Sure Travel Journey 5.4 Spring 2019 | Page 14

DEPARTURE LOUNGE //WINTER 2019
GREEN MAMBA LOSES
SOME OF ITS BITE |
© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
JAIPUR!
India’s first planned city was founded
in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh
II. It took four years to complete its
major roads, offices and palaces. The
new capital of Rajasthan featured
5 km of walled fortifications across
nine blocks and seven thick gates to
protect residents and royalty. Stepped
wells carried water to the city – an
engineering feat way ahead of its time.
It was only in 1876 that buildings were
painted the telltale pink that gives
Jaipur its nickname of “The Pink City”,
done to welcome Edward, Prince of
Wales, to this majestic corner of the
subcontinent. Symbolic of hospitality
in Indian culture, the terracotta pink
colour is preserved on buildings to this
day, and the same welcoming spirit
remains amongst its residents, making
Jaipur a highlight of any Indian itinerary.
VISIT INDIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Live like a maharajah on board
Uniworld’s Ganges Voyages II.
This enchanting 13-day tour from
New Delhi to Kolkata stops in Jaipur
and Agra, visiting India’s most sacred
sites. Contact your nearest Sure Travel
agency to book or call 0861 47 48 49/
visit www.suretravel.co.za. We can
also customise any India itinerary to
suit your needs.
14 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
INSTAMUNCH
@minkys.co.za
Elbow-deep in textbooks, case files and
legal jargon, Loren Cohen took to writing
a travel foodie blog out of desperation
for a creative outlet as a law student.
Fast-forward seven years and she’s now
a full-time attorney – but still passionate
about eating her way around the world,
writing about it, and inspiring others to do
the same.
What’s been your biggest adventure
to date?
I have the biggest fascination with all things
Italy and Italian – from the food, to the
culture and the country itself. Throughout
my 20s, I always said the year I turn 30
I would take myself to Italy. And that is
exactly what I did: I booked a trip to Rome,
Florence and Venice. To date, it has been
my biggest adventure. It is a year later and I
am still dreaming of Italy.
Tips for finding good restaurants
when you’re on the road?
Before you hit the road, do all the research
you can. Search blogs and even Instagram
for all the good restaurants in the area you
will be visiting.
Have you had a particular dining
experience that pushed you out of
your comfort zone?
When we were walking around in Hong
Kong, we saw the longest queue of people
According to a new report, South
Africa’s passport ranks 54th in the
world when it comes to ease of
travelling and is valid for visa-free or
visa-on-arrival status in 99 countries.
This is down from 102 countries
last year, due to a reduction in the
number of visa-free or visa-on-arrival
destinations that holders have
access to.
Nevertheless, SA is still doing well
when compared with other African
nations – it has the third-highest
passport power on the continent,
after Seychelles and Mauritius
respectively.
As for the most powerful passport
in the world? Japan and Singapore
share first place on the Index, with
visa-free access to 189 countries.
Rome, Italy: “I stood in the longest queue
for this gelato but it was worth every
minute and Euro.”
standing outside a tiny little restaurant.
We ran to join the queue because
the owner of the restaurant kept
shouting, “Michelin restaurant, Michelin
restaurant”…When they finally served us,
it was a strange fish dish we couldn’t eat,
so we decided to pay the bill and leave.
Only when we walked out did we see the
sign on the wall with the fat little Michelin
Tyre Man, and realised we’d been caught
hook, line and sinker.