My dad worked at Dubai and a very well-known song back then in the 1980s that I liked very much called ‘Back in Dubai’ made this trip almost nostalgic. Going to Dubai was very special, as besides Singapore, it was the other place I always wanted to see. Everything in Dubai glitters with all the glass facades of the buildings. I don’t think anyone wi …

Asa child, Singapore always held some sort of fascination to me.  My dad  would say Singapore and Bangalore are the same place with different names. All of 7 years, I believed him as there was no google at that time. Flying over Singapore in the dark, over the lit-up landmarks, is like hovering over the stars. The place looks magical at ni …

When we landed in Thailand on the red eye, a pre-hired taxi took us straight from the Suvarnabhumi Airport to Pattaya and so therein began our first ‘foreign’ trip. I was so tickled to see the PATTAYA sign, felt like I had arrived in Hollywood. At the time we went, I did not take the notorious reputation of Pattaya’s night scene quite seriously, but …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …