Places to visit in Makassar, Indonesia

Makassar located in South Sulawesi is a city with a hidden wealth of things to do and see in Indonesia. As the main port of entry to the island of Sulawesi, Makassar tends to be seen mainly as a stopover to Tana Toraja and the rest of Sulawesi's hotspots.

Makassar Strait

The islands off Makassar call for a whole day's worth of lazing at the beach, snorkeling to see the fish and sea urchins, and one last beachside picnic before heading back to the city. There are 2 islands you need to visit: one is the Samalona Island - a favorite getaway for locals who love to picnic by the sea or rent a house on the island for an overnight visit and another is Kodingareng Keke - a sandbar with white sand where you will find at any top-rated beach in the world.

Floating Mosque

Losari Beach or "Pantai Losari" has a lively stretch of activity buzzing with locals. Although it's along the coast, there is no direct access to the beach so it is more of a boardwalk. The key landmark here has to be the floating mosque, which does look from some angles like it’s floating on the water.

Stone Forest

The trip to Maros’ “Hutan Batu” (Stone Forest) is one of the most scenic in Makassar. A one-hour drive from the city takes you to the Rammang-Rammang Pier in Salenrang, from here you’ll board motorized canoes that speed down the Pute River, past cliffs, jungle, bridges and traditional Sulawesi houses. You’ll disembark at a village next to rice fields, all surrounded by towering karst mountains that give the place its nickname. The “Stone Forest” is supposedly the second-largest karst landscape in the world, offering a series of adventures in and around the limestone cliffs.

Fort Rotterdam

Don't forget to take in colonial history at Fort Rotterdam. After 1667, when the Dutch conquered the Gowa Kingdom that ruled over South Sulawesi, they cemented their rule by destroying the Gowa King's existing fortifications and building a Dutch star-shaped fort over the ruins. The fort served as a nucleus around which the city of Ujung Pandang, later Makassar, grew over the centuries.

Pantai Losari

To see Makassar at its most spontaneous and fun, visit Pantai Losari just before the sunset hours. The Pantai Losari seaside promenade is a favorite stop for locals and a tried-and-true magnet for local atmosphere. After the sun sinks completely below the horizon, walk north up Jalan Penghibur for an early dinner at the kaki lima (food stalls) lining the sidewalk.

Read more: Things you don't know about Indonesian cuisine

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The ideal places to shop in Colombo, Sri Lanka

If you are planning on spending your vacation in Colombo, Sri Lanka, then you are sure in for a treat. Colombo, the bustling capital of Sri Lanka is known to provide visitors a wide range of activities to make their stay extremely enjoyable. One of the favorite activities is shopping.

Barefoot

Photo @Barefoot

Designer Barbara Sansoni is beautifully laid out shop, located in an old villa, is justly popular for its bright hand-loomed textiles, which are fashioned into bedspreads, cushions, serviettes and other household items. You will also find textile-covered notebooks, lampshades and albums, and a large selection of stylish, simple (but not cheap) clothing. There is also a lovely courtyard cafe.

Good Market

The Good Market is the best shop in the city as it sells all sorts of organic products, from snacks, to produce and skin and hair treatments. All products are sourced locally and follow strict organic guidelines. Every Saturday, the Good Market sets up a pop-up market at the Colombo Racecourse with lots of vendors, such as small business owners, that sell handmade products from all over the island.

Arpico Supercentre

Arpico supercentre is a great place to shop for your daily essentials and a host of other goods that you might need during your stay. This leading supermarket chain has a number of outlets in Colombo and the suburbs so you can grab anything you need from the nearest store.

Odel

Odel is one of the most established hot spots in Colombo for shopping. It is the Sri Lankan equivalent to Myers or David Jones, an elegant department store. In the recent past it has taken a new face and likely to become possibly the largest mall in time to come. There are lots of little interesting shopping discoveries to find in Odel.

Paradise Road

Another amazing shop for special home products is Paradise Road. Apart from gorgeous minimalistic house linen, their hand-painted mugs and plates are a favourite. Their canvas bags printed with the Sinhala alphabet and woven pillow covers are also beautiful. On the second floor, you will find a room filled with only white dinner plates and bowls.

Arcade Independence Square

Another massive restoration of a colonial landmark! In this case, the sprawling colonial 'hospital for the insane' has been reborn as an upscale mall after spending the last few decades in bureaucratic decrepitude. It has dozens of upscale international chains, a good food court and some high-concept eateries. Between expenditures, rest up in the gardens.

Ridhi

A small shop that carries silver jewellery if you are looking for a piece to take home with you. It has some great designs of jewellery from rings to entire sets of jewellery. The speciality of this store is that the designs are a mix of local traditional designs combined with contemporary styles.

Dilmah T-Lounge

Dilmah is one of the most famous teas in Sri Lanka and they have a couple of shops in Colombo where they sell all of their tea varieties. From the classic English Breakfast to Earl Grey, Dilmah offers an extensive collection of loose leaf tea and pyramid tea bags. Not only do they have the largest selection of teas in Colombo, they also sell books published by the Dilmah foundation. You can find books about Sri Lankan birds, butterflies and more. The gift boxes are perfect for taking back home, along with their special coloured sand clocks to make the perfect tea.

See more: Take the chance to discover Sri Lanka

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Best desserts you must try in India

Mithais, or sweet treats, are an integral part of Indian cuisine. While they’re enjoyed during a hearty meal, sweets and desserts are also central to Indian festivals. Here are some of the most delicious Indian desserts that you need to try on your visit to the country.

Laddu

Laddu is the most popular festive treat in India. There are many different versions of this favourite sweet and the most popular is motichoor laddu. It is believed that the dessert was invented by an ancient Indian physician, Susutra, who used sesame laddus as an antiseptic to treat his surgical patients. Laddus are also the most common sweet offerings made to God.

Kheer

There are a lot of different milk-based puddings in India and kheer is one of the most-loved among them. It is made by boiling rice with milk and sugar and later garnished with saffron, cardamom, dry fruits and nuts. Kheer, phirni and payasam are all different variants of Indian milk puddings. In South India, rice is replaced with vermicelli and the dish is called seviyan.

Gajar ka halwa

Gajar ka halwa is a dessert made from grated carrots, which are first simmered in milk and cardamom. The mixture is then fried in ghee (clarified butter) and sugar. Finally, the dish is garnished with dried fruits. The dessert started becoming popular during the Mughal period and today, it is served during both Hindu and Muslim festivals in India, including Diwali and Eid al-Fitr.

Sandesh

Bengalis are known for their love of sweetmeats and sandesh is one of West Bengal’s most popular treats. Sandesh is traditionally made from chenna, a residue of curdled milk. Some believe that the dessert was inspired by the cheese-based dishes that early European traders brought along with them to the city of Kolkata.

Kaju barfi

Kaju barfi is a cashew-based Indian dessert similar to fudge. It is traditionally shaped like a diamond and is one of the more expensive sweets found in the country. It is therefore considered a valued gift during festivals and special occasions.

Kulfi

Kulfi is the Indian version of an ice cream. Like many Indian desserts, kulfi has also been borrowed from Persian cuisine. It was made popular when the Mughals settled down in India and the dessert is also mentioned in the literature of this period. The flavour of kulfis is often enhanced with pistachios and saffron.

See more: 6 best curries to try in India

Source: Internet