




Welcome to Moldova
Rich with history and fertile soils that produce abundant vineyards, Moldova is an unjustifiably forgotten tourist destination, as yet untouched by the budget airline brigade. In this land-locked eastern European country, you can wander round vast monasteries, sample the local wines, or trek through ancient forests.
Despite remaining one of the poorest countries in Europe, the people are friendly and welcoming, and the main centres, such as the capital Chisinau, have everything a visitor could need. Chisinau's cathedrals, monuments and museums survived severe WWII bombings to the city, including the house where Pushkin spent his days in exile penning some of his most famous works
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...