colorful attractions Archives - 203Challenges

Winter challenge: Jump into a warm, open-air mineral pool while snowing

Maria Angelova — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 10:30:00 +0000

The challenge: Jump into a warm, open-air mineral pool while it’s snowing

There are plenty of warm, mineral pools in the open air around the world. However pleasant they may be in the summer, there is nothing like getting into one in the winter, when snowflakes are falling from the sky and you are soaking in warm, mineral water, not caring about tiny details like weather forecasts or an air temperature more suited to polar bears…

How to do it (better):

Don’t forget to take a towel to dry yourself off as quickly as possible as you climb out of the pool. Also take your favorite warm drink in a thermos for pure bliss (coffee, cappuccino, tea and rum, only rum – we’re not judging).

Where to do it:

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland – The Blue Lagoon gets its name from the incredible color created by the mixture of fresh and salt water. It lies 40 km (24 mi) from the capital of Iceland – Reykjavík. The Blue Lagoon contains around 6 million liters (1.5 million gallons) of geothermal water, which renews itself naturally every 40 hours and its temperature is 37º C (98º F). Another cheaper and more tranquil option is the Myvatn Nature Baths nearby.

Japanese onsen – “onsen” is a type of spring that is very common in Japan. Visit Beppu, a city on the island of Kyushu, with its “Hells of Beppu” – geothermal hot spots, each differently colored due to the mineral content in the water.

Source: the book “203 Travel Challenges. Travel the World. Explore Your Inner Self.”

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Rainbow Village, Indonesia – when governments get it right

Nesi Zelenkova — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 12:08:40 +0000

Featured image by SariTravels

This is the story of how a bit of color turned an Indonesian slum into an Instagram sensation that can benefit locals…

The idea

Kampung Pelangi, now known as ‘Rainbow Village’, is located in Semarang, in Central Java, Indonesia – 300 miles (480 km) east of the capital, Jakarta. It was an ordinary low-income village until April this year, when a high-school principal, Slamet Widodo, came up with the idea to paint its houses, benches and bridges in different bright colors in an effort to attract more tourists to the area and improve the economic situation in his community. This plan followed the example of other Indonesian villages that have undergone similar colorful changes, including Kampung Warna Warni and Kampung Tridi.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV3Y7PIBxL7/

The makeover

The local council decided to give 300 million Indonesian rupiah (around $22,000) to turn Widodo’s idea into a reality. In a month the 223 houses in the suburb were each painted with at least three different, bright colors. The Indonesian Builders Association in Semarang provided paint and workers for the refurbishment, while the residents themselves took part in the painting process, as did the mayor of Semarang.

Instagram tourism

After the news of the village’s colorful new appearance spread across the internet, it began to fill with tourists searching for some positive vibes in their day and that perfect Instagram shot. And since the makeover was made for that purpose, it is no surprise that Instagrammable murals can be found around every corner. About 7000 posts with the hashtag #kampungpelangi already exist and the number is growing every day. Among the most famous wall pieces are backdrops for people to pose with butterfly and angel wings, mystical creatures, balloons, umbrellas and even Kung Fu Panda himself.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT9BD0LFAVB/

The pay-off

Residents are already feeling the positive economic effects that the new tourist attraction has had on their lives, increasing their income through markets for tours, souvenirs and street food. The village is now cleaner and more dynamic than ever – in fact, further plans for the project include removing waste from the local river.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV69_CIFp-c/

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Castelsardo – put this colorful town in Sardinia on your list

203 Challenges — Wed, 11 May 2022 02:38:01 +0000

Sardinia is not usually in the top 10 of the travelers’ wishlists. But after a week on the Italian island we are more than sure it’s worth it. It’s a truly diverse land with an ever changing landscape – from rocky seashores to red mountain peaks, vineyards and ruins from ancient civilizations.

If you like small colorful towns with friendly people and no crowds of tourists, you should visit Castelsardo in Sardinia.

Bonus: a tiny sandy beach and turquoise water.

Why to go to Castelsardo in Sardinia, Italy

Amazing views from the castle – Castelsardo is located on a small, rocky peninsula in the north of Sardinia. The historical town is built on the top of a hill. When you climb it, enter the castle. You will have to pay a small fee (around 3 euro) but the amazing 360-degree view from the top will make you want to come back to the ticket lady and pay again. Among the ancient walls of the fortress there are a few rooms of the Mediterranean Bonds Museum (Museo Dell Intreccio Mediterraneo) where you will understand more about the past of the region while listening to Medieval-style music as if coming from the walls.

Sant Antonio di Abate Cathedral on the edge – no, we don’t suggest you say your prayer here, although it is hard not to feel the urge to do so when you arrive on the edge of the hill. The cathedral has a multicolored dome which you can see from afar and a beautiful view to Castelsardo and the port from its small terrace.

Roam the tiny winding streets of the old town – you don’t need a guidebook to find your way among the narrow cobble-stoned streets of the old town. Just walk and try to guess what’s behind the next turn. A religious procession? A small family run restaurant? An old lady selling her handicrafts? The answer is: all of them!

Local wine and Sardinian mirto – if you love and truly enjoy life, follow the locals’ advice and have a glass of Vermentino wine watching the sunset a stone’s throw from the turquoise sea. Vermentino is a Sardinian white wine (if you prefer red – get cannonau). When it’s apperitivo time, order a glass of mirto – a popular liqueur on the islands of Sardinia and Corsica, produced from the berries and the leaves of the myrtle plant. It comes in two varieties – white and red.

Beaches in Castelsardo – the coast is mostly rocky but there is a tiny sandy beach with a bar in the new part of the town (below the hill of the old town, follow Lungomare – the seashore alley).

The Elephant Rock – or Roccia Elefante is a real life-sized rock in the realistic shape of an elephant. It is formed entirely by nature. It is situated right next to the road, 4 km from Castelsardo (follow the brown signs, direction Sassari).

Where to stay in Castelsardo – there are a few hotels in the town (in its new part) but if you stay 1-2 km away from the center, you can find nice resorts perched on the rocks with their own little beaches and an amazing view to Castelsardo during the sunset.

How to get to Castelsardo – Fly to Sardinia, then rent a car (the public transport in Sardinia is unreliable and not frequent enough). Castelsardo is 70 km from Alghero, 250 km from Cagliari.

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Balat – the colors of Istanbul in the old Jewish quarter

203 Challenges — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 21:00:46 +0000

A colorful walk around one of the Istanbul’s quarters

Balat is the old Jewish quarter of Istanbul, located on the southern bank of the Golden Horn between the Ataturk and Fatih bridges. Centuries ago, many Jews expelled from Spain used to live there along with Christian communities of the Ottoman Empire, the common point between all of them being their extreme poverty.

Nowadays, the neighborhood doesn’t look like it has prospered a lot, but it has kept its charm with the old, beautiful architecture, multicolored buildings and little curtains on the windows, with a blue sky above.

Balat, the colorful Jewish quarter of Istanbul

Many tourists in Istanbul visit the neighborhood for its colors and its pleasant atmosphere. If you would like to visit something more specific, see the two remaining synagogues. Of a total of 19 Jewish religious buildings in the past, only Ahrida and Yanbol currently remain intact. The best known of the old synagogues in town is Ahrida (also called Ohrida), which is situated on Kurkcu Cesme Sokak. Ahrida was built in the end of the 15th century, maybe even earlier.

Yanbol Synagogue is on Duriye Sokak, one intersection away from Ahrida. As the legend goes, they were built by immigrants from Macedonia. To see the synagogues, you first have to contact the Chief Rabbinate, and the visits are only on workday mornings.

In Balat, you can tour the buildings of the Jewish school and the Jewish hospital (120 beds, built in 1897), but for there you will also need an arrangement with the Chief Rabbinate.

The iron Bulgarian church Saint Stephen, built in the 19th century and the only Orthodox church built out of iron, is also in the area. There is also the Chora church – one of the best preserved Byzantine churches with preserved authentic frescoes and mosaics. It was turned into a mosque in the 16th century, and in 1948, it was already a museum.

Other interesting spots are the old, massive city walls and the remains of the Byzantine castle, known today as Tekfur Sarayi (“Palace of the Sovereign”).

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