Travel hops At the time I visited Bangkok, it was famous for shopping and one of the cheapest foreign destinations one could afford to visit. Visit to Bangkok involved trips to the MBK, Platinum and Central Malls. Of course, there are high-end Malls too. I stayed away from them after one round in the shopping frenzied crowd and the fact that my shopping got pi …
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Travel hops Being in Kochi made us feel as though we were back in Goa. The Bolgatty island is worth a visit for splendid views of the port and harbour from the Marina House. Just a few feet away is the Bolgatty Palace. Though called palace, it is actually an old Dutch mansion built by a Dutch trader in 1744. One can catch a view of the Chinese fishing nets(thi …
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Travel hops Cardiffis a small and extremely pleasant city, quite accessible from Heathrow airport with just a three-hour bus ride. The main attractions within Cardiff are mainly the Cardiff Castle, the Bay area, the Bute park and the Roath park. In addition, there are walking treks and the Llandaff Cathedral outside the city. However, our first stop was none of …
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Travel hops Hyderabad is a lovely city for a family holiday. There is plenty to suit all ages and interests. While the internet will be sufficient to inform one about all the tourist attractions, there was one that I clearly overlooked but discovered on one of those days we had not planned any sight-seeing. Deciding to get some education thrown in with all the …
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Travel hops With a Schengen visa and if visiting France, Belgium or Germany, then adding Luxembourg to one’s itinerary is very easy. Our visit was prompted after learning it was the Banking capital of Europe. A day trip was very doable as it is easily accessible through rail from these countries. The country, often known synonymously as Luxembourg city as well …
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Explore local Goa Usgalimal, the writing on the floor. A few kilometers from Rivona, in the Pirla village lie the Usgalimal petrogylphs or simply understood as rock bruising (craving with a sharp tool). One has to get off the main road on to a dirt track for around 2 kilometers to reach the stone floor on the banks of the Kushvati river at Usgalimal. Though the local …
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Explore local Goa Heart shaped quarry at Marmugao The Mormugao taluka holds the lone Dabolim airport, the Vasco Harbour, the Vasco da Gama Railway terminal and the bus terminals at the city for outstation travel. One can say it is indeed the connection of Goa to the rest of the world. The heart shaped lake lies here, but actually it is not a lake at all. The taluka is …
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Explore local Goa Surla Tar Mosque and Tank at Dharbondora. If one refers to the older maps of Goa, the Surla Tar Mosque will probably show as being located in Bicholim. However, since 2011 and the remapping of the state of Goa, the Mosque named after the Surla-Tar area it is located in, falls in the Dharbondora taluka. As in the Safa Masjid at Ponda, the Surla Tar Mo …
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Explore local Goa Safa Shahouri Masjid, an Oasis of serenity. Just at the outskirts to the city of Ponda from Panaji, on the left hand side, lies the Safa Shahouri Masjid, one of the oldest mosques in Goa. It was built in the 16 th century by the Muslim Rulers of the Bijapur dynasty. There is a debate that the Safa Shahouri Masjid was built either by Ibrahim Adil Shah …
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Explore local Goa Treks and peacock farm at Sattari If you are a nature lover, then Sattari is the place to be. Still very rustic by even the local Goan standard, Sattari can be a de-stressor for anyone wishing to be cut off from the bustle of modern living. There are no touristic attractions or facilities as such yet but the place is extremely famous for treks. It is …
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