Under the Krabi Sky

Its unfair. How can one country have it all? Picture postcard beaches, amazing food and arguably the world’s best malls? And if that country is Thailand, when it beckons you just catch the next AirAsia flight and go. My last trip to this beautiful place was a whirlwind of palaces and malls. So when my friends suggested a week long relaxed beach holiday, I jumped at the chance.

When my travel research experts (D and N) zeroed in on three places for our holiday, I was expecting all three to be alike. I mean how different can three beach destinations in the same vicinity be? Oh boy was I wrong or what.

Koh Lanta – The Serene One
Have you met one of those people (most probably a woman in her thirties) who perpetually has a serene and calm aura? Lives life at her own pace and has a “the world can wait” attitude. If I had to describe this beautiful island, that would be it.
Koh Lanta is relatively unknown to mainstream tourists and I hope it remains that way. The sleepy island which is home to white sandy beaches and light blue waters is the perfect getaway from the hustle bustle of city life. We spent two and half relaxed days in this little haven when time does stand still.



On day one, we decided to do the touristy island hopping tour. The day long boat tour took us to four islands. It was during this trip that I discovered the awesomeness that was snorkeling. After some initial hiccups I got a hang of it and loved every bit of it. You float around soaking in the visual delight of watching fish of every possible color glide past you and the only thing you can hear is your own breathing. I wish I was good enough a writer to describe what a fantastic experience that was.Its amazing to think that under that serene blue surface, lies a whole different world.

After two stops for snorkeling, our third stop during the island tour was the emerald cave. I recommend this natural wonder to anyone who visits Thailand. The emerald cave is a hidden beach inside one of the rock formations in the middle of the ocean. It was apparently a favorite hideout for pirates back in the day. Our tour operator had all of us line up and hold on the life-jacket in front of while we swam through the narrow passage to get to the hidden beach. Which worked really well for non swimming claustrophobic beings (aka me). And our final stop was on this quaintlittle island for lunch. Unfortunately blogger does not seem to support my panorama pictures. So I have to make do with the regular ones.




Koi Phi Phi – The Chirpy One
If Ko Lanta had a calming effect on us, Koi Phi Phi woke us up with a jolt. This little bustling island reminds me of a bubbly girl next door. After a couple of relaxing days we hopped over to Koi Phi Phi which was actually just our stop over for our overnight camping trip at Maya Bay. We had half a day to kill and decided to make the most of it. Half the island is filled with beach-side pubs while the other half is filled with cobbled streets lined with little cafes and shops selling absolutely anything. Unlike the previous island, even the waters were more vibrant turquoise here. Something that struck me was how all islands are a riot of blues and greens but yet so uniquely picturesque in its own way.
We decided to check out the Phi Phi view point accessible only via a six hundred steep stairway trek. Which actually felt like 62,879 steps if you ask me. The long strenuous trek was a reality check on how terribly unfit we were, but the view from the top made everything totally worth it.



By afternoon we took the boat to Maya Bay for our overnight camping on the beach. I think that one crazy night spent there deserves a post of its own, so I will save my rambling for the next post.


Phuket – The Glitzy One
With its endless night clubs, high end malls and restaurants, Phuket was a far cry from our other destinations. Phuket was all about glitz, glamour and sadly sleaze. The rampant child prostitution in every nook of this city was a reminder that everything beautiful can also have an ugly side.
To be honest, we didn’t get to do too many beach-side activities here. In other words...we saw a mall, fell in love and lived happily ever after. Ahhhh those shoes and bags *dreamy eyes *. Unfortunately we had to learn the hard way that shopping at the malls was surprisingly more reasonable that road side shopping.

This post would be incomplete without mentioning the awesomely fantastic yummylicious food we had. It would be no exaggeration to say we finished all the Phad Thai and Green Curry in that country.

After two days in Phuket, our week long holiday drew to a close. We got back to India a little heavier both in terms of baggage and other wise, but happy none the less.




Travel means different things to different people. For some its an adrenaline rush while for some its just a break from routine. It makes people happy, ecstatic or just keeps some entertained. But I have come to realize that for me its much more than that. Travel for me is contentment.

A Wedding to remember

S had been planning her five day wedding for months now and when the day was finally near I was more that geared up for several reasons. I had always wanted to visit her home town, this was my first Muslim wedding and well of late I have been bored out of my brains.


So off I went to Kayalpatnam. I was quite looking forward to going to a place that literally meant city of fish. And I wasn't disappointed. It is the cutest little small town ever. Despite being just forty minutes away from my hometown, it couldn't be more different.

With a predominant Muslim population, the town comprises traditional style houses built around the mosque. All houses have separate entrances for men and women. The streets are a maze of quaint alleys and courtyards linking the houses together.

The wedding went on for five days , of which I stayed on for three days of undiluted fun. The wedding ceremonies were an eclectic mix of colorful clothes, yummy food and traditional rituals. My favorite part was when tambourine bearing girls danced around the bride and the women folk sang Arabic songs. I felt like I had been transported into a middle eastern movie!



Some of us guests took some time off to visit the famous Murugan temple in the neighboring town of Tiruchendur. A fifteen minute drive away from Kayalpatnam , Tiruchendur is a world apart. The temple situated on the beach may not have the grandiose of several other famous ones, but it does have a rustic charm of its own. We did an unsuccessful attempt to visit Valli's cave. A long queue in a claustrophobia enticing area discouraged us. Not before I was fascinated to notice that the cave had ceiling fans! This is something that I totally love about India, in matter of fifteens minutes you can be transported to a whole new world all together.

This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning two lovely people I met at this Wedding. Cat, English by race but Sri Lankan by heart. Choosing to work in Colombo she has embraced all things Sri lankan - Buddhism, black tea and iddiappam. The second blog worthy person was little Zain. Before I met this five year old gentleman, I had no clue who Ben-10 was or how cool he is.

So S thank for you the funtastic weekend and here's wishing you a fabulous life ahead!

Cambodia

When I told people I was going to Cambodia to see the Angor wat, the most common reaction was "the angor what? " or " but why". Apparently the world didn't share my fascination for the country. Dwarfed by its more glamorous neighbors, Cambodia is sort of like the wallflower at a high school party. Not many people pay attention , but if you did you will find a quaint little charm.

Our first stop was the capital city Phnom Pehn. We did a quick tour of the killing fields of the Khmer rouge. The entire place was was a morbid reminder of the horror this country had lived through. Our next stop the grand palace couldn't have been more different. The palace was quite exquisite and would provide tough competition to its Thai and Indonesian peers.

We moved on to our next destination Siam Reap by rather fancy bus which would put our Indian ones to shame. Siam Reap houses hundreds of beautiful ruins including the world famous Angor Wat -which with its super steep steps ensure all your mountaineering skills are put to test. Surprisingly most temples have the Ramayana or Mahabarata as their key theme.


But my favorite was the Ta Prohm temple. Made famous by the tomb raider movies , pictures don't do justice to beauty of this place. The temple which has been swallowed by the monster sized silk cotton trees was an eerie testament that nobody messes with nature.


A second favorite was the Bayon temple filled with massive faces of King Jayavarman. He must have really loved himself. You see his face all over the place. Sort of like a super sized stalker.

For a country that is poverty ridden and seen the worst horrors of our time, the people are a cheery lot who seem to be doing their best to get back on track. Cambodia is truly proof that the human spirit is always a winner.

Cinnamon Island

When my friends proposed a reunion at Galle, I was all excited. The ancient seaport has always been a place I wanted to visit. And I was hoping to atleast catch a glimpse of the famed Taprobane island hotel. An hundred year old dutch house on a private island. How exotic is that! Someday Im dragging an unsuspecting husband/boy friend there.

Unfortunately a tsunami warning ensured all plans were shelved. My friend suggested a boat safari to Cinnamon island. No tourist guide on Sri Lanka talks about it and I soon realized it didnt even have Google hits. I was apprehensive, but decided to go along. Boy was I in for a suprise!

Cinnamon island is one the sixty four islands that dot the Madhu ganga river. Sixty four little islands within one of the world's smallest island countries - that was not something I expected. The boat safari took us through this beautiful river and breathtaking mangroves. we got to hop off at two islands. The first stop was cinnamon island- a tiny island that is home to a cinnamon plantation. You get to try your hand at extracting cinnamon and much to my surprise fresh cinnamon tastes nothing like what you get in stores.

Our next stop was Koth Doowa island. This island houses a quaint Buddhist temple and a monastery. Apart from the two monks who eyed as warily, the island is home to a bunch of giant jam squirrels. An animal I hadn't even heard of till that day.

Despite the eerie looking river monitors (again an animal I hadn't heard of) we decided to end the boat safari with a swim in the river. It was day full of surprises and realizations that I am quite zoologically challenged. This is definitely a boat ride Im doing again :)

Colombo Calling

Welcome to the island of Sri Lanka " drones the air hostess in her most bored tone. But I am feeling far from bored. I am feeling too many things actually. Excited about returning to my city of birth after years. Guilty that I am taking time off. Anxious - Thirteen visits to Sri Lanka and first time with no war looming overhead. Relieved that I am far away from the daily shuttle between office and hospital. But most of all happy that I will be seeing friends and family that I have missed dearly

Thirteen days is too short a time frame to visit the city you love but its also a rather long time for a corporate slave. More posts from the Emerald Isle to follow

Far from the maddening crowd

Taprobane. Serendib. Ceylon. Sri Lanka. Call it what you may. Its far from the choas of the last few weeks. And thats all I need at the moment :)

Pondicherry

Pondicherry has always been one of my favourite places. The laid back little town with its French villas, little cafes and colourful people has always fascinated me. The people of Pondi seem to be on a weekend mode irrespective of what day it is. And a city that shuts down for a siesta everyday? why wouldnt one love it!

With my best friend visiting from the US, the unanimous choice for a quick weekend reunion was -pondicherry. I have always ended up staying in interesting places in Pondy. Last year we camped on an island as part of a water sports expedition. The water sports bit was a royal disaster but the island was beautiful.
I also ended up spending news year's eve in the little French town. We stayed at a hotel exotically named cirlce de poets. Boy can names be misldeading or what. Though the evening was grand fun, the bathroom tiled hotel desereves a post of its own.

So when my friend said she had found an interesting place for this time's visit, I went prepared. I was pleasantly suprised when we landed at this white washed villa by the beach. I strongly recommend the villa bayoud to anyone visiting Pondi. I finally got to dine at the much talked about Promenade. Dinner was a let down. But the in house magician who held my finger to read my mind and had me shuffle an invisible pack of cards was mildy amusing if not entertaining.

I might be going back in a few days for a coporate workshop. Lets see what that trip holds for me!

Yercaud

Another long weekend meant another getaway from the city. This time round the destination was Yercaud.Th quaint little town does not have too many touristy spots but is a good place for a weekend break. The best part about Yercaud was its recession friendly eating joints. Two places that we literally lived in were Akka's bajji joint by the lake and Selvams "chetty-nadu" center. Typo ridden hoardings apart, both places served the most awesome food. Till i set foot in Selvams, i never thought pongal and chicken would make a fab combo!

Another must see spot in Yercaud is GRT's Sky Rocca. The food there is no great shakes but their sky walk is. Located at the edge of the valley, the sky walk is literally a glass ramp into the valley. So when you walk onto it. You see the valley looming below you. After the initial "o my god is this glass gona shatter and am I gona plunge to my death" moments - the walk is fun. As usual the weekend seemed too short. We had to console ourselves that the next long weekend is not too far away.God bless long weekends !

Notes from Charles De Gaulle

The good thing about being on a really long flight on your birthday is you get to miss calls. Calls from peopel who think your a disgrace coz your 27 and single. Yeah!

P.S : Paris has to be the worst airport ever to transit.

I like :)

It is better to have loafed and lost than never to have loafed at all.-James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)