E: 31/07 Wonderful 2 Centre Holiday in Thailand

cornishpasty1 · 5 June 2011 at 5:27AM

To enter this competition, you'll need to turn to page 118 of the July 2011 issue of Cond! Nast Traveller magazine, and identify the town in the picture (hopefully the lovely amsquared :A will scan a copy of the magazine for us :T ).

Correct answers will be entered into a random prize draw to win a five-night holiday for two at Banyan Tree Bangkok and four nights in a Green Pool Villa at Banyan Tree Samui (both Thailand)

The prize includes a five-night holiday for two, with a night in a Club Room at Banyan Tree Bangkok and dinner, followed by four nights in a Green Pool Villa, full board, at Banyan Tree Samui. The prize, worth £1,600 per person, includes return flights with Thai Airwais, arranged by Kuoni, and transfers. It is subject to availability and must be taken between 1 September and 20 December 2011.

Carved out of rock embedded in a dramatic landscape, this off-the-beaten-track destination is often overlooked by tourists to the region. The town, which sits regally at the crown of a hill, literally rises from the ground: buildings are cut into the hillside and the rocky terrain is dotted with caves. Dating back more than 2,000 years, its cave houses are among the earliest examples of troglodyte dwellings in the Mediterranean, and it has churches built by monks in the Byzantine Empire. Biblical carvings and frescoes adorn the walls- which is possibly why Mel Gibson chose the town as a setting for The Passion of the Christ. The area is steeped in religious superstition and was immortalised in a 1950s memoir, which entertained local beliefs that Christ had forgotten the town and the inhabitants had been excluded from morality. The caves were deserted in 1952, after an outbreak of malaria resulted in an evacuation, and have only recently been resurrected by small restaurant and hotels capitalising on its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Where are you?

Question - Identify the town in the picture and where it is located

Answer - Matera, Basilicata, Italy (thanks Alix Bell and amsquared for photos :T )

CN TRAVELLER JULY WHERE ARE YOU? ENTER HERE

Good luck everyone

I couldn't see specific end date, could someone let me know if they see it and I'll amend thread :T (guessedenddate)

cornishpasty1 · 5 June 2011 at 5:28AM

Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and proof of age will be required before the prize is dispatched.
All qualifying entrants who answer the question correctly will be placed in a free prize draw.
Winners will be notified within 28 days of the draw taking place.
There is no cash alternative to the prize.
This competition is run by Cond! Net Ltd, and is not connected with Cond! Nast Traveller magazine.
The competition is not open to anyone associated with The Cond! Net Ltd or any associated companies.
The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
A list of winners' names is available on written request from Cond! Net Ltd, Vogue House, Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries which are not properly received due to communications beyond our control.
Open to UK and Eire residents only.

cornishpasty1 · 5 June 2011 at 5:32AM

Biblical carvings and frescoes adorn the walls- which is possibly why Mel Gibson chose the town as a setting for The Passion of the Christ - from this clue I would say Matera, Italy (source) It was produced independently and filmed in Italy – primarily at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, and in the old city of Matera, and at Craco (Basilicata).

But until we can see a picture we're only guessing, hopefully amsquared :A will provide us with a scanned picture so we have more of an idea :T