world’s spiritual getaways - Seeking solace

Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina

In 1981, six children saw an apparition
of the Virgin Mary, in Medjugorje.
Today, the community of 400 residents
caters to millions of visitors
every year. The site, Apparition Hill
and the local church offer mass in
more than 10 languages, including
Croatian, Italian, Spanish and English.

Ulpotha, Sri Lanka

Two hours away from Kandy, Sri
Lanka, lies Ulpotha, an eco-village hidden
in a valley at the foot of the Galgiriyawa
mountains. It has been a pilgrimage
site for thousands of years and
is now a yoga, spa and Ayurveda retreat
open to guests for part of the year.
world’s spiritual getaways

Kairouan, Tunisia

Kairouan is a 1000-year-old city and
is considered to be the fourth holiest
city in Islam after Mecca, Medina and
Jerusalem. As the oldest Muslim place
of worship in Africa, the Great Mosque
of Kairouan (built in 670 AD) has been
an important place of pilgrimage for
Muslims who can’t make the long Haj.

Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island became a part of Chile
in the late 1800s and is a World Heritage
Site famous for the hundreds of
moai, the towering volcanic stone statues
dotted around the island and positioned
on ahu, the massive stone platforms.
Till date, no one knows which
civilisation built the moai and why
they built them.

Tiwanaku, Bolivia

Tiwanku was home to a pre-Incan
society (1600BC-1200AD). The Incas,
who later colonised Tiwanaku believed
that the place was built by god
Viracocha, who created the first humans.
This UNESCO World Heritage
site is referred to as the Stonehenge of
the Americas.