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Janhil
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Born to shine. Celebrated with love.
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The Stunning Interior of Dolmabahçe Palace
It was during the times of great Ottoman Empire that the 31st Sultan ordered to build this luxurious place in the year 1843.
When you say palace it is truly a grandeur everywhere from gates and to the walls it welcomes you like a royal too. The interior of this palace is mind blowing and I’m very overwhelmed to see this magnificent creations that up until now is well preserved and protected.
The extraordinary exterior of the palace.
So this is the place that the Royals of Ottoman Empire resides and where they welcome guests from around the world.
I got the chance to take some photos, though it is prohibited to take pictures. I’ve been caught few times and it scares me a bit by surprise because they would yell at you. But forgive me, I just can’t resist my snap behavior on taking photos especially this kind of place.
The interior design of the palace is so exceptional and beyond extravagant.
The chandeliers are one of my favorite in this viewing. I noticed the building inside are divided into many private rooms, ball rooms and big halls. There is one staircase that I’m dying to take picture with, it’s like a fantasy to see but then a security guard will approach you as you enter the step.
Thanks to my husband for having such patience on taking pictures of me as he was carrying Lukas in the baby carrier. I will never leave this beautiful place without a picture of me for my fashion looks. Always dress extra for we are not on vacation everyday. Once we look back memories, happiness is priceless that you came well prepared to be in the photos.
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
Ibn Battuta“Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self expression and, above all, attitude.”
Iris Apfel“The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.”
Andy WarholWatch my youtube vlog about Dolmabache Palace -
The Architecture of Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque
The magical interior of these two mosques…
Istanbul’s rich histories is well preserved to date back ancient times and up until present. It was our first time to see Istanbul and it’s surprisingly amazing. Our stay there was definitely not enough so we would like to see more of Turkey and what it has to offer. Hopefully soonest on our next visit whenever we have to fly again for vacation from our home Middle East to Europe.
We arrived noon time at our hotel and we are so excited already to explore only around the area we gonna stay for few days while we are in Istanbul. The next day we went to the most famous landmarks in Istanbul the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque which is luckily just opposite to each other.
Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is also known as Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) still a functional mosque and visitors should follow the dress code guidelines otherwise they have available clothing to borrow. The construction of this mosque started 1609 during the reign of the Sultan of Ottoman Empire and this place is protected already by UNESCO World Heritage Site .
This place is commonly flocked by tourists but I still manage to get some good photos of the beautiful architecture of the mosque. The art of the ceilings and walls are so sophisticated. You might wonder why it’s called “Blue Mosque”, it’s because of the blueish carvings of the interior design.
The facade of the Mosques in Istanbul are all similar where blue color is abundant and the Blue Mosque has the same.
Hagia Sophia
Just a walking distance from Blue Mosque, our next stop is this museum (for now). We got lucky that the que to buy the ticket is not long and it was just before lunch time (pro tip).
Hagia Sosphia (AyaSofya) was inaugurated 360 AD during the rule of Constantine I of Roman Empire and reconstructed lavishly at 537 AD after several damages. This place of worship has been changed dramatically to 3 different religion from Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim then now a National Museum.
The chandeliers looks so magical and I got so amaze with the picture of Mother Virgin Mary and Child Jesus Christ in the form of a mosaic at the center dome.
Both Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are under restoration so you may see scaffoldings in the pictures i took.
“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson
“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” – Don McCullin
You may watch my youtube vlog about these famous landmark in Istanbul -
Precious Baby Boy Bump Maternity Photos
Back when we did my 32nd Birthday Portraits in Phuket, my ever supportive husband did again an impressive job in photography.
I did my research of inspirational photos and themes on Maternity and came up with so many ideas then we narrow down the results and gathered all the materials needed (maternity clothes etc..).
There are so many things to consider especially the challenge that we are doing it on our own. From my broad instructions up to my husband’s limited knowledge in photography that makes him confused (included language barrier). It’s a team effort and patience is a virtue. All in all, we are so happy with the results, a fun thing to do and we are so proud that we did it.
It is very lovely to take maternity photos when your bump is so round meaning close to full-term, so your belly is very visible and perfect pregnant look in the pictures. I don’t recommend it doing in full term because it is very heavy to move around plus every move has a limitation already.
Camera: Sony Alpha 7 Mark 2
Themes: Intimate, Milk and Rose Bath, Mermaid Beach
At 30 Weeks
Intimate Maternity Photoshoot
- This photo is taken just before the stripes (aka stretch marks) came out.
- Location: In our little bedroom @ Princess Tower Dubai Marina
At 34 Weeks
Milk and Rose Bath Photoshoot
- The location this photoshoot is a bit fancy because it is the same time as we celebrate “Baby Moon”. But before we select the perfect location to celebrate it, we also find a perfect bath tub for the Milk Bath as well as a pristine beach for the Beach Maternity.
- Location: The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
Mermaid Beach Boho Photoshoot
QUOTES TO PONDER:
- Photography
“The picture that you took with your camera is the imagination you want to create with reality.”
— Scott Lorenzo- Love
❤ Hope you enjoy my blog and photography ❤
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Canals of Amsterdam
What to do in Amsterdam?
The first thing that comes most is to see the Amsterdam Canals which is famed by “Venice of the North”.
Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and the canals are one of the major attraction in the city, built during the 17th century which is protected by UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 2010.
You may check this website for “8 fun facts about Amsterdam Canal “
https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/8-fun-facts-amsterdam-canals/
See below key points of 8 fun facts of Amsterdam Canals
- Amsterdam got its name from the Amstel River.
- Amsterdam has 165 canals
- Monet painted the South Church during a visit to The Netherlands.
- The tilted houses are called Dancing Houses.
- Amsterdam has more bridges than Venice.
- Magere Brug is the most famous bridge.
- There are 2500 houseboats in Amsterdam.
- Amsterdam was once surrounded by defensive walls.
The three main canals
- Herengracht
- Prinsengracht
Keizersgracht
To explore the canals you may do by foot, bike and the fun part is to the water cruises. You may check below activities of “Amsterdam Canal tours” ?
https://www.getyourguide.com/-l36/-tc48/?cmp=ga&campaign_id=171630089&adgroup_id=29678839169&target_id=kwd-2952572974&loc_physical_ms=1000013&match_type=e&ad_id=249745120295&keyword=amsterdam%20canal%20tour&ad_position=1t1&feed_item_id=&placement=&partner_id=CD951&gclid=CjwKCAjwgr3ZBRAAEiwAGVssnf5CE3PsU9b-gvw-rzIRer_MHIlvega5v1vSHB1f2gLIlPY3icFnlhoCMaMQAvD_BwE
QUOTES TO PONDER:
- Photography
“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” – Alfred Stieglitz
- Travel
❤ Hope you enjoy my photography below ❤
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Thailand Island Hopping
8 Hours Island Tour
It was our fifth day in Phuket we went for Island tour. We booked Seastar Tours that we found from one of their third party agents that was offered by one of our Grab Driver.
There are so many options of packages according to prices where to sail in this Island tour. See below map for a guide.
We were picked up at earliest 7:30 in the morning from our hotel in a van type vehicle together with other tourist. They dropped us at Royal Marina Phuket which is very beautiful all the way from the entrance of it. They offered snacks and light breakfast to welcome us. You will be surprised by the amount of people wants to go Island Hopping. We waited like more or less an hour to wait all the hoppers to settle and they started the short briefing before boarding the boats.
The activities we had in Island Hopping
- First stop was Maya Bay in Phi phi Islands
? As usual the Island is so packed, you will be given certain time to explore Maya Bay and to take pictures. We brought the drone with us to get some aerial videos of these Islands in Phuket but unfortunately it is not allowed to fly. We first try to fly the drone in Maya bay and we were not aware that there were island police on post that will catch you and ask you to erase the footages recorded, we were surprised by that and did not do it again. - Second tour is at Viking Cave
? Inside of this cave is the remains of sail boats used by Vikings to travel around asian waters. They used the cave as hideout from the bad weather. - Third tour is the Monkey Beach
? Don’t get to close to the monkeys as sometimes they are unpredictable so keep a safe distance!
- Third Stop is snorkeling at Koh Phi Phi
? At my second week of pregnancy that time I didn’t know yet that we were pregnant. It is a gift from my birthday. So blessed! The fishes are so colourful as well as the corals. It was a fun swim with the gaggles and fins.
- Fourth stop is Lunch at Arida Restaurant in Phiphi
? This Island is all Muslim Residents and they served food according to Halal Standards. The food was good and the place is so refreshing. - Fifth and final stop is at Bamboo Island
? The island is so beautiful and as you noticed there are some dead trees. These are ruins remains untouched from the devastating Tsunami that wiped out some of Southeast Asian countries including Thailand last December 2004.
More about this blogs the links you may visit:
- Tour Package we used http://www.seastarandaman.net/?page_id=49
- The Royal Marina Phuket https://www.royalphuketmarina.com/
- My youtube vlog for this travel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2mYZcB3usI
QUOTES TO PONDER:
? Photography
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”– Ansel Adams
? Travel
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” – Jennifer Lee
❤ Hope you enjoy my photography below ❤
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- First stop was Maya Bay in Phi phi Islands
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Big Buddha Phuket
White Buddha
It was our first day of tour around the beautiful island of Phuket. We chose to go first in Big Buddha as we read online that it is always busy for tourists and luckily not that many people when we came. The Big Buddha Statue is huge and white, underneath of it is a temple for worshipers to pray. When visiting temples you have to pay respect and wear appropriate clothes not to show excessive skin. It is a holy place for buddhist worshiper and luckily it’s open for all.
We had a chance to write our names and well wishers in the heart shaped gold love lockets and tied to the area where it placed to give memory that we’ve been there. It’s fun to contribute this kind of activity whenever we travel because it’s always there leaving marks that we’ve been here.
A short facts of Big Buddha
- Statue Size – width: 25.45 m. height: 45 m
- Sculpted with concrete structure and decorated with white Burmese jade marble
- The weight of the white jade marble is approximately 135 tons per 2,500 sq.m
More about Big Buddha you may visit their website :
Quotes to ponder:
? Photography
“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” — Destin Sparks
? Travel
“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton
❤ Hope you enjoy my photography below ❤
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Karon Beach View Point
Stunning Beach View
This tourists spot is one of the places we visited during our 1 day tour around Phuket after visiting the Big Buddha. The driver that we rented that day recommended this place as we are looking for the nice overlooking view of the beach.
We flew the mavic pro drone in this area to get some very good footage for our vlog and the view is superb. Below is the link in my youtube channel where you can see in my intro some of the videos we got.
There are some other tourists there as well but not very crowded as they come and go quickly, this place is kind of short stop in the trip to feel the air of fresh breeze from the beach.
Karon Viewpoint includes the views of Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon beaches. It was a perfect sunny day to take photos where I was amazed with the shape of the beaches that looks like a number 3 digit. This place is a must to visit for picturesque view of Phuket.
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Wat Chalong Temple
Buddhist Temple in Chalong
The most important of the 29 buddhist temples of Phuket is Wat Chalong (Thai: วัดฉลอง) or formally Wat Chaiyathararam (Thai: วัดไชยธาราราม), located in the Chalong Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District. It is dedicated to two highly venerable monks,
- Luang Pho Chaem (หลวงพ่อแช่ม) and
- Luang Pho Chuang (หลวงพ่อช่วง),
who led the citizens of Chalong Subdistrict fighting against the Chinese rebellion in 1876 and with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured. (Source: Wikipedia)
More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Chalong
The temple is very colourful inside and out. We have seen Gold Buddhas in different structures. There is one unique building like a house we entered and there was life size monks statue probably the founders as you could read above text from Wikipedia. A lot of people visits there to pray and well wishers. The place is very solemn,
Some important reminders for Tourists:
- Slippers are not allowed inside the temple
- Wear proper clothes that can cover your skin
