We were recently nominated to participate in Tripbase’s “3 Best Kept Travel Secrets” game by our travel friends, Dave and Deb, Canada’s Adventure Couple at The Planet D and Monica at A Pair of Panties and Boxers.

“The aim of this game is to unite travel bloggers in a joint endeavor – to create an amazing list of top travel recommendations across the globe to share with the entire online travel community.” – Katie from Tripbase.com.

So here are our Cultural Travel  Secrets:

China’s Spirit Roads: Jianling Tomb

A unique element of the Chinese funerary complex, is the “Spirit Road”, a line-up of statuary that leads to an imperial mausoleum. One of the most striking elements of the Spirit Roads (some which date back to 450 CE) is that they can be up to 1 kilometer long and comprised of hundreds of statues. There are several Spirit Road sites that can be visited easily by tourists, however, our favorite is found just North of X’ian and required a short hike to reach. The Spirit Road of the Jianling tomb, made for the Tang Emperor Suzong (reigned 756-762), is difficult to find given its position in the middle of terraced farmland, but worth it once you get there due to the fact that the figures are all partially covered in soil.  The Tang championed realism in all of their sculptural depictions; they are drawn from real life and reflect specific individuals, rather than general types.

Spirit Road Figure - Jianling Tomb (outside X'ian)

Cairo’s Northern Qarafa (cemetery)

Numerous emirs and sultans built there funerary complexes here in Cairo’s Northern Qarafa (cemetery). Our favorite is the funerary complex of Sultan Qaytbay (1472-74), which offers a supreme example of the sophisticated use of overlapping arabesques and geometric patterns to decorate dome exteriors.  This dome represents the high point of the Bahri Mamluke Dynasty’s (1250-1382) architectural legacy.  Our Approach Guide to Islamic Cairo offers additional information on this and other must-see sites in Islamic Cairo.

Dome of the Funerary Complex of Sultan Qaytbay (Cairo)

Sanfelice’s Baroque Staircase in Naples

18th century Neapolitan Rococo architecture is best illustrated in the work of Ferdinando Sanfelice (1675-1748), who is known for his striking staircases. We especially love the Palazzo della Spagnuolo. Via dei Virgini, 19.  Sanfelice’s stairway in this building is distinctive for its height, the large size of its perforations, and the movement of the design. This is a great example of how architecture of the Baroque keeps your eye in movement: notice in this picture how Sanfelice skillfully draws your gaze upward, giving the structure a lightness that would otherwise not exist. Our Approach Guide to Italy: The Italian Baroque offers travelers additional information on this and other architectural gems throughout Italy.

Palazzo della Spagnuolo (Naples)

Tiger, Kanha. Taken on location from the back of an elephant during a "tiger show".

There are only 5,000 tigers remaining in the world today. India hosts a staggering 60% of this total, with the next largest population in Southeast Asia. There are no tigers in Africa, which gives tourists to India a unique safari experience.  Seeing a tiger in the wild should be a priority on any traveler’s itinerary.

The centrally-located Madhya Pradesh province holds two of the best places to see tigers in the wild. After viewing the stunning Islamic architecture of Delhi and Agra or visiting the amazing Buddhist caves outside of Mumbai, take a quick flight to Kanha National Park or Bandhavgarh National Park (outside of Khajuraho) to to view one of India’s most unique natural sites: tigers.

Why Kanha or Bandhavgarh?

There are only two wildlife parks in India that offer you the opportunity to ride into inaccessible (by car) areas of the park on mahout-driven elephants to view tigers up-close during the day (this is called a “tiger show”): Bandhavgarh and Kanha (both are located close to each other in the province of Madhya Pradesh). In addition, both parks have a large tiger population, making them the two premier spots in India for sightings.

Information on Bengal Tigers

• The tiger is the largest of all thirty-seven species of wild cats. Along with the lion, the leopard, the snow leopard and the jaguar, the tiger is classified in the genus “Panthera”, which comprises the group of big cats that are capable of roaring, due to a modification of the hyboid bone.
• There are probably 5,000 tigers remaining in the world today (this estimate was given to us by researchers at Kanha). India hosts 60% of this total (the subspecies specifically being the “Bengal Tiger”), with the greatest concentration thereafter being in Southeast Asia (there are no tigers in Africa).
• Tigers are the only big cats with stripes.  The stripe patterns on each tiger, designed for camouflage, differ on each side of its body.
• Males weigh 400-500 lbs and females 220-350 lbs.
• Tigers are successful in 1 out of every 10-20 attempts to stalk and kill prey. Tigers kill their prey with either a bite on the back of the neck that serves to sever the spinal column or a bite on the throat that serves to suffocate its prey. An adult tigress needs to kill a fair-sized prey (200 lbs) 40-50 times per year, or every 7-8 days.
• Tigers possess two sensory enhancements, neither of which is unique to this species: the tepetum lucidum, a reflective patch in the retina which improves vision in low light conditions; and the vemeronasal organ (VNO), sometimes called Jacobseon’s organ, which is located in the roof of the mouth. The use of the VNO is most obvious in the grimace known as flehmen, in which the animal wrinkles its nose and extends its tongue; the VNO is designed to evaluate the sexual receptivity of females.
• Tigers have evolved as basically solitary animals (as compared to lions that exists largely in group formations). Both males and females are territorial and have specifically staked out areas in which each animal pursues prey.
• Females nurse cubs for 20-24 months; gestation period of 105 days; average litter of 2-3 cubs, with high mortality rate (34% in first year, 17% in second), the most common reason for death being infanticide, the killing of the cubs by a new male looking to mate with the mother tiger.
• Poaching is still a real problem, particularly because elements of the tiger are still in in demand for traditional Chinese medicine.

Hotel. Kipling Camp. 07649/277218. www.kiplingcamp.com. Although it is far from luxury and a bit expensive, this is the quintessential (and first) camp in the area, to the best of our knowledge. It is located right outside of the entrance to Kanha. The camp appears to suffer a little from a staff turnover issue, however, it is more than adequate. You are here to see tigers and they maximize your experience on this front, running a morning and afternoon game drive led by experienced naturalists.

Information on other parks in India. Dave and Deb, Canada’s Adventure Couple, recently posted a feature on Ranthambore National Preserve, which was taken from a feature by Akila of The Road Forks.

Recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Dolomite Mountains offer visitors stunning vistas. The magnificence of these vistas is derived from the mountains’ interesting geological history….read further  to discover how geological forces shaped this landscape.

Composition of the Dolomite Mountains

• The mountains are composed of three types of rock: volcanic, dolomite (dolomitic rock), and limestone.

• There is some controversy over the origin of dolomite, but here are the two most plausible theories:
  • Recrystallization. Dolomitic rock could be formed by the recrystallization of limestone (calcium carbonate): magnesium atoms are substituted by calcium atoms in the crystal structure (becoming calcium-magnesium carbonate).
  • Pressure. There is evidence that dolomitic rock is formed by applying pressure (either from deep burial or tectonic squeezing) to limestone.

Formation of the Dolomite Mountains

• Age of the Mountains. As is the case with the rest of the European Alps, the majority of the Dolomites were formed approximately 30 million years ago during the Oligocene and Miocene Epochs when Africa collided with Europe (the European plate subducted under the African plate); upon the collision, large portions of land were pushed high into the air, forming the range. The eastern most portion, however, goes back to the Triassic Period, 200-250 mm years ago.
• Explaining the mountains’ changing appearance: East versus West. Due to the underlying presence of solid porphyric rock, the Western Dolomites (Occidentali) did not buckle when the collision of plates occurred, but rather rose up as a single uncrumpled unit. Because the Eastern Dolomites (Orientali) had no such underlying support, they buckled severely, creating an  irregular, jagged shape.

Jagged peaks of the Eastern Dolomites (Orientali)

Solid mass of the Western Dolomites (Occidentali)

• Before there were mountains. Prior to the collision of the plates, the area that makes up the Dolomites was submerged by a tropical sea (the Tethys Sea) that connected the large bodies of water located to the east and west (what is now the Atlantic and Indian/Pacific Oceans). This sea disappeared as the plates squeezed the land upwards; however it left evidence of its existence: the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian, Aral, Galilee, and Dead Seas are vestiges of the Tethys Sea. This is why, when you are hiking 2,000+ meters above sea level, you are bound to find ancient marine fossils embedded in the rock.

Travel Guides

• Use our ApproachGuides to Italian Food and Wine to ensure that you don’t miss out on the area’s German-inspired Italian fare and some of the best white wines in Italy.
• Combining a trip to the Dolomites with a visit to Venice takes you from 3,000 meters above sea level to a gondola in less than five hours. Find out what makes Venice’s architecture unique (and still standing) with our ApproachGuide to Venetian Architecture.

Mount Vesuvius as seen from Naples (Napoli), Italy

A visit to Mount Vesuvius, which sits frighteningly (given historical precedent) close to Naples, is a powerful experience. The volcano is world renowned: its eruption destroyed the famous city of Pompeii in 79 CE and it’s soil is responsible for some of the most delicious foods in Italy, such as San Marzano tomatoes and grapes for local wine grapes such as Fiano and Falanghina.

A tour of Mount Vesuvius, also known as the Vesuvius Crater Trek, is less a hiking experience than a light walk up to the crater, but is an impressive experience nevertheless. You (and what seems like every family in the Naples area) begin the trek by parking your car at an elevation of 1000 meters and then ascend on a path about 150 meters to the crater. There are great views of the crater if there is good weather, however, a mix of clouds and vapor give the mountain an ominous appearance that serves its historical myth.

Best Routes.

• Route 5: Gran Cono (The Big Cone – Mount Vesuvius proper). This is a circular trail that offers breathtaking views of Mount Vesuvius and its crater.
• Route 6: Strada Matrone (The Matrone brother’s trail). This hike up Mount Vesuvius offers  spectacular views of the surrounding area.

To tour or not to tour?

If you are comfortable driving an manual transmission car (stick shift), have a good map, and are not on a super-tight time schedule (like a cruise!), we recommend renting a car and exploring Mount Vesuvius and the surrounding areas on your own.

Getting to Mount Vesuvius by car:

Take the A3 Napoli-Salerno motorway and exit at Torre del Greco or Ercolano. After the motorway toll station, turn left under the motorway bridge and continue along Via Boscocatene. Go straight on at the crossroads in Via B. Cozzolino. Continue for about 2 km up the hairpin road and go straight on at the junction, following directions for Vesuvio. About 300 m after the junction there is a Vesuvius National Park Info Point. Continue up the hairpin road for about 7 km and proceed left at the junction. After about 2 km you arrive at the 1,000 m altitude terrace where you can park and begin your walk up the trail to the crater.

The official website.

The official website for Vesuvius treks is tough to find, but offers some good information for your trip.

The Chicken, Mushroom and Jennifer. White Desert, Egypt

One of our most memorable adventures was an overnight stay in Egypt’s White Desert (4-5 hour drive outside of Cairo). The White Desert and its nearby neighbor, the Black Desert form a part of the world’s largest desert, the Libyan Desert (1600 sq. km). Here is what you can expect to encounter during  an overnight stay:

• Black Desert. The black color is derived from basalt, an igneous (volcanic) rock. Underlying the basalt is sand comprised of pulverized Bahariya sandstone and quartz.
• Crystal Mountain. Located in between the Black and White Deserts. The mountain consists of a significant portion of quartz, effectively the crystallization of chalk.
• New White Desert. Absolutely amazing! This place is the whole reason to do the overnight trip. The desert consists entirely of white chalk, the result of the sedimentation of the cretaceous sea (chalk is effectively limestone — stone that has been formed formed from the sedimentation of organic elements out of a fluid, such as a river, lake or ocean — that has been broken down or reduced to a finer powder-like composition). The wind and sand have eroded three-story building-sized blocks of chalk (called inselbergs, meaning prominent steep-sided hills of solid rock, rising abruptly from a plain of low relief ) into all sorts of shapes (animals, mushrooms, etc). Further, on the ground, there are small iron pyrites and marcasite that are naturally formed into every conceivable shapes; walking around the desert is almost like walking along the seashore, picking up small shells. There is also an “old” white desert – not quite as impressive, but it is close and worth a visit.

We highly recommend organizing your tour through Peter Wirth at International Hot Springs Hotel (www.whitedeserttours.com). He arranged our private overnight tour with a 4×4-driving local Bedouin guide (as well as our transfer from Cairo); we were absolutely delighted with the service, the fireside dinner, our guide and, of course, the scenery.

Note: Cairo is the only place in the world where you can see architecture from nearly every great Islamic Empire. Use the ApproachGuide to the Middle East: Islamic Cairo to guide you through the old city during your next visit.