Welcome to Shumen
There’s an awful lot of concrete in Shumen, but it does make its own beer, Shumensko Pivo. Not only that, this somewhat faded but friendly industrial city full of communist memorials is crowned by a striking medieval fortress, and has a surprisingly wide range of eateries and drinking spots. Several museums, a park and a lengthy pedestrian mall where the locals stroll and sip coffee round out the local attractions.
Recent additions on the sleeping scene have also brought fancier, though still quite affordable, accommodation to town, making Shumen an even more comfortable base for day trips to the towns of Veliki Preslav, Madara and even Kotel. The city’s location, at the base of a low spur of the Stara Planina ranges, about halfway between the Black Sea coast and the Danube, also means it’s within a couple of hours’ drive of several unique destinations.
About 10km past Marayoor and 60km northeast of Munnar, this wildlife sanctuary (Indian/foreigner ₹10/100, camera/video ₹25/150; h7am-6pm) hosts de...
Wander just a few kilometres outside the scruff y little hill station of Munnar and you’ll be engulfed in a sea of a thousand shades of green. The l...
South India’s most popular wildlife sanctuary, Periyar (%224571 Indian/foreigner ₹25/300; h6am-6pm) encompasses 777 sq km and a 26-sq-km artifi - ...
Devotees make off erings at this temple, 2km from Tiruvilla, in the form of traditional, regular all-night Kathakali performances that are open to all...
The Shiva Temple at Ettumanur, 12km north of Kottayam, has inscriptions dating from 1542, but parts of the building may be even older. The temple is n...