Bandhavgarh

Central India is usually dry and extremely hot during the months of April and May. The trees shed their leaves and the otherwise dense green forest adorns a gloomy and dreary look. But this period also serves as a great time to visit Wildlife parks. The shortage of water and the dry heat forces drags the animals towards the artificial ponds to quench their thirst. April is also the time for summer vacations in schools and hence it is very difficult to find reservation (train and hotel) at the last minute. It is better to plan in advance.  

Bandhavgarh, situated in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, spreads over a massive area of 429 sq kms (divided in 4 zones) and is one of the biggest wildlife sanctuaries in India. It comes under the purview of Project Tiger apart from other 25 national parks.

Umaria, being the closest station to Bandhavgarh,  is only 30 kms away. The train from New Delhi starts at 1530 and reaches Umaria at 630 the next day. Having got our train reservation confirmed at the last minute we confirmed our booking at the Mogli resort. The train journey from Delhi to Umaria was quite comfortable. and the resort had arranged for a pick up from the station. Surprisingly, the resort turned out to be quite swanky. The rooms are quite big and can easily accommodate 3 people. The huge spread during breakfast followed by a dip in the swimming pool was something we were looking forward to after the journey. There was only one surprise in store for us. Since, we had finalized the plan at the very last minute we didnt get permits for all the zones and could only get permits for Makdi Zone. 

Day 1

We started out on our first safari in an open jeep accompanied by our guide/driver. Makdi is a zone which offers the best chance of sighting a tiger. Male tiger, Bokha and a tigress which is named after the nearby village are most commonly sighted close to the entrance gate of the zone. As we drove inside the zone, dark  clouds started enveloping the sky and winds gathered speed causing a dust storm. An unexpected slight drizzle helped settle the dust around. We drove around and reached another spot - Khada Pani, which is famous for spotting tigers. A halt and quietly listening to the alarm calls of the deer and other animals could not give us any idea about the whereabouts of the tiger. Bandhavgarh houses over 250 species of birds

. 

We spotted a few on our way viz. Lapwings, Bee Eaters, Indian Roller, Eagles, Wood pecker, Kingfisher, Drongo etc. A water hole on our way back, popularly known as Bhool Bhuliya, is another spot where the tiger is often spotted. We waited for a while at the spot and rushed back. Had we waited at the hole a little longer we would have had the best view of the tiger. Having reached near the entrance, we saw hordes of jeeps lined up to get a glimpse of the elusive cat and a stench emanating from the kill that Bokha had made a few minutes back. The tiger apparently wanted to cross to the other side to drink water after enjoying the meal but couldnt do so because of the huge crowd gathered all around. As per some guides, Bokha had come out a while back just to pose for the camera and went back into the jungle. This now seems true after having experienced Bokha's behavior on our last safari (more on that below). So, this was the second chance that we had missed out on in the same safari. But this was not the end; while coming out of the gate, with the evening light fading away, tourists had lined up outside to capture the tiger and tigress roaming outside the park. Disturbed by the huge crowd and noise, the duo escaped into the jungle bringing an end to an eventful day. 

Day 2

We started out at sharp 515 in the morning. We were all set to visit Taala zone but were surprised to see that the resort had booked us for Makdi zone again. Only later did we get to understand that the booking for other zones needs to be done in advance. Our guide Shukla ji looked very experienced and assured us that the chances of spotting a tiger are high during the morning safari. Having crossed all the areas where the tiger is likely to be seen, we headed back with very little hope left to catch a glimpse even in the evening safari. 

After enjoying a delectable meal at the resort we had set out on our last safari of the trip. With very little expectations, we were in for a surprise. Our guide Sanjay who is also a leader among the guides is really quick and has an incredible sense of how tigers would behave. 

Just half an hour into the safari and without wasting any more time we were able to spot Bokha, sitting calmly along the water hole. As, more jeeps started pouring in and surrounding the area, Bokha got a little restless and quietly got up and strolled back into the jungle. The cars also were quick to react and followed the tiger around the jungle. Meanwhile, another tigress was spotted on the other side of the jungle, quietly enjoying her afternoon siesta. While only the stripes on the tigress' body were visible from a distance, tourists tried their level best to disturb her enough so that she drags herself out of the forest. The tigress decided to stay put. 

Having dodged everyone around for a hour, we realized that Bokha wanted to escape to the other side and was scared because of all the traffic. The jeeps finally made enough space for Bokha to escape and we got first row seats to witness the sprint. 

Although, wildlife tourism has attracted a lot of people from all over the world and brought in a lot of revenue into the state. It is saddening to see the number of vehicles being allowed into the zone (32 currently which will be increased in the future). The tiger population is diminishing and the area available for the cat is slowly being encroached upon by nearby villages, I hope the tourism to these parks is more stringently controlled by authorities and tourists made more aware of issues regarding wildlife conservation. 

With this our sojourn came to an end and we headed back to Delhi. Would like to come to Bandhavgarh next year but would make sure to book well in advance and hopefully with a 400mm Lens..:)

Trip to Amsterdam

It has always been a dream to go to a paradise land where everyone is in a state of bliss and is at peace with everything around. But does such a place exist?
Amsterdam is one such place which comes close to my definition of paradise. The dream land is the official sex and drugs capital of the world. I have craved for this trip for a very long time and my opportunity had arrived in the form of an invitation from The University of Nyenrode in Netherlands to attend a Management weekend workshop in Feb'2012.

The Lufthansa flight from Delhi was fairly comfortable with a stop over in Munich. I had reached Skipol airport, Amsterdam by around 5 in the evening after a 12 hour long flight. The airport offers plenty of options for passengers to commute. A train station below the airport is the most convenient (faster and cheaper) way to travel. Tickets for the trains can either be bought at the counters available at the airport or passengers can buy a card and tap it at the card readers on the train to buy tickets. The same card can also be used to buy tickets at Trams, Buses and Metros within the city. In case you are more adventurous and like to explore the city on your own, hiring a cycle for a day would be a good idea. Amsterdam provides a wide range of options for people to commute and hence makes it easy for tourists to get around.
I had to go to the University in Brueklen and I decided to rely on Google maps and for some reason didnt ask anyone for directions. The smart ass in me bought the ticket to Rotterdam Central which is far away from Brueklen. Having reached Rotterdam I realized that I am at the wrong station and then figured out my way to Brueklen. After 3 hours of adventure I finally reached the University and was greeted with a dark and completely deserted campus. I had already lost my way once in the day and was in no mood to do so again. Thankfully, an Indian, whom i had met at the bus station helped me find my way in the campus. The campus looked beautiful and was colder than I had presumed it to be. Being new to the European culture, I was in for a shock when I started looking out for a place to eat dinner only to find out that dinner is served at 6 in the evening.

I woke up next morning, a little jet lagged and having slept on an empty stomach, feeling a little sick. Breakfast at the University canteen was not filling but was enough to keep me awake for the day ahead. We all gathered for the introductions. I got to meet participants from 20 different nationalities and was excited to share new ideas with them and learn about their culture. The management and leadership lectures during the day were a little boring but the group activity and interaction kept me alive. The outdoor team building exercise was a fun event and it really tested our physical fitness to the core. The day ended with a lavish dinner at the castle in the campus followed by drinks at the local bar. By now I was getting used to the time difference and had made a few friends. The next day turned out to be great as well and having experienced life at the campus in Nyenrode I finally bid goodbye to the beautiful campus and headed towards Amsterdam city.

I had realized that Amsterdam is an expensive city as soon as I had stepped into the city. Train travel to the University had cost me more than Euro 20. A bottle of water would normally cost around Euro 2 and the cheapest metro/tram ticket would cost you Euro 2.7. Having incurred these expenses, I realised that I am going to run out of cash soon. I had booked a twin sharing room at Westcord City Centre Hotel for Euro 60 per day. Looking at the current expenses this turned out to be a very good deal. The Hotel is just a few minutes away from the Central Station and Tram stations just outside the hotel can take you to all the nearby tourist destinations.

I got hold of a city map and decided to walk around the city. Soon, I came to know that a coffee shop in Amsterdam sells eveything but coffee. Coffee shops have special menus which list the different types of drugs which can be legally bought over the counter. Euro 10 for 4 pre-rolled joints sounded like a good deal. Law in Amsterdam allows a person to carry upto 5gms of weed (which is a hell lot of weed!!) on the streets. The craving to hog on food and drink lots of water after smoking dragged me around the city to a local restaurant. A chicken meal for Euro 5 was enough to satisfy me for a while. The city is best enjoyed by just walking around or hiring a cycle. Seperate cycling tracks on the main road, traffic signals for cyclists, provision for cyclists to carry cycles in the local trains makes it convenient for locals to commute on cycles.
I wanted to travel by trams and hence boarded one to head towards the museum sqaure. A minimum ticket for Euro 2.7 which is valid for an hour is probably a little on the higher side.

I got down at Leidsplein and walked around a bit. Leidsplein is a very busy sqaure with restaurants and cafes all around the place. Groups of dancers and singers come along with their instruments and perform with people gathering all around them. The relaxed and calm atmosphere filled with this sudden rush of energy makes this place worth roaming around. A few meters down the road, Ryksmuseum and Van Goug Museum are considered to be the Mecca for artists around the world. The works of Rembrandt and other Dutch painters are exhibited at the museum. The entry for each museum is Euro 16 or a special museum card can also be bought at Euro 50 which grants access to all the nearby museums. I decided to skip the museum tour and just enjoyed myself relaxing near the Vondelpark. The famous letters 'I Am Sterdam' find space in this crowded tourist place. A walk down the road beside Ryksmuseum leads to the Heineken Brewery. A must visit for all beer fans, this place sells all Heinekin merchandize and also gives a peek into the history of beer in the country. A beer mug for Euro 3.5 for my brother looked like a good souvenier..:)

The daylights were fading away and the city was just coming to life. A walk back from the brewery to the Leidsplein made me really thirsty. A chilled beer at the Sports Bar surrounded by football fans is not a bad idea. The lights and live music played out in the sqaure makes a perfect setting for a relaxed evening. Walking back from Leidsplein towards the City center, the Holland Casino along the river looks magnificent and very enticing.
The city has much more to offer as the night sets in. The Red Light District in Amsterdam is famous and draws attention from all over the world. The brothel is not very conventional and has become a tourist attraction even for women. Glass doors with the room lit in red in the background and women standing at the entrance, enticing every passerby, is definitely worth a visit. Photography is strictly prohibited in the area and unlike other brothels in the world this place is very safe. A knock at the window and negotiation on the price sets the ball rolling. Euro 50 is the charge for 20 minutes of indulgence.

After a tough day of roaming around in the cold, the next day was relatively more relaxed. The Hash Museum, which I had spotted last night during my sojourn in the Red light district took me back there on the second day. The museum was shut for renovation and didnt seem too attractive to me. Lunch at an Indonesian restaurant in the Red Light area turned out to be very fulfilling. A stroll after a heavy meal took me towards Dam Square which is a very busy and extremely important place to visit for any tourist. The palace and the church besides it look magnificent. A brief tour inside the church can give you a glimpse into the history of the place. A street towards the left of the palace leads to a shopping street. Looking at the huge crowd and over enthusiasm of the shoppers I decided to turn back.
Amsterdam has a lot of canals and the best way to experience the city is through a canal cruise. Euro 10 for a hour long ride with audio details of the history of the city is a must for tourists. The cruise covers major attractions like Anne Frank's house, Ship museum etc along its way. A visit to the coffee shops and the Red Light district later in the evening brought about an end to an eventful 2 day stay in Amsterdam.
Places which I could not visit include the Windmills, Jordan Street and Kokenhoff park. As the trip comes to an end it feels like slowly waking up from a dream and coming back to my senses. An extended trip to the paradise city and other parts of Europe during summers is something I aspire for..

Trip to Dharamshala

The last week of December is always a good time to visit any of the hill stations in Himachal Pradesh. I have been to the cliched 'tourist destinations' Shimla and Manali many times during my college days and have always wanted to visit a more non-conventional destination like Dharamshala. This Christmas weekend, I finally got a chance to do so.
We explored all the possible options viz. by bus, train and driving our own vehicle to reach Dharamshala. But we figured that the easiest possible way to reach Dharamshala is by bus. So, we booked tickets for the Delux HP bus and boarded the bus from ISBT, Delhi just in time. The journey was quite comfortable and we reached Dharamshala at 6 in the morning. With our jackets, gloves and caps, we were well prepared to counter the cold weather. A local state transport bus leaves from Dharamshala every 30 minutes and is the easiest and cheapest way to reach Mc LeodGanj which is barely 30 mins away from Dharamshala. As soon as you reach McLeod a horde of people gather around trying to sell cheap hotel rooms. We decided to walk around a bit and check out a few places before deciding on the hotel. A narrow lane beside the famous McLLo's runs down and leads to Hotel Misty Woods. After having checked a few other places we decided to settle for Misty Woods. The room was basically a fully furnished appartment with a living room, kitchen and bedroom. Priced at Rs 1100 per night, this was a steal! and would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a nice place to stay in McLeod.

Day 1: It is always a good idea to get acclimatised to the weather whenever you reach a high altitude place. So, we decided to visit nearby places on the first day. Auto rickshaws charge Rs 250 and would take you to the most popular nearby destinations - Naadi and Bhagsu falls. It takes around 20 mins to reach Naadi. With a few resorts facing the Dhauladhar ranges, Naadi is a peaceful place and offers a clear view of the ranges. A view through the telescope also lets you see the caves and temples on the hills from close range.

The next stop during our journey was at Bhagsu. Trekking down the hill we took 30-45mins to reach the waterfall. Tired after the trek, it's a good idea to relax beside the falls for a while. The famous Shiv Cafe is another few meters walk up the hill and should be visited by people looking to go on a 'trip' of their own. We enjoyed our meal at Shiv Cafe and headed back to McLeod.
A walk down the temple road and watching the sun go down behind the snow peaked hills is a perfect way to end the day. The Dalai Lama temple offers a magnificent view of the sunset and the play of light on the mountain ranges is definitely worth capturing through your lens. McLlo's is a fine place to enjoy a nice dinner and listen to some good music. Must try out the Momos and Pasta.

Day 2: After a good night's sleep we got up early next day and were all set for the trek I had been eagerly waiting for. After having filled our stomachs with Aloo Parathas at a local Dhaba we headed straight towards Triund. An auto rickshaw/van can take you to the place from where the trek starts. It makes sense to reach the starting point by car rather than trekking the 6km stretch before the real Triund trek starts.We did not hire a guide for the trek. For people who are looking to spend the night at Triund it's preferable to make necessary arrangements at Mc Leod and hire a guide from there itself. The trek is moderate level trek and the total stretch is around 9kms. After halting at various spots for tea etc we finally reached Triund. A full 180 degree view of the Dhauladhar range appears in front of your eyes out of no where. This is a spectacle which you can just lie down and watch for a few hours without even blinking your eyes. By the time we reached the top we were extremely hungry and Maggi and tea at the local Dhabas at Triund proved to be a life saver. It is a good idea to carry something to eat and lots of water for the trek. After halting at Triund for a few hours and clicking pictures of the snow capped peaks we started to make a move at around 230-3 in the afternoon. It is advisable to reach back by 5-6 pm before it becomes a little dark.

We had heard a lot about Jimmy's kitchen and decided and go there for dinner. The Pizza's and Pastas are really worth a try and would definitely recommend it for anyone who is bored of the trite Dal roti.
Next day, early morning we boarded the state transport bus and started our long journey back home. Would certainly like to come back here next year and plan to stay at Triund..

Trip to Ajmer, Pushkar and Chittorgarh

The best part about living in Delhi is the number of options available for a weekend getaway. We had been planning to visit Chittorgarh for quite sometime now. A day is probably enough to cover the fort at Chittor. So, we decided to sqeeze in time to visit Ajmer and Pushkar as well. Having been to Ajmer and Pushkar before i knew that apart from the Ghats and Temples, Pushkar and Ajmer do not have too many places to visit. We had booked our train tickets and were all set for a hectic weekend.
We could only manage to get tickets for the Sleeper class in the Ahmedabad Mail and were a little ill prepared to face the coldest weekend of the season. We reached Ajmer at 5 in the morning and even though I had put on every kind of winter wear available in my bag, I just couldnt stop shivering. Braving the cold, we hired a rickshaw who helped us find cheap accommodation (500 bucks for a room). After lying down for a few hours we went out for a quick bite and then headed straight to the Dargah.

For security reasons, cameras and bags are not allowed inside the Dargah. The narrow lanes outside the Dargah is filled with tea vendors and small shops selling flowers to be offered at the Dargah. Various groups inside the Dargah are engrossed in singing Qawali  and the mix of sounds emanating from different corners simply has a soothing effect on the mind and makes the place worth a visit.
Next, we headed out to the bus station to catch a bus to Pushkar. On our way we also bought the famous Sohan Halwa. Pushkar is only 15kms away from Ajmer and takes around 40mins to reach.

Pushkar is famous for it's laid back lifestyle and is flocked by foreign nationals who find peace and visit India every year to enjoy the spiritual journey. The Brahma temple in Pushkar is the only temple in the world which has an idol of lord Brahma.The Ghats at Pushkar is filled with pandits who are more than eager to help you get rid of your sins. There are a lot of cafes in Pushkar which offer Italian cuisine and cater to the needs of the huge foreign audience. We were very hungry and wanted to hog on authentic Rajasthani food but to our surprise were advised to try out the Pizza and Pastas in Pushkar which turned out to be strictly ok, nothing great. Having spent sufficient time at the Ghats and the temple, we decided to take a bus back and reach Ajmer just in time to board the bus to Chittorgarh. At the bus stop in Ajmer we decided to try out the famous Kacori with Kadi. The Kachori turned out to be extremely spicy and I could only manage a few bites.
Chittorgarh is 190kms away from Ajmer and it took us around 4 hrs to reach our destination. At Chittor, we found cheap accommodation close to the bus station and enjoyed a sound sleep to wake up early next morning, all set to explore the Chittor fort.

The fort at Chittor encompasses an entire village and is considered the largest fort in Asia. The fort is famously known for the Lake palace where Rani Padmini used to reside in the 13th century. In the annals of history, Padmini is defined as the most beautiful queen of those times and her husband Raja Ratan Singh had to relinquish his throne to Ala-udin Khilji who saw Padmini, combing her hair in her lake palace, on the mirror in the Chittor fort and decided to go to war to win her over. Having lost the war, Padmini and her servants committed suicide (johar) rather than fall prey to the evil Khilji. The Jain temple at the Chittor fort has beautiful carvings on the outside which have been restored by the ASI recently. Kirti Stambh and Vijay Stambh are other places worth visiting within the Chittor fort. Both offer a vantage point from where you can get a complete view of the Chittor city and are symbols of victories in the great wars fought in the 13-18th Century period in the district.

Last stop in the itinerary was the main entrance to the fort. This entrance leads to the palace where Meera Bai resided and also leads to the secret tunnel where the servants of Rani Padmini had committed suicide (johar). People are not advised to visit this place during the night as it is considered to be haunted...:)
The day finally came to an end. It was yet another long and tiring day for us and it was time for us to rush to the Railway station and board the Chetak express.
This was a brief sojourn and I would certainly love to come back to Pushkar to enjoy a more relaxed and extended holiday in the future.

River Rafting at Kundalika

It was rainy and gloomy Saturday in Mumbai. The usual problems of roads getting blocked, traffic jams, water seeping into the house had started creeping up. This is also the best time to visit the outskirts of Mumbai, enjoy the greenery and witness the newly formed waterfalls. We decided to step out and go for river rafting at Kolad, 3 hours drive from Mumbai. We had already booked a place to stay for the night and the package deal for rafting for our group of 5 people.

Luckily, one of us decided to get his car. Travelling by public transport in this weather could be a little difficult, if not impossible. We started out at 4 in the afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to see very little traffic on our way. We reached Vashi in an hour and decided to buy some booze for the journey and the rest of the trip. Samosas could probably be the best snack to enjoy during the monsoons. A couple of hours drive and we had already reached Lonavala. The cloud or rather the fog had descended on the mountains and the view from the car was simply breathtaking. Since, it was getting dark we decided not to halt and waste more time. An hour later we had taken a left turn from the Mumbai-Goa highway and were heading into a jungle. We could see a few lights as we passed a small village and were not quite sure as to where our Farmhouse was. Quite frankly, we were a little lost and a bit scared too. We tried calling the farmhouse for directions but our cellphones were not within the mobile network. Finally, we saw another village and I went out to ask for directions. After another hour of hunting in the dark we saw a little board with directions for Pooja's Farm and we were relieved.
The sumptuous meal at the farm house was a perfect welcome for us. The cottage at the Farm priced at 1000 bucks per person for the night.seemed to be a little expensive. The huge window on the front in the cottage offered a beautiful view of a lake and we immediately knew that it was worth the effort and the money we were paying. The cottage was big enough to easily accommodate 5 people.  Playing around with the long exposure photos from the camera spiked with some booze we were carrying made the experience of staying at this farm quite memorable.
The next day, we got up early and after enjoying an Omlette and Poha we headed out to the river. Kundalika is 12kms away from the farm and carries water from the dam. We met people from other groups who had come down from Pune. After the first few lessons on how to row forward and backward we were ready to hit the water. This was the first rafting experience for me and I was a little scared to start with. The flow in Kundalika is not the greatest and after a few initial tests we set sail. We were accompanied by our instructor who was guiding us on when to row forward or backward. We ran into our first rapid after a while. It didnt really turn out to be tough. On the way our instructor felt a little adventurous and decided that we should venture into the wild bushes and grab some Jamuns. This didnt really please the bees one bit as they attacked us. To avoid the sting we decided to jump off the raft into the water.

Going a little further, our instructor had plans to clean all the mess left from the bushes inside our raft. So, we met the next rapid head on and rowed further into the rapid filling our raft with water. This turned out to be quite an experience and a little scary for the people leading our raft. Now, we were all quite comfortable with the art of rafting and wanted to enjoy ourselves in the river. A few of us flung ourselves into the river and just floated around on our backs. We later realized that pulling ourselves back onto the raft is one hell of a task.
Finally, our expedition had come to an end and we, having made some friends on the raft, joined them for a drink afterwards. The Fenny offered to us by our new friends turned out to be quite smooth and we ended up licking it.
Back at the cottage, our meals were ready and we left for Mumbai after enjoying the delicacies. It turned out to be an experience I shall never forget and would certainly come back next time for some more adventure. 

Trip to Thailand - Phuket and Pattaya

I have heard a lot about the good times people have had over the years in Thailand and wanted to experience it first hand. After a lot of planning and rescheduling we finally decided to go and booked our tickets. Booking our flights from Mum to BKK through Air India was probably the biggest and the only mistake we made during our trip. Due to some internal clashes between the Aviation ministry and the employees over payments all Air India flight got canceled and I was stranded at the airport. Eventually, all the passengers got tickets for Thai airways and we reached Bangkok at 830 AM (BKK time). I had missed my connecting flight to Phuket from Bangkok, thanks to Air India. So, I had to book/reschedule my Air Asia flight from Bangkok to Phuket to 130 in the afternoon. I met Shyam at the Phuket airport and had made another friend, Shane, at the Phuket airport.
In order to save on the fare (600 Baht),the 3 of us decided to share a cab from the airport to Leelawadee Boutique Hotel. Early morning showers in Phuket had brought down the temperature and the cloud cover and strong winds made a perfect weather for us to enjoy. We hired a couple of bikes and decided to go to Karon beach for a swim. The beach is quite far from the hotel. It took us half an hour to reach the beach. On our way we crossed the Karon Beach view point which offers the most amazing view of the entire Phuket city and the coast line. We hurried towards the beach so as to reach there before sunset. The clear water and pristine surroundings made for a brilliant spectacle. Our efforts to ride the wave were shortened by the frequency and the force with which the waves were hitting the shore. We decided to enjoy a chilled beer on our way back. This was the first time I tried a San Miguel and got addicted to it for the next 4 days.:)

Shane, being a regular at the night clubs in Thailand decided to take us around. We reached Bangla road, the most notorious place in Phuket. Bangla road is famous for Go Go Bars, where beautiful Thai girls dance on top of bars and are more than keen to have a good time with you. 

We went to a pub called Margaritas, which is popular for the live rock show. The band did cover of most of the popular Rock songs from GNR, Mettalica etc.For some reason we ordered pitchers of Jack Daniels and had a tough time finishing our drinks.
After roaming around for a while we reached one of the Go Go Bars, sat down around the bar and enjoyed a few drinks.

The next day was probably the most exciting day of the entire trip, for me. We went to the Phi Phi islands. The late night party and the travel from Mumbai to Phuket made the early morning travel plan to Phi Phi a little painful. Shane, due to some reason decided to stay back at the hotel :). We reached the port and boarded the speed boat. The speed boat had a front and a rear section. The front part takes a lot of hit and goes up and down as the boat hits the seas. It goes 'rock n roll', as the locals would put it. We were somehow brave enough to take seats in the front. The ride from the port to the Maya Bay was exhilarating.

Maya Bay, a U shaped bay with mountains surrounding the clear blue waters was a place that I had never imagined. None of my pictures could do any justice to the beauty that I had witnessed. The small beach at Maya Bay was teeming with tourists. The blend of colors from the sky, ocean, mountains and the tourists painted a perfect picture.After a small halt at Maya Bay, we set sail. We saw a few more similar looking bay's on the way and reached for the Monkey Beach for the next halt. This was just a small beach known for presence of monkeys on the beach - an attraction for few tourists but certainly something funny for Indians. We decided to stay back in the boat and 'mingled' with the other tourists on the boat. These set of islands and bays are part of the Phi Phi Leh islands. 

We decided to stop in the middle of nowhere and were asked to step down with our life jackets for snorkeling. This was probably the most scary part of the while experience. After clinging on to the edge of the boat for a while, I managed to venture into the ocean and explore the flora and fauna. The equipment used for snorkeling worked after a few attempts. The variety in size and color of fishes offered the most amazing breathtaking view and an experience which I will remember forever. A trip to Phi Phi islands is incomplete without the snorkeling experience.
A little tired after the snorkeling experience, we visited the Phi Phi Don islands, spending a little over half an hour we left again to a secluded island for a lunch buffet. The lunch was not really very appetizing but everybody was really hungry and hogged on whatever was available.

It was time for another round of snorkeling, this time at a beach.We had over an hour to ourselves to play around in the water and experience the flora from close quarters for the last time. A beer at the beach was much needed after a hard days work and brought an end to an eventful sojourn.
Back at the hotel, Shane also had a few exciting experiences to share with us. The trip in the speed boat had taken a toll on the back and it was time for a traditional Thai massage. The back massage was very soothing but didn't really ease the pain. Sea food at a local Thai restaurant (more of a Dhaba) was ordinary, if anything else. A few games of bowling and we were ready for a night out at Bangla Road. The discotheques were quite good - cheap drinks, beautiful Thai girls and good music is all we asked for..:)
Back at the hotel at 430 AM, sloshed and tired from the previous days trip, we had to catch a flight back to Bangkok at 630 AM. Sleeping through this journey, we reached Bangkok and took a bus to Pattaya (127 Baht/person cheaper than a 1300 Baht Taxi). After looking for a cheap hotel room, we decided to live comfortably and not compromise for a few bucks. We took a room at Lek Hotel near Beach Road, Pattaya. Pattaya turned out to be a cheap version of Phuket with a lot of night clubs, strip clubs and Go Go Bars at the Walking street. After a few drinks in the night around all the pubs and clubs we decided to head back to our room and relax.  We woke up next day to the breaking news of the decade. A ride to the view point to catch a bird eyes view of the Pattaya city was worth the effort. Lack of time and money forced us back to our hotel and the Thai experience came to an end. Two surprises of the trip - First, people in Thailand dont honk at all. No matter how bad the traffic is people dont honk. A lesson for us to learn. Second, you need to pay in restaurants and pubs to use the restroom. A lesson Thai's should learn from India, we pee anywhere and everywhere...:)

Trivandrum, Kerala

Trivandrum is a very special place for me. This is where I had started my career in TCS and was also the first place where I had lived out of my parents house for the maximum amount of time. This time I decided to join my family in Mumbai to travel to God's own country to attend the Kovalam Literary festival.At first, I was a bit hesitant to go since travelling all the way to Trivandrum for a weekend didn't really make much sense to me. But harking back at the  weekend now makes me feel that I had made a good decision. 

We took an early morning flight to Trivandrum and reached there by 830 AM. The cloud cover made it difficult to catch a glimpse of the beautiful spread of coconut trees from the flight. The cool breeze was a welcome change for us after having suffered the hot and humid conditions in Mumbai. The weather was quite pleasant with a slight hint of early morning showers. We took a cab and headed straight to Taj Kovalam,Vivanta. The event was scheduled to start at 1030. We waited patiently for a while to get a room but had to shift to a temporary room since other rooms were not vacant. The room opened into a garden with a coffee table surrounded by coconut trees. This was just the right place to spend a perfect weekend. 

Without much delay, we headed to the literary event. I am not an avid reader and have certainly not read any of the books written by the authors present at the event. After having spent half an hour at the event I decided to venture out and explore the city. My first halt was at Napier Museum. The museum has sculptures of vishnu, shiva and other Hindu gods which were excavated and age back to 2nd century AD. The museum has recently received the sword used in 1808 during the freedom struggle in Kerala. This sword was first handed to the first president of independent India and was kept in a museum in Delhi till July 2010. 

The next halt was at Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The temple, quite surprisingly, only allows Hindus to go in and the devotees have to wear a Vesti/Dhoti to go in. I decided to leave and not come back to a place with such stringent rules. I reached the palace to attend the literary festivals and really enjoyed Manu Joseph's interview by renowned sports journalist and writer Suresh Menon. Other talks in the day included an interview with writer  Lijia Jhang from China. By evening I had started having a splitting headache and we decided to go back to the hotel. We were starving and were really looking forward to eat something. 

The Bait Restaurant at Taj is probably one of the best sea food restaurants in that region. The restaurant is alongside the lagoons and offers a magnificent view of the private section of Kovalam beach.We ordered Mangalorian Fried Chicken and Fish Curry which were simply amazing and we literally licked the food of our plates. I woke up early next morning and decided to go out to click a few pictures. The blue water in the lagoons and the coconut trees along the coast made for a perfect capture.

 
Breakfast at the Jasmine Restaurant in Taj was lavish. There was a huge spread on offer and we were overwhelmed by the variety. The swimming pool by the restaurant at Taj is also quite extraordinary. We headed to the literary festival. I was eager to attend the talk by renowned former BBC journalist Satish Jacob on how journalism has changed over the years and modern day news/tv channels are governed by corporates. This was followed by an interesting interview with Anish Tripathi, a less renowned author and marketing/sales expert in the insurance sector. The discussion was based on how he had used his skills acquired at a B-School had helped him make a strategy to write a book and sell it. Book reading session and interview with Daman Singh, the daughter of honorable prime minister was also quite interesting. Post lunch session included an interview with Mohammed Hanif, author of Case of Exploding Mangoes. This was followed by the much awaited event of the day - a discussion on the future of Indo- Pak relations, which included the likes of Shashi Tharoor, Deborah Parker and Satish Jacob. The discussion didn't quite make any sense to me and was a sheer waste of time. I decided to make a move and headed to the Kovalam beach. 

To my surprise, rikhshaw drivers in Trivandrum have stopped using the meter and have started charging exorbitant amount of money.In the inclement weather condition I was slightly hesitant to take my camera out. But the huge waves and the spread of coconut trees made for a perfect moment worth capturing through the view finder of the camera. I roamed around on the beach and reached the light house. I was quite disappointed to learn that entry to the light house is allowed upto 5 PM.The areas surrounding the light house offer the most breath taking view of the entire beach. It also offers a glimpse at the mosque located on other side of the beach, Fisherman's village. The light was receding quickly and it began to pour. I quickly started towards the fisherman's village to get a closer look at the mosque. By this time it had started raining quite heavily and my camera got wet. I managed to reach the village and enjoyed a few moments underneath a lamp post, protecting myself and my camera from the rain. 
I decided to return to the beach and enjoy a chilled beer at a shack. Later, we decided to head back to the hotel and enjoyed the evening at our room. 
This was a short but quite eventful sojourn and I would certainly come back to God's Own Country next year.