Travel Notes

Ho Chi Minh City- Pearl of the Far East Ho Chi Minh City  is the biggest city in # Vietnam , also known as #Saigon until 1975. It was changed when the South lost against the North. Despite the name changing, a lot of locals still prefer to call it Saigon and so do I . So Saigon is the face of modern Vietnam. It’s fast, contemporary and up breast with all the trends of the modern world. The city can easily give a tough competition to cities like #Kualalampur, #Singapore, #Bangkok or even #Mumbai in terms of infrastructure as well as facilities. It’s a digital nomad’s delight thanks to the cheap cost of living. Despite being in the race of development the city has retained its Old-world French Colonial Charm. The effortless blend of New with the Old can be seen in historical attractions, museums, palaces, paved cafes, markets, food walk and more… The most exciting part is that Saigon is Simple yet Different and that adds to the excitement to explo...

Bikaner- The city less traveled... In India, colors are celebrated like nobodies business but Rajasthan takes this spectrum of colors to extremes. Vibrant, colorful, dazzling, vivid, garish – none of these words do Rajasthan justice. Every city of this princely state is a sensory assault, from pink to blue to mint to turquoise its riot of colors. And why not Rajasthan has a history of vibrant culture which is over approx 5000 years old.  While the most talked about cities in Rajasthan are Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, I am taking you with me to the explore the least unexplored city of this colorful state - BIKANER... a vibrant desert town with fabulous forts and havelies and an energizing settlement feel. It’s less touristy than many other Rajasthani cities hence one can explore the city on its own pace. Here is what I saw in my three days stay in Bikaner and my recommendation as well (in no particular order): In Bikaner, it's very easy to stay in a p...

Someone beautifully defined traveling with Kids :  When you travel with your children you are giving them something that can never be taken away...  experience, exposure, and a way of life 💕💕 ... As parents, we have heard this a zillion times that they grow like really fast ... The little baby whom you held in your arm for the first time just a few months ago is already a little boy/girl, who will soon become a teenager & then a young man/women and just like that, they will grow and grow until they are adults... Enjoy it while they're little or rather enjoy with them while they are growing.  You will never have this day with your kids again, tomorrow they will be little wiser and older than today. What best way to spend time with your kids and help them widen their worldly knowledge is to take them along with you to see new destinations and experience different surrounding every n...

A cafe wall in White Town Pondicherry has a dual identity, distinctly divided by the French Quarter and Tamil Quarter.  There is a lot in Pondicherry that is to be experienced: From its French Quarters  to amazing cafes, rocky and sand beaches to street art & Graffitis and of-course Auroville there is a lot to explore and discover.  This town is a perfect confluence of conventional and modern . The individuality of this place lies in its spiritual culture, which reflects in the way of life of every individual staying here.    But well this blog is not about the touristy places you can visit while you are here... Enough and more is written about it and I don't wish to elaborate more :-) I was in Pondicherry for a short weekend trip and my heart was stuck on  the  colonial heritage beauty of the French quarter or the White Town with its  perpendicular streets. ...

This is a travel story about a single day's travel to Mahabalipuram: The city of temples, Mahabalipuram forms an integral part of the golden triangle travel of South India. Its a UNESCO world heritage site just 55 Km from Chennai, being that close to the metro city, Mahabalipuram is a popular weekend getaway and a pit stop for tourists travelling to Pondicherry. The town though small has something for everybody and is best explored on foot…It houses some of the beautiful world heritage sites, ancient temples built by kings of Pallava dynasty, stone carvings, and never ending coast line. The city comes alive when the sun goes down and the hustle and bustle of the town takes a balmy pace. What to see: Since the town is a world heritage site by UNESCO for its monolithic rock carvings, sculptures and temples, these monuments make an integral part of Mahabalipuram sight seeing. Shore Temple Right on the edge of Bay of Bengal this temple date...