London calling
This weekend we went to London.You need lot of energy to visit this city.From Liverpool street we went to Victoria stn by tube.Then onwards the walking that we started at 10.30 am we eneded up in the night 9pm.Puff ! we were realy tired .We went to Buckingham Palace to see change of guards which takes place on alternate days.You need to check the dates of change of guards on their website so that u dont miss it.From there we went to London eye ,walking all the way passing Big Ben and then reaching there.We had bought tickets for london eye and river cruise .You can take ride on both at any conveneient time of your choice but on the date mentioned on the ticket.After half an hour ride of London eye we went to River cruise that was quite narrative.We saw the london bridge on the way,the london school where Isaac Newton,David Beckham studeid.We saw the cathedral where Princess Diana got married and lot of other exciting places not to forget MI6.After that we walked towards the bridge that led us to Charring Cross and we went to Trafalgar Square .It is lovely open space.From there we went to Leichster square ,you will be amazed to see the no of theatres there .Picadalliy Circus was near by,where we took some snaps of some illuminated ads displayed.We went to Planet Hollywood.and then we thut of going to our hotel in Wembley.So we took a train from Picadailly to Baker street .There was a lot of traffic from baker street to Wembley thru bus no 18 but somehow we reached our hotel and we went to eat at Chennai dosa.
Next day we were not in the position to get up..Though it was check out time so we had our breakfast and took off to Swami narayan temple near Neasden.We had not known that we had to walk a lot from there to the temple.It was a better idea to take a train upto Stonebridge or Bus to it. from there you still had to walk but not that much.We had Darshan and we left at 1 pm.From there we went to Ikea all the way walking.From there we went to Baker street in 338 bus to Oxford circus.Since it was Sunday PR2 bus doesnot work which would have directly take you to the temple from Neasden. Just outside the Baker street is Madame Tussaud's Wax muesuem .We reached there by 2.30 pm due to heavy traffic and we came out of the muesuem in 1 hr.We didnot find it exciting as much as we had heard about it.Indian statues were not lokking exactly as they should had.We had a whole lot of time with us before our 9.30 pm bus to Norwich .But we just had our dinner at Pizza hut and we went directly to Victoria coach stn.We waited at a near by shopping centre and took some rest.
During weekend it is better to check if there is any engineering work taking place in your routes while using the Tube.First day we took day ticket which was valid both on bus and train.Next day we took just bus ticket which was quite cheap but would consume lot of travelling time.We had not many places to see on the last day and we also had a baby so it was fine for us to travel by bus.
trip to Paris
'The fashion city'-Paris
U would just want to see more of it.We had stayed there for 3 days.Boy it was not enough.Took first day to reach there and we had a little orientation tour of Paris.We also went to top of Effiel tower.Next day we went to Louvre Muesuem .We took hop off and hop on bus for city tour which showed us 59 destination with commentatory of our choice of language. We went on a little shopping spree. Ended up buying soveneires .If that was not enough you need to take a night tour of Paris which will show you illuminated Effiel tower by night that sparkled like diamonds studded ring .Third day was cruise on River Sienne and visit to Perfumery shop where you can buy good perfumes.We went back passing Calais where we had immigration check done and crossing English Channel we landed at Dover.
u can also go for 4 day tour that was also include day at Disneyland and visit to Versailles Gardens.
Swisstrip
Wow! is the word for Switzerland.we had a marvellous time.Saw from Mount Titlis to Top of Europe Jungfrauh.went to top ans saw hotel bollywood and what not.Hey let me tell u I was 8 months pregnant.Still I played football and got 3 goals in first 3 attempts while waiting for the lift at the top of Europe.Travelled thru all the diferent routes from Zurich to Lucerne and to Interlaken.We had a lovely time at Rhine river to see rhine falls where we went upto Germany's river end.not to forget the beautifull cruise along the Zurich lake.The whole journey right from Zurich to Interlaken and back was by train where we passed thru lots of lovely lakes.The trip thru the small routes of railway thru small houses covered with flowers,different fruits like apples and pears was amazing.Truely we felt like heaven.If you are interested you can go for tracking or for long walks.you wont forget to buy bells and other souverigns and last not but the least lots of chocolates.There r lots of other things to do like paragliding and other sports.The best time to go is from April to August.You cannot write more about it ,you need to just visit Switzerland to feel it.
trip to switzerland
All I am excited about is my trip to Switzerland.
Are Australia, Europe and Far East the most longed-for vacation ?
Share your thoughts with me now!
Travel Tip : Discounted travel
Try searching google using search word "discounted travel" and you will be amazed to get the list of options available for your discounted travel .
coming up next my dream tour to Australia
The trip to Australia was not something I had thought of.It was a surpise.As soon as I came to know about it I started to do a fulfledged planning .As I had taken Malaysian Airlines,I got one day free stay at Kuala Lumpur . We had planned to visit Melbourne ,Sydney and Cairns.
The best time to visit is November to March.
The shuttle from airport to hotel would cost you about 13$.
I was going to stay at Melbourne for most of my 20 days.Our hotel was located right in the heart of the city which was well connected to Trains and Trams.Melbourne is centre of Art and culture.It was the host to recently held Common Wealth Games.We thought of doing the city sight seeing through Trams and Trains.2 to 3 hours pass is about 4$.if you are staying for 4 to 5 days you can opt for a weekly pass of 28$.
I had bought Diamond pass for all thethree cities from grayline tours which turned out to be real cheap deal.
The Flindlers station is a must see.This city is divided into grids.There is a free city circle tram from where you hop in hop out and visit the streets in this city grid. there are lot of gardens like Carlton ,fitzeroy gardens which has got Captain cook's cottage.You can also check out Telstra Dome , Racecourse ,Royal Botanic Gardens,Melboune Zoo ,The Shrine of Remembrance and suitated near the Yarra river is Federation Square which is a open space for theatre ,plays and to watch live football and crickert matches and cheer with the crowd.
Eating in a open air place at Dockland is a unforgettable experience.If you stand on the street and watch the people moving to their job locations you will be thrilled to see how well dressed they are.I cant imagine how much they spent on their clothes.You will need a whole day to tour the great ocean road and a helicopter ride to see the 12 Apostles from top is a great experience. If you are lucky you can spot Kangaroos and Koalas on your way to the ocean road .How can you forget the Melbourne cricket ground for all cricket lovers ,it is a must see.
Taking a breath looking overview of Melbourne city from Rialto Tower ie the Observation deck is an enthralling do.For wine lovers you can not forget to see Yarra Winiers.For some low rate shoppings you have to visit the Victoria Market.You can get leather
jackets at unbelievalbe cheap price.For genuine Opals you need to do a good research before you buy them.At St kilda beach you can spot the magnificient ship "the Spirit of
Tasmania".Near to the beach there is a amusement park called Luna Park where you can enjoy exciting rides.You can also opt for one day tours like Penguin Parade at Phillip Bay
or tour the Dandenong ranges to have a spectacular view of the lovely scenery.
Among everything that I had the Indian food was the best thing ,I didnot feel as if I was away from home.You will find lot of Indian students around as there are lot of universities.
Trip to Harihareshwar
The best time to visit is in the monsoon season.It is a great Getaway from maddening crowd of Mumbai .
We had already booked a Minibus from Mumbai.
Based in the district of Raigad ,you need to check out the serene and calmness of this place.It is better to do hotel reservation prior to your arrival.We had booked a bunglow.We had started at 8am and picked our friends on our way .The whole journey was spend in seeing the lush greenery around.By noon we reached Harihareshwar. Hungry we were ,ate our lunch .Mind you for vegetarians there is not much choice so be prepared for it.
We took some rest.Went to the Beach.We had carried with us football and other sport items.Took some snaps of the magnificient beauty of sunsetting .In the evening one of our friends knew tarrot reading so we spent some time looking into our future.In the night we had planned for camp fire.It started raining heavily so we rushed inside.And what do we see there was no electricity.We had to spend our night with one torch .Silence had to be broken so few of us decided to dance and sing around.Dont forget to get mosquito repllents.Next day we had kept for Temple visit.We took the Aarti plate outside Harihareshwar Temple in which there was this rare flower which was in the shape of Seshnag.Then we started our Pradakshina.I would suggest to be carefully while doing the Pradakshina as it is very slippery during the rains. we went to take lunch (searching a good restaurant is a daunting experience).Alas we found a little decent one.After having lunch we left for Mumbai with sweet memories.
SightSeeing Harihareshwar Temple and Harihareshwar beach.
Getting there
By Air: Nearest airport is Bombay 215 kms.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Bombay.
By Road: Bombay-Harihareshwar 230 kms. via Bombay-Panvel -Mangaon-Goregaon Phat on Bombay-Goa highway. Shriwardhan-Harihareshwar 20 kms.
You can even get down at Shrivardhan and catch private vehicles / autos... Transportation is cheap.
Mumbai : 200 kms (5 hours), Pune : 180 kms (5 hours), Mangaon - 62 kms, Panvel : 140 kms
South India
My recent trip to south of India was good.Instead of taking any tour,we decided our own route of Banglore-Mysore-Ooty-Kodaikanal and then Munnar and to depart from Cochin to our hometown Mumbai.Believe me, it is adventurous and much cheaper than taking a guided tour !! Caution : If you are not taking a guided tour,I suggest you to book hotels through internet well in advance.To reach Banglore:
By air:There are direct flights to Bangalore from most national and international destinations.
By rail:Trains to Bangalore from Mumbai 6339 DN Mumbai/Nagarcoil express .
By road:The Inter State Bus Terminus of Bangalore is located near the railway station.
In Bangalore city
The trip was made in the month of May . As planned,we landed at Banglore airport at around noon and took prepaid airport taxi.The cost of pre-paid taxi is around Rs.200 (INR).The mercury was rising but what the heck we had already decided to travel in tha seaon! As we passed through the streets,I observed that Banglore has evolved into a big commercial city like Mumbai .So people coming from Mumbai and similar metros wouldn't find it different.We requested the taxi driver who fluently spoke English to dropped us in front of Vidhan Soudha. We did ask him what were near by places to see .We clicked a few photos of the Vidhan Soudha. It was almost past 2 PM and it was very hot. We decided to have lunch and rush to Mysore.Remember:1.The cheapest way to travel around is to use public transport i.e Bus. It is also easiest especially if you are not in the mood to bargain with the autorickshaws.There is a K.R circle bus depot ,in the heart of Bangalore city, from where the buses depart every half hour to Mysore.
Mysore is the place to be.If you want to get enchanted by the palaces.Mysore is aptly called the "Sandalwood City".If possible,stay in a hotel near by to the palace ,this will be good for all those who want to see palace in the morning and in the evening when it is illuminated and if you are lucky enough to be there on a Sunday or on festival days.We had the opportunity to see palace lit up as it was Sunday .Also there are good restaurants around where you can dine in the evening.The best buy here is sandalwood items which are some of things that you should not forget to buy from Mysore.Lot of wooden articles something that you want to take it as momento or gifts back home. Again we opted for local buses which are clean and cheap transport available for visiting places around Mysore. Best time to visit Mysore is during Daserra (an indian festival ) when there is huge procession of king in his golden chariot.
In the morning we went to a.Nandi hills then we went to b. St. Philomena's Church c.Zoological Gardens d. Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery.
Reaching Brindavan Gardens took lot of our time,but it was worth visiting .The musical fountains are must see.In the evening we were back and went to see the all lit up palace.
Next day we moved to Ooty where we reached in the evening.On our way we went through Bandipur jungle where the infamous dacoit Veerappan used to hide.
There is a regular bus service from Mysore (170 km). Towards Ooty :We were heading towards the top of the mountain and coming closer towards clouds.The picturesque view was a treat to the eyes — among the clouds lay beautiful valleys; trees such us huge conifers, eucalyptus were visible throughout the journey. The weather in Ooty was cool but climate is unpredictable in Ooty.It might be raining at one time and sun shining at other time.You would come across lot of tea and coffee plantations .We went to the Ooty lake where we did boating and enjoyed the scenic beauty.You can also go for horse riding.We ate never forgettable Pizzas. From Ooty you can opt for Coonoor by toytrain to see the scenic beauty You can do your mouth watering shopping of homemade chocolates, marsh mallows and chocolate tea from Charing Cross.People who would care for spices ,eucalyptus oil and honey can also buy from here.We didnot had much time or else we wanted to see much-famed rose gardens in Ooty.Fixed prices for standard tourist sights are listed at Charing Cross taxi stand.Ooty has taxis, three-wheeler scooter rickshaws, local buses, and during the season, guided tours to take you around the city.We had booked a bus directly from our hotel in Ooty to Kodai.
Next day we left for Kodaikanal. It is one of the most popular serene hill stations in India,which mesmerises any visitor.Dont forget to check out " The pride of Kodaikanal is the 'Kurinji-flower',which blossoms once in 12 years".The weather was pleasant and we stayed near Coaker's Walk.From here we got a telescopic view of Kodai.This is a good place to stay for more than 2 days as it has got a pleasant climate.There are lot of activites that can be done.you can go for one day forest trail or spend time riding a bicycle,boating or horseriding.We had taken a one day tour which covered most of the places in Kodiakanal along with one hour forest trail. After 3 days stay we left for Cochin as we had extended our stay at Kodai, we had to leave the option of visiting Munnar which we planned for next visit. We took a flight home from Cochin.
Places to visit in Banglore:
The Vidhan Soudha ,Cubbon Park,The Bangalore Museums,Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens,Tipu Sultan's Fort and Palace.
At Mysore :Mysore Zoo & Maharaja Palace, Brindavan Gardens ,Nandi hills, St. Philomena's Church ,Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery.
At Ooty:Bandipur & Madhumalai Forest ,'Dodabeta Peak" which is highest peak In Nllgiri range,Botonical gardens,Ooty lake ,Coonoor.
At Kodaikanal: Silver Cascade Water Falls,Cocker's walk , Bryan's Park,Kodai Lake .
Best time to visit:September to March.
