Raffael

Kerala

I'm probably going to get some hate for this but it is literally the best biryani I've eaten in India. And believe me when I say I've pretty much travelled the length and breadth of this country for biryani.

Kerala is littered with these beautifully rustic establishments that brew their own coconut wine called toddy. It's well worth a visit, not just for the toddy but the food and the experience of the whole thing. I would recommend trying the fish head curry, duck curry and beef roast when you do visit. My favourite is the VELLIYAZCHA KAAVU TODDY SHOP, near Attingal.

A tiny, beautiful and clean beach. Beware the currents can be a bit dodgy at times but it's mostly fine.

Kerala's first and India's premier surf and yoga holiday destination. Join the local crew of surf instructors and guides for a surf every morning or just relax at the beautiful and stylish hotel, perched on a cliff top overlooking some of the best beaches and sunsets Kerala has to offer. Also, a really laid back atmosphere and cafe serving healthy treats and a mix of Keralan and Western-style food.

Backwaters of Kerala. The iconic Keralan scenery that you've seen on every postcard. It's like Alleppey but less touristy so best to visit here if you want to experience the backwaters but get away from the hustle of the very touristy spots.

Beautiful pristine beach and one of my favourites to visit. Again, not as many tourists as you might find on other beaches in Kerala so worth a visit.

My favourite spot to surf in Kerala. A beautiful fishing village with a fast hollow left hand wave. You can join for surf lessons or grab a board and go surfing yourself all while the fishermen and boats carry on with their days around you. Beware though, the surf can be a tad crowded here, but the locals are always friendly and welcoming.

I'm a bit of a beach bum as you can probably tell, but sometimes I like to leave the beach to get into the western ghats. You'll think you're in a different country. Vagamon is one of my favourite hill stations in the western ghats, considered to have one of the most ecologically dense environments in the world. The drive up there is stunning as are the views and there are some adventure activities like paragliding, hiking that you can get involved in, or you could just kickback and watch the birds for hours.

Heritage sites, cafes, art galleries and the biennale. Some may go as far as to say it's the art capital of India. (KASHI ART CAFE, DAVID HALL GALLERY, PEPPER HOUSE).

Kerala with Raffael from Soul & Surf

Sama

Palestine

Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world, it is around 11,000 years old, (lol, that number apparently exists), and it is the lowest point on earth, 258m below sea level. There, you will find Deir al Krntl, The Monastery of Temptation, which dates back to the Seleucid Empire, and where Jesus fasted for 40 days after getting baptized in the Jordan River. It is a beautiful monastery, built on the edge of a mountain cliff, overlooking the whole area, including Jericho, the Dead Sea, and a bit of Jordan. To get there, you can hike or take an aerial tramway.

The Gaza strip is a restricted area for everyone. Since 2008, Israel decided that people in Gaza all deserve life in prison. So they put the whole city under siege, and closed off all entry and exit points. But, if you do manage to get a permit to visit, go. The people there are the friendliest and most creative people you will meet. You can sit on the beach of the Mediterranean sea, which you can see from all over Palestine, but can never reach, you can eat really good food - there are too many things to see in Gaza... we can write a full article just about that.

Through the checkpoints and hassle, which can take between an hour to seven, depending on the day and the soldiers mood, you can get to Jenin. In Arraba, you can go to the Abdelhadi Palaces (Our palaces - just to brag). These Palaces have been within the family for more than 100 years, 2 of them have been renovated into a Turkish Bath and a public library. You can also start a walk from ARRABA TO BURQIN, where you pass through a spring, a roman wall, and Burqin Church, which is the 3rd oldest church in the world.

Also known as ‘Little Damascus’, a place where visiting the old market (souq) is a must. Some of the few things its popular for are nablus knafeh; my dad has been eating knafe, a really sweet dessert, every day since he was born. He used to take me to eat knafe almost every day as well when I was a kid, which is the reason why I don’t eat it anymore. He still finds that weird. It’s nablus soap and Turkish baths. I personally travel with that soap and always have some in whichever house and in whatever country I live in. You’ll also find the Samaritan Museum. Samaritan’s believe that mount Gerizim in Nablus is the holy place for the Israelis. The Samaritans have always been neutral, they don’t like politics and don’t get into it. They speak Arabic and Hebrew and they live on both sides with both people.

On the way to Ramallah you will run into Taybeh village and the Taybeh brewery. The first female-run microbrewery in the Middle East. If you are there in the Oktoberfest, you will be very happy that day. Fresh beer from the cellars and a beautiful spot on top of the mountain. After Taybeh comes Birzeit, a beautiful old village. There you can find “Malek il falafel” the best Falafel in the area. Brilliant homemade Palestinian dishes in an old traditional house. In Birzeit, you can also find the Palestinian Museum. Getting into Ramallah, there is Snowbar Garden; it is this beautiful garden built into the mountain with a great view. Great drinks and a pool for the summer times. Other good bars are Garage Cafe, La Grotta Bar and Radio Bar.

Heading out of Ramallah, through a lot of checkpoints, with a lot of views of illegal settlements, through mountains, through a lot of hassle and humiliation, you’ll get to the birthplace of Jesus, which is definitely a site to see in the nativity church. There is a shorter way to get there through Jerusalem, which is safer as well and doesn’t make you dizzy and sick, but it wouldn’t be called an occupation if we were able to drive on it. So if you are Palestinian you cant take that road. The old city of Beit Sahour is incredible as well. If you want something to eat and you like chicken, Qabar goes back forever; the menu is only chicken (these guys seriously don’t have any pics that’s how old school they are). You can also find the hotel that Banksy opened, with a straight-up view of the 8m high segregation wall and checkpoint. The walled-off hotel is a must-visit spot with a lot of Banksy art. Banksy visits Palestine a lot, especially Bethlehem, during your trip you will find a lot of his graffiti on the walls of the city. If you get tired of the wall blocking your view, you can go to Hosh il Yasmine; a very nice chill spot and has a lot of music events and a great view of the mountains around you. On your way to Hebron you can pass by Battir village, god’s paradise on earth.

Hebron market (souq) with its maze of alleys is definitely worth exploring. The shops and stalls sell everything from locally made pottery, glass, rugs, and embroidered items to fresh and dried fruits. The old city has plenty of archaeological sites worth visiting. In Hebron, they make everything… they literally can make anything. The old city also gives a real sense of what it feels like to be under occupation, as the old city is occupied by extremist settlers and protected by over 1500 soldiers making it a really intense environment. As you can see in the pictures, you can always notice netting on the top of everything. That is because the settlers tried to drive people out by throwing their trash on top of the people of Hebron. So instead of leaving, people put nets all over to catch the trash. It is very intense living there, this is why we always say when a Hebron person puts his mind to something, nothing will stop them. There is nothing like a Khalili head. They even recently approved a new illegal settlement to be built where the market is, so now there is an order to bulldoze the market.

Palestine with Sama

Lila

Montevideo

At the southernmost city in the Americas, in Montevideo bay, very close to the busy city center, there's this Breakwater structure in which I love to spend time, unplugging myself from everything while watching and sampling sounds from the docks, birds and fishermen around.

I won't lie, I am a huge fan of South American cemeteries, visiting them in each city I play gigs at. In Montevideo, there's one I'm particularly fond of, Cementerio del Buceo. The dichotomy between massive architecture next to decaying graves with plastic flowers, cats always running around. Most of my favourite local musicians and poets from past centuries are buried there.

In the backyard of a fantastic art museum, there's the Japanese garden of Montevideo. A beautiful spot filled with bamboo trees, cherry blossoms and orchids, blended with Uruguayan national trees such as Ceibo. Love to go there with a good book and stare at the koi fishes for hours.

The flea market culture is quite remarkable in Uruguay. Every Sunday, you will find Tirstan Narvaja market right in the city center. I visit it every weekend ever since I can remember, walking kilometres in search of thrift clothes, vinyls, music gear and the most random things you can imagine.

Undoubtfully every Uruguayan has a fond memory of this spot. Right next to the amusement park and the beach, there is a lovely tiny lake with small boats that you can rent, surrounded by native trees, musicians playing around, tiny little islands with rabbits, and a castle (that is actually a library) in the middle.

Located in the oldest neighborhood in town, Cafe Brasilero is a very inspiring artistic bar founded in 1877, with typical art nouveau decorations and incredible food. It's been said that many famous writers from around the globe have started their books there.

Montevideo is known for venues shutting down in the blink of an eye, so most parties are itinerant. But luckily there's Tundra Bar, a place where you can go see the most experimental underground acts around, perhaps a rave here and there, and in the evening you can eat amazing vegan food.

Montevideo with Lila

Runkus

Portmore

A walking distance where i reside, i recorded majority of my last record IN:SIDE and this new record OUT:SIDE with Toddlat.

One of my favorite places to have fish and a festival, it’s what used to be a great beach for swimming, however now the tide’s come all the way up which makes it difficult, there’s no shore anymore at some spots. However I’ve been going there since the age of three. Screechie’s is my favourite restaurant on the beach, so dope. 

There’s a dope spring/mineral bath here in Portmore. It’s really an underground spring, so the water comes up from under the ground and you can see where it comes up too, it’s so beautiful and dope. My family and I use to go there a lot, however it’s way too populated now, always full so I don’t go anymore but parts of it has healing properties for aches etc. 

Very typical but I’m a movie person, and whenever the new marvel etc. comes out, I go to our movie place here in Portmore. 

Ok, hear me out… I am a grown child ok? There’s this go karting place here in a place called Port Henderson and no one can beat me, I’m undefeated. 

Ok.. hear me out one more time… there’s this place called buzzers.. a gaming place for kids and some adult games there tbh, air hockey, basketball etc. I am not shamed to admit I used to be there every weekend for a little, mainly cause of my brother but I was elated to take him….

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