India has a wealth of spiritual history that attracts many locals and travellers to its shores year after year.  The prevalent religion is Hinduism, which works by worship of a chain of Gods, who all interact with each other and represent varying themes and ideas. They are not unlike celebrities and you’ll find shrines and tokens to the Gods and Goddesses in shops, cafes and homes and get used to ordering a chai-tea from a stall filled with posters of a certain God.  Each one has a dedicated fan base with temples decorated in lavish colours, copper bells and ever-smoking incense.

The Goddess Parvarti and her Lord Shiva are a legendary couple, and have set a template for many Hindu husbands and wives.  Parvarti is considered an epitome of female perfection amongst women because of her mythical status as the mender of Shiva’s heart. She lured the heartbroken Shiva into her arms with a loyalty and beauty that has earned her the title Divine Mother and it’s almost a given that other goddesses are an incarnation of her.  In contrast, her husband Lord Shiva is God of destruction and transformation, and is represented in meditation or dancing on the demon of ignorance. He is both a graceful and fierce God and they make a formidable pairing in the Hindu world.  

To see one of Parvarti’s temples in India, travel to Pune, a city found 120km from Mumbai. The Omkareshwar temple dates from the 17th - century and sits on the Mutha River. It is famous because of its white dome, made of a soft soap stone that displays beautiful and intricate carvings.  Also in Pune is Parvarti Hill, the highest point in the city and widely considered the most beautiful. The hill also has a temple on it, this time you can see a silver icon of the Goddess standing outside. You have to climb 103 steps to reach her door, but for the crowds that make the journey, she is certainly worth it, as is the famous aerial view that greets you at the top.

At Mukteswara, near the city of Orissa, is one of Shiva’s Temples, with carved incarnations of Shiva shown in several poses of meditation. The decorative archway is a main attraction with Buddhist influences and diamond shaped latticed windows, with literally every inch of its surface inscribed in Hindu prayer You can also see a looming white statue of Shiva, in the city of Bangalore. He sits, giant-like, with a stone serpent around his neck, in meditation as his worshippers pray below.

The creation of Shiva and Parvarti’s son Ganesh is also a core story in Hinduism. Parvarti created a son to protect her in Shiva’s absence. After Shiva beheaded him unknowingly he replaced Ganesh’s head with an elephant’s to restore him to life.  Ganesh is very popular in India, and portrayed as a jolly laughing figure. He is the God of education, knowledge and wisdom, and the arts. In Jaipur, Rajasthan, there is a majestic temple - Moti Dungri - dedicated to this Elephant God, made up of glowing white marble. You can see an icon of Ganesh, round and smiling with wreaths of flowers hanging from his neck.
 
The temples are ancient and sacred spots, not tourist zones and it’s worth remembering to take off your shoes when doing your temple-tour. Some may appreciate it if you cover your head; some too may encourage you to bring offerings of flowers, so make sure the research gets done before you go. For cheap flights to India look at the Cheap Flights website, to compare prices and deals. Remember too, that you’ll need to sort out your travel insurance, so have a look at the AA Travel website to find the right package for your holiday.

When people talk about hostels, the first thing that comes to most people's minds are small rooms set at a low price and generally of low quality. They are the traveller's rest stop, a place where people who have been on their feet for much of the day come to rest, and accordingly don't mind too much if the place they are staying isn't all that great. So long as it's serviceable, it'll do.

Hostels like Hotels represent a wide range of differing accommodation. As you get "Hiltons" and "Holiday Inns" and every type of building one could imagine in between, so there is enormous variation between hostels. Still, the image that is summoned does not exactly cry out 'luxury' or even 'holiday', hostels are rather firmly the residence of the traveller.

So what about the romantic weekend away? Not traditionally the type of foreign excursion that hostels are supposed to accommodate for. They are, however, a definite option, though certainly not to everyone's taste. It is possible to get a private room at nearly every hostel in Europe now for a small extra price - your romantic weekend away does not have to be spent with your partner and then six other people who you've never met before. Admittedly, even with a private room a hostel is perhaps not the best place to be if your idea of a romantic break is relaxing in the lap of luxury, but this is by no means for everyone. A large number of hostels also have private bathrooms, a decent priced hostel room in a city like Paris isn't all that different from what most people would expect from a hotel.

Many would say that the city outside the four walls of your room is more important to a romantic weekend than the nature of your accommodation. You don't hear of many people taking short breaks away with their partners to Peterborough (no offence intended). Paris is, after all, the 'city of love' and that is more to do with the feel of the city, the astounding beauty of the backdrop and the relatively relaxed pace of life, than anything else.<

That is not to say that it doesn't matter about the quality of the accommodation, merely that it doesn't always matter that much. Choosing a hostel over a hotel inevitably saves money and if you take a few moments to look at the options the value for money of a hostel is likely to be far greater.

Very few people are able to go on holiday or take a weekend away without having to worry about how much it costs and you don't have to compromise the amount of money you have just to stay in a hotel. A romantic weekend should (one would hope) be about the person that you are spending it with, so if the step down from hotel to hostel saves you enough pennies to be able to afford that special meal on the last day of your time away, or a few moments longer in the sun on top of the most famous buildings in the world, then surely that's a step worth taking.

So, to hostel or to hotel? Both have a place, but if you're on a budget and value for money is the most important thing, then a hostel is the way forward and save the extra pennies for something a bit special.

For a large, peer reviewed site, with a wide range of hotels and hostels, HostelBookers.com is one of the best on the web. When travelling on a budget, then Travelzoo also comes as a recommended website to take a look at, particularly for cheap flights.

 

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist destination, which makes it all the more spiritually appealing for travellers trying to get away from the baggage of consumer living . Buddhism was introduced to Thailand in 6th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama Sakyamuni, the figure we recognise more readily in the West as Buddha. At a rather basic level, Buddhism is about finding harmony, or, a ‘ Middle Way’ and it has influenced much of Thailand’s culture, including its food. Thai cuisine is influenced by both India and China, and informed by its Buddhist background, shown in meals that are crafted and prepared with a Zen philosophy.

In Thai cooking, all things supposedly lie in harmony with each other, the sour complements the sweet and colours and spices are combined with careful measure. Meats are usually cut into small pieces or shredded, keeping with a Buddhist notion of easy digestion. Thai food was originally a waterborne food, so most of the ingredients will be fish, plant, or herb all forming a culinary sense of balance. When travelling there will be a huge amount on the menu, so try everything if you can and pay attention to the flavours, colours and balance of your meal. In particular look for clear soup, filled with parcels of minced pork, a steamed rice dish, fried fish, and a spicy salad with chillies and lemon juice. Thailand will provide many fresh fruits to pick from, like papaya or mango to soothe a sweet tooth at the end of a meal. It’s a healthy way of eating and full of renewing and energising qualities, and the spicy salads are particularly good for you.

The Thai Green Curry, famous on our European shores is a warming curry made with fresh green chillies and basil, and one of the spiciest of all Thai’s curries. The brave traveller may want to put their taste buds to the test and compare this green curry from island to island, the use of spices may differ slightly and you could find some have more of a kick than others. The cuisine of Thailand is an important part of its heritage and with flavours, herbs, spices, and colours crafted through the ages to keep with their Buddhist theme. If you are interested in Thai cuisine, or perhaps making your own version of the Thai Green Curry, go to UKTV for useful recipes to help you start. If you’re booking holidays or excursions to Thailand, don’t forget to organise your travel insurance in advance. Have a look at Go Travel Insurance who list a backpacker’s insurance and lots of others, so you can easily find one which one suits you best.