Hotel review: Ibis Geneve Centre Lac (Geneva, Switzerland)

First of all you need to know that I hate Geneva. Every year that I am forced to come here, I hate it even more. But business is business (and a damn good one, may I add), so we practically don’t have a choice but to come here every year. I will probably write a short post about why I hate Geneva soon, but for now let’s focus on the accommodation. I booked Ibis Geneve Centre Lac almost 6 months before, because I knew things will get much worse prior to the exhibition. And even then was I not happy about having to pay almost 300€ per night for a basic room in a 3 star hotel. But, believe it or not, it was one of the cheapest!

 

Location

Once you figure out Geneva’s traffic, you realize it is best to stay close to the Gare Cornavin train station, from where you can get free bus to PalExpo. Or anywhere else for that matter. Ibis Centre Lac hotel is located in Pâquis neighborhood, less than 5 minutes’ walk from Gare de Cornavin. No need to say there are limitless choices of restaurants and bars around it, just don’t expect you will get a decent meal for a decent price in any of them. You are in Geneva. By the way you are also in some kind of red district. I got a room with a view of “8th heaven” or something. Not a sight for sore eyes though.

Rooms

What I like about Ibis is that you always know what to expect and you get exactly that. Basic but nice and comfortable rooms, small but clean bathroom and good location. Bed and pillows never disappoint, which is the most important for me. I did miss coffee/tea maker in the room though – all other Ibises I’ve stayed in offer that. But again, this is Geneva.

Breakfast and reception

You can hardly tell where one ends and the other one starts. Reception is nice, staff is unusually nice for Geneva, and everything was handled professionally. A few steps away from the reception you walk into some kind of bar, followed by tables and sitting area where they serve breakfast in the morning. Breakfast is nice, not as rich as for example in Barcelona or Dubai, but still very good for a 3 star hotel. The only thing I REALLY bothered me was the very narrow space around coffee machine. People were queueing around it like mad, and you really don’t want to be stuck waiting for your cup when you are in a hurry. Which is what you always are if you are rushing to PalExpo.

Anda’s rate: 8 from 10

Bottom line: With Ibis you always know what to expect and it is really not their fault that Geneva is totally overrated. They just follow the demand and would be stupid not to pick up the money lying in the street. Compared to other Ibis hotels, Ibis Geneve Centre Lac was the most basic, but still decent enough to recommend it further.

 

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Tadž Mahal – Solza na licu časa

Na letalo vstopiva zadnja in ker je vrsta pred najinima sedežema popolnoma prazna, se mi na usta prikrade zmagovalni nasmešek. Hitro se prestavim, z oblačili in torbico zasedem vse ostale sedeže, zaprem oči in počakam na vzlet. A zaspati ne morem niti po tem, ko se znak za varnostne pasove obarva zeleno in se lahko udobneje namestim. Misel na Indijo me zapolni z občutkom strahu pred neznanim. Nelagodje me pravzaprav spremlja že vse od trenutka, ko sva se odločila, da počitnice na Maldivih združiva s »skokom« do Agre. Od takrat naprej sem iz vsaj desetih različnih virov slišala: »V Indijo gresta? Sta se cepila? Tam vsak zboli. Tam je taka svinjarija, da se je ne da opisati!« Kaj mi je tega treba bilo, premlevam v svoji glavi. Vendar točno vem kaj, oziroma zakaj. Želim videti veliki Tadž Mahal.

K sreči je let do Delhija relativno kratek. Ob izstopu iz letala prvič vdihnem smog, ki se zaradi svoje gostote neverjetno hitro infiltrira v vse pore mojega telesa. Roke si namažem z antibakterijskim gelom (s seboj sem prinesla kar 3), čez usta in nos pa si refleksno poveznem šal. Ko stojimo v vrsti za vstop v državo, živčno opazujem ostale potnike in si v mislim rišem scenarije, kako bom naslednjih 10 dni preživela na razmajani postelji v bolniški sobi brez klime. Vendar nelagodje izgine v trenutku, ko ob izstopu zagledam brkatega šoferja s transparentom, na katerem je moje ime. Okoli vratu nama nadene ogrlici iz svežih rož in nama z dobrodušnim piškavim nasmehom reče: »Dobrodošla v Indiji.«

Pot do Agre in prvi stik z realnostjo

Pot do Agre, ki je iz Delhija oddaljena 230 kilometrov, traja dobre 4 ure. Ko se počasi izvijamo iz mestne gneče, postaja smog vse redkejši, pokrajina pa vse bolj pomirjujoča. Na neskončnih zelenih poljih je občasno opaziti nekaj ljudi in številne manjše templje, ki pričajo o globoki verski pripadnosti. Kar 75 odstotkov prebivalcev Indije je namreč hindujcev, sledijo muslimani, kristjani in ostale verske manjšine. Hinduizem se navzven odraža v načinu oblačenja, nošenja nakita in telesnih poslikavah. Ženske imajo v Indiji praviloma pokrita ramena in spodnji del telesa, v ruralnih predelih bolj zaradi tradicije, v mestih pa predvsem zaradi nadlegovanja in žal tudi visokega števila posilstev. Kljub vse bolj glasnim javnim protestom in prizadevanjem vlade za preprečevanje nasilja, je Delhi še vedno eno izmed najnevarnejših mest za nežnejši spol.

Po približno polovici poti šofer zavije z avtoceste in parkira pred navzven dokaj urejeno stavbo. »Vi kava in stranišče«, se nasmeji. Prvi stik z realnostjo, torej. Pred vhodom na stranišče čaka gospodična, ki mi ponudi papirnato brisačo in v zameno pričakuje nekaj drobiža. Iz umivalnika se komaj nakaplja toliko vode, da si umijem roke. Vonj, ki se vije iz toaletnih prostorov vse do kavomata, me odvrne od vsake želje po hrani in pijači. Roke si izdatno namažem z gelom za dezinfekcijo, spijem vodo iz plastenke, ki sva jo kupila na letališču in upam, da bo zalega do prihoda v hote.

Ko z avtoceste zavijemo proti Agri, se začnejo med avtomobile prerivati motoristi, rikše in kolesarji, ki našo vožnjo tako upočasnijo, da si lahko podrobno ogledam dogajanje okoli sebe. To so prizori, ki jih ne bom pozabila nikoli. Ceste, prekrite z blatom in živalskimi iztrebki, nepregledni kupi smeti na vseh koncih in krajih, v zraku pa smog in črn dim, ki se vali iz številnih opekarn in ognjišč. Med stojnicami, kjer kuhajo hrano, popravljajo avtomobilske dele, sušijo perilo in izdelujejo orodje, se nemoteno sprehajajo krave, psi in druge domače živali. Napol dokončane stavbe dajejo vtis, kot da se bodo ravnokar sesedle same vase, kabelska napeljava med njimi pa je prepletena v srhljiv labirint, ki bi v zadrego spravil tudi najboljšega strokovnjaka za elektriko. Kadar se avto zaradi gneče popolnoma ustavi, pritečejo otroci, ki nam skušajo na vsak način nekaj prodati. Še ena bogata turistka, ki bo iz sočutja odprla okna avtomobila, je razbrati iz njihovih nagajivih oči.

Beli velikan na drugi strani reke

Šofer zapelje do vrste malo bolje urejenih šotorov, ki ponujajo spominke in pijačo v plastenkah. Ustavi avto in reče: »Tukaj Mehtab Bagh, vrt. Tam vstopnina, jaz čakam tukaj.« Začudena se spogledava, saj za današnji dan nimava načrtovanega nobenega ogleda. Odpraviva se do vhoda, ki vodi v nasad nizkega drevja. V vrtu ni veliko ljudi in ravno, ko se začnem spraševati, kaj je imel šofer za bregom, v daljavi opazim belega velikana. Tadž Mahal, ki sva ga nameravala obiskati šele naslednji dan, je od naju ločen le z reko. Pogled nanj je tako presunljiv, da me ne zmoti niti oblačno nebo, zaradi katerega bom prikrajšana za čarobni odsev sončnega zahoda. Veličastno marmorno gmoto z obeh strani simetrično obdajata dve rdeči stavbi – kot bi želeli zajeziti mravljišče ljudi, ki okoli njunega varovanca lovijo zadnje trenutke dneva. Jutri zjutraj bova na njunem mestu midva. Še ena izmed več deset tisoč turistov, ki Tadž Mahal obiščejo vsak dan. Za trenutek se vprašam, ali ni morda bolje, da mi v spominu ostane ta impresivna podoba sredi tišine, kot pa da se prerivam v množici za tisto fotografijo, ki jo bodo tako in tako skazili nepovabljeni gostje.

Tadž Mahal se za obiskovalce odpre ob sončnem vzhodu, zato se naslednje jutro še v temi odpraviva do enega izmed njegovih treh vhodov. Na srečo prispeva med prvimi in ker s seboj nimava nobenega nahrbtnika, se zelo hitro premakneva mimo varnostnikov do vrat, ki vodijo do njegovega veličanstva. Ko si prvič zreva iz oči v oči, v trenutku pozabim na tistih nekaj turistov, ki že nastavljajo svoje bliskavice in iščejo najboljši kotiček za fotografijo. Pred mano je veliki Tadž Mahal, eno izmed sedmih čudes novodobnega sveta.

 

Brezčasen spomenik izgubljeni ljubezni

Od blizu je Tadž Mahal še lepši. Do njega vodi čudovit vodni park, v katerem se elegantno zrcali odsev belih kupol. Vse okoli njega je popolna simetrija, ki daje vtis, da niti en sam detajl ni tam po naključju. Vtis, da je bila ta izjemna stvaritev načrtovana z veliko strastjo in da se za njenim nastankom skriva veličastna zgodba. Zgodba, ki je za seboj pustila brezčasen spomenik izgubljeni ljubezni. Zgodba, ki buri srca in domišljijo obiskovalcev že vse od 17. stoletja.

Tadž Mahal je namreč mavzolej, posvečen največji ljubezni mogulskega šaha Džahana. Mumtaz Mahal, perzijska princesa, s katero je bil poročen 19 let, in je bila njegova tretja žena, ni bila zgolj lepa – zaradi svoje čustvene in umske inteligence je imela velik vpliv na šahove odločitve, spremljala pa ga je celo na njegovih osvajalskih pohodih. Njuno ljubezensko zgodbo je pretrgala kruta usoda ob porodu njunega 14. otroka. Ker je Mumtaz čutila, da ga ne bo preživela, je med porodom k sebi poklicala moža in mu tik pred smrtjo zaupala svoje zadnje želje: da bi poskrbel za njune otroke, da se po njeni smrti ne bi nikoli več poročil in da bi zgradil spomenik, ki bo pričal o njuni veliki ljubezni. Po dveh letih globokega žalovanja je šah Džahan lokacijo ob reki Džamuna (navdih zanjo je dobil ravno ob pogledu z vrta Mehtab Bagh) odkupil od tamkajšnjega maharadže in za gradnjo angažiral strokovnjake z vsega sveta. Pri snovanju in izvedbi mavzoleja je sodelovalo 20.000 delavcev, njegova gradnja je potekala celih 22 let, zanjo pa je šah, preračunano v današnje vrednosti, plačal skoraj 700 milijonov evrov.

Tadž Mahal, katerega ime je izpeljanka naziva šahove žene in pomeni kraljeva palača, je zgrajen iz belega marmorja, ki spreminja svojo barvo pod vplivom sončnih žarkov. Vanj so vklesani dragi kamni, ki tvorijo podobe lilij, vrtnic in lotusov. Zaradi loma svetlobe je njegova podoba veličastna v vseh letnih časih in v vsakem delu dneva. Osrednji del predstavlja grobnica, ki je obdana s štirimi vitkimi stolpi. Le-ti so rahlo nagnjeni navzven, da se v primeru potresa ne bi zrušili v notranjost. Levo in desno od grobnice stojita dve mošeji iz kontrastno rdečega kamna, pri čemer je le ena prava, namenjena molitvi, druga pa je tam zgolj zaradi simetrije. Celoten kompleks obdaja visok zid, ki Tadž Mahal skoraj popolnoma zakrije pred nezaželenimi pogledi.

Mojstrovina z eno samo napako

Kljub skrbno načrtovani zasnovi pa ima ta arhitekturna mojstrovina eno napako. Edina nesimetrija v celotnem kompleksu je skrita v grobnici, a zanjo šah Jahan ni nikoli izvedel. Kasneje je namreč načrtoval gradnjo identične, a v črn marmor odete grobnice na drugi strani reke, ki bi jo povezal z mostom, tako da bi bila po njegovi smrti z njegovo ljubljeno zopet združena. Žal mu je načrte pretrgal krut boj za njegovo nasledstvo. Šah je tako zadnja leta svojega življenja preživel kot ujetnik v bližnji trdnjavi, kjer je, kot pravi legenda, skozi majhno okno vsak dan od daleč opazoval  grob ljubljene žene. Po njegovi smrti so ga pokopali v Tadž Mahalu, njegovo krsto pa so postavili ob levi bok njegove drage. In to je edini element, ki ruši simetrijo tega sicer popolnega kompleksa.

Navdih za popotnike in umetnike

Leta 1983 je bil Tadž Mahal vpisan na seznam UNESCO-ve svetovne dediščine kot mojstrovina, ki združuje oblikovalsko tradicijo perzijske in mogulske arhitekture in predstavlja simbol bogate indijske zgodovine. Spomenik velike ljubezni je postal navdih za popotnike, znanstvenike, fotografe in umetnike z vsega sveta. Odkar se je leta 2007 uvrstil med 7 novih svetovnih čudes, ga letno obišče okoli sedem milijonov ljudi, ob vikendih in praznikih pa tudi po 70.000 dnevno. Zato ga je najbolje obiskati izven sezone, tik ob sončnem vzhodu. Takrat je še mogoče najti miren kotiček in ga spoštljivo opazovati z daljave, kako se, kot je lepo zapisal indijski pesnik Rabindranatha Tagora, dviga iznad reke kot osamljena solza na licu časa.

Namigi za popotnike

  • Za vstop v Indijo potrebujemo vizo, ki jo dobimo na internetu in stane okoli 50€
  • Vstopnina v Tadž Mahal je 13€ na osebo
  • Več fotografij lahko najdete v mojem Facebook albumu
  • Najboljši čas za obisk je zgodnja pomlad in pozna jesen, ko so temperature še vedno dovolj prijetne
  • Večina popotnikov Tadž Mahal obišče v sklopu »Zlatega trikotnika«, v katerega poleg Agre sodita še mesti Džaipur in Delhi.
  • Pred potovanjem se pravočasno posvetujte o cepljenjih in zdravilih, ki jih je dobro vzeti s sabo.
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The Taj Mahal Love Story

Although India was never on my bucket list, I did secretly wish to see the grand Taj Mahal, especially after I had learned about the story behind it. Thanks to my boyfriend, who always comes up with great ideas (I know he won’t read this so I might as well give him the credit :P) we made a “small detour” on our way to Maldives this February. Since it was quite a challenge to get all the relevant information about Taj Mahal in one place, I have decided to write a post where I will gather everything you need to know, such as: what time is the best to visit, which gate is best to enter, how to avoid the crowds, how to get the best picture of Taj Mahal, whether to stay in Agra overnight, and more. Yep, visiting Taj Mahal is quite a challenge 😉

THE STORY OF TAJ MAHAL

First of all, it is good to know the Taj Mahal story. Once you realize that this architectural wonder is actually a mausoleum, dedicated to an amazing woman, you will look at it from a totally different perspective. To make a long story short: Taj Mahal (meaning Crown of the Palace) was built in 17th century by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to fulfill the last wish of his dying wife, queen Mumtaz Mahal, who was the love of his life. She died shortly after giving birth to their 14th child and she asked him to make a wonderful creation in memory of their eternal love. After months of heavy grieving, Shah found a beautiful location next to Yamuna river and hired the world’s best architects to make her wish come true. It took over 20 years and 2000 workers to build the most beautiful tomb in the world. It is now known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

HOW TO GET THERE

Taj Mahal is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, around 230 km south from Delhi. Most of the foreign tourists fly to Delhi International Airport and from there you have several options. Bus is the cheapest but I would leave it for the most adventurous souls. Traffic in India is CRAZY, roads are rough and you don’t want to be stuck on the bus for over 4 hours. Second option is by local flight, however be prepared for delays or in some cases even cancellations due to heavy smog. The third and I believe the most convenient option is by car – and by car, I mean hiring a professional driver. If he speaks English, even better. You can read more about India travel tips, including when to visit, in my post here.

HOW TO AVOID THE CROWDS

Around 40.000 people visit Taj Mahal DAILY, and up to 70.000 on holidays and weekends, now you do the math. No matter which time of year you go, go there early. Taj Mahal opens at sunset and if you want to avoid the crowds, get there before them. In our case the entrance gate opened at 6.30 am, so we went there at 6 – the line was already there, but it was bearable. Try to pass the people who want to make photos the minute they cross the main gate, and head towards the red mosques (left and right from the main building). You will probably be alone there and you will have a perfect view of the white beauty.

STAY IN AGRA OVERNIGHT AND SEE THE AGRA FORT

While it is possible to take a day trip, and a lot of agencies offer it, I recommend staying in Agra the night before. First, for the obvious reason (you DO want to be in Taj Mahal first thing in the morning, right?) and second, because you will have time to visit Agra Fort later on. It is very close to Taj Mahal, it was also built by Shah Jahan (the legend says he spent his last years imprisoned in the fort, from where he watched the tombstone of his beloved wife every day until he died), and it is well worth seeing. We stayed in Crystal Sarovar Premiere and we were very satisfied with our choice. You can search for the hotels in Agra on Booking.com – click here to get a 15€ discount for your next booking.

ENTRANCE FEE

You will need to walk around half a mile to reach the ticket counter (you cannot get there by car), so add around 10 minutes for this as well. And NO, you cannot buy tickets in advance. The foreigners ticket costs 1000 rupees (around 13€) and comes with a bottle of water and shoe coverings which you will need to enter inside of Taj Mahal. After getting the tickets you will need to line up in 4 lines (2 for locals and 2 for foreigners, men and women separately) and you will be inspected. The scene is the same in all three entrance gates, so there is no rule which gate is less crowded.

 

WHAT TO WEAR AND WHAT NOT TO TAKE WITH YOU

There is no dress code, but ladies try not to look too trashy. There are thousands of locals visiting Taj Mahal daily and if nothing else, you should respect their culture. During winter you might want to dress in layers because it gets very chilly in the morning. If you want to avoid the inspection line, don’t take any handbags or purses. You can save a lot of time with this small detail. You can bring your phone, camera and things you can put in your pocket, but you cannot bring: tripod, food and drinks (besides the water you got at the counter), anything plastic, and of course the obvious dangerous objects.

PREPARE YOUR CAMERAS

My first impression when I entered through the main gate was like I had walked into a fairytale: a straight path leading towards the pool in which you can see the reflection of the magnificent curvy shaped giant, posing like a Hollywood pro. Taj Mahal – one of the most beautiful examples of Mughal architecture – is covered in beautiful white marble which changes colors in different lights of the day. We were there in the early morning and its color was dark white because the sun was hiding behind the clouds. But it was just as beautiful as you can see in most of the pictures. The tombstone in the main building is surrounded by 2 identical red-stoned mosques, which represent a symmetry, like everything else in and around the complex. Well, except for one not-so-small detail: while Mumtaz Mahal’s casket is located exactly in the center of the “palace”, Shah Jahan didn’t plan to be buried beside her. So now they lie together in harmony but not in symmetry.

HOW TO GET THE BEST PHOTO OF TAJ MAHAL

If you listened to my advice and entered early AF, then you should be good for that perfect frontal shot from the pool side. And you should get away with only a few tourists on each side of the path, like I did. Of course, you will want to make as many photos as possible but keep in mind that others will not wait for you and it is also polite to make space for others eventually. As I said before, you should hurry towards the red buildings (left one is the actual mosque and you will need to take your shoes on the platform, the one on the opposite side is not, so if you want pictures with your shoes on, head towards the right one) – and you will get awesome views, plus there is a high chance you will be almost alone. There is another great option, but for this one you will need a car (again, it is a very good idea to hire a driver).

MOONLIGHT GARDENS

If you were wondering whether you can see the Taj Mahal without entering through the main gate, or if by some strange coincidence you happen to be in Agra on Friday, here is the answer: you CAN. Mehtab Bagh, which means Moonlight Garden, is located on the opposite side of the Yamuna river and it offers spectacular views of Taj Mahal. The garden is not very big and unfortunately not as well kept as one would expect but it is well worth visiting, even if you already saw Taj Mahal face to face (the entrance fee is just a couple of euros). People usually come here before sunset, however because of frequent fog and clouds this can be a quite a challenge. We were not that lucky, but still managed to get some great shots. You can see more of my Taj Mahal and Agra photos in my Facebook album.

Did you find my review helpful or you have any additional questions? Have you been to Taj Mahal and want to share some other tips with us? Scroll down for comments, I will be happy to read them!

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Hotel review: Villa Milas (Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

When we decided to visit Mostar on our short Balkan road trip in May, it was really a last-minute decision. We literally sat in our car, checked the weather in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the same day (yes, we crazy people drove from Slovenia to BIH for around 8 hours!) and booked the hotel in Mostar during the first coffee break. This is definitely NOT what I usually do because I am a control freak who wants to sleep in the best possible location and get the most out of her money. But I am also known to be lucky from time to time and hotel Villa Milas has proved to be a very good choice.

Location

Hotel Villa Milas has a perfect location: it is situated on the main road, opposite of the entrance of the old town (less than 500 meters away), and still far enough to have its own parking space, which comes for free if you book it upfront. While GPS should do its job just fine, you can also search for the highest church tower in town – it belongs to Saint Peter and Paul Monastery which is quite impressive.

Rooms

Rooms are really nice, it seems like they were recently renovated, which is quite important in BIH because a lot of people tend to smoke inside of public places (like the lobby for example). I really hope they will adapt EU non-smoking rules there soon. The bed was a bit smaller as I had hoped for (they advertised “large bed” but it was actually just a queen size), yet quite comfortable. I also loved the fact that there were no carpets on the floor, and the bathroom is very cute too. Toiletries were basic, but this is a 3-star hotel so no hard feelings.

Breakfast

On the other hand, breakfast was more than you could expect from a 3-star hotel in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A great choice of healthy stuff like teas, fruits, yogurts and cereals, and also the standard yummies like eggs, cheese and ham. Breakfast room is located in the cellar so the cigarette smoke from the lobby doesn’t get the chance to reach it.

 

There is also a bar in the lobby, quite cozy (again, it is a smoking area), however if you are in Mostar, you definitely have to get out and enjoy every moment of it. The guy at the reception was very helpful with showing us everything on the city map, so you should be good.

Anda’s rate: 8,5 of 10

Bottom line: There were other reasonably priced options with river and old bridge views, but we rather decided to stay a bit away from the hustle and bustle – hotel Villa Milas was a very good choice. After all, when you finish your dinner in one of the numerous restaurants in the old town, it feels good to stretch your legs a bit.

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