Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Want to really Chill Out? - Try Ice Hotel - built of ice and snow


Ice Hotel Entrance


Lighted Entrance


Reception Area


Main Hall


Main hall


Suite Room - Forest effect


Suite room


Ice Bar


Ice Bar


Ice Church
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The other day I watched a programme about ICEHOTEL on Discovery Channel (on Astro). They showed how is the hotel built. It is amazing and a lot of hard work. A lot of engineering and artistic brains are behind building this beautiful piece of creation. If you really want to chill out in a unique place, go for Ice Hotel. But hang on! it is not cheap! atleast USD1000 per night. :)
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ICEHOTEL is situated in the village Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. The heart and backbone is the River Torne flowing freely through the unspoilt wilderness. Covered with a meter thick ice layer winter time the river is the source of all our art, architecture and design. The pure water and the steady movement of the river creates the clearest ice possible.

Ten thousand years ago, glaciers carved a riverbed and the Torne River was born. Since then, the crystal-clear, pure water of the Torne River has flowed freely along its 600-kilometer path through Lapland out to the sea in the southeast. The entire ICEHOTEL is on loan from the mighty Torne River and is a place where time stands still. When the spring comes and then finally the summer, the entire creation will once again become part of the rushing rapids coursing toward the sea.

ICEHOTEL takes shape
As soon as winter begins, a team of snow builders, architects, designers and artists from all over the world gather in the little town of Jukkasjärvi far north of the Arctic Circle. Under the direction of the ICEHOTEL Art & Design Group, they create each year’s version of ICEHOTEL.

The STORY: about a hotel made of ice and snow
If it is possible to build a hotel of ice in a small village 200km inside the Arctic Circle, which strikes the whole world with amazement, then anything is possible. The story of ICEHOTEL is indeed a fairy tale come true. The free flowing Torne River is the origin and artery of ICEHOTEL. From the river, the ice of ICEHOTEL is borrowed each year. And it is here, on the river shores in the village of Jukkasjärvi that our story begins.
It started off as a summer destination
The company Jukkas (present day ICEHOTEL) has been a tourist operator in the region since the 1970s. For many years the company focus was on the summer season and the magnificent outdoor experiences offered by the land of the midnight sun. During the dark winter the river was frozen and the people of the small village of Jukkasjärvi went into hibernation.
Cold and darkness as an experience
By the end of the 1980s it was decided to turn things around. Instead of viewing the dark and cold winter as a disadvantage, the unique elements of the arctic were to be regarded an asset. Inspired by the work of visiting Japanese ice artists, in 1990 the French artist Jannot Derit was invited to have the opening of his exhibition in a specially built igloo on the frozen Torne River. The 60 square metre building named Artic Hall attracted many curious visitors to the area.
ICEHOTEL known all over the world
One night a group of foreign guests, equipped with reindeer hides and sleeping bags, decided it would be a good idea to use the cylindrical shaped igloo as accommodation. The following morning the brave group raved about the unique sensation of sleeping in an igloo. Hence, the concept of ICEHOTEL was born. A lot has happened since. Today ICEHOTEL is world famous for its unique concept, its fantastic works of art and its extraordinary experiences. The fairy tale nature of ICEHOTEL brings out the child in guests of all ages.
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Source: http://www.icehotel.com/

Monday, October 22, 2007

Malaysian Friends' Visit 2 My Home (in India) in 2006























































Sunday, October 21, 2007

My Trip To Simla, The Summer Capital Of India (in 2006)

Last year (2006), when I went back to India (from Malaysia), I visited Simla.

Simla, is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is also the capital of the state and a municipality within the Simla district. In 1864, Simla was declared the summer capital of the east while British Ruling in India. A popular tourist destination, Simla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills" (a term coined by the British). Located in north-west Himalayas at an altitude of 2,130 metres (6,988 ft), the city of Simla, draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture reminiscent of the colonial era. Simla is connected to the city of Kalka by one of the longest narrow gauge railway routes in India. Simla is approximately 115 km (71.4 miles) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (226.8 miles) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.

Our spiritual organization ( SRF/YSS) has built a beautiful spiritual retreat centre. The retreat building is about 10km away from Simla town. It is built on the slope of the hill. I really wonder how could they possibly built such a beatiful architecture on the sloppy hill. Indeed great! The retreat has about 16 rooms. The rooms are built with pine wood. The frgarance of the pine wood so nice that I used to sleep like a pine wood log. :) The retreat is taken care by a young devotee. He is a good cook. We enjoyed our meals everyday while enjoying the nature and meditations in the quite place far far away from the daily chaos of life. We were there for about 5 days.

The pictures below give you some idea about the place. I wish to go there again. Perhaps in near future. :)