CNNGo.com

---

• 9 top South African spiritual retreats
• Taking the Mickey? Zimbabwe proposes Disneyland in Africa
• Japan's most sacred site rebuilt, for the 62nd time

9 top South African spiritual retreats Posted: 30 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT From a post-dinner silence to "whale communication," these spiritual getaways run from monastic to mellow Compared with the collective wisdom of these South African mellow centers, what you know about relaxation couldn't fit into an herbal tea cup. Get ready to humble. 1. Emoyeni Retreat Center, Magaliesberg Offering an austere but peaceful-sounding program, Emoyeni is set high on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg Mountains, 100 kilometers from Johannesburg. Run on Buddhist principles, Emoyeni ("place of spirit" in Zulu) seeks to foster mindfulness and what it calls "loving kindness" among its guests. A typical day starts at 7.30 a.m. with a light breakfast followed by meditations and other "mindful" activities (cooking and gardening) throughout the day. There's a light supper in the evening and then Noble Silence (no speaking) till the following morning. All meals are vegetarian, the accommodation is basic and there are no TV, games or swimming pool -- the lack of distractions meant encourage a spirit of introspection. The main building has beds for 14 guests, and tents are also available. From $40 per person, per night. Emoyeni Retreat Center, P.O. Box 190 Mooinooi; + 27 0 14 574 3662 2. Blue Butterfly Retreat, Welbedacht Nature Reserve A self-catering cottage at Blue Buttterfly ... chanting meditation, massage and yoga are part of the mix here.In the middle of the 400-acre Welbedacht Nature Reserve, Blue Butterfly adds chanting meditation, massage and yoga to the more conventional mix of hiking, swimming and wildlife tours. There's a natural labyrinth to explore and you're advised to set aside time simply to sit on the porch and soak up the incredible views -- they're pretty meditative, too. Accommodation includes spacious loft bedrooms and self-catering cottages. Two-night retreats, including facilities, food and accommodation, from $145 per person. The Blue Butterfly Retreat, Welbedacht Nature Reserve, P.O. Box 372, Tulbagh; + 27 0 83 952 5448 3. Bodhi Khaya Retreat, Gansbaai Yoga overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, meditation in the wilderness, improve your sex life or delve deeper into the secrets of your dreams. These are offerings at the Bodhi Khaya Retreat in the Western Cape coastal town of Gansbaai. Other optimistic-sounding courses and activities are Five Steps to Golden Success (how to realize your dreams, in other words), Open the Heart and Still the Mind and Great Sex, Great Love, Great Death. There's even a "whale communication" workshop -- and plenty of whales in the ocean nearby, although whether they're there because you called them or not presumably remains a moot point. Bodhi Khaya's name, a blend of Sanskrit and indigenous African, means "Home of Awareness." Accommodation ranges from rooms in the restored 1820s farmhouse to self-catering cottages.  From $30 per person per night. Bodhi Khaya Retreat, P.O. Box 1001, Gansbaai 7220, Western Cape, South Africa; +27 0 28 388 0156 4. Satori Farm Eco Retreat, Natal Satori Farm seeks to enhance your connection to nature ... the pristine setting can't hurt.Set high in the Natal Midlands, Satori Farm is a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, with fresh water streams and a river. Forging a connection with nature is one of the goals at Satori Farm. The retreat offers yoga, reiki and Pilates classes, plus meditation and massage. There are art and drumming workshops and plenty of down-to-earth activities such as helping to prepare meals and bake bread. From $30 per person, per night for accommodation only and $50 for full board. Satori Farm Eco Retreat, Impendle/Dargle Road, Natal Midlands; + 27 0 82 551 7402 5. Nalanda Ayurvedic Center, Greyton Located in the tiny Cape village of Greyton, Nalanda specializes in short courses derived from the traditional Indian Aryurvedic healing system. At the core of Ayurveda is the idea that we all have a different constitutional type -- a dosha. To stay healthy, physically and spiritually, means nurturing your dosha in a particular way. Practitioners at Nalanda first identify your dosha and then teach you to cultivate it through courses such as Conscious Eating, the Art of Living and Ayurveda Detox. Individual yoga sessions are another specialty. From $50 per person for a one-day Ayurveda Wellness Retreat. Nalanda Ayurvedic Center, Greyton, Western Cape; + 27 028 254 9027 6. Little Samadhi Karoo Retreat, Little Karoo The vibe's homey and relaxed -- and the spiritual regime low-key -- at Little Samadhi.This small yoga retreat  high on a hill overlooks the village of Barrydale in Little Karoo. The vibe is homey and relaxed -- as if you were staying at a friend's house.  Bedrooms are clean, cozy and understated. Beauty treatments sit alongside daily yoga classes, massage and meditation -- hinting at the low-key theme. From $45 per person, per night. Little Samadhi Karoo Retreat, Barrydale, Little Karoo; +27 0 28 572 1002 7. Bijlia Cana Wellness Retreat, Prince Albert In a village at the foot of the spectacular Swartberg Mountain, you'll find this wellness retreat in a Tuscan-style house with a pretty courtyard and gardens. Retreats range from two to six days and include daily holistic treatments include shiatsu and reiki, reflexology and crystal therapy to balance "electromagnetic energy." One of the most popular retreats is the marathon, six-day Gateway course run by Valentine Lange, a reiki and meditation teacher.  Using creative visualization and walking, drumming and art therapy, the retreat aims to explode the hidden emotional and spiritual blocks preventing you from realizing your goals. Sounds like hard work: when you're not transforming yourself you can go walking and swimming or ambling in the countryside. Prices start from $26 per person, per day. Bijlia Cana Wellness Retreat, P.O. Box 195, Prince Albert, 6930; + 27 0 23 541 1872 8. Gaia -- Healing Holidays, Montague For the hardier soul-seeker ... a teepee at Gaia.Appealing to the hardier variety of spiritual tourist, accommodation here consists of spacious, self-catered teepees. Each is equipped with a shower, solar cooker, lanterns, deluxe mattresses on a wooden floor and sandstone fire pots outside. The main lodge hosts sessions devoted to esoteric pursuits such as crystal healing, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and Thai yoga massage. Horseback riding, hiking and golf provide a rest from all that personal transformation. From $40 per person, per night. Gaia -- Healing Holidays, Montague, Western Cape; +27 21 910 1780 9. Hearth and Soul Eco Farm, near Stanford Set in a valley halfway between the villages of Stanford and Napier in the Overberg region, this farm and retreat is so remote it doesn't even have a postal address. That seclusion is part of the spiritual prescription here -- other ingredients are yoga, walking, reading and meditation. There are 10 bedrooms (with en suite bathrooms), communal dining areas, a large conference room and a "hearth" room for socializing. From $20 per person per night. Hearth and Soul Eco Farm, near Stanford (full directions on website): + 27 021 813 9700 Tags:  Africa Africa tourism Africa travel spirituality

Taking the Mickey? Zimbabwe proposes Disneyland in Africa Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:00 PM PDT Too many old people coming to country, tourism minister says; $300 million theme park next to Victoria Falls would bring in young crowd Put a stop to poaching, perhaps? Maybe revive the safari sector with, who knows, nude or biker safaris? Even build a Robert Mugabe Experience to educate visitors about the African strongman's visionary three-decade rule, complete with pictorial guide to his experimentation with mustaches. What almost no one expected Zimbabwe to do to revive its tourism sector, crippled by 10 years of internal strife, was to take on Disney with a proposed $300 million theme park at Victoria Falls. That's the plan the country's tourism and hospitality minister, Walter Mzembi, revealed to the UN World Tourism Organization, the Daily Mail reports. Occupying 300 acres of land, "Disneyland in Africa," as Mzembi called it, would house shopping malls, exhibition facilities and casinos. The problem with Zimbabwe tourism is all the old people in safari suits, the minister explained. "We need a bit of development [and to] attract the youthful market into this destination. Current visitors are very elderly couples [and] the youth are a bit bored," Zimbabwe state media quoted Mzembi as saying. "Bizarre, crazy" "Bizarre" describes the main response from commentators to Zimbabwe's proposed Disneyland-by-Zambezi. The country has more most pressing needs than a theme park, a political analyst, Clifford Mashiri, told SW Radio Africa. When much of the Zimbabwean population lacks access to basic amenities, such as water and electricity, the plan is "crazy" and "just [an attempt] to divert attention" from Mugabe's political failings, Mashiri said. The theme park is spectacularly misguided in another sense, according to one Africa travel expert. "It would be like building a casino beside the pyramids," Lisa Grainger told the Telegraph. "The reason people visit the falls is because it's unspoiled and natural; it's a glorious part of the Earth. Not because they want to buy candy-floss and be immersed in an American-style theme park." Skepticism aside, the money being pumped into Zimbabwe tells another story. Work began this year on a $150 million upgrade of Victoria Falls airport -- including a new runway, control tower and terminal building -- courtesy of a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. And why not, on your way to or from Africa's premier new theme park attraction, do a little (more) shopping? Another huge project in the works is a $70 million Mall of Zimbabwe. Tags:  zimbabwe Africa tourism

Japan's most sacred site rebuilt, for the 62nd time Posted: 29 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT As Shinto tradition dictates, every 20 years Ise Jingu's Naiku shrine needs a new home When it comes to Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, Ise Jingu is the most revered shrine complex of them all.  Established in the 5th century in Japan's Mie prefecture, it was built in honor of Amaterasu-omikami, the sun goddess from whom the Japanese imperial family is said to be descended. About 120 shrines make up the site, but the main ones are Naiku (inner shrine) and Geku (outer), Naiku being the most revered.  Though the grounds are ancient the actual shrines are never more than a couple of decades old. That's because all the shrines are rebuilt from scratch every 20 years -- a process called "shikinen sengu" -- using all new materials and fittings. Construction of an identical new shrine is now under way on a site next to Naiku, which enshrines the famed sun goddess, and will be completed this year -- for the 62nd time. Here's a closer look at the sacred Ise Jingu complex.   More on CNN: World's best unknown site: Japan's Kumano Kodo The reconstruction of the shrines is said to represent renewal. Once the resident god has been moved into the new shrine, the old one is demolished and all trappings burned. Only descendants of the imperial family can serve at Naiku. The Ise shrine is surrounded by a sacred forest covering an area of 5,500 hectares (13,600 acres). About 90 hectares of the area around the shrines has remained untouched since they were founded 16 centuries ago. The rest is used to provide materials for shrine construction. ​The trees need to grow for hundreds of years before they're big enough to be used as building materials. Ise ​Jingu is the most sacred site in Japan, and many Japanese come here to pray. They are not allowed to enter the shrines, which are obscured behind high walls, but can pray at the entrance. This is Geku shrine, the second most sacred at the site. Photography is only allowed from a respectful distance. ​Some of the smaller shrines are built in a style dating back to the 2nd century. The building techniques have been handed down by families traditionally associated with the shrines. The entrance to all Shinto shrines is marked by a gate called a tori, which marks the transition into a sacred area. This gate, rebuilt this year, is made of only four pieces of cypress wood. The trees used in its construction were about 400 years old. ​Before entering the shrine you have to purify yourself at the temizusha (water house) by washing your hands and rinsing your mouth. First pour some water over your right hand, then your left. Then pour water into the cupped palm of your right hand and take a sip.  To make a prayer, visitors toss a coin into the offering box, clap their hands twice, bow twice and then pray. ​There are many gods enshrined at Ise Jingu. Even these stones are believed to be home to a deity. It is said that the sacred rocks give off heat -- many visitors hold out their hands to see if it's true. ​Most visitors buy a Omamori charm to bring luck and protect themselves against adversity. The luck lasts for one year but after that the charm needs to be returned to a Shinto shrine for disposal. According to legend, there's a god inside so they should never be opened or disposed of improperly. The charms cost about US$5. ​Outside of Naiku, the main shrine, is a street where visitors can buy souvenirs and grab something to eat. It has been restored to look like a town from the pre-modern age. The Geku portion of Ise Jingu has a museum chronicling the traditions and craftsmanship of the shrines. Regular trains depart from Osaka to make the 1.5-hour trip to Ise. At Osaka station travelers can buy a pass that includes train fare, access to the museums, free transport on certain busses around Ise and coupons for various shops and restaurants. There are hotels in Ise to suite every budget. For more info visit the official Ise Jingu website. More on CNN: Mount Miwa: The holiest hike in Japan Tags:  Japanese shrines Osaka Ise Shrine

You are subscribed to email updates from CNN Travel To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

CNNGo.com

---

12 laws you may not have realized you were breaking Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:08 PM PDT Travelers take heed -- those Venice pigeons are not for feeding The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has identified several reasons travelers might suddenly, surprisingly, find themselves in jail and -- wait for it -- it's because they broke the law. But these aren't thieves or drug-runners falling prey to advanced policing strategies. They're just travelers who didn't know what they do back home is not always acceptable everywhere else. "It is important to remember that laws and customs can vary greatly from country to country," says Charles Hay, director of Consular Services, adding that what may be perfectly legal in a traveler's home country could incur fines or jail sentences elsewhere. The FCO adds that travelers have been particularly caught off guard in the Netherlands, Italy and the United Arab Emirates recently.  Some of the lesser-known crimes identified by the FCO are below. Let us know if you've ever fallen foul of a law you didn't know you were breaking in the comments. Netherlands: Don't carry or use drugs. While the Netherlands has a reputation for being tolerant on the use of so-called 'soft drugs' this exists only for designated areas. Possession of prohibited substances or buying them can carry a prison sentence. Penalty: Arrest, detention. Venice: Feeding the pigeons is against the law. Penalty: Fines. Japan: It is illegal to take some commonly available nasal sprays containing pseudoephedrine into Japan. Penalty: Fines. Barcelona: It is against the law to wear a bikini, swimming trunks or to go bare-chested away from the beach-front area in Barcelona. Penalty: Fines. Singapore: Chewing gum on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Singapore is strictly prohibited. Penalty: Fines. Thailand: It is illegal to import more than 200 cigarettes into Thailand. Penalty: Large fines and confiscation. Italy (Florence): It is an offense to sit on steps and courtyards or to eat and drink in the immediate vicinity of churches and public buildings in Florence. Penalty: Large fines. Saudi Arabia: In Saudi Arabia photographing government buildings, military installations and palaces is prohibited. Penalty: Arrest and detention. Barbados: It is an offense for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing. Penalty: Fines. Nigeria: It is illegal to take mineral water into Nigeria. Penalty: Fines, confiscation. Fiji: Sunbathing topless is prohibited. Penalty: Fines. Maldives: Public observance of religions other than Islam is prohibited for non-Maldivians and visitors. Penalty: Arrest, detention. (Source: FCO) Tags:  government law

Cotswold Way: Possibly England’s most English walking trail Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:00 PM PDT Powered up on full English breakfasts walkers here learn to like ale and avoid getting lost through some of the most beautiful bits of Britain The images above are a pretty good advertisement for setting off on one of Britain's most celebrated walking routes but read on for even more reasons to do it. You'll be wowed by the beauty of the English countryside -- really Even people who generally associate the countryside with manure and things that make you itch risk being won over by the Cotswold Way. In spring and summer, the wildflowers achieve a kind of hallucinogenic intensity. Poppies produce floods of red in the fields. Wild angelica grows along the length of the route, and buttercups and geranium add contrasting splashes of yellow and blue. And you'll even come across the odd animal. When I recently walked the trail I saw red kites riding the thermals. At one point a buzzard hovered and dived for prey over a field of freshly cut hay. At dusk, there's every chance you'll spot an owl setting off on a hunting trip. You'll eat proper pub food and discover that English ale can actually taste nice The Cotswold Way gives you a lord's-eye view over some of the most beautiful bits of Britain."Hearty" is one word that sums up traditional English pub food. "Microwaved" is another, but you'll find fewer examples of this culinary shortcut than you now, sadly, often get at city pubs. Classic pub dishes -- and excellent walking fodder -- such as steak-and-kidney pie, fish and chips and bangers and mash are available at most pubs along the Way. You'll also be glad the route is as long as it is if you're not already well acquainted with every proud Englishman's (and woman's) favorite liquid refreshment -- ale. This isn't fizzy beer or lager but only mildly bubbling stuff that the citizenry have been guzzling for centuries, often in preference to water when the latter was more likely to poison you. Foreign folk often compare the taste of ale with dishwater and there's certainly a resemblance. But slake enough of this stuff after stomping miles underfoot each day and its subtle charms -- and the subtle differences between ales -- might win you over. The Snowshill Arms (Snowshill, nr Broadway; +44 (0)1386 852 653) has a particularly good selection of ales and delicious scampi and chips. The 500-year-old Dog Inn at Old Sodbury (+44 1454 312 006) is noted not only for that classic English place name but for top-shelf conviviality. At The Major's Retreat (High St, Tormarton +44 1454 218 263), the landlord, Roy, willingly offers advice on the next day's walk section. And you won't get lost Even after one or two of those ales at lunch. The signposts along the Cotswold Way are so good you could follow the route without a map. The only time I struggled was in the final two miles as the trail entered Bath, where wooden markers make way for rather feeble stickers left on lampposts. In the morning, plug into a full English breakfast B&Bs (generally private homes, offering bed and breakfast accommodation) sprout like mushrooms along the Cotswold Way. Any self-respecting such establishment will serve a "full English" -- a breakfast of eggs, generally fried; sausages, ideally with a dusting of charcoal; hash browns (not what you might think) and a slurry of baked beans, all sluiced down with a mug of tea and served with complete disregard for any supposedly adverse health consequences.  If it doesn't set you up for a full day of walking, a full English risks rendering you immobile for much of it -- but either way it will probably taste good so the risk's worth taking. The breakfast at the Old Hundred Coach House (One Hundred Lane; +44 1454 218420) in Tomarton was so filling I suspected some lazy fellow walker had slipped an extra load into my day pack for the first hour or so along the trail, but soon the power boost from all that protein kicked in. If you're staying in Bath at the end of the walk (and you should visit this beautiful old Roman town, named after what the Romans spent a lot of time doing there), Bodhi House B&B (31A Englishcombe Lane; +44 (0)1225 461 990) is hard to beat for its service and breakfasts that daringly stray beyond just the full English. Explore thousands of years of bloody English history on the way Amazingly for a country walk, it's actually quite hard to get lost on the Cotswold Way.The Cotswold Way is not for people in a hurry, often diverting from straight paths to take in a site of interest -- but there's a lot of interest for people keen on a little mental time travel. Much of English history involves the different social classes hacking at each other on bits of the beautiful countryside. Lansdown is one particularly atmospheric such location along the Way, where loyalists and parliamentarians fought a bloody battle in 1643, to no great effect. In the northern part of the trail, Belas Knap is a Neolithic long barrow that hints at how the English lived 6,000 years ago, before afternoon tea, pub food and probably even ale. Broadway Tower is a narrow, graceful tower like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale and with a proprietorial 75-kilometer view over the countryside. You don't need to play the mule Some people think no long-distance trail is authentic unless you lug your gear from one sleeping post to another, slipping disks as you go. Thankfully, this view is not obligatory. Carryabag (+44 (0)1242 250 642) is a helpful service that moves your bags between each overnight stop on the Cotswold Way. It lets you bring as much luggage as you want on the trip and so each day you can carry only food, drink and rain gear -- almost essential on any English walk. Kneel at the temple of afternoon tea Well-preserved old -- the word "quaint" is best avoided -- villages abound along the Way.Just because you've had a substantial breakfast and dinner, doesn't mean you won't get hungry along the way. Hyphenated, Lord of the Rings-esque names abound among the well-preserved market towns and villages along the Cotswold Way, where afternoon tea remains a ritual. In one of these resting spots, Wotton-under-Edge, The Singing Teapot (47 Long Street; +44 (0)7889 865 079), is a fine example of that still plentiful beast, the traditional English tea shop. You can have  afternoon tea here with home-made cakes in an atmosphere that's welcoming rather than cloyingly genteel. Across the road, The Edge (44 Long Street, Wotton-under-Edge; +44 1453 844108) is an updated version of the tea shop, where the smoothies and fresh pastries come served with a mellow blues soundtrack. Both places have a take-out service for walkers who want a picnic for the road. Wotton is also a good overnight stop. Getting there You can complete the Cotswold Way in as few as six days, but you'll take in far more -- and get used to the taste of ale -- in eight or so. If you're coming from London (many walkers will be) it makes sense to travel by train to the start of the trail, rather than having to arrange to pick up your car at the other end. First Great Western trains run from London Paddington to both Cheltenham and Moreton-in-Marsh, with buses and taxis from either station to Chipping Campden, where the trail starts. From the end of the trail it's a short walk to Bath Spa station -- and from there a regular rail service (+44 (0)1709 849 244) runs back to London. For more information visit the official Cotswold Way website and pick up the Cotswold Way National Trail Guide by Anthony Burton, a useful guidebook.

You are subscribed to email updates from CNN Travel To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610