Temples of Tamil Nadu (1): Itinerary

I had lived in Tamil Nadu for a year in 1987-88 when we had toured some places around. But since then, I somehow never got a chance to revisit the place. So last year, we spent a week travelling and exploring the state. We criss-crossed across, visiting a few historical towns, doing darshan in temples, shopping for sarees and stopping at a few of the beaches. Overall, I was amazed by the outstanding temple architecture and the deeply embedded presence of religion in daily life in the state. I have somehow never experienced it so much anywhere else. I was also quite struck by the distance between north and south India, both physically and metaphorically.


Itinerary

Our overall holiday was for about 8 days and 8 nights, with stays at the following locations:
Day 1 - 3: Land in Chennai, drive to Mahabalipuram (2 hours); 3 nights stay in Mahabalipuram at Four Points by Sheraton, Mahabalipuram
Day 4 - 6: Drive to Thanjavur (via Chidambaram temple and Pondicherry, 6 hours); 3 nights stay in Thanjavur at Hyders Mahal and Hotel
Day 7 - 8: Drive to Madurai (via Rameswaram, 7-8 hours); 2 nights stay at Taj Gateway Madurai


The detailed itinerary was as follows:

Day 1: Land in Chennai, saree shopping at Ranganathan Street (in T. Nagar), drive to Mahabalipuram (2 hours) (Potential stops to add to the itinerary: visit to Kapaleeshwarar Temple (Mylapore, Chennai), classical performances at Kalakshetra or Narada Gana Sabha and visit to Chennai beach)

Day 2: Day trip to Kanchipuram (2.5 hours one way), visit to Ekambareshwarar Temple, Kailasanathar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple, and kanjeevaram saree shopping at AS Babu Sah (Other places to add to itinerary: Varadharaja Perumal temple, Vaikuntha Perumal temple, and Kanchi Matha)

Day 3: Exploring the rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram - Shore Temple and Pancha Rathas, visit to Sadras beach and dance festival at night by the Shore Temple

Day 4: Drive to Thanjavur (6 hours), visit Pondicherry and the Chidambaram Nataraja temple on the way (Other places to add to the itinerary: Tranquebar)

Day 5: Visit Kumbakonam temples (30 mins one way) (Kumbeshwarar and Mahamaham Tank) and Chola Brihadeshwar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram (60 mins one way)

Day 6: Visit Brihadeshwar Temple and Thanjavur Maratha Palace in Thanjavur

Day 7: Drive to Madurai via Rameswaram (7-8 hours); visit Ramanathaswamy temple and Dhanushkodi beach

Day 8: Visit Meenakshi Amman Temple and saree shopping in Madurai

Day 9: Fly back to Delhi


In the end we visited about 9 temples on this trip, while one other was closed by the time we reached. Ekambareshwarar Temple, Kailasanathar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple (closed) in Kanchipuram; Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, Chidambaram temple in Chidambaram, Kumbeshwarar temple in Kumbakonam, Brihadeshwar temple in Cholapuram, Brihadeshwar temple in Thanjavur, Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram and Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai. If someone wants, they can visit hundreds more, they just need to plan their days better as most of the temples close in the afternoon.

Other than these, there is no dearth of ancient ruins and regions to visit in Tamil Nadu. One can also visit the Chettinad region (near Karaikudi) for its heritage, haveli architecture and cuisine, Kanyakumari and Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum, and so on. If we just had the time.


Map



Itinerary (1)
Chennai to Thanjavur (2)
Thanjavur to Madurai (3)
Impressions (4)

Driving through the Balkans (1): Itinerary

Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) (2)
Zadar (Croatia) (3)
Portoroz (Slovenia) (4)

In the fall of 2024, towards the end of my sabbatical year, we did a three week driving trip from Amsterdam to Slovenia and Croatia. We stayed for a week in the Slovenian Julian Alps, in Kranjska Gora and explored the mountains around. Then we spent a week in the Croatian coastal town of Zadar. The last week was spent in the Slovenian coastal town of Portoroz exploring the coastal towns of Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy. And then I drove back to Amsterdam.

I loved the travels and wished I could have spent more time at each of these locations - I enjoyed every moment of it. The lakes, the small towns, the beaches, the rivers, the beauty - everything was like the perfect dream. We crisscrossed many countries during this trip, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. Here is the itinerary of what we did where (as well as all that we didn’t get time for!).


Day 1: Drive (7 hours) from Amsterdam to Erlangen (Germany) with a lunch stop in Limburg (Germany); 1 night stay at Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Erlangen

Day 2: Drive (6.5 hours) to Kranjska Gora in the Julian Alps (Slovenia) with a lunch break at Hallein (Austria) and a short hike in St Johann im Pongau (Austria) on the way; 6 nights stay in Apartment Kotnik in Kranjska Gora

Day 3-7: Exploring Triglav National Park and Julian Alps around Kranjska Gora

Vintgar Gorge

• Slemenova Spica hike near Vrsic pass (30 mins away) 
• Lake Jasna (5 mins away) 
• Walk and swim at Lake Bohinj (1 hour drive) 
• Lake Bled area (45 mins drive): Walk around Lake Bled, mountain biking till Vintgar Gorge, 2 hour walk in Vintgar Gorge along the Radovna River, boat ride in traditional pletna boats to visit the Island and the Church of the Assumption, and a swim in the lake 
• Hike to Mountain Home Tamar (30 mins away) 
• Visit to Laghi di Fusine and the town of Tarvisio-Boscoverde (Italy) (20 mins away) 
• Things we couldn’t do: 
• Visit Mojstrana (Peričnik Waterfall), Radovna Valley and Radovljica Old Town (20 mins away) 
• Hike the Path of The Pagan Girl around Hrvic pass (30 mins away) 
• Lake Bled area: Hike up to Bled Castle, hike up Osojnica, meal at Bled Castle restaurant (45 mins away) 
• Lake Bohinj area: Hike to Zajamniki Hut on Pokljuka plateau (a shepherd village), taking the Vogel Cable Car, and hike to Savica Waterfall (one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Slovenia) (1 hour drive) 
• Scenic drives to Sorica and Škofja Loka (1.5 hour drive) 
• Soča River Valley including the towns of Bovec and Tolmin (1.5 hours drive) 

Day 8: Drive (4.5 hours) from Kranjska Gora to Starigrad near Zadar (Croatia) with lunch stop in Ljubljana (Slovenia); 5 nights stay in an airbnb in Starigrad-Paklenica

Day 9-12: Exploring beaches and the Croatian coast near Zadar

• Swimming in Starigrad-Paklenica 

  

  Plitvice National Park

  
  
• Exploring Zadar Old Town and Borik beach (45 mins away)
• Boat to Ugljan Island and swimming at some beaches (45 mins drive and boat to the island)
• Hike in Plitvice Lakes National Park (2 hours drive) 
• Things we couldn’t do: 
• Kolovare Beach, Marina Borik and Zadarska sfinga within Zadar 
• Visit to Sibenik town, and kayaking from Vodice to Prvic Sepurine island (1 hour drive) 
• Visit to Pag island (1.5 hour drive) 
• Boat ride to Kornati islands and Kornati national park 
• Trip to Krka National park (1 hour drive) 

Day 13: Drive (4 hours) from Starigrad to Portoroz (Slovenia) with lunch break in Senj (Croatia); 6 nights stay in an airbnb in Portoroz

Day 14-18: Exploring Istrian towns and vineyards

• Rovinj (1 hour drive) 

  

  Piran town
  
  

• Piran and Portoroz 
• Trieste (Italy) (40 mins away) 
• Izola (20 mins away) 
• Kabola Winery (Croatia) (20 mins away) 
• Places we couldn’t visit: 
• Nearby Croatian towns of Motovun and Pula (1 hour drive) 
• Dolphin watching in Rovinj (1 hour drive) 
• Skocjan Caves (45 mins away) 

Day 19: Drive (7.5 hours) from Portoroz (Slovenia) to Greding (Germany) with lunch stop in Radstadt (Austria); 1 night stay at Hotel Bayernhof

Day 20: Drive (7.5 hours) from Greding to Amsterdam with lunch stop at supercharger on the way


I absolutely loved this road trip and have become a huge fan of both Slovenia and Croatia. Both these countries seem amazing for tourists. The highlights from the places we visited were:

• Around Kranjska Gora, the visits to Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Vintgar Gorge and the Spica Hike (basically everything we did 😂)
• Around Zadar, the swims around Ugljan island and the day in Plitvice National Park
• From Portoroz, I enjoyed the visit to the town of Rovinj and the day in Kabola winery

I would absolutely recommend these places, any day!


Map

Scandinavian driving trip (1): Itinerary

Last summer, we went on a 2 week driving trip through Scandinavia. We started from Amsterdam, drove through Germany and stayed in Copenhagen in Denmark for a few days. Then we crossed the Øresund Bridge (an ocean bridge) from Denmark to get to Sweden, and drove along the Swedish coast to get to Norway. We stopped in the countryside and then reached the fjord country. We stayed a week there, in Bergen and Stavanger, and were blown away by the sheer majesty of the country, the breathtaking scenery at every turn. We hiked, kayaked, explored its towns and generally soaked in the natural beauty that is Norway, definitely one of my favourite countries. And then we drove back through a shorter route, taking a ferry from Norway to Denmark, then back to Amsterdam. It was probably one of my longest driving trips too, we drove more than 4500 km over the two weeks. And the beauty we saw surpassed any other drive ever.


Itinerary

Day 1 - Drove from Amsterdam to the village of Asendorf (Germany) (4.5h), with stops in Groningen, Bremen and Luneberg Heath; 1 night stay at Hotel Zur Heidschnucke in Asendorf, near Hamburg
Day 2 - Drove from Asendorf to Copenhagen (Denmark) (6.5h), with stops in Hamburg, Mons Klint and a ferry from Puttgarden to Rodbyhavn; 3 nights stay at an airbnb in Copenhagen
Day 3 - Explored Copenhagen
Day 4 - Visited Kronborg castle and drove through the Danish Riviera on our way back
Day 5 - Drove from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Sweden) (3.5h), with stops at Malmo and Helsingborg; 1 night stay in Waterfront cabins in Gothenburg
Day 6 - Drove from Gothenburg to Leveld (Norway) (6.5h), with stops at Gothenburg and Oslo; 1 night stay in a wooden cabin in Leveld
Day 7 - Drove from Leveld to Bergen (4.5h), with kayaking and cruise at Nærøyfjord; 3 nights stay in luxury home in Bergen
Day 8 - Explored Bergen, climbed up Mt Fløyen
Day 9 - Drove around Hardanger fjords, with stops at Haga village, Steinsdalfossen waterfall and Norheimsund beach
Day 10 - Drove from Bergen to Stavanger (4.5h), with stop at Haugesund; 3 nights stay in beachfront holiday home in Mosteroy island, near Stavanger
Day 11 - Explored Stavanger and Mosterøy island
Day 12 - Hike up the Preikestolen (Pulpit rock)
Day 13 - Drove from Stavanger to Kolding (Denmark) (7h + 3h ferry); 1 night stay at Hotel Kolding
Day 14 - Drove back from Kolding to Amsterdam (9h)

Map




Blogs on the trip

Netherlands to Sweden (2)
Bergen and around in Norway (3)
Stavanger and back to Netherlands (4)

Postcards from Peru: The itinerary (1)

In the summer of 2024, we spent 3 weeks in the stunning country of Peru. It is of course famous for Machu Picchu, the famous ruins of the Incan empire. But when we started planning our trip, we realised that there was just so much more to explore in the country, 3 weeks were just not enough! We visited the coastal desert, the Amazon forests, the Andes, and each place felt like we had landed in a completely different country! I had wanted this to be a go-with-the-flow, slow and low agenda trip as much as possible, so we did some but not too much planning beforehand, and kept things easy going. And so we ended up experiencing the country more deeply than usual. We loved our time in Peru and can’t wait to be back.


High level itinerary

Day 1- 5: 4 nights on the coastal plains, starting in Lima, then Paracas, Huacachina Oasis, and finally back to Lima
Day 6-8: 4 nights in Puerto Maldonado in the Peruvian Amazon forests
Day 9-10: 2 nights in Cusco
Day 11-15: 4 nights on the Salkantay trail (of which two were in camps and two in Aguas Calientes)
Day 16-17: 3 nights back in Cusco
Day 18 - 21: 4 nights in Puno (of which two were on Lake Titicaca and two in Puno town)


Detailed itinerary

Day 1: We flew from Amsterdam to Lima, flying 3 hours over the Amazon forest (they are nearly twice the size of India!) and the Andes (which create the coastal plains of Peru). We stayed at Hotel Andesmar Miraflores, in the Miraflores area of Lima

Day 2: Lima. We took a 3 day Peru Hop bus tour around Lima. We drove to Paracas, a seaside town near the Paracas National Reserve. On the way we stopped at Hacienda San Jose, where Spanish conquistadors owned and ran plantations during the colonial period. In the evening, we explored the seaside town, staying at Hotel Riviera Inka Paracas

Day 3: Paracas. We explored the Ballestas islands which are known as a 'poor man's Galapagos'. These are a group of islands with millions of birds and aquatic life, including penguins and sea lions! We drove through the Paracas National Reserve, a desert land that gets no rain all year. Then we were off to the Huacachina Oasis, stopping at a Pisco vineyard on the way. We explored the sand dunes around the oasis at sunset, staying overnight at Hotel Curasi

Day 4: Huacachina Oasis. We drove to Nazca and did a small plane ride to see the Nazca lines from the air, shapes created in the desert land by a prehistoric civilisation from Southern Peru, more than 2000 years ago. Then we were on the road for 9+ hours from Nazca to Lima, staying again at Hotel Andesmar Miraflores 

Day 5: Lima. We explored Lima and then took a flight to Puerto Maldonado, a city in the Amazon forest. We reached at night and checked-in at our lodge, the Hacienda Herrera Tambopata, on the Madre De Dios river, for the next 4 nights

Day 6-8: Puerto Maldonado. We did a few activities to explore the Amazon forest. A night walk around the Hacienda, a walk in the neighbouring forest, boating on lake Sandoval, a sunset ride on the Tambopata river and a visit to the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick. We spotted many animals during those safaris like the black caimans, white caimans (similar to crocodiles), red howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, capybaras, turtles, sloths, agoutis and possums. And of course, spotted (but mostly heard to the sounds of) loads of birds, especially macaws, hoatzins and oropendolas. And learnt about many insects, like praying mantis and different kinds of spiders 😂. And of course heard about the typical Amazonian trees and creepers

Day 9-10: Cusco. We took a flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco. It's a high-altitude city at about 3,400 metres. It was the capital of the Incas and later became a Spanish city. It is steeped in history, culture with every street reflecting its rich Incan and colonial past. During our stay there, the Corpus Christi festival was ongoing, being celebrated across town by the locals, every day, with loads of religious processions, music and dancing. So we spent most of our time enjoying the festival, while also walking around, shopping and exploring all Cusco has to offer. We stayed at the Hotel Tika Wasi Casa near Centro Historico 


Day 11-15: Salkantay trail

Aguas Calientes is the entry town to Machu Picchu and the only way to get there is by hiking or taking a train as there are no roads to get there. So we hiked the Salkantay trail for 4 days to reach Aguas Calientes. On the trek, we walked for about 15-20 kms daily, ascending about 500 to 1000 meters daily, and at night stayed in tents and huts on the way. We walked through valleys, rivers, forests and snow-covered mountains and it was so amazing to experience nature like this

Day 1 of Salkantay trail: Cusco. We started from Challacancha and ended our day camping in Soraypampa. We walked a total of 13 kms ascending 700 meters during the day, from 3600 meters to 4300 metres up to the Humantay lake, finally camping at 3900 metres at Solaypampa. The walk was through green forests and valleys, with a hike to Humantay lake and finally camping with a view of llamas and alpacas in front, snow covered peaks all around and bright stars above

Day 2: Soraypampa. This was the toughest of all days. We walked past high snow covered peaks, valleys, rivers, lakes, the Salkantay pass and cloud covered forests, finally camping at Challhuay, in huts above a river valley. We hiked for 12 hours, walking 22 kms, going up from 3900 metres to 4600 metres at the Salkantay pass and then down to 2900 metres

Day 3: Challhuay. Today was mostly walking along the Urubamba river, through forests and around the Machu Picchu mountain. We passed by some remote houses on the mountains, existing far away from everyone. At the end, we reached Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu village which is the base for visiting the ruins

Day 4: Aguas Calientes. We stayed at the Hotel Intiwatana el Tambo in town. We bought tickets for Machu Picchu, walked around a bit but mostly spent the day resting our feet and recovering from the strenuous hike

Day 5: Aguas Calientes. On the last day we hiked up 400 metres to reach Machu Picchu. They are ruins of an Inca centre of education and religion from the 1500s which were lost and then re-discovered in 1911. The Spanish never found this city, so they could not destroy it. There are temples, houses, palaces, terraces, schools, granaries and other remains here. Nestled in the hills, it's gorgeous. And then we hiked back, taking a train and then a bus to come back to Cusco


Day 16 – 17: Cusco. Back in Cusco, we visited some local spots like the Convent of Santo Domingo built over the Qorikancha temple and Cristo Blanco. We joined in the final days of the Corpus Christi festival, shopped and explored Cusco. We stayed at the El Balcon hotel near the Plaza des Armas

Day 18-19: Uros Islands, Lake Titicaca. We took a 10.5 hour long day train from Cusco to Puno. We passed through stunning scenery with Andean valleys, grasslands and mountains, mostly at heights above 4000 metres. There was entertainment on the train, with music and dances from different festivals of Cusco and Puno. In Puno, we stayed for two nights at Uros Titicaca The Best Lodge. These are on floating islands in Lake Titicaca, made of grass reed, which are made by the Uros people as they prefer to live on the lake rather than on land. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, at 3800 metres. When there, one of the days, we visited Taquile, an island on Lake Titicaca to see the local Incan culture

Day 20-21: Puno. We stayed on land in Puno, at the Hotel Hacienda Puno Centro Historico. It is a small town on Lake Titicaca, with not a lot to do. So we just walked around the port, shopped a bit and enjoyed the Morenada festival, which was going on at that time

Day 22: I flew back from Juliaca to Lima and then to Amsterdam. In Lima, I had lunch along the waterfront, in the nearby Callao neighbourhood


Peru: Lima and coastal Peru (2)

Peru: Amazon (3) 
Peru: Cusco (4)
Peru: Salkantay to Machu Picchu (5)
Peru: Around Puno (6)
Peru: Impressions (7)

Swiss driving trip (1) - St Moritz

Swiss driving trip (2) - Brissago

Engadine Valley

In the summer of 2023, we did a one week driving trip from Amsterdam to Switzerland, spending a couple of days in the Engadine valley around St Moritz and then a few days in the Ticino area around Brissago, the Italian part of Switzerland. On the way there, we stopped in Belgium and France and while coming back, we stopped at a few places in Germany. It was a great vacation, and the beauty of Switzerland was mesmerising. We also enjoyed the road tripping, being able to stop where ever we wanted, and explore the not-so-touristy places on the way.

The detailed itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Drive from Amsterdam to Strasbourg (7.5 hours); explore Spa (Belgium) on the way; stay at Ibis Styles, Strasbourg
Day 2: Drive to Celerina/Schlarigna (5.5 hours); explore Strasbourg, Zurich Lake on the way; stay in airbnb at Celerina/Schlarigna
Day 3: Walk around St Moritz Lake, Silvaplanarsee lake, Sils village
Day 4: Bernina express from St Moritz to Tirano, explore Poschiavo and Alp Grum on the way
Day 5: Up the Diavolezza cable car, explore Pontresina and Samedan village
Day 6: Drive to Ascona (4.5 hours); explore Ascona, Domodossola, Villa del Balbianello; stay in airbnb in Brissago
Day 7: Explore Ascona and Brissago pier
Day 8: Explore Locarno, walk to Italy
Day 9: Drive back from Brissago to Baden Baden (5.5 hours); stop around Lucerne Lake; stay in airbnb in Baden Baden
Day 10: Drive back to Amsterdam (5.5 hours); stop in Rhine valley at Sooneck castle


Day 1: From Amsterdam to Strasbourg, with stop at Spa

We left early from Amsterdam and drove all day through a few countries today, from the Netherlands to Belgium to a short stretch in Germany and then onto our destination for the night in France. Netherlands as usual was flat and cloudy. As we reached Belgium, the scenery quickly changed. The land became more hilly and green, with cute little colourful houses and churches dotting all the villages on the hills along the way. There were loads of windmills in Belgium too. We drove through Ardennes through some stunning green valleys.

Town of Spa

We first stopped in the Belgian town of Spa. It was sunny and hot when we reached. We just walked around town and explored it on foot. The city had a very relaxed, old-world charm, and was famous for its many hot water spas, from historical times. It had some casinos, some spas, a busy high street, some street art installations and some charming cathedrals. The town was quiet, with older people slowly walking through its shaded streets.

Street Art in Spa

We saw the Église Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Remacle de Spa, a small but beautiful church. There were fountains and springs all around. We walked into one of the spas too, the Pouhon Pierre-le-Grand. After that before leaving the area, we stopped at the Source de La Sauvenière, which is a well-known spring, with mineral water coming from deep below. We tasted the water there, but it wasn’t as refreshing as we expected.

At night, we were looking for Indian food and found a restaurant nearby called the Asian Classic which had great reviews. But it turned out to be a huge disappointment. Probably one of the worst Indian meals I have had in Europe. On top of that, our hotel receptionist wasn’t very helpful either and declined every request we made (for an AC, for a water kettle, for directions to an electric charger and so on). It wasn’t the most exciting end to the day, but we were in France, so what could we expect 😜. Anyways as it had been a long day, we were tired and happy to sleep early.


Day 2: From Strasbourg to Celerina/Schlarigna, with stop near Zurich Lake

Strasbourg canals

We began the day with a couple of hours exploring Strasbourg. The city centre was gorgeous, especially Petite France, with its old colourful wooden houses, canals and the narrow streets. Most of the buildings there seemed to have an old timber framed wooden architecture. There were bright colourful flowers everywhere and the whole place was full of tourists. It was so vibrant, as enjoyable, just like my first visit there, in 2007.

Strasbourg Cathedral 

We walked around the canals and the churches and then went in to see the Strasbourg Cathedral (Notre-Dame). It looked so majestic, on the outside and the inside and the stained-glass windows were just outstanding. It was fun to explore. It was a hot day, so we left soon as we had a long drive ahead.

After we entered Switzerland, the first half of the drive was through the flat Swiss plateau, flat and boring. My father commented that Switzerland wasn’t as gorgeous as it is famed to be. And I just told him, just you wait till we get to the real Switzerland. We also had to buy a Swiss vignet to drive in Switzerland on the border.

Zurich Lake

We wanted to stop on the way somewhere for lunch and ended up stopping at the Zurich Lake as I thought that would be fun. The traffic was bad in town. And the lake was crowded like crazy that day as it was a sunny weekend. So, we had something to eat but were off soon, not really impressed by the lake.

And after that, we drove through some tunnels and slowly turned away from the highway towards the mountains, the Swiss Alps. The drive got interesting and the scenery magnificent, as we drove past lakes and rivers and high peaks covered with snow. The mountain roads got winding and the weather turned cooler. The supercharger we stopped on the way was also so picturesque. It got dark quickly though as we started driving up the mountains.

After a long and tiring drive, we finally reached our Airbnb in Celerina/Schlarigna, a small village near St Moritz. It started raining a bit, and by the time we reached our Airbnb and managed to get in, it was already past 10 pm. We slowly settled in, and even though we couldn’t see outside much, the place already felt peaceful and completely different from the bustling cities we had left behind.


Day 3: Exploring St Moritz and Silvaplanarsee lakes

Breakfast with a view,
our airbnb in Celerina

The Airbnb was a multi-floor wooden chalet, well stocked with everything we needed and a postcard worthy view from our balcony. We were right next to a small stream, then there were some green pastures, some chalets, a historical church and then the snow-covered peaks around the valley, hidden by clouds. We ate our breakfast sitting outside. Every day. Sipping on a hot drink with the view in front was so calming, like being in a dream.

St Moritz Lake

Our first day was a rainy day and so we decided to mostly explore the neighbourhood. We first drove to St Moritz and took a walk around the lake. Despite the clouds, the scenery was stunning. The lake was still, with reflections of the mountains and buildings on its surface. There were green pastures all around with wildflowers adding colour to the pastures. And the alpine wooden chalets all around felt so enchanting. The air was fresh, and it felt great to just walk. How much more amazing it may be to live here?

Silvaplanarsee Lake

Then, we drove to the next lake, the Silvaplanarsee, not far from St Moritz. There was a small camper park nearby, and it was also in a valley with high peaks all around, all snow-covered. We took a short walk near the lake, then went to the village of Sils for a quick tea stop. The villages in this region were quiet, and most restaurants and hotels were shut by the late afternoon.

Reflections, St Moritz Lake

In the evening, I bought a small cake from the local bakery, which was a local speciality. And I think it was one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. It’s a local type of cake from the area, and I would recommend any day, except I don’t remember what it is called 😁.

One of the evenings, we decided to eat dinner in our village but there weren’t a lot of options around. When we explored a bit, we found many of them closed too as it wasn’t tourist season yet. So we chose one which was open and went for dinner to a place called Bo’s Co in our own village. There weren’t many options to choose from the menu, but we managed. But also decided we should research more before we eat out anywhere 😁.  Another interesting thing I noted was that our village had electric charging spots! It was surprising that such a small village could have that too - showing how advanced things are here. 


Day 4: Bernina Express to Tirano and Back

Bernina train

This was the loveliest day of our stay in St Moritz. The day before, I had bought tickets for us to travel on the Bernina Express – one of the two most picturesque trains in Switzerland. It is a 4-hour train connecting Switzerland to Italy, from St Moritz (at 1800 metres) to Tirano (at 400 metres) and is an architectural marvel. It passes through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges, riding on multiple viaducts during the travel. 

There are two types of trains that run on this Rhaetian railway route. The Bernina Express which has windows all the way to the roof and provides a panoramic view of the mountains and valleys it goes through. It also has fewer stops as it runs essentially for tourists. And the other are the local trains which do not have the same panoramic windows as the Bernina Express and stop more. Its windows open also, which helps when taking photographs. The Bernina express is more expensive than the local trains (CHF 56 vs CHF 32). We bought tickets for the Bernina Express one way, till Tirano and for the way back, we took the local train so we could get off at places and explore them on our own timelines. We left early in the morning to get onto the earliest Bernina Express and spent the whole day between Switzerland and Italy. And what a day it was!

Views on the way

The first half of the ride is the ascent to the Bernina pass. The ride passes through majestic mountains, lush green valleys and vibrant green forests, with views of some glaciers and high peaks in the region. We went through many tunnels, viaducts connecting mountains, passing by small streams and huge turquoise lakes,with some random wooden chalets appearing randomly through the vegetation in the mountains. Each turn, each scene was like a picture postcard.  

Bernina pass

The train took us up to 2200 metres, till Ospizio Bernina pass, the highest stop for the train ride. We were above the clouds by then. There were two lakes there, lot of snow around and the weather was cold and cloudy. We could see people hiking there even in the cold and wind, though we chose to continue our journey. The next stop was Alp Grüm, with a view of Palü Glacier and Lago Palü from there. You can hike down to the lake from here, though we planned to stop here on our way back.

Italian valleys

And then slowly, we started descending into Italy. The landscape changed again. Everything got softer, both the mountains as well as the houses. The valleys were greener and wider. There were strawberry fields, rivers, churches, and even small palaces dotting the landscape. We rode along the Poschiavo lake for a long time, that part of the ride was stunning.

Italian palaces

There were a few small alpine towns and villages on the way like Poschiavo, Le Prese and Brusio, each with their colourful houses, their many old churches and fields all around – each looked charming. Around the town of Brusio, we also passed by the famous hairpin railway bridge, and it was so interesting to see the end of our red train while still on the bend.

Tirano

The train terminated at Tirano and we explored the town for a bit. We walked around the old town and next to the river. They had some grand old buildings including some palazzos. It was already different than Switzerland – rules were bendable, standards were lower, and things didn’t feel as efficient 😁.

Poschiavo

And then on the way back, we took the local train, and the landscape was still as stunning and enjoyable as the first time. We also got off from the train at Alp Grum and Poschiavo, to take our time and enjoy the places on the way. We first stopped at Poschiavo which was such a cute little village, with a stream flowing through. It had a few churches, a nice high street and many restaurants in the city centre. We had lunch at Hotel Alfrici and the food was excellent. It started raining soon though, as we returned back to the train. Our short stop there had felt so magical, with the green mountains and rain around.

View at Alp Grum

We next stopped at Alp Grüm. It was a picturesque stop with the glacier and lake around, but the cold and rain got to us. We sat inside the train waiting room for a bit and got back onto the next train. We didn’t stop anymore that day as the weather had packed up already. The ride back felt prettier too, as we could open the windows of the trains, and the air felt fresher.

We finally reached St Moritz in the evening after a full day on the train and loved it. To be honest, I had been a bit unsure if I wanted to go on this Bernini Expire as it was clearly made for tourists, but I absolutely loved it. It’s an absolute recommend.


Day 5: Diavolezza Glacier and Villages Nearby

Glacier

The day the weather improved and the sun came out, we drove to the Diavolezza base station and took the gondola to the top of the mountain. At the base there wasn’t much snow, but as we moved up, it was all snowed out and we could see the glaciers in the distance. The sun was out, and the air was so fresh.

On the top

There weren't too many crowds up the peak though. There were some platforms to view the glaciers far off, and some cafes which were already open. We also saw some people working on clearing the hiking trails, getting them ready for summer. We spent some time there, playing snowball games and just falling on the snow, and loved the time there, the fresh air and the majestic views. After coming down, we went for a short hike up the mountain and came across a small snake on the trail too.

Going up the gondola

Around the base

Pontresina

Later in the afternoon, we drove to Pontresina for tea. The village had some charming cliff-side houses. But it was too empty, there wasn’t a lot of activity happening there yet. The drive there was charming though.

Church of San Gian

Back in Celerina/Schlarigna, we walked to the old church of San Gian, the one visible from our Airbnb windows. It was in ruins but had a quiet charm to it.

On the walk

In the evening, I went out for a walk to the neighbouring village of Samedan, and it was such a lovely walk. Along a stream, lined with wildflowers, with ponies here and there and peaceful reflections everywhere. On the way, there were people running, mountain biking, fishing, and hiking. It was clear that this area is popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

Views on the walk

While coming back, I also explored the other side of our village of Celerina/Schlarigna. It was quite huge. With wooden chalets everywhere, some beautiful churches, wildflower fields and so many birds everywhere. There were no local people outside though, only tourists mountain biking. the walk experience was just so stunning, it was so refreshing to be out and about on a sunny summer evening.

There were a few more villages nearby to visit, like Piz Nair, Piz Corvatch, Lake Staz, Hahnensee, Zuoz, Ardez, Ftan Guarda and Sils. But we didn’t get time. Also, we really wanted to go up the cable car to Muottas Muragl, for a meal at the restaurant on top but it hadn’t opened yet as it wasn’t summer yet. Like I say, to next time...

Our village

And just like that our stay in the Engadine Valley was over. I absolutely loved it – the village, the airbnb, the days out. It was a mind-blowing place and I can’t wait to be back.

A week in North Vietnam (1) - Hanoi

North Vietnam (2): Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay

Last year, I spent a week in spring in North Vietnam. It was an unplanned holiday, so we ended up spending most of our time walking around in Hanoi and exploring some areas around. In between, we went to Ha Long Bay for 2 days and were back again in Hanoi for a night, before heading out to Singapore.

Huc Bridge

It was quite an interesting trip, enjoyable in parts and quite an experience in others. For one, we were expecting hot and humid tropical weather that week as it is South-East Asia. But what we experienced was unusually cold weather with rain and no sunshine at all! That was definitely quite a bummer. And second, we had an interesting experience with our hotel in Hanoi, because of which our trip got a bit topsy turvy. Other than that, it was a fun holiday with friends, with lots to explore and experience, and I absolutely loved the vibe and food of Hanoi.

Our itinerary was quite simple as we didn't travel around a lot.

Day 1: Explored Old Quarter around our hotel
Day 2: Went on a guided scooter ride across Old Quarter, stopping at B52 museum and the famous Hanoi train street
Day 3: Explored Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem lake, including the Ngoc Son temple, a lotus water puppet show and beer street
Day 4: Guided tour to Ninh Binh, with cycling to Minh Quan temple, taking a local boat through Mua caves and hiking up Hang Mua viewpoint
Day 5: Explored Old Quarter, museums and art around Hoan Kiem lake
(5 days, 6 nights in Hanoi)
Day 6: Travelled to Ha Long Bay and onto the Signature Ha Long cruise, Kayaked around Vung Vieng fishing village
Day 7: Explored Tung Sau area in Ha Long Bay, visited Virgin cave and beach island
Day 8: Visited Tien Kiem cave and beach island, came back to Hanoi, around Hoan Kiem lake
(2 days, 2 nights in Ha Long Bay)
Day 9: Goodbye to Old Quarter
(1 day, 1 night in Hanoi)


Getting to Hanoi

Hanoi (earlier called Thang Long, the flying dragon) was a revelation. We ended up spending 6 full days in Hanoi, and somehow it didn't feel too much. In fact, we barely explored outside of the Hanoi Old Quarter area, and even then time felt short to see all it has to offer. There was just so much to experience and feel. The vibe and energy of the city can barely be matched by any other place I have visited. Though I will wait before I talk about Hanoi, as I must start the story with our hotel experiences 😝.

We landed in Hanoi in the early morning hours after taking a red eye flight from Delhi (with a child crying at the top of his voice the entire flight!), none of which helped our mood when we landed. On top of that, when we stepped out of our plane, we were met with fog, rain and cold! I attributed it to it being early morning and ignored what I saw at that time.

We took a taxi to our hotel which was located in the old part of town, the Old Quarter. It was a long drive to the hotel and we passed through many parts of the city during the drive. The roads were lined with narrow multi-floor houses, typical to Hanoi. A lot of them had pretty French facades decorated in varied colours and designs. They had an inviting character to them, though most of them felt old and run-down.

Hanoi streets (art)

The traffic all the way was crazy, especially given all the rains. Most of the traffic was made up of two-wheelers, scooters and mopeds, with people filing up all the space. People were driving on both sides of the road whenever they saw a gap, which was a bit unnerving. Though after the initial shock, I realised that even though the traffic felt chaotic, there was an order to it, a calmness in it. In fact, no one was overtaking anyone else even. Everyone just kept driving, fast when there was space, and slower when they needed to. All in their own lane. The hot nerves that we see in Indian traffic were definitely not there. Interestingly, everyone was wearing raincoats, so they were all definitely better prepared than us.

When we reached our hotel, called the Luxury Old Quarter Hotel, we were a bit underwhelmed. On the website, it looked like a small little cosy boutique hotel, with 4+ rating on booking.com as well as tripadvisor. We were hoping to experience a hidden gem. But it did not feel so, our first impression was quite underwhelming.

Balcony of Luxury Hotel

The staff barely spoke English, though they were flexible about changing our bookings. Still something felt off. And we felt more of the same when we checked into our rooms. It was supposed to be a huge room, with space outside but looked different in real life. The bathrooms had glass windows and no locks! They had some weird red velvet sofas in the room, and there was a central glass chute right through the middle of our room. We could close the curtains but when the curtains were open, we could look into the rooms below! The balcony was nice but given the weather, that did not feel welcoming either.
My friend wanted us to leave immediately but since it was raining and we had taken an overnight flight, we thought we would check-in anyway. Once we got in, we were so tired, we just slept off. When we woke up, we thought we would give the hotel a chance. We went down for breakfast, which was tasty though not as great an experience as all the reviews raved about.

Luxury Hotel

After getting ready, we stepped out in the afternoon to explore the Old Quarter. And then noticed a board outside the hotel mentioning that it also had rooms available ‘by the hour’! For all of us who have seen Jab We Met (and remember Hotel Decent), that did not bode well. So we decided we will shift. And we did, the same night. We booked a hotel online and were off.

However, given how traumatised we were by the experience, we were not open to taking any risks and my friends booked a very expensive JW Marriott to be sure of its quality. It was a luxury business hotel, with many pools, spas, and an elaborate breakfast menu. It was massive, with a well landscaped garden all around. But it felt very sanitised and had no local character. We could have been living anywhere in the world when we were there. But at least it was a comfortable stay.

The JW was in the financial district of Hanoi, with better roads, more cars than scooters, and loads of highrises and malls. The area felt so new, so different than the Old Quarter. The biggest downside though was that it was 40-60 mins drive from the Old Quarter. It cost us a lot of time as we had to travel back daily to the Old Quarter, as all tourist activities were either there or started from there 😂. So in the end, it wasn't a good move as we ended up travelling 2 hours daily in the crazy Hanoi traffic, but I guess getting away from Luxury Old Quarter Hotel was so important for us, that we did not care where we went 😝.

View of Hoan Kiem lake

But our hotel woes did not end there. After staying 4 nights at the JW we realised, they did not have rooms available to extend our stay by 1 more night (even though they had some 450+ rooms). So for the last night before travelling to Ha Long Bay, we shifted to another hotel, La Sinfonia del Rey, next to the Hoan Kiem lake. We had had dinner on the hotel rooftop one of the days and had found it to be quite a good place. So we took the risk of moving to an unbranded hotel. And what a delight it was. It was right in the middle of all the action, had an old world charm, an amazing decor, great service and a gorgeous view of the lake. There was live music outside the hotel everyday. We could see the lights of the Ngoc Son temple from our window at night and it was ethereal. It was just so much fun being there, a far cry from our other hotel in the same area.

Interestingly the La Sinfonia del Rey was cheaper than our Luxury Old Quarter Hotel, even though it was of far better quality, and very close to all the main sights in the area. I just can’t understand how that can be the case, and how the other hotel got such good ratings. All these moves did add some inconvenience to our stay. And then there is another hotel room story in Ha Long Bay, but that will be covered in the next article. So the hotels were definitely an interesting part of our stay in Vietnam.


Exploring Hanoi Old Quarter

Old Quarter

We spent five of our six days in Hanoi exploring the Old Quarter, in fact I think we didn't step outside at all, other than the drive to and from our hotel. The Old Quarter is the part of town with traditional Vietnamese buildings and architecture in one half and then grand French style buildings on the other, all merging into each other. The old part has narrow streets full of two wheelers, and is lined with all kinds of shops and activities on both sides. Roadside eating places, restaurants, cafes, art shops, massage places, handicraft shops, and so on. You can find everything here. And in between, there are pagodas, Buddhist temples, museums, antique fort walls, lakes, the Opera and other places to explore.

There is never a dull moment in the Old Quarter, just frenetic energy everywhere. It was just amazing to be there every day. The next few days, we walked in the streets, into shops, checking out (and buying) art, getting massages and eating (a lot) in between.

Markets

Random shop in Old Quarter

The Quarter is full of shops everywhere. There are some 36 streets making up the Old Quarter with some of them selling specialised things, famous for one particular product, like silk street, medicines street, silver street, beer street, the night market and so on. And what is not being sold by the shopkeepers is being sold by the vendors on the streets. The night market had many vendors selling different kinds of local handicrafts and clothes.

Beer Street

The beer street was full of eateries where people hung out till very late, sitting outside on small chairs, eating and drinking, and making a lot of noise. Interestingly, while we were there, the police showed up and within minutes, all the shopkeepers cleared up their chairs and tables outside (probably they don't have the license for it). And as soon as the police left, everyone put the setup back, all over again. (I have seen this scene play out once before, in Bombay’s Fashion street back in 1996!). The vibe on the street even late at night was just amazing, everyone sitting outside and eating - something I miss in Europe all the time.

There were also loads of massage and beauty places everywhere. And I think we got a massage daily, it was just so relaxing as well as cheap.

Art shops

Art shops

There were loads of art shops in Hanoi. We walked into so many of them, and loved the vibrant colours in the paintings everywhere. The most common pieces were of the multi-storeyed narrow Hanoi buildings lining the streets, filled with people on scooters. There were so many versions of this scene everywhere, all painted in a different artistic style. Mostly in oil. They were all just so captivating, attracting us as we walked past.

Hanoi streets

We also walked into a war posters shop twice. These shops were selling old leftist propaganda posters, which was a different kind of art. And most of these posters were anti-capitalist, anti-American. Rummaging through those, and talking to the shop owners, I realised that the Vietnamese are very proud of the war, and how they beat the strongest country in the world. We also tried to find out if we could find the original posters in the museums, but couldn't.

Places to see

The Old Quarter has a lot of historic places to visit, most of which we just walked into. There were a few temples and pagodas too, but not many, as most of the population is atheist now, after the communists took over.

Ngoc Son temple

On our third day in Hanoi, we spent most of our time walking around the Hoan Kiem lake. It felt like the lake was the boundary of the old and the relatively new side of Old Quarter. One side of it had old buildings, and the other side was grander, maybe it was the French side. We went over the red Huc Bridge, to the Ngoc Son temple on the lake. It was devoted to the local king as well as Buddhism, which was quite an interesting mix. (Also I have not seen temples dedicated to kings too often). Apparently the temple had appeared on a turtle (there is a whole mythological story around it). And there is an iconic Turtle Tower on the lake to celebrate that too.

Around the lake

We walked around the lake, exploring art shops, old historical buildings and temples, cafes and eating places. In fact, the area becomes a pedestrian only area on weekends, and it was fun to just walk around.

Lotus water puppet show

While walking around the lake, we saw a signboard for a lotus water puppet show, and decided to go in. It was quite an entertaining show, showcasing a local art form, with puppets acting out stories in a pond of water. And a few musicians sang and provided live music to the show. It was quite folksy, with the puppeteers behind the screen using a stick in the water to move around the puppets. It was quite an artistic and skilled performance, and it was interesting to hear the local folk stories being enacted. Some of the stories involved dragons, some goddesses, and the others showcased local myths. We really enjoyed the show, as touristy as it was.

Food

The food in Hanoi was outstanding. Most of the time we ate at streetside places, or just walked into a local restaurant without checking reviews, and each of them served the tastiest meals I have ever eaten. I think I ate pho everyday, it was my favourite. And all the other dishes I tried were just finger licking good, whether in a shop or at a roadside place. And everyday it was the same story. We would decide, we would eat only twice a day as we were eating a lot already. But then within two hours of the previous meal, we would be hungry and ready to eat again! It was like we were in food heaven.

The first day, we ate at one of the streetside food places. They have these small stools that we sat on, right on the street, eating a huge amount of hotpot and observing all that was going on around us. Vendors selling, tourists buying, scooters buzzing past and everyone just moving about with a lot of energy. It was such a great experience, something I do miss in Europe.

Coffee Culture Cafe

One of the mornings, we walked into a coffee shop, Coffee Culture which felt like an instagrammable place. It was all painted in deep Van Gogh yellow. Also apparently, Vietnamese coffee is very good (Not being a coffee drinker, I can’t vouch for it but my friends were definitely impressed by it). Maybe that's why there were so many cafes all around, many with outside sitting places, gorgeous ones but which were more suited for when the weather was warmer. Also interestingly, the Vietnamese call it ca phe (as the Vietnamese language is mostly made of single syllable words) and not coffee.

Everywhere we ate was the same experience, Tasty and light food, with lots of spices. Yum! And the service everywhere was great, quick and efficient. And everyone smiled so much while serving, it felt nice to be eating so much too.

The vibe

Vietnamese fields (art)

The vibe of the Old Quarter was electric (almost crazy, and so different than the vibe in European towns which are more subdued). There was just so much activity and energy everywhere. So much colour. So much vibrancy. There were so many young people everywhere. Everyone was moving fast, with a purpose. And mostly smiling. Also many of the locals were wearing the straw hats which protect them from rain. They looked so cute. (We even bought one to help us in the rain but had to leave it behind as it was too bulky to carry in the plane).

Hanoi vibes

A lot of the shops were decorated with colourful lanterns and lamps and they added so much to the experience. They were colourful during the day, and lighted at night, adding so much vibrancy around. And of course, the roads were crowded with scooters and people.

Very early on in our trip, we realised that the weather was not going to turn “tropical” anytime soon, so we all decided to buy some warm clothes anyways. We walked into a few shops selling sports wear which were everywhere, all of them selling knock-off branded clothes, with North Face being the most popular. The one I bought actually looked quite authentic, and has lasted me more than a year already, so maybe it wasn't really fake?!

Also, our first day in Hanoi, we had been surprised when we noticed most people wearing North Face jackets. I actually mentioned to my friends that the locals seem to be mostly well to-do, all wearing these expensive jackets. I also wondered if it must be the most popular brand here. Later it turned out most of them were wearing fake pieces. Also all the tourists we met were wearing the same jackets - it turns out that everyone had expected to find hot weather, and on landing there, when they realised how the weather actually was, decided to buy some local warm clothes 😁.


Guided scooter tour of Old Quarter

Opera House

One of the days, we joined a guided scooter tour of the Old Quarter. We met the group at the Opera House. (It was a beautiful building btw, with lovely gardens outside). There was one guide on his own scooter, and three other young girls each with a scooter, for each of us. And then they took us around town, zipping through the traffic, showing us the city as the locals experienced it.

It was a bit scary at first, given how fast they drove and zigzagged through traffic. We had to hold on to them for our dear life. And it did not help that it was an extremely rainy day. Thankfully the guide had raincoats for all of us, which comfortably covered us fully on the scooter, saving us from the rain, wind and cold. And though the weather was a bummer, we did see the city in a new light, scootering with the locals made us feel like a local too.

B52 museum

We started with a buffet style vegan Vietnamese lunch at a local eatery called the Veggie Castle House. Then we drove to the B52 museum where we saw the pride the Vietnamese have in their history, their war against the US. This is the museum where the B52 planes shot down by the VietCong during the war are displayed. We were wondering how so many of these were shot down without sophisticated weapons, and the guide told us the unpredictable weather of Hanoi had a part to play in it, as the planes had to fly low whenever unexpected clouds covered the skies (And we were experiencing the unexpected weather ourselves too!).

Farms in Hanoi

The guide then took us to farms which were on an island in the middle of the city, on the Red river. We didn't know what to expect, and then we found huge farms, growing all kinds of vegetables and fruits, right within the chaos of Hanoi. It was pouring all afternoon, so we were not able to enjoy as much as we would have done on a sunnier day, exploring these lush green farms on the island. From there after some more crazy driving, we walked to the Red river and crossed the oldest bridge on the river.

Train Street

Our last stop of the day was the famous train street of Hanoi. This is a street surrounded by old narrow high houses, with regular trains moving through the tracks in between even with the houses being so close to them.To be honest, when I had read about it, I thought it was too touristy and I wouldn't want to go, but the real experience was totally worth it. It’s definitely worth visiting.

Train Street

The guides know the train timings, so they took us to the street 10 mins before the next train was to arrive. We walked along the train tracks for a bit and the houses all around had a beauty in spite of the chaos. With lanterns, colours, cafes and a lot of activity. Just before the train was to come, we sat at a cafe next to the tracks (where our guide had already reserved a seat). There was barely any space for the trains to pass by. Just before the train was to come, the cafe owners disassembled all the furniture and made space for the train. They ask the people sitting there to fold their legs and be careful. And thereafter, the whole experience was surreal. Slowly the train comes into view, passing by just inches away from where we all sat, a few inches from our knees. For a few minutes. It is a daily occurrence to the locals, but it was scary for us. I barely moved during those few minutes. Even to take photos 😂. It was definitely scary, but such a different experience. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

St Joseph Cathedral

The last stop of the tour was the St. Joseph Cathedral, a cathedral in grey white stone, something I have never seen before. It was charming. And then the guided tour was over. We were so cold by then, after having spent the whole day in strong wind and rain, we walked to the nearest hotel - La Sinfonia del Rey - and had a lovely rooftop dinner overlooking the Hoan Kiem lake. The view was awesome and the food even better. And the heating inside was a welcome relief too.

Rooftop Dinner

Overall, we spent so much time in the Old Quarter, that by the fifth day, we felt we knew the city, We knew what we liked, and where to find it. We had walked all its streets for the past few days and it felt “known”. One of the days, I even went for a run around the lake, it just felt like we lived there. And it was always a pleasure to explore it. I will always remember the vibe of Hanoi which we all enjoyed, it's tough to ever forget that.