Welcome to Eastern Bam
Mocked by Moscow brass (and much of Russia), the one-track BAM makes its greatest construction achievements on this 80-hour stretch east of Lake Baikal, where it passes more taiga, and through a 15.7km tunnel cut through solid rock. Most of the towns aren't much to look at - 1970s housing blocks put up 'so leaders wouldn't look like idiots for spending so much on the railroad, ' one local cynic suggested - and with a greater stench of vodka in many passers-by. But many locals will be delighted at your interest (and maybe get you drunk). The best stop-off point is Komsomolsk-na-Amure, a European-styled town built in the 1930s.
For obvious reasons, Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram is still often referred to by its colonial name: Trivandrum. Most travellers merely springb...
The holy hill of Tirumala is, on any given day, filled with tens of thousands of blissedout devotees, many of whom have endured long journeys to see t...
Kondapalli fort (admission ₹5, camera ₹100; h10.30am-5pm), strategically situated on the old Machilipatnam–Golconda trade route, was built in 13...
Once the Andhran capital and a signifi cant Buddhist centre, Amaravathi is India’s biggest stupa (Indian/foreigner ₹5/100; h8am- 6pm), measuring 2...
Vijayawada is a busy, rapidly growing city and an important port at the head of the delta of the mighty Krishna River. It’s bustling, but it’s als...