For something sleek and ultra stylish Drakes in, Brighton, United Kingdom is the place to head. The feature sea-facing room is the largest and the one that the rich and famous die for.

The Zetter in London,United Kingdom is another crazy love nest which is the first hotel in the world to use ‘Freshbed’ technology, where a current of air is passed through the mattress to regulate body temperature.

Continentale in Florence,Italy with its beautiful fairy - tale like ambience is as inviting.

An opulent boudoir stuffed with antiques and paraphernalia The Witchery in Edinburgh, Scotland or Ca Maria Adele in, Venice, Italy with its swing-from-the-chandelier decadence are for the ones who enjoy maximalism at its best.

Langkawi, the archipelago of 99 islands off the west coast of Malaysia with its beautiful landscapes and luxurious spas houses some of the best hotels in the business. Four Seasons Resort Langkawi which sits comfortably in its environment is the place to head to.
On the other side Sun Rocks in Santorini, Greece, perfect for honeymooners gives a beautiful view of the volcanic bay from the comfort of your cliffside crib too.

There are a number of new hotels coming up every single day, make the right choice and plan a perfect trip ahead.

BY ANWESHA MANDAL

Heroin and cocaine were ranked most dangerous, followed by barbiturates and street methadone. Alcohol was the fifth-most harmful drug and tobacco the ninth most harmful. Cannabis came in 11th, and near the bottom of the list was Ecstasy.

There are hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history. Alcohol is considered one of the most toxic drugs, and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect can lead to death. Marijuana is one of - if not the - least toxic drugs, requiring thousands times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death.

These reports just prove how ignorant people are about the harmful effects of different substances. With the recent busts at rave parties in Pune and Mumbai as well as Dj.Aquel’s arrest in Dubai for carrying ecstasy, people are sitting up and taking notice of drug users. What is even more interesting is how conveniently drug users are being targeted instead of finding the real culprits - the drug peddlers.

Experts are now agreeing that criminalizing alcohol and tobacco is a challenging task and they are hoping that governments would at least review the penalties imposed for drug abuse and try to make them more reflective of the actual risks and damages involved.

It’s the job of the government to create awareness among the people about the risks of various drugs rather than being restricted by what is considered socially acceptable. Ultimately all drugs are harmful yet some are worse than others but its high time people educate themselves before pointing out to a ‘junkie’ after all if you drink you might be at a greater risk than them.

BY ANWESHA MANDAL

David LaChapelle described as ‘The Fellini of photography’[by New York Magazine] presents a whole new world through his lens and when he casts his spell, you
are sucked in deeper and deeper.

Born in Connecticut, United States in 1963 , this photographer and director is well known for his vivid, intense and surreal imagery which is often wittily erotic, exuberant and full of colours.His first professional job as a photographer was offered by Andy Warhol for Interview magazine and since then there has been no stopping this ‘out of the box’ thinker.

His pictures have been published in Italian Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Vibe, The face and British GQ among others. His joyful yet edgy take on the modern, contemporary world has won him many awards such as the “Best New Photographer of the Year” (1995) by both French Photo and American Photo magazines, “Photographer of the Year Award”(1996) at the VH-1 Fashion Awards, Best “Cutting Edge Essay” and “Style Photography” at Life magazine’s Alfred Eisenstadt Awards for Magazine Photography (the Eisies) (1998), “Cover of the Year” category at the Eisies (1999) and so on.

A man with such talent obviously would extend his horizons and thereby he has directed advertisements for major stores and videos for well-known artists which got him even more prestigious awards.

LaChapelle’s film Rize, a documentary on the krumping style of dance that invaded South Central Los Angeles was released in 2005 and it gave a new form to artistic expression all over the world. Author of four books LaChapelle Land (1996), Hotel LaChapelle (1999),Artists and Prostitutes (2006) and Heaven to Hell (2006) , this photographer has never failed to amaze his audience.

LaChapelle still continues to push the boundaries and creates magic through his work which is as unique as the man himself. I have only one thing to say about this talented photographer and his refreshing work, ‘There is only one David LaChapelle and he cannot be compared to anyone else.’

BY ANWESHA MANDAL

For more information and pictures, go to www.davidlachapelle.com