Exploring the gems in Seychelles: Praslin & La Digue!

Hi guys,

My previous post about was about how to get to Seychelles and things to do in Mahe.

This post will cover mostly about two other truly heavenly islands in Seychelled which are Praslin and La Digue. 

Praslin is an island in the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean. It’s known for palm-fringed beaches, like Anse Georgette and Anse Lazio, both bordered by large granite boulders. Praslin’s rugged, jungle-covered interior is home to Praslin National Park, which encompasses Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.

La Digue known for its beaches, like Anse Source d’Argent, dotted with granite boulders, on the west coast. To the south, isolated Anse Bonnet Carré Beach, with calm, shallow water, is accessible only on foot.

How to reach Praslin & La Digue: Once you have landed in Mahe, you have two options to reach Praslin. You can either take a fast ferry to the island which typically takes somewhere between 3 hours to 3 hours 45 minutes or you can take a flight which takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Needless to say, ferry is cheaper around 200 USD per person per trip. Cat Cocos is the major market player and you can get their schedule on their website [https://www.seychellesbookings.com/cat-cocos]. You can pre book or take the tickets 30  minutes prior to the boarding. Please carry candies for people having sea sickness.

For La Digue, you can take a ferry from Mahe which will take about 4 hours or you can first go to Praslin and then take a ferry from there which will hardly take 20 minutes. This is a better option in my opinion cause it will not take more than 1 day to explore La Digue. It is a fairly small island with rental bicycles as major mode of commute.

Things to do in La Digue:

As soon as you land in La Digue, rent a bike for 1 day and start exploring. It seems that 100 SCR is the “right” price everywhere for a bike, but you can negotiate if you are renting it for more than a day. Tati’s is the shop from which we rented our bikes. 

After this, head straight to Anse Source d’Argent. Famed for being one of the most photographed beaches on the planet, Anse Source d’Argent is a sight to behold. Its dazzling white sands are lapped by shallow emerald waters, backed by some of La Digue’s most beautiful granite boulders.  You’ll need to pass through the old L’Union Estate coconut plantation to access the beach, which means paying SCR 115 (valid for a day). During the day a couple of shacks sell fruit and refreshments, and there are transparent kayaks for rent.

You can also find Aldabra tortoises living in enclosures and you can feed them there. A sign said those tortises were between 30-100 years old. We fed them and took a lot of pictures. 🙂

Feeding them 🙂

A day spent here will forever be etched in your memory!

 

Things to do in Praslin:

Praslin a beauty with white sand beaches which are soft as cotton. It’s palm trees and magnificent boulders will surely take you eyes for a treat. The beaches with the lush greenery make Praslin a nature lovers paradise!

There are local busses to commute whose schedule is stuck at each bus stop or you can rent a car. Anse Lazio Beach, one of the favourite beaches of Praslin. Boasting of azure sea and sparkling golden sand, this beach is fringed by palms and takamaka trees.

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is an expansive palm forest. Sprawling over 19.5 hectares of land, this palm forest is globally famous for endangered coco de Mer palm trees. In fact, this is the only place on Earth which grows this type of rare nut and hence listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Anse Georgette Beach and Cote D’Or Beach are other beaches you can visit as they offer equally breath taking views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exploring a paradise in Indian Ocean: Mahe in Seychelles

Hi guys,

Wishing 2020 brings all love and luck to your lives!

For me, starting a new year with more plans to travel and try out different cuisines is a major new year goal. Hence sharing this detailed itinerary about Seychelles is something I am looking forward to!

The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It’s home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises. In no words can I explain the beauty of the beaches and the charm of the lush greenery of Seychelles. It truly is a paradise and thankfully untouched by man.

Moving to some basics…

How to Reach Seychelles: To reach Seychelles from Mumbai, book Air Seychelles flight from Mumbai Airport (BOM) to SEZ Airport in Seychelles near Victoria. From Mumbai it take around 4 hours and 30 minutes to reach SEZ Airport. Seychelles is also well connected via British Airways, Ethiad Airway, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and more. To get the best deals always check out skyscanner. 

Language and Currency Used on Seychelles: People widely understand English, however Seselwa and French are also among the Official Languages. Currency is Seychelled Rupees but USD and Euro are accepted throughout the island. 

Where to Stay: Mahe does offer a wide array of luxury resorts from Hilton, 4 Seasons,Kempinski, MAIA, Le Meridin etc along with some superb AirBnb options. 

As always, I stayed at an Airbnb in a sea facing self catering apartment which was spectacular.

How to Travel: The best option is to rent a car from Airport itself cause taxis can be pretty expensive in Seychelles. There are 2-3 vendors who lend vehicles from airport itself. Rent can range from 12000 INR to 16000 INR for 5 days. Please note that driving in Seychelles is towards left like India. 

Local buses also connect all major tourist spots of Mahe and are the cheapest and most reliable source for commute in case you do not wish to drive around on hilly terrain.

Best Time to Visit Seychelles: The best times to visit Seychelles are April, May, October and November.

Things to do in Mahe

Mahe is the largest island of Seychelles. Its terrain is defined by white-sand beaches and granite peaks including the rainforested Morne Seychellois. A stroll in Mahe will show the Creole architecture of the buildings and bustling markets with local sea food.

In Mahe, you cannot afford to even skip one beach for each beach holds a different definition of beauty. One of the most beautiful beaches are:

1. Beau Vallon: Located on the northern eastern coast of Mahé, this picturesque bay is one of the most frequented beaches of the Seychelles. Beau Vallon has an amazing clear water and coral reef. It is a good spot of snorkelling
2. Anse Royale: This beach is the longest on Mahé and it provides beaches protected from choppy seas, providing a safe and comfortable swimming haven.
3. Anse Intendance: This is my personal favourite and is situated south side of the island. Though unfavourable for swimming, the sea is terrific and has huge waves
4. Baie Lazare:   It’s a rocky beach but the water is crystal clear and does not have too many visitors

Apart from beaches, you have Museums and Botanical parks which i shall cover in the upcoming blogs

Apart from these, there are around 10 more beaches to hop and explore and it will take around good 3-4 days to cover Mahe.

Sharing some photographs for words cannot do justice to the Seychelles’s beauty.

We also got our Post Wedding shoot done in Seychelles by an absolute gem photographer Dariodidon.

 

 

Wildlife @ Singapore: 4 Great Adventures!

Hi guys,

Today we shall be exploring the what Singapore has to offer in wildlife and believe me, it will blow your mind off. It has extremely well kept zoological parks and offers a great variety of flora & fauna. If you have children, believe me, you are in for a ride! Husband and I, as adults loved it to the core!

There are 4 major attractions which you should not miss. These can be clubbed together but still will take around 2 days to cover. These are huge and will take approximately 3-4 hours each. Wear comfortable shoes as it will require a lot of walking. You can also opt for a tour in an open van for additional charges.

You can carry your snacks or have meals from their cafeterias!

Tickets of each attraction can be bought online as well as at the entry of the parks. I highly recommend buying the tickets through https://www.klook.com/en-US/ as they always has some or the other offer running which will end up saving at least 40-50 SGD in all.

Singapore Zoo: 

It occupies 28 hectares (69 acres) on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore’s heavily forested central catchment area. There are about 315 species of animal in the zoo, of which some 16 percent are considered to be threatened species. Animals are kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures separated from the visitors by dry and wet moats and animals are kept in good condition. It offers a great variety of animals like Flamingos, Tapirs, Kangaroos white tigers, Polar bears and much more. They are different shows scheduled during the day at various spots in the zoo, information of which you will get at the maps handed over to you at the entrance. I will recommend you to not miss any of these shows and plan your visits accordingly.

There is a striking difference from the rest of the zoos in the terms of you entering the animal cage and seeing them in their natural habitats. Similar set up is made for visiting birds and butterflies.

We bought the combo tickets of Singapore Zoo and Night Safari at  $82.40 SGD per person.

Night Safari :

The Night Safari is the world’s first nocturnal zoo and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore. the Night Safari is an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical forest that is only open at night (7 PM to12). It is divided into seven geographical zones, which can be explored either on foot via four walking trails, or by tram. The animals of the Night Safari, ranging from chital deer and gaur to Indian rhinoceros and pangolins to tarsiers and Asian elephants, are made visible by lighting that resembles moonlight. Cultural performances are a regular feature at the safari, and include tribal dances, blowpipe demonstrations and fire eating displays. Creatures of the Night Show is a performance presented by the animals in the Night Safari.

This should not be skipped at any cost and i would highly recommend you to walk on the trails to explore the zoo rather than take a tram.

River Safari:

The River Safari is a river-themed zoo and aquarium located in Singapore. It is built over 12 hectares and nestled between its two counterparts, the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari. It is the first of its kind in Asia and features freshwater exhibits and a river boat ride as its main highlights. The park features a boat ride called the Amazon River Quest which covers around 20 different wildlife species from Amazon River and a 15-minute Reservoir Cruise on the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

It also houses a giant pandas, one of the main attractions at the River Safari.

It costs around $35.60 SGD per person.

Jurong Bird Park:

Jurong Bird Park is an aviary and tourist attraction in Jurong, Singapore. The bird park, managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore. It as an absolute treat to the eyes to see the beauty of the birds in their natural habitat like atmosphere. It consists of Waterfall Aviary. which focuses mostly on birds from Africa, has bird enclosures that extend to a towering height of 35 metres A suspension bridge in the zone allows visitors to get a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape and a hiking trail lets the visitors catch sight of some of the more reticent birds in action.

The Dinosaur Descendants section houses some of the largest extant birds, including various species of crane, and large flightless birds such as ostriches, emus, rheas and cassowaries. At Wings of Asia, visitors can see the largest collection of Southeast Asian birds. A thunderstorm is simulated at noon each day, followed by a cool, light drizzle. There is so much more to this like a Parrot Paradise, Pelican Cove and Hornbills & Toucans.  

The most striking feature however is that of the Penguin Coast which houses 5 species of Penguins.

There also a seperate space for Flamingos in Flamingo Pool & Flamingo Lake

It costs around $32.0 SGD per person.

These 4 attractions are a must visit in Singapore and should not be skipped at any cost!

Singapore: an island city-country!

Hi guys,

Singapore, an island city-state off southern Malaysia, is a global financial center with a tropical climate and multicultural population. It gives you a taste of city life with a lot of fun activities that can be enjoyed by both adults and children.

Travelling to Singapore : Singapore’s Changi airport is is well connected to flights through flights from all over the world is and is also one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia.

We took a direct flight from Bangalore which was roughly 4 hours 50 minutes. there are direct flights to Singapore from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai as well.

Cards + Cash: Credit cards are widely accepted, but you should still carry some cash for food stalls, coffee shops and other small purchases.

Visas : Indian nationals require a Singapore Visa for their travel. You can apply for a 30 Day Multiple Entry Visa through their registered travel agents only. This Singapore visa is valid for 35 days and usually takes 7-10 working days to get processed. In Bangalore, we opted for Riya Travels based on their reviews and the experience was good.

Stay : Like always, husband and I preferred an AirBnb over hotels. As the entire city is very well connected with metro, we strategically chose to live in an apartment just 2 mins of walking from Outram Park MRT (EW 16) and China Town MRT. So in case you are not planning to rent a car/taxi I would suggest to plan your stay near a metro station.

Food : Singapore is a paradise for food lover. It offers a great variety of street food and also fine dining options. It’s also a relief of vegetarians like me, cause they can easily spot pure-vegetarian options in Little India. 😀

Places to see : A trip of 4-5 days is a good enough time to explore Singapore. You can explore the various options of zoological parks and also explore  attractions in Sentosa Island which houses the Universal Studios.

A list of must do things in Singapore:

Gardens by the bay : 

We chose the first day of our trip to explore the Gardens by the bay and it really did take an entire day. It is a huge nature park spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. Although just a stroll in the open gardens is free for all, but you will have to pay some fees for the actual attractions like Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and the light and sound show in the Supertree Groves. After witnessing all the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, i would suggest you to definitely explore these two. You can choose to skip the Supertree Groves show as it is visible from the outside as well.

Flower Dome: 

Spectacular and innovative, it is the largest glass greenhouse in the world as listed in the 2015 Guinness World Records! You will be amazed by changing display of flowers and plants from the Mediterranean and semi-arid regions. Plan to spend at least 2- 3 hours to observe all the different varieties of plants here.

Operating Hours : 9.00am – 9.00pm daily

Two Conservatories : They do offer some discount if you have a local resident proof but we bought the tickets for Flower Dome and Cloud Forest at below prices.
Adult: $28 & Child (3-12 years old): $15

Indoor temperature Range: 23°C – 25°C . Carrying a scarf/ jacket is suggested

Cloud Forest: 

Cloud Forest is a mysterious world veiled in mist. It offers a breath-taking mountain views surrounded by diverse vegetation and hidden floral gems. You will get to learn about rare plants and their fast-disappearing environment. I was fascinated by carnivore plants. 😛

The man made mountain is densely planted with fascinating orchids, delicate ferns, colourful bromeliads, dazzling begonias and carnivorous pitcher plants.

It is world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 30 metres and descend through the surreal mist-filled Cloud Walk and Treetop Walk. The floors can be a little slippery due to water and they also have an artificial mist fall scheduled at 2 hours interval starting from 10 AM.

Operating Hours : 9.00am – 9.00pm daily

Two Conservatories : They do offer some discount if you have a local resident proof but we bought the tickets for Flower Dome and Cloud Forest at below prices.
Adult: $28 & Child (3-12 years old): $15

Indoor temperature Range: 23°C – 25°C . Carrying a scarf/ jacket is suggested.

Supertree Groves: 

Measuring between 25 and 50 metres tall, Gardens by the Bay’s Supertrees are designed with large canopies that provide shade in the day and come alive with an exhilarating display of lights and sounds at night. These are iconic giants and look beautiful in the night. This is where they hold the light and sound show called the Garden Rhapsody at 7.45pm and 8.45pm. It is also a great experience.

Admission to Supertree Grove is free.Please note that charges apply for OCBC Skyway:
Adult: $8
Senior (≥60 years old): $8
Child (3-12 years old): $5

While Cloud Forest and Flower dome are something that attracts most tourist you can also explore more than 40 sculptures from around the world featuring unique pieces, intriguing crafts and stone works in the park.

The Dragonfly and Kingfisher lake is a visual treat rich with aquatic life. It opens from 5 AM till 2 in the night and has no entry fees.

 

You will need an entire day to explore all the wonderful things Gardens by the Bay have to offer. Wear comfortable shoes and carry a scarf/shrug. You can carry your picnic or have food from their cafes. 🙂

 

 

 

Göreme:An unearthly town in Cappadocia region

Hi guys,

Today i will be sharing the details of the most mystical region of Turkey: Cappadocia region. I visited Göreme which a small town in central Turkey only to be amazed by the ‘Fairy Chimneys’ and ‘Underground Cities’.

How to reach the Cappadocia region: You can either take a flight to the nearest airport and opt for bus shuttle services or taxis from there to your hotels. There are two airports: Nevsehir and Kayseri Erkilet which have direct flight from Istanbul. We had taken an overnight bus from Denizli(details in my previous blogs) which took about 9 hours and 225 TL per person. Buses stop regularly and quite comfortable as well.

Where to stay : If you are visiting for the first time i would highly recommend you to stay in a ‘Cave Hotel’. In cave hotels, rooms will be just like caves and it a great thing to experience. We did feel a slight musty smell in the beginning but when we left our rooms open for some time, it went away. We stayed at Lalezar Airbnb and it was a great experience. Their breakfast spread is royal! . The owners are pretty resourceful and they arranged our hot-air balloon rides within a day. Will highly recommend this place. Also, you can see fairy chimneys from their rooms.

Things to do : It is a very interesting place to visit and you require at least 2 days for place.

a) Sightseeing which includes Goreme open air museum, Fairy Chimneys, Monk Valley Dervent Valley, Uçhisar Castle and underground cities.Public transport is not very well established and hence two different tours for covering these places. We took the red tour on our first day which covered Goreme open air museum, Fairy Chimneys, Monk Valley Dervent Valley, Uçhisar Castle, Pottery Exhibition and Panoramic view. It costed us 40 Euros per person. This rate includes transportation with modern A/C vehicles, driver, professionally-licensed, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, lunch and all taxes. 

On our second day we did not take the Green tour like other but decided to venture out on our own to the Derinkayu Underground Cities.  We took a local bus and changed at a stop. Bus conductors are really helpful and will guide you properly. I was amazed by the beauty of human perseverance at the Derinkayu underground city, People since 3rd century BC have been inhabiting ut as a refuge from waves of invaders. At some point ,almost 20,000 people with their cattles lived in this gigantic underground maze, that stretched to 8 floors beneath the ground. It is must visit if you are physically fit to climb down steep steps.

b) Hot -Air Balloons are striking feature of this region and offer a spectacular view to the fairy chimneys and valleys. It can cost between 150 -200 Euros per person but it is totally worth the experience. We suggest you pre-book these. Also, due to weather conditions, the hot air balloons are subjected to cancellation sometimes(money is returned), so staying for 2-3 days gives you a better chance at flying.

People are super helpful and very jolly. You will love to spend evenings with them over a warm turkish chai!

 

 

 

Turkey’s Cotton Castle: Pamukkale

Hi guys,

Turkey has this absolutely breathtaking natural site near Denizli in Southwestern Turkey which look exactly like cotton castles but are in real thermal springs. These are  shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over millennia by calcium-rich springs and people believe that they have therapeutic values.

White travertine terraces and warm pools of Pamukkale hang like a cascade from the height of 120 metres. You only have to see to believe that nature has so much to offer. An ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white “castle”. You can also visit the Hierapolis Theatre which is just a 10 minutes uphill walk from the thermal pools.

How to get to Pamukkale: The nearest airport is Denizli – Cardak Airport is 65 km or 1 hour away. It is connected through 3 daily flights from Istanbul. You can also opt for an overnight bus from Istanbul which takes around 8 to 10 hours. Look out of Kamil Koc bus services.

Where to Stay: Though you might get few hotels/airbnbs in Pamukkalle itself but most of the people stay in Denizli (a relatively bigger town with better facilities and connectivity) and make a day visit to Pamukkalle. From Denizli bus stop there is a mini bus to Pamukkalle in every 30 minutes and takes about 10 Turkish Lira per person.  Denizli doesn’t have any active night life but the bus stop is open till late.

When to visit the Travertines:  To make the most of the thermal pools if you are visiting in peak tourist season, it is essential to make it to the travertines early in the morning around 8 AM so as to enjoy the beauty and bathe in the clay of the thermal pools. Post 11 AM, it starts to get crowded till sunset with lots of tourists and even locales. Remeber that pools are just as deep as your knees (for adults) and are warm during the summer season (April -July).

Things to take note of :

1. You need to purchase a ticket of 50 Turkish Lira per adult to visit the thermal pools. This ticket also includes the visit to Hierapolis Theatre as well . There is also an Hierapolis Museum which has additional ticket of 15 Turkish Lira per person. It is a good to visit site
2. You will need to remove your footwears and walk barefoot while climbing up the traventines. Please be careful as the clay with water can be extremely slippery and you will be climbing an height of around 100 meters.
3. Do not forget to carry a good sunscreen and polarised sunglasses cause when sunlight falls on the travertines and reflects, it will leave you blinded 😛
4. You can wear bikinis in the thermal pool but it is expected to dress appropriately otherwise.
5. You can opt to carry your own picnic as everythings is super expensive at the top and also very limited options to choose from.
6.  Make sure you visit the Hierapolis Theatre too and get a gootd panoramic views from the top most stairs. It’s breathtaking!

You can come back to Denizli via mini buses that ply every 30 minutes or have a great Turkish tea at cafes when you get down from the traventines.

 

 

Enriching Experience of Istanbul

Hi guys,

As mentioned in my previous blog, Turkey is a marvel with Istanbul as its capital. Istanbul is Turkey’s most populous city as well as its cultural and financial hub. Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally. We spent nearly 3 days in Istanbul and covered most of the major attractions.

These are the attractions covered by us on Day 2 of Istanbul (Refer my previous post for Day 1)

We started off with Basilica Cistern, which is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. The cistern can store up to 100, 000 tons (almost 3 million cubic feet) of water underground and still holds a few feet of water with fish swimming around the columns. You can only admire the architectural marvel built. Historian say that almost 7000 slaves were involved in the construction. The most striking feature are the Medusa Column bases  in the north west column of the cistern who was monster with snakes for hair in the Greek Mythology.

The entry to the Basilica Cistern is 20 TL for an adult and free for children below the age of 8. It is roughly 40-45 steps below the ground and is slightly dark and slippery so wear comfortable footwear.

Next is probably what will be every woman’s dream; The Grand Bazaar and The Spice Market

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with around 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. It is huge and really beautiful. The major attractions will undoubtedly be jewelry, antiques, carpets, textiles and beautiful turkish lamp. Apart from these you will find a lot of other made to order shops. You will also find a lot of small cafes serving Turkish delicacies like Baklava. In the bazaar, take your time to chat and bargain and feel free to move on to other stores which have the same items. The Grand Bazaar is mostly sheltered and has no entry fees. You need at least 2 hours to explore the whole market. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and public holidays and is open from 9 AM to 7 PM for remaining days.                                           

The Spice Market wins the prize for being the most colorful, fragrant, and often the most fun – as visitors can taste the goods on offer. Just about every spice you can imagine is on offer, heaped into vibrant domes.  Here too, a little haggling is acceptable for the goods you want to buy. However, rather than go home with the familiar, it’s better to look out for these typically Turkish spices and products, so you can continue to enjoy your favorite Turkish tastes on your return. Rosebud, jasmine, and fruit teas are something that you should look out for

Taksim Square is definitely a night time attraction. It is the heart of the modern Istanbul with great posh shopping avenues on either side of the main road. Many hotels and cafes can be found here with families and travellers enjoying the stroll upto The Republic Monument at Taksim Square. It is a lively modern street of Istanbul and perfect for an evening stroll.

Takish is also the heart of the metro and tram is well connected through both these to all the parts of Istanbul.

 

 

 

Turkey: An amalgamation of architectural & cultural beauty!

Hi guys,

I was off the grid for few weeks as I was out travelling to turkey with my spouse. Turkey is a nation straddling eastern Europe and western Asia with cultural connections to ancient Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Such glorious history and grand architecture made Turkey a must visit for us.

We visited Turkey for 8 days and 9 night, which is a very less time to explore it but nonetheless we covered 3 major attractions; Istanbul, Pamukkale and Göreme.

Flight Details: There are many reasonable flight options from India[Delhi & Bangalore both] – Istanbul with daily flight. You can use sykscanner.com to check. There is also a connecting flight from Bangalore-Delhi-Doha-Istanbul from Indigo. We did opt for Indigo because the rates are fairly reasonable when compared with others.

AirBnb/Hotels:  We are great fans of AirBnbs as they give us the comfort of homes and an option to cook our meals (as we are vegetarians). AirBnb hosts are also very accomodating in case of change of plans and providing guidance about the city.

Weather: May-June is the best time to visit as the weather is pleasant with max/min as 27° / 18° C and cool winds. The average temperature for June is 23°C  with average daylight hours being 15 hrs:03 min.  This does give you a good amount of time to explore the place

So, we landed in Istanbul at around 6:00 PM at the Istanbul Airport and took an Airport taxi to our Airbnb located in Sultanahmet Sqaure. You should note that Istanbul airport is roughly 45 kms away from the heart of the city and it will take around 1 hour to travel the distance. You can either take Airport Cabs which will cost you around 100 TL to 140 TL depending upon your drop location. You can also take the ‘Havaist’ bus and then connect with tram or metros.

First day in Istanbul:

Blue Mosque:

We put up in an Airbnb that was 300 mts from the Blue Mosque and hence the very first place we visited was that but the easiest way to get there is to take a tram to Sultanahmet, from where is it is two minute walk. Be advised, in busy times, there is often a queue to get in.

It is mandatory to wear clothes covering your legs, arms and head (with a scarf)when you visit the mosque.  Some mosques, did have an option to borrow a covers/scarf to do the same. Also note that mosques have prayer timings during which visitors are not allowed so plan your trip before 12 noon.

The Blue Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, by the architect Mehmet Ağa, instructed by Sultan Ahmet I. It was designed as an imperial show of strength to complement the imposing Hagia Sophia, which faces it across Sultanahmet Square. There are architectural differences in the pillar structures of the both.

It is free to visit, and ornately decorated with more 17th century Iznik tiles. Aside from its staggering size and exquisite beauty, one of the most distinctive elements of this Istanbul mosque is that it has six minarets, as opposed to the usual two or four of most of the city’s mosques.

Hagia Sophia: 

From Blue Mosque to Hagia Sophia it’s only two minutes walking distance. is the former Greek Orthodox Christianpatriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum (Ayasofya Müzesi) in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in AD 537, it was famous in particular for its massive dome. It was the world’s largest building and an engineering marvel of its time.

It still holds the grandiose and beauty from that time and will leave you spell bound. Hagia Sophia combines a longitudinal basilica and a centralized building in a wholly original manner, with a huge 32-metre (105-foot) main dome supported on pendentives and two semidomes, one on either side of the longitudinal axis. In plan the building is almost square. There are three aisles separated by columns with galleries above and great marble piers rising up to support the dome. The walls above the galleries and the base of the dome are pierced by windows, which in the glare of daylight obscure the supports and give the impression that the canopy floats on air.

Will cover the remaining in the upcoming blogs. Stay tuned and enjoy the pictures.

 

 

 

Exploring the mesmerizing Pondicherry…

Hi guys,

Last week husband and I took a much needed break and ventured out to Pondicherry (or Puducherry), a French colonial settlement in India until 1954, is now a Union Territory town bounded by the southeastern Tamil Nadu state. It was extremely beautiful and had some really nice cafes catering local as well as Italian cuisines.

Few quick answers:

How to reach Pondicherry: You can fly to PNY airport or Chennai Airport and take a cab. It’s a 6 hour beautiful drive from Bangalore. (Bangalore-> Vellipuram-> Pondicherry). Yes, there are a lot of places like A2B and Sarvana Bhawan where you can take your lunch breaks. You will easily get petrol pumps all along the route. There are 2 tolls of Rs 65 and 30 respectively.

[Map]

How many days are adequate for sightseeing: 3 days will be adequate for exploring all the beaches and other sightseeing options.

Where to stay: You will find an array of hotels and beach houses as tourism is pretty prominent there. Feel free to explore Makemytrip and Trivago.  I stayed at Anandha Inn Hotel and the experience was extremely good. From food to spa, it has every facility one wants for a vacation. 

Things to do: Pondicherry has the most beautiful beaches one could think of. As it is located on the east coast, the sunrises there are breathtakingly beautiful. A must do thing everyday is to get up early and watch the sunrises from different beaches. If you love photography you’ll land with some magical photos.

Best time to visit: October – January is slightly better than the remaining months as temperature soars high during summers. Although the weather in October 1st week is also pretty hot and humid.

Places to eat :SICILYS, Cafe Xtasi and Dilliwaala6 have great food options.

Sharing my absolutely relaxed itinerary below

Day 1 : Start early to avoid the Bangalore traffic (if driving by self) and check in by noon. Relax and headed to the most famous beach, Promenade Beach, in the evening. We had a nice stroll by the sea side and had absolutely delicious food at SICILYS. You can easily spend 2-3 hours at the Promenade Beach. There are a lot of cafes and street food options. A lot of vendors are there till 11 PM selling local handicrafts and balloons. You can easily spot many families as well enjoying their ice creams by the sea. After the first day, it became out daily ritual. 🙂 The rock beach is adjacent to the Promenade and can be covered together.

While strolling along the road besides the beach you can easily sport the French War Memorial dedicated to residents of French India who died for the country during the First World War. It is on Goubert Avenue in Puducherry, located opposite to the four-meter high statue of Mahatma Gandhi statue. It is a popular tourist attraction in Pondicherry.

Please note that you will to park the vehicles in the alleys of white-town and walk a bit to reach the sea.

Day 2 : After a sumptuous breakfast buffet in out hotel we headed to theScience Centre & Planetarium. It was a small yet really fun place. All the concepts of pulley, fulcrum and weights were depicted very interactively. The tickets of the Science centre costs Rs 10 per Adult (Indian) and Rs 5 for children below 12. Husband and I both enjoyed it thoroughly.

Planetarium tickets costs Rs 20 per Adult (Indian) and Rs 10 for children below 12. They run 2 shows in English and 3 shows in Tamil everyday. The Planetarium is small but was a good experience altogether.

We also visited the Pondicherry museum to see the collection of sculptures. It has the remains of the archeological findings from the Arikamedu Roman settlement. Bronze sculptures of god and goddess, a wide gathering of temple lamps, handicrafts and art are also kept here. The entry ticket is Rs 10 per adult. You can spend around and hour and a half here.

We spent the evening at Serenity Beach. It is not a busy as Promenade but the views are good. It has more young crowd and less families. The beach is relatively clean as well.

Day 3 : We started late due to some work and visited the Aurobindo Ashram. No cameras are allowed inside. Inside the ashram, there are beautiful flowers of different species and there exists a samadhi as well in the courtyard under the frangipani tree where the bodies of Mother and Sri Aurobindo were buried. People come to pay their respect everyday by laying flowers on it. Collective meditation programs are also held as per schedule. They have small collection of literary works of Mother and Sri Aurobindo in multiple languages. You can purchase the books and postcards from here.

We visited the Lighthouse, which although small in height is well maintained. It was built by the French as marks as tourist spot in Pondicherry.

Each day we visited a different beach to view the sunrise. Not to sound bias but Serenity beach was the best one.

 

Serenity Beach

En-route

Sunset

Sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Odyssey to Greece:3 Santorini itinerary.

Hi Guys,

Continuing my itinerary with Santorini Greece.

Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC

The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.

We took a fast ferry from Mykonos to Santorini’s port, information about which can be gathered from ferryhopper.com . From there, we took a taxi to our Airbnb which was located in Perissa black sand beach, Santorini. We spent the evening throwing pebbles in the sea. The beach has a lot of nice eating joints and is pet friendly.

As Santorini is remains of a volcanic eruption, it has different colored beaches like black beach and red beach. Black beach is located in Perissa and red sand beach is in Akrotiri.

We rented a bike and started our day with the visit to of Akrotiri archaeological site and the red beach. The ancient settlement of Akrotíri was buried below lava following the 16th-century BC volcanic explosion that created the caldera. Excavations have shown that Santorini was a flourishing and prosperous island before the eruption and probably lived from shipping and trading.

Remains after Volcanic eruption

After this we headed to Fira and stopped by archaeology museum in Firá. Ancient Thira dates from the ninth century BC. You can see the ruins of Hellenistic temples and other structures, as well as the foundations of Roman and early-Byzantine buildings in the museum of Fira. We stopped by the ‘Three bells of Fira’ as well for some good pictures.

Three Bells of Fira

 

Pottery

Wall Paintings

12 kilometers up the coast from Firá, Ía (Oia) is a picture-perfect village of whitewashed houses, several of which have been converted into chic little boutique hotels with infinity pools, overlooking the caldera. Oia is especially known for its stunning sunsets, which attract visitors from all over the island each evening through summer. We reached early to get a good spot and watch the romantic sunset from Oia.

Afternoon

Evening

Sunset at Oia: Shot at my One Plus 5T

Sunset at Oia from a roof top cafe

I would highly recommend to rent bike or a car in Santorini as public busses are not that frequent. The people are friendly and city is safe.