‘North East India’ popularly known as ‘seven sisters state’ is a treasure trove for travellers, with lush green mountains, mystifying viewpoints, lavish tea estates and quirky tourist spots. This part of the subcontinent is extremely underrated but has a lot to offer for people looking for some peace of mind and to get away from the teeming city crowd.
Sikkim Darjeeling travel enthusiasts will definitely be encapsulated in North East India’s splendid rolling slopes of the mighty hills along with the unparalleled tranquillity and its rich ethnic diversity.
Here are some destinations in North East India which cannot be missed out on:
Pelling, Sikkim
Pelling, West Sikkim
Also known as the ‘jewel of Sikkim’, this small hill town of Pelling is nestled comfortably at an elevation of 2,150 metres. Set against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains, and surrounded by impressive and colourful plants Pelling is the ideal tourist spot for families and people looking for some peaceful time. Tourist spots include spiritual local monasteries, cascading waterfalls, shimmering lakes and compelling trekking routes. One can witness the Mighty Himalayas and the majestic Kanchenjunga closely from this impressive hill station which is home to the traditional North Eastern tribes.
Places to Visit in Pelling – Khecheopalri Lake, Kanchenjunga falls, Pemayangtse monastery, Rimbi falls, Darap village.
Bes Time to Visit – September to May
Shillong, Meghalaya
Popularly nicknamed as the ‘Scotland of East’ Shillong is home to some of the most picturesque and mesmerizing tourist spots in India overall. This city is slowly yet steadily attracting a huge number of tourists from not just other parts of India but across the globe as well. One can visit various intriguing canyons, colourful blossoming parks, impressive lakes and towering peaks, on their visit to Shillong. With the temperature remaining constantly cool throughout the year, Shillong is an oasis for people looking to beat the harsh heat.
Places to visit in Shillong – Elephant Falls, Umiam Lake, Don Bosco Museum, Phan Nonglait Park, Wards Lake.
Best time to visit – all year round
Kohima, Nagaland
This second largest city in the state of Nagaland was founded by the British’s in the year 1878. Currently, it is one of the most vibrant cultural North Eastern centres in India, with the organization of the unique Hornbill festival Kohima is not only a paradise for nature and adventure lovers but is also a haven for fashionistas. Still known for being one of the most offbeat travel locations Kohima has managed to stay close to its traditional roots. The primary occupation for the people of Kohima still remains agriculture and farming while their humbleness has started to attract a lot of tourism.
View of Kohima City
Places to Visit in Kohima – Kohima war cemetery, Nagaland state museum, Sakhrie Park, Naga heritage village.
Best time to Visit – October to May
Haflong, Assam
Haflong is the one and only hill station in Assam, which attracts a number of tourists from across the subcontinent and the map throughout the year. Haflong boasts of a rich cultural heritage which remains untouched. Often referred to as the White Ant Hillock Haflong consists of mesmerizing lakes where one can have some quality time with their family and enjoy a picnic, picturesque green rolling hills and numerous other viewpoint sites where you can witness the sheer grandness and purity of nature in all its forms and vigour. This tiny hill town is a prime and one of the pristine spots for getting away from the busy city life.
Beautiful view of Haflong
Places to visit in Haflong – Haflong hill, Jatinga, Maibong, Haflong Lake
Best Time to Visit – October to April
Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
This enchanting valley town is located at an elevation of 3,048 metres and has always been inhabited by the Monpa people. This town is extremely religious in its Buddhist pursuits hence it is home to numerous calming and beautiful monasteries. Tawang is comfortably nestled on the lush green mountains and is increasingly becoming a safe haven for individuals looking for some adventure as well as for families looking to spend a memorable vacation. It is the perfect combination of rich tradition, a hub for Buddhist religion and of course, mesmerizing surroundings.
Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
Places to visit in Tawang – Tawang monastery, Shonga – Tser Lake, Nuranang Waterfalls, Pankang Teng Tso Lake
The word Yoga means unity and has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ which means ‘to join’. Therefore, Yoga is a means of balancing and bringing harmony between the mind, body and soul. Yoga includes asanas, mudras, kriyas, shaktakarmas and meditation. Yoga instructors advise Yoga must be practised for an hour each day for a healthy mind and body.
June 21 is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed this date at the United Nations General Assembly 2014. The first Yoga day was observed all over the world on June 21, 2015. The event created two Guinness world records – one for the largest yoga class, featuring 35,985 people, and second for the largest number of participating nationalities (84 nations).
Yoga transforms the body, mind & leads one on the path to greater self-discovery. International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness about the benefits of practising yoga and incorporating it into your daily life.
Today is #WorldMusicDay 🎼🎙️🎵🎸🎶🥁🎻🎺🎷#Music brings the world closer. Not just words, there are notes, songs, and tunes to express every emotion. To mark its significance, music lovers all across the globe get together to celebrate #WorldMusicDay on June 21 every year. pic.twitter.com/9BUnhq4Xr6
Art has always been an element of life which makes everything different when it’s there and also turns everything so different when it’s not. You could say that art is everything, and it is everywhere. Well, that’s true. In every corner of this world, art has a space that only it can fill. One of the world’s places showcasing some wonderful kinds of art is Melbourne in Australia.
Whenever you travel to a place near or far from your own, you surely always want to find out the kind of art it has and where it could be found. There’s something in you that craves another kind of art that varies from what you know — everybody knows each country has unique ways of bringing art to life. This piece you’re reading is a friendly guide that briefly introduces you to 10 destinations in Melbourne where you can spend some time with the beauty of its art.
1 – SEVENTH GALLERY
Are you into discovering new stuff and making something unique out of anything? If you are (or even if you aren’t!), Seventh Gallery is just the right place! It embodies diversity and unpredictability in its artistic procedures. Out of the box is its game. This gallery leads you to an experience of experimentation in the world of art in many forms and practices. They also present solo and group exhibitions, wherein many amazing works of art are showcased for the guests to see and of course, experience. Various curators and artists hold performances and talks in the gallery. Aside from those, out-of-the-conventional pieces of work are also accepted and launched there.
Together with its concerns in contemporary art, Seventh also encourages collaborations. If you don’t just want to be a visitor or a spectator, you can also conduct your own event in the gallery. Seventh Gallery is also a good avenue for you to share your love for the arts. It also values growth and progress as it offers great opportunities for artists to develop their skills and present their work through mentoring which includes feedback and helpful professional advice. Seventh has a program for writers wherein they can enhance their skills and set their passion for writing and art ablaze.
2 – CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY
The Centre for Contemporary Photography, as its name says, puts under the spotlight the masterpieces of Australian lens-based arts. It emphasizes contemporary Australian photography and video in a meaningful connection with history — the connection leading to expansion and more recognition for the art of photography in the country. Exhibitions in CCP show several works of photo-based art created by numerous artists at all levels of skill.
In CCP, you can witness a wide range of showpieces extending from local to international division photography. It is definitely a place that will fascinate you because as you know or know not, photos always have something to say and to make someone feel. Different people and different nations coming together for a single contemporary photography exhibition?! That sounds exciting! This place is to be appreciated because passionate hearts and wild imaginations were combined to capture moments, make moments, and give moments meanings of themselves.
3 – FLINDERS COURT
Looking for some super affordable art spaces to have your Instagram-worthy photos taken? Well, here’s one of them. Flinders Court is a laneway in Melbourne where the walls and the ground are filled with paintings of various images. Your eyes will really glow seeing the huge realistic paintings along the laneway. There are cartoon and caricature-styled artworks that will definitely get the WOW out of you! On a daily basis, artists do their masterpieces there, and you can still smell the paint as they are newly painted.
Awesome graffiti can be seen wherever you turn your eyes to, but it’s not tiring to witness the inviting vibrancy of the paint and the interesting stories the images create or created using the images. Street art is one of the unique art forms presented in and by Melbourne, and Flinders Court is one of its best avenues.
4 – COMEDY THEATRE
The Comedy Theatre was built-in 1928 with 1000 seating capacity, structured in Spanish elegance. Since then, its stage has been home to many outstanding and remarkable performances. In 2011, it has been classified by the Victorian Heritage Register which means it is recognized as a heritage place under legal care and protection.
The Comedy Theatre houses great talents for making people laugh ‘til they drop during their live performances. The theatre, however, does not only give you shows to laugh about but to feel a lot of mixed emotions also from musical plays and drama. It allows you to watch multiple stretches of live entertainment and to witness the theatre in different lights (literally and not) and designs, thus, in the sundry atmosphere and feels.
5 – FORUM THEATRE
A theatre of exceptional and multifaceted performances is the Forum Theatre. It has been renovated for a new and better venue for a more comfortable and more compelling venue.
It is very much well-known since its establishment in 1929. The Forum Theatre has been divided into subdivisions, being the largest seating capacity among all the theatres in Australia. Bands, comedians, and singers perform in the Forum in many famous events and festivals annually. There also are function rooms (areas) designated for launches and cocktail parties. Time and time again, the Forum delights lots of guests of all ages, which only proves that “beauty and originality are timeless”.
6 – RUSSELL PLACE
The Russell Place is an old (said to be the oldest) laneway in Melbourne. In this laneway, street art is used by the artist as an outlet for people when it comes to sharing their emotions, feelings, and thoughts too. What’s really interesting here is that looking at the art formed along that laneway, its history as a small street in Australia is somehow narrated by those illustrations. Nowadays, the laneway is associated with fashion boutiques and restaurants. The Russell Place is an old (said to be the oldest) laneway in Melbourne. In this laneway, street art is used by the artist as an outlet for people when it comes to sharing their emotions, feelings, and thoughts too. What’s really interesting here is that looking at the art formed along that laneway, its history as a small street in Australia is somehow narrated by those illustrations. Nowadays, the laneway is associated with fashion boutiques and restaurants.
The Russell Place is an old (said to be the oldest) laneway in Melbourne. In this laneway, street art is used by the artist as an outlet for people when it comes to sharing their emotions, feelings, and thoughts too. What’s really interesting here is that looking at the art formed along that laneway, its history as a small street in Australia is somehow narrated by those illustrations. Nowadays, the laneway is associated with fashion boutiques and restaurants.
7 – HEIDE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
For families and children, the Heide Museum of Modern Art is a must-visit museum in Melbourne. It offers an encouraging and engaging experience — yes, experience and not just witnessing! — of art in many forms. It is into modern and contemporary Australian art.
A rare feature found in museums, delightful gardens are also present in the museum. In those pleasant spots, you can bond and spend some relaxing time with your family or contemplate things all by yourself. There is also a sculpture park measuring about 15 to 16 acres where many sculptures made of different and unconventional materials for sculpting like welded steel and galvanized iron sheet are placed.
8 – AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR THE MOVING IMAGE
A museum of video games?! Am I the only one who heard such for the first time? The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is the country’s national museum of film, video games, and digital art. It is really ideal for people who love everything about films, those who are techy and into “the digital”.
Even if that’s the name, not only film-inclined people will appreciate AMCI, but also those who are interested to know more about them and probably even those who are not into films at all. Both classic and modern local and international films are shown. Talks are also done to educate the guests about the museum and the incredible workmanship too since, I believe, it’s really great to know their background first so you can fully enjoy and grasp its beauty. Because it is said that the artist says what it is, then it’s pretty hard to describe it or feel something about it if you, as a spectator, don’t even know or don’t have even an idea of what the artist says about his/her art.
ACMI offers this of kind of art in moving images. People might think that art is limited to painting and sculpture alone, but nope! Not all art is stationary, some also move.
9 – MALTHOUSE THEATRE
Malthouse Theatre is into artistic and cultural diversity. Dedicated to Australian playwrights and their plays, Malthouse Theatre presents several play productions including drama, music, and dance. The theatre gives way for local and international artists to work together in the formation and production of fresh and groundbreaking presentations that reveal the reality of the human experience. Malthouse takes a look at the world in the personal, social, and political facets of it as these three are among the central aspects of human life including self, relationship, and being part of a nation.
If you are craving live experiences (stage plays and performances), Malthouse is the place you should note down. You will not only be able to watch actors perform on stage with their grand costumes but you will also be engaged in interactive (direct or indirect) conversations with them as part of the play. The plays they perform will surely entertain you and will make you talk about them again even outside the theatre.
10 – STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA
Built-in 1856, the State Library of Victoria is another beautiful place of art and of wonderful minds. It’s a library, but it’s more than just a library. Of course, the books and all the reading materials there in a collection is art already, but the whole place itself is an art as a whole too.
A tour guide can also bring you around the place and introduce it to you in a clear and better way unlike if you’re just roaming around the area and making some wild guesses regarding things and history. One of the library’s noteworthy features is the Chess Room, a special room exclusive for this board game. People come to read anything about Chess — game mechanics and techniques and also its interesting history– and also to play with their fellows and even strangers maybe. There are Dome Reading Rooms where silence is a pleasant sound to the ear. It’s a place where you’d have to go to if you love to read pages and sniff the wonderful smell of books, especially the old ones. There are also exhibitions constantly set out and actual workshops held in the library for children and students aged any.
Many people visit the library to step into a world of awesome information and to unfold stories yet to be discovered as the library itself is a great structure of notable olden days. It looks very classic, giving everyone who goes there, an amazing feeling of the past.
ART-FILLED MELBOURNE There you have it! — 10 destinations in Melbourne where its art–in several distinct forms–is housed. You see how Melbourne has abundant riches in its art ranging from visual arts to performing arts — both also arraying from one kind to another. Hopefully, you have now gotten this list as a chance to get chance to save some time wondering where to go to see some art and the chance to make a worthwhile and art-filled trip to Melbourne, Australia.
Nicole Ann Pore is a daytime writer for Holiday Inn Parramatta, a five-star hotel is located in Parramatta, New South Wales (Australia). For Nicole, the beauty of this world is just breathtaking, astounding and something worth sharing. Because of the course, she took up in college, she has become interested in film critiquing and filmmaking. She is into events hosting and voice over acting and hosting. | Nicole graduated Cum Laude from De La Salle University-Manila, the Philippines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts. “To God be all the glory
The world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney returns in 2018 with a spectacular new precinct at Luna Park, the return of much-loved Customs House, and a fantastical blend of everyday objects and Australian-inspired motifs on the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Adam Marshall said, “Vivid Sydney has delighted and inspired people from around Australia and the world. With the Festival now in its 10th year, visitors and locals alike can once again expect to be mesmerised by the Vivid Sydney program, with larger installations and a gripping Music and Ideas offering, so I encourage visitors to start planning their trip early to get the most out of this year’s exciting line-up.
“Over 23 nights from Friday 25 May to Saturday 16 June, Vivid Sydney will paint the Harbour City in the colour and spectacle of Vivid Light, take over Sydney stages with Vivid Music’s electric performances and collaborations, and provide a global forum for thought-provoking debate and creative discussion at Vivid Ideas.”
Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and in 2017, attracted a record-breaking 2.33 million attendees to Vivid Sydney, delivering an incredible $143 million of visitor expenditure into the NSW economy.
VIVID LIGHT
For the first time, Vivid Sydney’s dazzling Light Walk extends to new precinct Luna Park Sydney, where the iconic amusement park comes alive with a large-scale projection on the facade of Coney Island. The show celebrates the history, magic, creativity, engineering, fantasy and imagination that have come together to create millions of memories on this unique and special site. This year also marks the first time Luna Park’s iconic Ferris Wheel will be lit for the festival following an LED refit, which has included a massive boost in the number of lights adorning the wheel.
Vivid Sydney’s bright lights will illuminate the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney again in 2018, where visitors will follow a pathway that weaves through an exciting nocturnal environment inspired by nature. Here, Parrot Party inspired by the New Zealand Kea Parrot and the Australian Rainbow Lorikeet comes alive as people gather, breaking into song and radiating colourful light. Aqueous will dazzle with its interactive landscape of meandering pathways of light, which will flow and glow in full illuminated interactivity, engaging visitors in collaborative play. The Bloom, a giant electric, metallic flower with petals adorned with mirrors that refract and reflect light, puts you in the centre of the flower capturing the perfect photo moment, and He’e nalu gives the joyous sensation of surfing a wave.
In celebration of their 100 year anniversary, May Gibbs’ iconic and immortal characters, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and their stalwart companions come to life on the façade of Customs House, as they journey through the Australian Bush and encounter the weird, the wonderful, and things quite unknown altogether. This whimsical piece will be narrated by renowned Australian film and television actress Noni Hazlehurst AM, Patron of the Australian Children’s Laureate, and beloved by Play School devotees far and wide.
All eyes turn to the World-Heritage listed Sydney Opera House at the centre of the Vivid Light Walk for Lighting of the Sails, created in 2018 by award-winning Australian artist Jonathan Zawada. Visitors will be captivated by Metamathemagical, a bold and dynamic display of morphing digital sculptures inspired by recognisable Australian motifs across science, nature and culture.
Sydney’s iconic buildings will once again be transformed, including the facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) with Virtual Vibration, a highly-collaborative creative work produced in conjunction with MCA Collection artist Jonny Niesche and composer Mark Pritchard. Interactive lighting display Skylark will let visitors put their own colourful mark on the city, stretching from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the skyscrapers of Circular Quay to the reaches of Sydney Harbour.
Network Ten and MasterChef Australia will bring a magical experience to the facade of the ASN Co. Building in The Rocks, in celebration of both Masterchef and Vivid Sydney’s 10th Birthday with Mystery Gateau. Mini construction-worker chefs will guide you on a journey of fun and wonderment, with the famous MasterChef clock ticking down to the final extraordinary surprise.
Popular precincts Taronga Zoo, Darling Harbour, Chatswood, Barangaroo and Kings Cross will return in 2018.
Festival favourites from last year are back along with a whole new mob of fierce, fantastic, quirky and endearing species for Taronga Zoo’s Lights for the Wild. Visitors will discover some new spectacular animal light sculptures, and learn how Taronga is working to help save 10 species from extinction over the next 10 years.
An art-meets-technology water fountain, light and laser experience takes Darling Harbour visitors into a dream-like dive under the ocean, while the iconic rooftop of the Australian National Maritime Museum will be projected with BBC Earth and Sir David Attenborough’sBlue Planet II, exploring the fascinating world beneath the waves.
A pop-up market inspired by the colourful neighbourhood street markets of Brazil, built from a scaffold and recycled materials and lit by lasers will transform the Chatswood CBD. The Concourse will take visitors on an immersive, deep dive into space featuring NASA’s amazing imagery and 360-degree projection.
Barangaroo glows under layers of light and sound that evoke the surrounding waterways, with the precinct coming to life through the magnificent art of puppetry with a breathtaking, giant luminescent creature venturing along the waterfront in a theatrical display of sound and light.
Precinct contributor Coca-Cola returns to light up the streets of Sydney’s iconic Kings Cross and to support another KX program in 2018. The colourful strip along Darlinghurst Road will be transformed with a spectacular display of light and life. The famous Coca-Cola sign comes alive again in 2018 with an array of flair and a creative colour show. Other Vivid KX transformations include the historic Victorian Terrace; World Bar, which will unfurl a multi-story house party, and the renowned Kings Cross Hotel, which will host cutting-edge artists curated by legendary party-crews.
VIVID MUSIC
Vivid Music ups the ante in 2018 with an electric line-up, from noise to jazz, sonic experimentation to the soul. Highlights include a one-night-only performance by Grammy award-winning rock-goddess St. Vincent, and the return of Curve Ball headlined by Alison Wonderland — a large-scale live music and art event created by the team behind Field Day, Harbourlife and Listen Out — both at Carriageworks.
The City Recital Hall returns to the program, tracking the extraordinary rise in jazz with the Innovators In Jazz series featuring the undisputed king, triple Grammy award-winner saxophonist Branford Marsalis. The world’s finest jazz vocalists including Kurt Elling and chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux will line up alongside Orange is the New Black star Lea Delaria in her musical comedy, jazz interpretation show.
Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House hosts a stellar line-up of Australian exclusives as part of Vivid Sydney, including several Opera House debuts. Highlights this year include American dream-pop icons Mazzy Star, the godfather of West Coast rap Ice Cube, acclaimed 90s indie rock singer/songwriter Cat Power, Grammy award-winning artist Solange, and the long-awaited collaboration between iconic Australian artistsDaniel JohnsandLuke Steele.
Now in its 4th year as part of Vivid Sydney, Heaps Gay struts uptown to Sydney Town Hall for an unmissable experience, the inaugural Queen’s Ball. Other not-to-be-missed events include Young Hearts Run Free and one of Australia’s most exciting breakthrough artists performing at the Enmore Theatre,Vera Blue.
Also returning to Vivid Music in 2018 is X|Celerate, a partnership between Vivid Sydney and the City of Sydney to enliven music venues across town. Showcasing grassroots and emerging local music talent, highlights will include Purple Sneakers 12th birthday at The Lansdowne, a fusion of food, wine and music at Cake Wines Cellar Door, and HAPPY and VISIONS at The Lady Hampshire.
As architects of the future, it’s time to join the masterminds and creative catalysts at Vivid Ideas for inspiration. Vivid Ideas provides a forum to workshop, collaborate and cultivate fresh thinking to drive the creative agenda across tech, design, entertainment and culture. Vivid Ideas returns in 2018 with some of the world’s greatest minds as we explore the future-shaping scenarios that will define our lives.
Vivid Ideas 2018 showcases those who are leading the way in technology, creativity and science. Game Changers and Creative Catalysts this year include film-maker, marine explorer and conservationist James Cameron. In a Vivid Sydney exclusive, James will explore his passion for science and technology, and how it has influenced his work as a film director and environmentalist. James will be joined in conversation by Adam Spencer, while in Sydney to open the James Cameron – Challenging the Deep exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Australian global success story Dare Jennings — founder of Mambo Clothing, Phantom Records and Deus ex Machina — joins his good friend James Valentineto discuss creating cult brands that cut across age and lifestyles as well the joys of throwing out the rulebook.
Futurist and game developer, Jane McGonigal can prove games have the power transform our real world lives. She and Artificial Intelligence expert Kriti Sharma join Vivid Ideas to explore the latest in AI, VR and gaming to ask what kind of society we can create with technology.
Visual strategist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-founder of the Museum of Awe, Dan Goods joins the Vivid Ideas Creative Catalysts line-up to explore how creativity and science interplay and why NASA has a virtual strategist.
The New Horizons series explores the mega-trends and micro-developments in technology and innovation and shines a light on experts tackling the biggest issues with creativity in a bid to make our future brighter. Topics include Future Fashion, Algae is the New Black, Blockchain Decoded and Evolving Democracy.
Over three successive Wednesdays, Vivid Sydney will take over the Art Gallery of NSW to create an intimate portrait of our better selves. Our special guests dare to ask if we can improve dying, how we can find common ground when and where there’s conflict, and why we should nudge perceptions around female sexuality. These events will be accompanied by curated music from Gold heist, Air Land Sea and Haiku Hands.
The Vivid Ideas Exchange at the Museum of Contemporary Art returns, boasting a diverse line-up of talks presented by creative experts covering topics including the future of work, the ethics of humanizing technology and how to become agents for change.
VIVID SPONSORS
Vivid Sydney thanks its sponsors for their support of Vivid Sydney 2018. Partners include American Express returning for the second year of partnership, and introducing a new partner, Samsung. Supporters include City of Sydney, Oracle Liquid, Property NSW, Sydney Opera House, TAFE NSW, Technical Direction Company, Transgrid, Transport for NSW and 32 Hundred Lighting. For the second year, Vivid Sydney’s Access and Inclusion partner is Cushman and Wakefield, Coca-Cola returns as Kings Cross precinct contributor and the festival continues its sustainability partnership with the Banksia Foundation. Also new to Vivid Sydney are Vivid Collaborators, CSIRO, Gateway Sydney, Network 10, ATS Logistics, Kennards Hire and Red Balloon.
