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Royal House Gori

The Royal house is said to be a 4-star hotel located in Gori, Georgia. I booked this place for a one-night stay at the end of January 2022.  The pictures on Booking.com and reality are totally different.  Luckily the price I paid was just GEL 64 (that's about EUR 20) and the stay was only one night. Now, the so-called hotel is decent, there is a bed (a lot of beds) heating, shower. Just hard to call it a 4-star hotel, more like a hostel or a…


Hotel reviews |

Galle Face Green

Galle Face is a 5 ha (12 acres) ocean-side urban park, which stretches for 500 m (1,600 ft) along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also…


Tourism objects |

Sulfur Bath N5 in Tbilisi

Sulfur Bath N5 is located in the Tbilisi Bath district of Abanotubani.  We have been heading to these bathhouses a lot in the past (back in 2011-2013), since then we have changed our location, visiting other, not so fancy ones on Kyiv street, but lately again, we have started to visit sulfur bathhouses in the old town district. Chreli Abano Sulfur Bath in Tbilisi This time we visited Bath house N5 The bathhouse is located near the Heydar…


Health & Wellness |

Independence Memorial Hall in Colombo

Independence Memorial Hall is a national monument in Sri Lanka built for commemoration of the independence of Sri Lanka from British rule with the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on February 4, 1948. It is located in Independence Square (formally Torrington Square) in the Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. It also houses the Independence Memorial Museum. I first visited it at the start of January 2022…


Tourism objects |

Restaurant at Georgia Gold Hotel in Gori

Georgia Gold is a 4-star hotel located just in the heart of Gori, Georgia. Seems this place has been opened to the public just recently.  Anyhow, we didn't stay here for a night, but come for a breakfast and got some of the most delicious ones.  We stayed overnight in Gori at another,  Royal house hotel, but in the morning decided to check out early and look for some fancy breakfast place. I remembered about this place and here we come. We…


Restaurant reviews |

Galle Fort in Sri Lanka

Galle Fort is located in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The port was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological, and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 432 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. We…


Military Heritage |

Gori Railway Station

Gori Railway Station, a small stop on the Georgian Railway line, is an intermediate station on the Tbilisi-Batumi route which sees more than a dozen trains passing through each day.  Whether you are looking to travel to Gori from Tbilisi by train or just prefer wandering about Soviet Architecture, the Gori railway station might be the answer.  The train station is located in southern Gori, 2 kilometers from the city center and away from all of…


Railway / Bus / Ferry |

Cinnamon Bey Beruwala Hotel Review

Surrounded by coconut trees and vast green lawns, Cinnamon Bey features bright and spacious rooms with a private balcony. It provides an outdoor pool and 6 on-site food and beverage options. We booked this 5-star hotel at the start of January 2022, and for a 3-night stay here we paid about $540. By accident, we booked a superior room, but I was able to get a free upgrade to a deluxe room, which was amazing and included access to deluxe pool.…


Hotel reviews |

Viharamahadevi Park Colombo

Viharamahadevi Park, formerly Victoria Park, is a public park located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, situated in front of the colonial-era Town Hall in Sri Lanka. We had a chance to discover this lovely park and try some mango drinks in the park at the start of January 2022, when a tuk-tuk driver showed us some of the top sightseeing places in Colombo. It was built by the British colonial administration and is the oldest and largest park of…


Tourism objects |

Gorijvari

The ancient church called ‘’Gorijvari’’ stands between the Trialeti Mountains and the river bank of Mtkvari close to the Gori town in Georgia. The church was named after Saint Georges, which was originally built in the 12th century.  It was burned down by the Turks, rebuilt, and destroyed again by an earthquake in 1920. The current church was built in the 1980s. It was at the end of January 2022, we were traveling around Gori town and were…


Churches and Monasteries |

Tsunami Honganji Vihara

Tsunami Honganji Vihara is a Buddhist Monument in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka We discovered this place at the start of January 2022 while taking a local driver for a trip from our hotel in Bentota to Galle. Our driver told us the tragic story about Tsunami taking more than 35,000 lives in Sri Lanka back in 2004.  This place is a memorial to the over 35,000 Sri Lankans killed by the Tsunami on the 26th December 2004 This Buddha statue was opened on the…


Tourism objects |

Barberyn Lighthouse

Barberyn Lighthouse (also known as Beruwala Lighthouse) is a lighthouse located on Barberyn Island some 800 meters offshore from the town of Beruwala on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. I noticed Barveryn Lighthouse from our hotel (Cinnamon Bey Berawula) and one day when at the beach, a local tour seller offered me a trip to the island and lighthouse. Our agreed price was USD 30 (two adults and one kid). From our hotel the boat ride was about…


Tourism objects |

Gori Fortress

Gori Fortress is a medieval citadel in Georgia, situated above the city of Gori on a rocky hill. I've visited Gori several times, and several times have seens this impressive fortress, once I even made a nice photography with impressive warrior statues in the footsteps of the fortress, see: Gori Fortress & Memorial of Georgian Warrior Heroes It was back in January 2022, I visited Gori again and decided to make a nice photograhy with the…


Military Heritage |

Colombo Town Hall

The Town Hall of Colombo is the headquarters of the Colombo Municipal Council and the office of the Mayor of Colombo. Built-in front of the Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo, Sri Lanka, it is the meeting place for the elected municipal council. I discovered this awesome architectural place a by an accident, by taking a tuk-tuk ride around Colombo city at the start of January 2022. In 1921 renowned Scottish town planner, Professor Patrick Geddes,…


Tourism objects |

Pshavi's Champions Natakhtari Restaurant

Pshavi's Champions is another awesome roadside restaurant located in the village of Natakhari (Gudauri highway) We love coming to this area for dinner and have discovered already a few Natakhtari restaurants so far. We were jsut returned from Sri Lanka trip and were looking for some nice dinning place - that show we ended up at Pshavi's Champions place. Turns out Pshavi Champions is a chain of restaurants Khashi's House and Pshavi Champions…


Restaurant reviews |

Hilton Colombo Residence Apartment Review

Located in the heart of Colombo city, Hilton Colombo Residence offers rooms and suites with panoramic views of the city, harbor, or the Indian Ocean. Boasting an outdoor pool, it also has a fitness center, squash court, and tennis court. We booked a two-night stay here at the start of January 2022, during our trip to Sri Lanka. In total paid about USD 370. Additionally, we ordered an airport shuffle from the Colombo airport for about $35. Top…


Hotel reviews |

Seema Malaka Buddhist temple in Colombo

Seema Malaka is a Buddhist temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The temple is mainly used for meditation and rest, rather than for worship. Situated in Beira Lake, the temple was originally constructed in the late 19th century. Seema Malaka is a part of the Gangaramaya Temple and is situated a few hundred meters to its east. I had a chance to visit this temple at the start of January 2022, during our Sri Lanka trip. We found this awesome place thanks…


Churches and Monasteries |

Hotel Marino Beach Colombo

Marino Beach Colombo has a restaurant, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, and bar in Colombo. 2.4 km from Galle Face Beach and 1.7 km from U.S. Embassy, the property offers a garden and a terrace. The accommodation features a 24-hour front desk, room service, and currency exchange for guests. We booked here a one-night stay at the start of January 2022 and paid about $135. The reason we booked this hotel, probably is its rooftop infinity…


Hotel reviews |

Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo

Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka, being a mix of modern architecture and cultural essence. Located on the Beira Lake, it was completed in the late 19th century. We were for the second day in Colombo, at our Hilton Colombo residences when I decided to google for top sightseeing objects in Colombo and Gangaramaya Temple popped up.  It was a matter of catching a tuk-tuk and for 100 Sri Lankan Rupees,…


Churches and Monasteries |

Madu Ganga River Boat Safari

Madu Ganga river boat safari is a fun and pretty easy attraction in Balapitiya, Sri Lanka We booked a tour on Madu Ganga (and a few other destinations) from a local guy at our hotel's beach (Taj Bentota Resort & Spa). We agreed to pay 8,000 Sri Lankan rupees for a Madu Ganga river boat safari, a visit to the turtle shelter and a visit to the spices and herbal garden. At an agreed time, our driver (s) already waited for us at the hotels'…


Travel guides |

Hamad International Airport

Hamad International Airport is the sole international airport in the state of Qatar, and the home of Qatar’s flag carrier airline, Qatar Airways. Located south of its capital, Doha, it replaced the nearby Doha International Airport as Qatar's principal airport. The airport is named after the previous Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.  I first visited Hamad International airport at the start of 2022 while traveling in transit from…


Airports |

Šaha Kluba Apartmenti Kuldīga

Šaha kluba apartmenti is a beautiful place to stay in Kuldiga and enjoy the unbeatable atmosphere of the old city and its surroundings, which is recognized as one of the Top 10 tourist attractions in Latvia.   Apartments are located in a renovated building right in the heart of the historic town center next to the city garden - a recently renovated park in old medieval castle location. We booked a one-night stay here at the end of December…


Hotel reviews |

Paint job for Bedroom and Kitchen

Today early morning I checked out of the lovely Šaha klubs apartments in Kuldīga to come and paint our Vilgāle apt. While driving to Vilgāle my fiance proposed we could prebook such lovely apartments in Kuldīga for the Summer Festival - I had to reply, well we have Vilgāle, huh? arriving early I started applying second layer of paint in the bedroom, here is what I got Next is to install electricity plugs and lamps, add hardwood floring More…


Home Remodeling |

Paint Job at Vilgāle apt

It is already more than one year since I first opened doors at the Vilgāle apt and saw what have I bought at an online auction.  during the past year, we have done a lot, removed walls, floors, built new walls, ceilings, and even floors. Now we are very close to the last details, from the major works are left the bathroom with sauna (tiles) and hardwood flooring. At the end of December 2021, I visited Latvia for about 2 weeks and I decided it'…


Home Remodeling |