Daily deal: An eight-day trip through India

Agra's Taj Mahal exemplifies Mughal architecture. (Ron Magill)

When the emperor built the Taj Mahal, it was a labour of love. When you visit the magnificent monument on this week's swoon-worthy adventure, don't be surprised if you, too, fall head over heels.

Follow your heart to the trip of a lifetime with Classic Escapes's eight-day journey across India's Golden Triangle. Founder Stacy Fiorentinos invites you to get the butterflies in your stomach fluttering as an English-speaking guide leads you and your group on an unforgettable tour, starting in Delhi.

Round-trip airfare from JFK airport is included in this palpitating package that also covers transportation to and from hotels, airports, and sightseeing destinations; breakfast daily; and lunch en route from Agra to Jaipur. Enjoy dreamy accommodations and all entry fees to sightseeing destinations for just $2,217 per person.

Declare your feelings of affection for the colorful country and its unique culture as you spend two nights in Delhi's Oberoi Maidens Hotel. You'll go weak at the knees after seeing Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, and Mahatma Gandhi's memorial. "Drink in the atmosphere," says BBC Travelof the memorial. "Nowhere else in Delhi is as peaceful as this."

Venture off to Old Delhi on a traditional rickshaw to see Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Then, let Agra woo you with the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal itself, a horse-drawn buggy ride through the former capital's medieval past, and a stay at the Trident Hotel Agra.

In Jaipur, your two-night stay at the Trident Hotel Jaipur will whisper sweet nothings in your ear as you explore the Palace of Winds, get starry-eyed at the Jantar Mantar observatory, and make a grand entrance atop an elephant to the famed Amber Fort.

Sign off your love letter to the serene society back in Delhi with a hotel dayroom at Crowne Plaza Gurgaon hotel to relax in before your late night departure home.

Forget plucking flower petals—there's nothing about an experience like this that will love you not.

• An eight-day trip through India for one guest, including:
• A two-night stay at Maidens Hotel, a one-night stay at Trident Hotel Agra, a two-night stay at Trident Hotel Jaipur, and a dayroom at Crowne Plaza Gurgaon Hotel
• Round-trip overnight air transport from JFK airport in New York
• Round-trip ground transport to hotels and airport
• Daily breakfast and lunch en route from Agra to Jaipur
• English-speaking escort
• Dates: 30 September to 7 October; 23 to 30 October; 25 November to 2 December; 10 to 17 December; 6 to 13 January, 2012; or 22 to 29 March, 2012
• Book by 30 August

Casablanca’s art boom

Le Studio des Arts Vivants (the living arts studio) is the first multi-discipline art space in Morocco.

With the opening of Le Studio des Arts Vivants (the living arts studio), the first multi-discipline art space in Morocco, Casablanca is taking its place at the centre of the country’s contemporary art scene.

Jump in a red taxi and zip through Caza, as the locals call it, and Le Studio des Arts Vivants seems to magically appear, a shock of modern architecture between dusty palm trees. Built last year by Fihr Kettani, a Casablanca native, the aim of the studio is to bring all of the arts together under one roof and create bridges between the different disciplines. Students of all ages are taught music, art, dance and theatre from professionals from around the world and La Galerie 38, the 500m art gallery connected to the studio, supports local artists, like Radia Bent Lhoucine, a self-taught female painter of the 1960s, Edmond Amran El Maleh, a writer and critic, and Fatiha Zemmouri, a painter and sculptor whose work will be shown in December.

“We don’t only want to make art, we want to make cultural happenings,” said Mohamed Chaoui, a La Galerie 38 partner.

The art scene in Casablanca has been steadily growing since King Mohammed VI, an art enthusiast, began his reign in 1999. Originally focused on Orientalism, the focus then turned to Moroccan artists.

La Galerie 38 also strives to display new inspiration from the international art world. In August, they commissioned paintings from famous American street artist Alec Monopoly. His show will be presented this spring.

“Art in Morocco is just beginning to change, the state is giving it more importance,” Kettani said. “My goal is to give the country a platform for the detection of new talent. To support this new movement.” 

In their 600-seat theatre, Le Studio des Arts Vivants has weekly performances and the gallery features new exhibits six times a year. Visit their website and the gallery’s Facebook page for future ev

Sydney by the sea

The iconic (and unheated) Icebergs pool is so named for temperatures that only a die-hard swimmer could love. (Gillianne Tedder/LPI)

Sand, surf, sexy people...these are a few of Sydney's favourite things! And one of the best places to see them is along the staggeringly scenic Bondi-to-Coogee Clifftop Trail − a 5km, three-hour stroll that goes a long way towards explaining Sydney's love affair with the sea.

• Related article: Australia’s beach obsession

Bondi Beach
Like Ipanema and Venice, Bondi is an iconic beach experience. This is where Sydney comes to see and be seen, preferably wearing as little as possible (not an affirming place for those with body-image issues). The constant procession of beautiful bods never fails to distract.

Dunk yourself in the surf, or grab a bite to eat, a bikini or some surfboard wax on Campbell Parade. For a gorgeous view of the big sandy arc, wander out to Ben Buckler Lookout at the northern end of the beach.

A beacon on Bondi's southern side is the achingly hip Icebergs swimming pool and restaurant − good for a swim or a ritzy lunch if you are not keen on the surf. The Clifftop Trail kicks off just beyond Icebergs at the end of Notts Avenue.

Tamarama and Bronte
Tracking south, the blustery sandstone cliffs and grinding Pacific Ocean could not be more spectacular: keep an eye out for passing dolphins, whales and rubber-clad surfers.

Small but perfectly formed Tamarama Beach (aka “Glamarama”) is next − a deep tongue of sand popular with the generically good-looking. It is hard to picture now, but between 1887 and 1911 a rollercoaster looped out over the water here as part of an amusement park.

Further south, Bronte is a steep-sided beach ‘burb, its bowl-shaped park strewn with picnic tables and barbecues. The swimming here is good, as are the low-key, breezy eateries. Bronte also lays claims to the oldest surf lifesaving club in the world (1903), an iconic claim in the city that mythologized lifesavers well before David Hasselhoff.

Blanketing the cliff tops south of Bronte with views to-die-for (literally), the gravestones of Waverley Cemetery dazzle in the sunlight. Amongst the subterranean are famous writer Henry Lawson and cricketer Victor Trumper. It is an engrossing (and strangely un-creepy) place to explore, and during the winter you may be rewarded with the sight of whales swimming offshore.

Clovelly and Coogee
Continue south past the cockatoos and canoodling lovers in Burrows Park to sheltered Clovelly Beach, a family favourite. Fringed by concrete terraces, the beach here feels more like a swimming pool − a great place to dust off your snorkel.

The trail continues past Gordon's Bay (one of Sydney’s best shore-dive spots), then lands you smack-bang on glorious Coogee Beach. Coogee is an Aboriginal word for rotting seaweed, but do not let that deter you: the beach here is wide and handsome. Swagger into the beachsideCoogee Bay Hotel and toast your efforts with a cold lager, as the Pacific surges up onto the sand, same as it ever was.

Getting there and away
The quickest way to Bondi is by cab. Otherwise, take the train to Bondi Junction then jump on a bus. Buses also link Coogee with downtown Sydney. See www.131500.info for fares and timetables.

Saying ‘I do’ overseas

Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece. (Nick Marcus/BBC)

Roughly one in five couples today are shunning the traditional church wedding in their hometown, opting for a destination wedding on a beach, mountaintop, castle or vineyard instead. And the trend is on the rise as couples realise that they can have their dream wedding by going abroad.

“With the average overseas ceremony costing less than a third of the cost of a traditional wedding in the UK, even for a really exclusive event, couples no longer need a big bank balance,” said Jennifer Kelly of Barefoot Bride, an online wedding planning service.

A destination wedding also solves the issue of who to invite. In Asia, many couples feel that having an intimate destination wedding is a way to reclaim their special day, rather than feeling obliged to invite many guests who are friends and associates of their parents.

Once you have decided to get away to tie the knot, the next question is where to go. 

Greek islands
The Mamma Mia effect is still very much alive, leaving lots of couples dreaming of a Greek Island wedding. Greece spoils you for choice with its roughly 6,000 idyllic islands, with endless sands and dramatic cliffs surrounded by aquamarine seas. As brides today favour the smaller islands for a more intimate wedding of no more than 20 guests, pearls like Amorgos and Kefalonia are now more fashionable than party islands like Mykonos or Phapos. 

Cyprus
The island country of Cyprus, located in the eastern Mediterranean, is locally known as Aphrodite’s Isle. Where better to get married than where legend holds the goddess of love rose from the waves? There is sunshine nearly year round, English is widely spoken and it is very reasonably priced. Options for all budgets range from exclusive boutique hotels to family friendly all-inclusive properties. Pritoras’s Fig Tree Bay and Green Bay Beach are among the choicest areas. 

Caribbean
The allure of the sun-drenched Caribbean is very popular with North American couples. There are thousands of islands to choose from, with miles of golden sandy beaches and clear blue water.

Getting married in the Caribbean also means your guests can enjoy laid back group activities like catamaran cruises or dinners on the beach. “Most of our clients want a location and a resort where their guests can have unlimited access to meals included in the cost; they seem concerned with keeping the costs down for their guests so places like Dominican Republic and Jamaica, which have a lot of all inclusive resorts, are very popular,” explained Sandra Aaron from Mindless Sophistication Events, a wedding planning service. 

Indonesia
Bali is the top destination for weddings in Indonesia. The island has a moderate, warm climate, tropical jungles and stunning Indian Ocean views.

“A good number of small, bespoke wedding chapels have sprung up on the island in recent years too, but most importantly, there are lots of agents on the ground who handle all the marriage paperwork” explained Jonathan Goh from Wedding Acts, a wedding planning service based in Singapore. “The couple just needs to arrive a couple of days before the wedding.” 

Thailand
The legalities in Thailand are not as easy as Bali, but most couples choose this destination for its beautiful beaches, delicious food and the warm local hospitality. Most wedding ceremonies here will offer the choice of a Buddhist blessing, lantern lighting ceremony and perhaps hiring a baby elephant (a controversial practice we do not condone).

Phuket and Koh Samui are the more popular destinations, but smaller islands too are coming into vogue. “With air travel these days, you can bring 50 people to Thailand at a reasonable price and stay in Thailand’s most luxurious resort, at a price that is probably half what it would cost to get married in Europe or Sydney,” boasted Anthony Lark, General Manager of Trisara resort in Phuket. 

South Africa
The variety of this country is what makes it stand apart. Some couples opt for a game reserve in the heart of the South African bush or a stylish vineyard setting, but most cannot resist the lure of the beaches that lap the country's coastline from Cape Town all the way round to Durban. 

“It's where we got married three years ago and I think it offers all that you get from a beach wedding in the Caribbean, but also has so much more on offer for the honeymoon and the guests -- be it a bush safari or the colourful culture and night life in Cape Town,” Kelly said.

Emerging destinations
Many couples are opting for more far-flung and exotic destinations, like Cambodia and Vietnam, Stephanie Chai from weddingguideasia.com said. Khmer ceremonies in Cambodia can add a different dimension to nuptials, while in China, resorts in Ringha, in the Yunnan Province, are offering Tibetan ceremonies too

The futurist: Putting the choo-choo back in Chattanooga

Amtrak's Empire Builder departs from Chicago's Union Station. New funding could bring a magnetic levitation line to the Chicago area. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The ripple effects from Florida governor Rick Scott turning down $2 billion in federal funding for a high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando are finally starting to gather into small waves.

Transportation secretary Ray LaHood has instead been handing out the cash to other states, like California, and gave $450 million to Amtrak. The money will be used to upgrade tracks in the northeast so Acela trains can run up to 160 miles per hour on some New Jersey and Pennsylvania tracks (it now rarely exceeds 70 miles per hour), and build a new spur through Queens, so Boston-bound trains can travel on separate tracks from New York commuter trains. But more ambitiously, Amtrak recentlyhired consulting firm KPMG to develop a plan for high-speed rail service from Washington, DC to Boston by 2020. The trains will run at 220 mph and the first leg would be from New York to Philadelphia (a trip taking about half an hour, compared to an hour and a half now) by 2023.

Meanwhile, a slew of other states are starting to stitch together their own plans for high-speed rail. Last week it was announced that the money is finally in place for proceeding with an Atlanta-to-Chattanooga magnetic levitation line. The eventual plan is to link the two cities and then head north, terminating at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. North Carolina received money to start improving existing track and an agreement was signed with rail freight company Norfolk Southern Railways to start exploring a major high-speed rail corridor between Charlotte and Raleigh. California received $179 million of the Florida money, even as costs are spiralling ever higher for first stretch of the San Diego-Los Angeles-San Francisco link that is being built in the Central Valley. Construction is slated to being in September 2012, making it more of a reality than any others. Illinois received a chunk to help fund a Chicago to St Louis line.

While all of these improvements are greatly needed, funding high-speed rail piecemeal and state-by-state instead of as a federal project means that train and track technology may differ. Imagine travelling from Miami, Florida to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and changing in Atlanta from a steel-wheeled fast train to a magnetic levitation one. But perhaps getting any kind of choo-choo back in Chattanooga, which has no passenger rail station anymore, is a victory.

Business trip: Sydney

Lavender Bay and North Sydney at dusk. (Greg Elms/LPI)

About the only thing a business traveller can find wrong with Sydney is that it is so far away from the rest of the world.

• Related article: Business trip in Hong Kong

Other than a little jet lag after the 25-hour journey from Europe, the 14-hour slog from California, or the 10-hour flight from Tokyo, Sydney is all positives: a gorgeous harbour, Mediterranean climate and a sophisticated food and wine scene. Its hotel stock is modern and upscale. Every day the Qantas fleet of giant Airbus A380s float in at Sydney’s newly expanded, bright and airy international terminal at Kingsford Smith airport from cities around the world.

When it comes to business, there is little sign of a “GFC” in Sydney. GFC is how Sydneysiders refer to that unfortunate global financial crisis that has cast a pall on nearly every other city in the world. But in Australia, a stable government, massive raw materials exports to Asia, a strong currency and a talented, optimistic workforce have helped it weather the global economic storm better than almost any other advanced nation in the world.

Spurred on by robust business and consumer confidence, economists expect Australia’s economy to expand even faster in the next five years. Through 2015, Australia’s GDP should grow about 5% annually.

Hotels: elegant or edgy? 

Elegant
When it re-opens in early 2012 after a seven-month closure for a tip-to-toe renovation, the harbourfront Park Hyatt Sydney will likely resume its rank as the top choice for visiting business travellers. This contemporary three-storey hotel is known for its breezy indoor-outdoor public areas and spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House through floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. A few blocks uphill on a quiet street above the Rocks you will find the classically elegant 100-room Observatory Hotel, favoured by CEOs and diplomats. Nearby is the 563-room Shangri-La, an ultramodern marble and glass tower hotel offering equally expansive rooms and views, free wi-fi, and a bar on the 36th floor with a very popular happy hour. Closer to the “CBD” (how Australians refer to a city’s central business district), is the Radisson Blu Plaza hotel, a modern 362-room boutique-style hotel built inside an 1800s sandstone façade that once housed Bank of New South Wales. Here “business class” rooms get complimentary lounge access, wi-fi and a hot breakfast buffet among other extras.

Edgy
Two of Sydney’s hippest hostelries are housed in reclaimed buildings. The popular 136-room Blue Sydney hotel serves as the anchor for a lovely marina, outdoor dining and apartment complex in a repurposed wharf building at Woolloomooloo near Sydney’s famous Royal Botanic Gardens. The hotel’s wide variety of rooms and lofts retain the rustic authenticity of the building (like its exposed timber) while providing a modern five-star experience and water views. Fashionistas and celebs hole up in the modernist chic 31-room Establishment Hotel located in a converted warehouse building in the middle of the CBD, adjacent to some of the hottest restaurants and bars in the city. If you are looking for more space or a longer stay, consider the new Fraser Suites near Darling Harbour, with 201warmly functional luxury studios and suites. 

Off the clock
If you have some free time, head to the city’s busy ferry hub at Circular Quay and catch any of the many ferries to get some fresh air, establish your bearings and see locals on their way to or from work. (Sydney ferries carry more than 14 million passengers each year.) The ferry ride to nearby Manly for an outdoor meal and stroll to its picturesque beach is perhaps the most iconic choice for visitors. On Saturdays, catch one to Balmain for a walk through its famous outdoor market and surrounding fisherman’s cottages. Stick around for a long lunch at Kazbah, or take a tour of its many pubs, which Australians call “hotels”. The harbour’s Cockatoo Island, which once housed a prison (among other structures), is an increasingly popular playground, and now includes the quirky Island Bar. But arrive early because the last ferry departs the island at 8:30 p

Malaysia's Thaipusam festival

Devotees climb up the 272 steps into Batu Caves for Thaipusam. (Anders Blomqvist/LPI)

Thaipusam is the most spectacular Hindu festival in Malaysia, marking the day when Lord Shiva’s son, Muruga, was given command of the celestial forces to vanquish three Asura demons. A wild orgy of body piercings – cheeks, tongues and lips are all skewered, often multiple times -- this fascinating festival can be a mind-spinning sight for a first-timer.

• Related feature: Malaysia behind the headlines

Devotees take approximately 48 days to prepare for the festival, which takes place mid-January to mid-February, when the moon is full in the 10th Tamil month of the Thai calendar. They undertake special diets and cleansing routines, sleep on the floor and practice regular prayer.

Thaipusam takes place deep in the Batu Caves. Thousands of people flock here to give thanks to Muruga, the Hindu god of war. Inside, you will find monkeys scampering and bounding up the 272 steps into Temple Cave, the vast main cavern that houses a golden statue of Muruga. The caves were “officially” discovered some 120 years ago by American naturalist William Hornaday.

Pride of place in the festival is Lord Muruga's silver chariot, which makes its way from the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown to the caves. Carrying statuettes of Lord Muruga, as well as consorts Valli and Teivayanni, the chariot tips the scales at 350kg of silver – a jaw-dropping display of wealth when it was first unveiled in 1893.

During Thaipusam, devotees perform a dance to Muruga known askavadi attam. The dance helps the devotees appeal to Muruga for divine assistance or give thanks for his help. But it is not just dancing that happens here.

The greatest sight is the kavadi carriers, the devotees who subject themselves to seemingly masochistic acts as fulfilment for answered prayers. Many of the faithful carry offerings of milk in paal kudam (milk pots) often connected to their skin by hooks. Even more striking are thevel kavadi – great cages of spikes that pierce the skin of the carrier and are decorated with peacock feathers, pictures of deities and flowers. Some penitents go as far as piercing their tongues and cheeks with hooks, skewers and tridents. While it looks excruciating, a trance-like state stops participants from feeling pain; later the wounds are treated with lemon juice and holy ash to prevent scarring.

Interested in taking part in the pierced proceedings? Only the truly faithful should attempt the ritual – insufficiently prepared devotees keep doctors especially busy over the festival period with skin lacerations. Make sure to take plenty of water with you, as the heat can be just as overwhelming as the sights.