The excursion which forms a part of the so-called agro-tourism program, was first introduced in 1987. The tea plantation tour was initiated by the government of Indonesia through the cooperation of several state-owned plantations and various travel bureaus. Different agencies offer a different package of the tour. Some opt for the simple visit the plantation and factory program followed by tea and lunch. Others add a cultural show to their tea and lunch hour. Some even offer an overnight stay at the plantation villas. The price offered by agencies in …

Tourists and locals swarm around in front of the large white facade of this 14th-century building. Inside is an exhibition on the French poet and screenwriter Jacques Prevert, where you can read his words, “Paris is tiny for those, like us, who share such a great love.” Hotel de Ville, the capital’s epicentre, is located in the 4th arrondissement. In Paris, the arrondissements don’t have names, but, since the 1860s, numbers from one to 20, spiraling around each other like an elegant snail shell. Each one is distinct, with a …

Like many places in Italy, Siena comes down to us as a museum, beautifully preserved. Like most fascinating places, it is a museum of contradictions. In the Piazza del Campo, Siena has one of the loveliest open spaces in all of Italy, yet the city is infamous for the closed society it maintains. Bankers and artists, in their always uneasy alliance, have coexisted here for centuries. Siena is as self-involved a city as there exists, constantly keening before the mirror of history, oblivious to tourists, condescendingly tolerant of the modern …

The most celebrated sunset in Asia fills Manila Bay with an orange glow which shimmers before the spectator’s eyes, bringing another unsteady day to a close and heralding the start of another glittering, flickering night. The sunset is a natural phenomenon but ironically has the hallmark of Man. For the shimmering sky and the misty light are in no small part due to the pollution which chokes Manila’s air. Some people hate Manila, others cannot get enough of it. The city is a constant assault on the senses, a 24-hour …