On a cruise around the Galápagos Islands, PETER HELLER encounters the archipelago’s diverse native species—and walks away humbled by their beauty.
The sun was settling into the Pacific, and they were dancing on the beach. Two blue-footed boobies. These are seabirds that can fold themselves into missiles and corkscrew into the ocean at 60 miles per hour. But right now, they were two yards away and slowly high stepping toward each other on their outsize webbed, very blue feet. One, presumably the male, offered his sweetheart a twig.
“Did you see that?” I murmured. “Him giving her the twig?”
“Always works for me,” my wife, Kim, replied.
Shortly after touching down on Baltra Island, we boarded our cruise ship, the Celebrity Xperience, and had barely unpacked before sailing off to see the wildlife. At this first stop, the tiny island of North Seymour, we saw magnificent frigate birds—that’s their name, Fregata magnificens—soaring close overhead on black and angled wings eight feet across, like remnants of the age of pterodactyls. No sooner had I set foot on a trail inland than I had to step between a yellow land iguana and a seagull, and then around two sea lions. Each opened an eye, rubbed its back into the sand, and went back to sleep.
It was like walking through that painting by Henri Rousseau, The Dream— remember the nude in the forest with the lions and birds? The peace that reigned, the innocence. We hadn’t been in the Galápagos a day, and already this was the strangest and wildest place I’d ever seen.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2017 من Travel+Leisure India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2017 من Travel+Leisure India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
GOOD SPIRITS
I think it must have been my mother's mom, Moyra, from whom I inherited my love of travel. Widowed in her sixties, she used her late husband's pension to fund a succession of solo trips, each more ambitious than the last.
THE BIG SWING
When her son, a lifelong sports fan, expressed an interest in visiting the baseball stadiums of Japan, Helen Schulman planned a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tokyo. The result was a home run.
Safari Bond
Tanzania abounds in national parks with dramatic landscapes. Devanshi Mody scouts a few with her mother, encountering captivating wildlife and insightful guides on the way.
Toddler Towns
Turning a leisurely vacation into a child-friendly one brings unique challenges but also the joy of seeing the world in a new light. Huzan Tata recounts navigating Austria and Hungary with a toddler in tow.
And Quiet Flows the Ganges
The river Ganges becomes a steadfast travel companion for Gustasp and Jeroo Irani on a sustainable luxury cruise to the Sundarbans National Park and Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.
"Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort Is The Perfect Place To Disconnect From The City"
Be it comedic flair in rom coms like De De Pyaar De and Manmadhudu 2, an action hero persona in thrillers like Runway 34 and Spyder, or displays of vulnerability in emotional dramas like Doctor G and Chhatriwali, RAKUL PREET SINGH embraces genres and movie industries with a certain panache. In a conversation with Bayar Jain, the versatile actor speaks about adapting to different styles of acting and credits her parents for this journey.
At Home In The Mountains
Actor Rakul Preet Singh has had little time to celebrate post her wedding to her dear friend Jackky Bhagnani. Two months into the union, Travel+Leisure India & South Asia whisks away the newly wed actor to Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh for a celebration of the mind and soul.
Just For Laughs
A Mumbai-based businessman, Atul Khatri switched the gears of his career at 44 to become a stand-up comedian. Since then, he has performed at many international shows, sending the audience into a laughing fit with his middle-class life anecdotes and jokes surrounding fatherhood. The comedian speaks to Simrran Gill about his sets, dealing with trolls, and the best compliment he has received.
World Through Their Eyes
A television host, model, and actor, Mini Mathur is also a passionate advocate of family bonding over travel. In 2018, she produced and presented Mini Me, a 10-part series that chronicled her travels with her seven-year-old daughter across six countries in Europe. In a conversation with Bayar Jain, the multi-hyphenate reveals the fun and challenges of exploring the globe with her kids, Sairah and Vivaan.
Paws and Go
Pet parents Tanveer Taj and Priyanka Jena (wheelsandtails) started travelling with their dogs in 2015. In 2019, they embarked on a road trip across India for 90 days, covering more than 10,000 km with their furry kids, Frodo and Cruise. The couple's Instagram feed is abuzz with pictures and videos of the Golden Retriever, Labrador, and their pet cat Noorie running around on beaches and climbing mountains. The couple speaks to Simrran Gill about the joy and challenges of travelling with their pets.