Fairy tale world at Disneyland

Disneyland is one place which since a kid I have had dreams of visiting, and somehow it always felt just too far away, in a different world altogether, unreachable... And even though I had the opportunity to visit the Disneyworlds in Hong Kong or Paris, it always never happened. Guess for a reason! 

So that I could see the real thing, even if too late in life:). And there it was, the place we've seen in countless movies and photographs, and imagined ourselves there..Finally.. I was there! For real!! Seeing that fairy tale world in brick and the cartoon characters of those childhood days walking all around you everywhere.. What an out of this world experience it was!

Disneyland in Orlando is a world by itself. There are some five-six differently theme parks all spread out in a huge area. 

And all these Disney Parks are linked with Disney's own personal rail and ferry system. There is also an area called Disney Downtown, which is the perfect place for the evenings; to spend time at the shops and restaurants relaxing after a long day at the park! 

And then there are multiple Disney Resorts also located nearby, where you can stay near the parks themselves and enjoy a Disney theme based environ. 

When you approach towards the Disney area, you get an idea about how huge this whole project is and why everyone who comes to the US does end up visiting this place! The Parks are just so huge, and amazing! You can spend many many days just enjoying all the different kind of fun and entertainment they offer. It makes sense to go to more than one of these parks if you have the time. And of course try to spend as much time in each as possible.

Anyways we had just one day, so we went to Magic Kingdom. So let me just start with how the experience of that day was. Disneyland is slightly out of the city. You drive there and park in a massive parking space giving you enough of an idea how many people to expect! You then take the mini train to the ticket counter. Beyond that, you have the option of taking the ferry or the overhead train to the island which is the Magic Kingdom. The first view that you get of the island is of the castle and what an impressive view it is. The whole buildup feels so fantasy-like, you are already at a high by the time you land in the park!

One thing to remember of course when you go there, is that this is a theme park for children, not for adults! So no hair raising scary rides, just plain old-fashioned good fun! Initially we did make this mistake, expecting phenomenal rides, but slowly we got into the mood and once we were fully in the fantasy childhood they had created, we had a blast.. Like children who enjoy the small and fun things around, anything new is enjoyable!

Anyways, once in, you will be bombarded with different sights everywhere, with you trying to take in as much as possible. The moment we entered, a musical show was being shown on the stage in front of the castle. All the Disney characters were there, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Daisy and Donald Duck, Cinderalla and her Prince, Snow White and her Prince and Aladdin and his princess. They all sang and danced and performed, and mesmerised us. And this was just the beginning...

Thereafter we started walking around the compound, through colourfully decorated roads, as if out of a fairytale, characters walking around and rides and experiences everywhere. Most of the rides are fit for kids, so they are not really scary. And many of those rides are based on a  different cartoon character. 

The whole park is divided into 6 main areas, all based on different themes:

Main Street, USA : This is the first street that you walk on when you enter. They have grand buildings on both side, which houses shops to buy Disneyware. There are also multiple restaurants in this area, as well as the Disney rail to take you to the different parts of the park.

Adventureland: You can walk around a sample treehouse built in this area. We also went to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which takes you in a boat through scenes from the movie, and tableux of various characters of the movie. Outside, you also have a person impersonating Jack Sparrow and giving out tips on how to be a good pirate!

Frontierland: The Splash Mountain was the best of the rides we did in Disneyland. The boat takes you through Brer Rabbit's place, and then splashes you into water from a height! 

In the same section is also the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, similar to a mine train through the old west. Its a rickety ride, and scary for kids probably. 

Liberty Square: The haunted mansion was a bit of a let down though! There are some 999 ghosts in this mansion, and all different types. Some moving in paintings, some appearing out of thin air and then vanishing away.. This house is quite well designed, So worth a look still but not at all scary:)!!

Fantasyland is completely for kids, with Snow Whites adventures and Cinderalla's world and so on. We skipped this section entirely:) but I guess with children around, you do have an excuse to see those kiddy rides too:).

Tomorrowland: The Space Mountain was an indoor rollar coaster, where you zoom on without being able to see anything! The Spaceranger Spin was part of toy story, where you shoot some of the aliens. Both rides were just ok.

As I said, the rides were not really out of this world, but the whole experience was! Other than the rides, you have the cartoon characters walking around here and there. We saw Winnie the Pooh and also photographed ourselves with Mickey and Minnie. There was an all day party happening where Goofy and Pluto were on the stage teaching the crowds dance moves from the 40s to the 90s! 

There is generally a long line for all the major attractions, but you can use the Fastpass to  work out your rides more efficiently. We went on a weekday and the place was still full. So I guess whenever you go, you will always find crowds there. Filled with children and the adults trying to keep them under control!!

There are also two parades which happen within the park, one in the afternoon and a lighted one in the evening. They were both mesmerising, with singing and dancing and music; and definitely not to be missed. All the characters walking past you on decorated trailers. It was just so mesmerizing to see all these childhood characters dance and walk past you all dressed up! Here are some snapshots from the two parades....

The castle in the center is the main spot of all these activities. In the evening you have the fireworks just behind the castle and the place looks like from another world. They also have a musical show where they showcase photos on the castle from all day long. 

The whole Park is lighted up at night, like a dream.. By this time, the whole world around you becomes so fascinating and lovable.. Its just amazing, how this place transports you to your childhood.. You are just dazed by this time.. in a different zone... 

The whole day was so tiring but still at the end, you still want to see a little bit more, experience a little bit more! I enjoyed every bit of my time here.. What a day it was, something to remember forever.. As they say at the Park, 'Let the memories begin...'.

Florida: Sun, sand and drives...

Our trip to Florida was more of a cross country driving trip than a touristy one. Miles and miles, you drive on.. passing by towns and cities and what not.. Landscapes which keep changing from dry lands to thickly forested areas.. and the roads cutting through them.. Guess now I know what American road trips would be like! Long and expanded travels, from one scenery to another...

This road trip started in Orlando, in Florida upto the Keys through Miami and then back through Florida, Georgia and North Carolina to Durham. So essentially we did cover half the east coast (I guess!). 

Anyways our first stop was Orlando. There wasn't much to see in the city though, the downtown was as boring as it can get. We did walk around through their cafes and the famous Eola lake park. We also took the free hop-on hop-off bus shuttles running around the downtown area. The town just seemed so dead! I guess Orlando is just famous for the numerous theme parks it offers, some five or more Disneyland parks, Universal studios, Waterworld and so on. There isn't much else to do there other than these! Of these, we visited the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland and what an out of this world experience that was! I guess a repeat trip of Orlando is for sure, to see the other parks it has to offer.

After a day in Orlando, we drove on across Florida to the beach and party town of Miami. The best part of Miami I guess was the drive till there! South Florida is quite densely populated especially the areas next to the sea, and quite a rich population too. Looks like all the loaded people like to have a winter home in this area; away from the work world, in this world of sea, sun and relaxation!

Instead of driving on the interstates, we took the smaller roads and those were all along the sea. We did get down at some beaches too on the way, all sunny and isolated, with the whole beach to yourself. Ah, what a life.. Especially when you have just landed from a cold and snowy New York! This whole route is dotted with beach houses and mansions, all reflecting the wealth of the people who stay here. You can feel it in the air...  

The drive was quite enchanting, and then you reach the Palm Beach area which gets even more rich. The drive from then on is laced with huge palaces, of the rich and the famous. They were so huge, so well decorated, at night you can even see the lights and how well done they all are. Was good to drive through it all:)!!

Miami was a let down though (or guess we did not do it enough justice!). We stopped in Miami just for a couple of hours, and walked on South Beach which is the party area of the town. It surely is, but it felt too loud for our tastes. So after a round of the area, we just left the city. On the whole though, Miami feels like a commercial touristy place, rather than a nice vacation place. Do not like!

Anyways the next two days were spent in the Keys which is the southmost tip of Florida. The keys are a group of some 100 or so islands, all pretty small but connected with bridges. This whole area is geared towards a nice lazy vacation! A few beaches, lots of eating places, diving, snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins and the sea lions and such water based activities. There are umpteen types of water sports around, and the best of course would be to rent a boat and go around island hopping! And of course driving on and on over and onto island after island is something else the islands offer.

We did not do most of it though:), we were more looking to just having a nice relaxed vacation! Lazy beach time! Though the beaches were the toughest to find! Anyways, the first day we drove along the islands, and spent some time on Anne's beach (which wasn't much of a beach though!). The water was shallow though, which was nice.. And of course the emerald colour which so entices the water lover! We also stopped at a couple of haunts on the way, including at the the world's best Tiki bar. They had live music playing in the evening, which was just perfect.. Sitting next to the beach, watching the sunset and live music playing with people dancing to it. Isn't that the perfect end to a vacation day?

The next day we did some more stuff though, all inspired from the Frommers Guide! First we went snorkelling which was good. There is a lot of aquatic life to see, and we even saw a turtle swimming there! The area was better for diving though, as at some places it was too deep to see much during snorkelling. 

We went to a cafe where you can see and feed the tarpons for a dollar! Was interesting, and this is how they look! Mind you though, feeding them can get a bit scary!

The next stop for the day was the Sombrero beach, which was just perfect for relaxing! We saw the sunset there, next to the palm trees. Even saw a person catch a baby shark! and skin it!! 

In the evening afterwards we finished at the Lorelai cafe (again from Frommers), and it was so pretty (and cheap!)!!! Good food, great location next to the sea, pleasant lighting, sounds of the waves coming in and awesome music to complement it all! Was another relaxing evening spent next to the sea. Sad though that places close down so early in the Keys, they all close down at 10pm itself!!

During the two days, we drove a lot also around the Keys, which was pretty.. Driving through narrow connected islands. Sometimes you can see the sea on both sides, and sometimes you are just on a bridge connecting two islands! Both sides there are islands splattered here or there.. Might even be better to take a boat and go to all the islands. Also we could not go to Key West, so that's for next time I guess:).

Anyways the last day was just the drive back across Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. We took the interstates for faster commute. Stopped at the standard eating haunts, IHOP, Waffle Place, Subways, Taco Bells and all. The landscape wasn't as interesting with the interstates as it had been with the smaller routes, so was just a usual drive across the country, from one landscape to another.. Anyways guess we had seen and done enough, and all we wanted to do was go home and rest.. !

Paradise Islands : Maldives

What can I say about the Maldives which hasn't been said or seen before?
A picture is worth a thousand words and if you've seen anything from the Maldives, you would already know what I am talking about. Still being there and living it is a different experience altogether and you have to visit these islands to know what Paradise can mean!

Maldives is a country of some thousand small coral islands in the Indian Ocean. Its quite a unique country, as its made up of so many islands all distributed over a large geographical area. (Also apparently, the country is going to disappear sometime this century due to global warming and the rising sea levels, so you must definitely visit the islands before its too late:)).



There are not many industries or agriculture in these islands, and the main revenue earner for the country is tourism. So Maldives sure is making the most of the beauty it offers and projecting itself as the luxury holiday destination around the world. Its relative closeness to India makes is a favorite destination for vacationers from India. And the fact that you get a visa on arrival is always a bonus!

There are hundreds of resorts in Maldives offering luxury tourism to all. Most of the islands in the country are small and each island is given to one resort. So once in a resort, you can walk around and explore the whole island, swim in the shallow waters around and indulge in water sports around the island as well as other activities which most of the resorts provide.

Since the islands are all coral island, the water around the islands is crystal green and shallow for long stretches. The beaches are all of white sand and clean of course, a pleasure to relax at. One thing of course you definitely need to keep in mind, the resorts are all very luxurious and so highly expensive. The fact that once on an island, getting off it is not as easy, tends to make it all the more pricier. But its all definitely worth it!

Anyways, we stayed at two resorts during our trip and I can write about those two places. Am sure most of the resorts are quite the same and offer similar facilities too.

The first resort where we stayed is the Taj Exotica, run by the Indian Taj group. Its on an island about 15 minutes by speedboat from Male, the Maldives capital. In the evenings, you can even see the lights of Male at a distance. The size of the island is just about 700 mts by 100 mts and you can cover it within 20 minutes at the most:). There are green trees covering the island with white sand all around. Everywhere on the way, there are places to sit and relax and sleep, hammocks, sunbeds and so on.

There is a spa at the resort which is quite an experience.  

It offers a huge variety of treatments if you are interested! Other facilities at the resort include a diving centre, which can take you diving or snorkelling at some corals nearby, a games room with pool et al, a library, a DVD collection (with hindi movies too!), and of course a wide range of water sports, like jet skiing, kayaking and so on. The lagoon at the Taj is quite huge and shallow for the most part, with sparkling blue green crystal water till where the eyes can sea and fishes swimming everywhere. Snorkelling in this area is awesome, the variety of fishes and the colours that you see are so pretty, you can just get lost enjoying the views underwater!

In the evenings, the resort have sting ray and shark feeding for all to see. The fishes all come next to the feeding areas at the designated time and eat the food thrown into the water by the staff. The sharks are actually baby sharks, but still scary. Especially if you look at their teeth. The sting rays are big, and flappy! They swim quite gracefully actually and are a treat to watch.

The pool is located just next to the sea, where you can get an uninterrupted view of the ocean around. Its a good place to spend time if you don't want to get into the salty water. I for one preferred to be in the green water rather than the blue:). The waters are so shallow, and so clean, with very few waves or disturbances. And sometimes you would see fishes swimming just next to you, in different sizes and different colours. How often do you get such water to swim in? Of course it would be a good idea to beware of the sting rays or the baby sharks while in the open waters:).

Taj also has two restaurants on the island itself, one in the open while one with more varied menus, and a bar and lounge which plays live music in the evenings, a nice way to spend time in the evenings viewing the sunset!! You can have a romantic dinner in the evening at the centre of the sea with the wind blowing and not much in sight:). (A positive at the Taj is that they have a huge vegetarian menu which is a good thing for people who are vegetarian. Maybe thats one of the reasons this resort is highly popular with Indians:)).

There are different types of the rooms at the resort, the beach villa, water villa or the water bungalows each offering a different view and experience.The rooms are amazing as expected, with complete privacy and separate from each other. From most of the huts, you can just enter into the sea from the balcony itself giving it a feel of your own private ocean space. Also while sitting in the balcony itself, you can see fishes swimming in the water most of the time. Is very relaxing and feels so completely idyllic!

On the whole, its a relaxing place to just spend time relaxing, sitting by the sea, enjoying the sunset, swimming in the warm waters,  observing the fishes in the water, sleeping on the hammocks or the sunbeds jutting into the sea, swimming in the pool next to the sea. A perfect relaxing vacation or a honeymoon destination, isn't it? Its an experience not easily put into words.

Also, something I must write about is the Taj experience. One of my firsts, the experience was just awesome, especially the Taj hospitality that everyone likes to talk about. The level of service is amazing, ever present without being intrusive. You have a personal Man Friday who is available for any requests and needs you may have, making your whole stay a lot more comfortable and enjoyable. 

The next resort we went to was Soneva Gili and in my mind it perfectly describes what luxury would be like. Its about 40 minutes from Male, and runs on its own 'Soneva time' which is one hour slower than Male. Quite an interesting concept, isnt it? Also there is a no news, no shoes policy on the resort, you walk around the island and the beaches without shoes and they don't deliver you newspapers. Interesting.. !

Soneva is built on the concept of isolation, the huts are bigger and farther apart, and completely private. The resort also has some Robinson Crusoe huts, which are away from the island and can only be reached by boat.

The island at Soneva is bigger than the one at Taj, and also a lot greener. Since the island is huge, you need cycles to move from one place to another. There are green gardens on the island to while away your time as well as tennis courts and all for more hectic activities.

The island has the usual activities for all to do, the pool next to the sea, the restaurant in the sea, the water sports, the spa, the relaxing sun beds strewn all around the island, enough places to rest and enjoy.... You can even swim till the hammock or the small island in the centre of the sea, and then you would definitely want to rest there!!

Their residences are huge, and this is how they look like! You can relax on the beds outside, on the roof, or even in the living rooms with glasses all around. The perfect location to see the breathtaking sunsets especially during low tides. The floor of the residence has glass at some places, and you can see the fishes swimming below from the rooms itself. Just awesome....

Here are some pics of how its like to be there, just an idyllic life...

When we were in Maldives, it rained a lot though which is not the case usually in December. Weather change I guess?

Anyways, the whole experience was so different, completely relaxing and luxurious.. A perfect place for a complete vacation. A must visit place at least once if not more in a life...!