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nocturnalharpy · 7 years

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I’ve never done a review post before nor do I intend to publish one regularly. However, I might be posting one or two once in a while for the purpose of ranting. hehehe… It would be hard to make me stop gushing when I fangirl so I will try my best to write sanely. Well, I can’t wait any longer! I might as well share my thoughts. Besides, sharing is caring. Oh yeah! 🙂

If I can bet my life on a good Asian drama series at a time plagued by oppas, ajussis and the fantastical and mythical productions in the likes of Goblin, Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon, Legend of the Blue Sea, etc., NIRVANA IN FIRE is on the top of my list!

Based on Hai Yan‘s novel with the same name, Nirvana In Fire or “Lang Ya Bang” (琅琊榜) is a 2015 Chinese historical drama. If you haven’t sank your teeth into this 54-episode praise worthy masterpiece, you are definitely missing out on the good stuff.

So, what made Nirvana In Fire so appealing?

HU GE (Ok, this is me being biased!). Does the name ring a bell? With multiple award-winning dramas under his belt, it’s easy to access his body of work given the numerous downloading sites online. Though he is Chinese and his works are in Mandarin, don’t fret! Like K-dramas, Chinese dramas are subbed in English as well! If you haven’t heard about this wonderful person yet, you need to come out of hiding and start exploring his body of work! I loved him in Chinese Paladin and I enjoyed his character as Guo Jing in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. In NIF, Hu Ge proved once more his caliber as an A-list actor. I particular liked the kind of restraint he’s put into the character of Su Zhe/Mei Changsu in the series. Although he plans and executes the devious tasks in expense of another character in the drama, as for me, his role is still highly likable. I was particularly charmed by his intelligence as Chief of the Jiangzhou Alliance and his no-nonsense approach to exacting revenge. As a master schemer, he was able to change the fate of the other characters in the series. Talk about a manipulative person!

The rest of the cast didn’t fall short of talent. All throughout the 54 episodes, I never once thought of any actors from the drama that didn’t fit their respective roles. They were a talented bunch with a good grasp of what their characters need to portray. They breathe life into those characters. During the most part, I felt like they were not actors acting but they were the characters themselves.

I hate to break it to you but unlike most Chinese and Korean drama today, NIF clearly dodged the idea of silly romance between the opposite sex. There was no showcase of cheesy gestures (pulling the heroine for a kiss, back hugs, etc.) which are very common nowadays. I was very happy to have found a series that didn’t depend on the love story of the main characters to appeal to the masses. It was, however, explicitly shown in few instances how concubines and consorts win favors. The ladies of the inner court surely are well-versed in the game of flirtation!

CGI was on point! Everything looked flawless. As a viewer and spectator, I have seen quite a number of C-dramas that looked so unrealistic! Honestly, when I saw the trailer, I thought it was a movie. I don’t think I need to elaborate more on this. You have to see Nirvana In Fire to know what I mean.

Martial arts. I’m a sucker for anything martial arts! My fascination goes way back when I was in grade school. To this day, I still think that is still the coolest thing ever! The execution of the martial arts moves in the drama was very well done. The actors surely placed a lot of effort into perfecting their craft. I was at the edge of my seat every time! You have to look out for Fei Liu, Ni Huang, Jing Rui, and a lot more from the pugilistic world as they wield their swords and use their fists as they fight their way to seek justice.

The story itself was well put up. The lines were straight to the point and was easy to understand. The stories behind each character were properly told. Character development was done nicely which added intrigue and suspense to the series. The flow of the story was smooth and not dragging like most historical drama.

There you have it folks! Those are some of the many reasons why I love Nirvana In Fire. I can go on and on and on! 🙂 I am watching it for the 3rd time. You? Are you ready for it?

Drama List: Nirvana In Fire I've never done a review post before nor do I intend to publish one regularly. However, I might be posting one or two once in a while for the purpose of ranting.

#brotherhood #cdrama #Chinese Drama #drama #drama list #fangirling #feels #historical drama #hu ge #jianghu #Lang Ya Bang #martial arts #Nirvana In Fire #revenge #Review #series #wuxia

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touristguidebuzz · 7 years

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Affluent Travelers Increasingly Turning to Hiking and Upscale Hotel Packages

Badrutt's Palace, as seen in March 2014, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, enables guests to hike near sledding areas to take in breathtaking views. Badrutt's Palace

Skift Take: Unplugging from push notifications, 24/7 intrigue in the White House, and the desire to get off the couch and to get active, are all feeding into a trend that has upscale travelers looking for active pursuits paired with a luxury hotel stay.

— Dennis Schaal

Though his words are more than a century old, there’s a decidedly 2017 ring to John Muir’s proclamation that “going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity … useful not only as fountains of timber but as fountains of life.”

Indeed, back-to-nature adventures are a big highlight of this year’s Luxe Report, an annual trend forecast from the travel specialists at Virtuoso, whose clients ranked hiking first among all active pursuits. Also noticing the pattern is Travis Katz, co-founder and chief executive officer of Trip.com, a travel-planning platform that lets users join “tribes” to find personalized travel recommendations.

“Our data is clear—travelers want to unplug and explore nature,” Katz said. “Our Outdoor Enthusiasts and Adventure tribes have each grown by nearly 35 percent since the beginning of 2016.”

What’s driving everyone into the woods?

Ever-accelerating news cycles and push alerts, to be sure. But beyond the collective need to unplug and detox, something else is going on: “All the recent reporting on how dangerous our sedentary lives are has really started to take hold among travelers,” says Betty Jo Currie, a Virtuoso adviser and founder of Currie & Co. Travels Unlimited. “I’ve actually had clients cite specific articles on the importance of moving more to start the conversation about active vacation possibilities. The topic comes up constantly now.”

Whether you’re motivated by health, screen time saturation, or plain old spring fever, you’re in luck: Some of the world’s best hikes happen to surround some of the world’s best hotels. And while these five-star stunners offer a full array of trekking to suit any fitness level, we’ve picked their most iconic routes to establish a ranking order: novice-friendly, intermediate terrain, and brag-worthy challenges.

Easy Does It

Monastero Santa Rosa, Conca dei Marini, Italy

Its setting alone—a solitary cliff that soars over the Amalfi Coast—would suggest that this 17th-century monastery turned boutique hotel offers some seriously stunning walking trails. The four-level garden does nothing to dispel that notion, and roam you should.

But the real local trekking begins at Amalfi’s central square, where the town’s famed Duomo serves as one of the world’s most beautiful trail heads. Follow the gradually ascending Valle delle Ferriere for a two- to three-hour hike that passes through lemon groves, ancient foundry ruins, and farm houses—one of which you can stop into for lunch. Your post-hike reward? A dip in the hotel’s infinity pool, where you’ll have the supremely trippy illusion of floating above the Gulf of Salerno. From $430 per night.

Blackberry Farm, Eastern Tennessee

The foothills cuisine of the American South earned Blackberry Farm a rep as one of the world’s great foodie retreats. But those same foothills also offer a way to burn the calories you consume.

After an al-fresco breakfast of buttermilk biscuits smothered with sage-and-sausage gravy, take a bucolic mile-long walk on the Walker Mountain loop. You’ll traverse rhododendron thickets, spot leafy pawpaw trees (whose mango-like fruit you can try back at the farm), and likely pick the hotel’s namesake berries straight from heaping bushes. From $645 per night.

L’Auberge de Sedona, Northern Arizona

Consider the psychedelic red rocks that surround this creek-side retreat your invitation to hit the local trails. There are 100+ hiking routes in the vicinity, and the hotel has the experts at Hike House on hand to help you pick the one that’s right for you. The four-mile Courthouse Butte Loop Trail is a stand-out, thanks to its far-out formations. And if you feel a tingling sensation as you hike, there’s a reason for that: The Bell Rock vortex, a spot where mystics say energy swirls out of the earth’s surface, is located about a third of a mile from the trail head. From $295 per night.

Intermediate Pursuits

Ananda, Himalayan Foothills, India

Once a Maharaja’s palace, and now an Ayurvedic retreat with a sprawling spa, Ananda might be the plushest place to hike the Himalayan foothills.

Despite its approachable altitude (4,500 feet), you’ll still get views of the area’s signature snowcapped peaks from the three- to four-hour Kunjapuri Temple Trek that leads to an intimate, incense-filled shrine to Shakti and Shiva. Equally transcendent: hiking downhill through the area’s Sal forests to a suspension bridge over the Ganges. Make it to the riverbanks by sunset, and you’ll witness Aarti, a daily ritual in which hundreds of chanting pilgrims pass flickering oil lamps through the crowd along the water’s edge. From $570 per night.

Canyon Ranch, Lenox, Mass.

The 19th-century Bellefontaine Mansion, said to have been modeled after the Petit Trianon at Versailles, anchors this healthy-living hideaway in the Berkshires. Beyond its expansive gardens, you’ll find the glorious two-hour Flag Rock trail.

It starts with a moderate ascent through the woods of Monument Mountain and culminates in a wide-open vista over the old-timey village of Houstatonic. The best part? Spa treatments are included in the all-inclusive rates. From $1,280 per night.

Kasbah Tamadot, Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Sir Richard Branson is not one for understated luxury, and his retreat in the rugged Atlas Mountains is no exception. The compound of fountain-studded courtyards, tent-topped suites, and petal-filled pools is a fantasy fortress fit for the surroundings.

Nearby Mount Toubkal is North Africa’s highest peak—you’ll see it from your three-hour trek to the Anfa lookout in Toubkal National Park. Along the way, you can stop at a mud-walled Berber home, cozy up on beautiful woven rugs, and chat with locals over fresh mint tea. From $635 per night.

Expert Territory

Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia

Australia’s third-largest island is a known hiking hotspot—all coastal cliffs, outsize rock formations, and wildlife-rich bushland—but the recently inaugurated Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail has taken that rep to new heights. The full 38-mile circuit takes five days to complete, which has more to do with endurance than technical difficulty.

Then again, breaking the route into segments and driving to and from trailheads is an option—and it allows you to recharge nightly at Southern Ocean Lodge, a secluded, clifftop spread where “recovery” can mean soaking in an ocean-facing wooden tub. But which trail sections to prioritize? The first and last: They’re known respectively for platypus sightings and intricate cave systems. From $840 per night, including meals.

Aranwa Pueblito Encantado del Colca, Peru

It’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, but Colca is much more than an 11,000-foot-tall cutout in the earth. The condor-filled gorge is surrounded by misty peaks, forest-shrouded waterfalls, and Inca-era agricultural terraces, making it perfect for vertiginous day-long hikes or two-day treks. Thankfully, Aranwa piles on the creature comforts: water features that massage your neck and shoulders in the pool, blazing fireplaces in the chalets, and a craft cocktail menu to rival Lima’s best. From $166 per night.

Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz, Switzerland

As much as schussing down the slopes of the fabled Engadin Valley is a must-do for skiers, trekking up those same slopes is a must-do for hikers. Base yourself at the historic, lakeside Badrutt’s Palace, where the staff see to your every hiking need (including posh picnic baskets).

As for the trails, you almost can’t go wrong in the Swiss Alps. One of the most beloved routes: the four-hour journey that links the wintertime sledding area Muottas Muragl, Segantini Hut, and the village Pontresina. You’ll climb to almost 9,000 feet, where you’ll be rewarded with jagged views that are said to have inspired Swiss painter Giovanni Segantini. From $370 a night.

This article was written by Abbie Kozolchyk from Bloomberg and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].

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