to an untouched land with a fascinating culture still intact, you should go now, because this nation is on the cusp of great change.

Source Internet