Religious

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, known in English as The Way of St James, on the north-west tip of Spain, might just be the ultimate active break.  For more than a thousand years, tourists and pilgrims have been walking this route to the Cathedral of Santiago to visit the grave of the apostle Saint James ('Sant Iago' in Spanish).

Most travellers to India have Varanasi on their itinerary. It's well known as a good spot to sign up for a crash course in Indian cookery, and is a photographer's dream with its high-octane mysticism and heady mix of saffron-robed sadhus (ascetics), pilgrims, drifters, beggars and tourists.

The Easter break bank holiday has one purpose, and it’s not stuffing our faces with chocolate.  Nope, after a ling sunless Winter it’s to reacquaint out skin with its old friend – sunshine.  The four-day weekend (with a couple of extra days tacked on either side if you can swing it) is the perfect time to head to sizzling climes, and there are plenty of destination just a few hours away where the temperatures are soaring, this time of year.  Ride a camel on the beaches of Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh, lie on a sunny boat deck as you sail past Croatia’s stunning coastline or head for the cultural

Christmas markets are big business in Switzerland.  Almost all major and smaller cities start setting up festive stalls towards mid-November to bring locals and tourists alike into the much-needed Christmas spirit.  Whether you opt for a smaller or longer Christmas market, they are held mainly between mid-November and 24 December.  Some are open for weeks, some just for a couple of days.

Japan is a fusion of the ultra-modern and the ancient, a country of temples and traditions as well as soaring skylines and futuristic bullet trains. Osaka is no exception.  The iconic 16th-century Osaka Castle – the symbol of the city – with its famous five-layer donjon, which cascades down from its central tower, is set in 60,000 sq m of lawns with cherry blossom trees.

Kyoto has distinguish itself as a must see destination for anyone visiting Japan to experience more than a century of culture. Kyoto alone has 17 World Heritage Sites, these include Kiyomizu Temple and Nijo Castle.  The sheer number of breathtakingly beautiful shrines and temples, the Tamba Mountains, tranquil Japanese gardens, traditional tea houses, fantastic food, colourful festivals and everything you would expect to find in a modern, vibrant, futuristic city are what makes this former capital of Japan (before Tokyo) a destination that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

The Ajanta Murals are dated to around 2nd century BC – 7th century AD and said to depict scenes from the previous lives of the Lord Buddha. The walls in the caves are covered with paintings depicting mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental.

The Ajanta Murals is one area of Buddhist art form - iconic. Buddhist art form varies across culture and time.  Earlier Buddhist painting, which started in India is said to be aniconic (none graphic representation of divine beings or religious figures).