Salzburg: Must See and Must Do
Salzburg is a small town, with many attractions. But let not its small size fool you! There is enough and more to do in Salzburg to ensure that two days simply fly by; the city will make you want to stay on for another two days. There is music in the air and every little street in the Old Town seems to be singing a romantic song.
Top 5 Free Museums in London
London is one of the great culture capitals of the world and home to some of the world’s best museums and galleries. The majority of these museums are free to the public, so if you are only stopping over for a few days or enjoying a long extended stay there is no excuse not to visit. So, we have made a list of what we believe are the top 5 free museums any visitor must experience.
Ganpati Bappa, Morya
The festive season is right here. Ticking the Bucketlist is ready to welcome Bappa with a guest post from a friend, who is an explorer at heart, a photographer by passion and a finance personnel by profession. Read on to track Ganpati's first journey - from the artist’s mind to the ‘pandal’ as expressed by Unmesh Sharma.
Do you like to fly?
If I say that I love flying, I am sure you know that I am lying… As I enter the plane, The cleanliness freak in my... Read More
Love and Marriage: Our Story!
Love and marriage are interesting topics to discuss, across cultures and countries. We had one such interesting conversation with a young man in Zanzibar, who was surprised to know that the 'arranged marriage' set up still exists in India. Well, it sure does...and it isn't a bad way to meet the love of your life, if you have the freedom to make a decision. Touch wood, six years and counting...Ankur and I are happy souls!
Planning a trip to Nainital
After our recent trip to Austria, Ankur and I have been wanting on plan a trip to a hill station in North India. Somehow, Austria has made us fall in love with the mountains once again, after almost five years of having loved only beaches. We have been discussing where to go next and there are many names that we have researched. Nainital is one name that always pops up when hill stations in India are discussed. While Ankur has been to towns near Nainital, he has never been to Nainital. Thus, starts the process of figuring out the doability of a trip to Nainital in the months to come.
Mozart Dinner Concert: Salzburg
The first time I ever hear Mozart’s composition was in Tom and Jerry, when I was a little child. Till date, his symphonies remind me of the my carefree childhood days and make me smile. However, over the years, I have learnt to enjoy his symphonies as stellar works of art and for the genius that he was. Mozart was a child prodigy and grew up to share musical compositions with the world, that still ring loud and clear regardless of the years that have gone by.
Bad Gastein: Top three things to do in summers
The Gastein valley is one of the most popular skiing areas in Austria. With over 50 cable cars and ~200 km of ski slopes, the valley attracts thousands of skiing enthusiast every winter. There are ‘after ski’ cafes to have a drink after your day on the slopes. And then, there are spas to soothe the aching muscles. In the Gastein valley, winter seems to be the peak season.
Hallstatt: Mini Guide
The minute we saw pictures of Hallstatt, this little town made its way to our bucketlist. Needless to say, our trip to Austria just had to include Hallstatt! The town is so pretty that the Chinese have recreated the place in China... and a lot of Chinese come to Hallstatt to see the 'real deal'!
Where did we stay in Austria?
Having shared our itinerary and budget for the Austrian road trip, it is time to share details of the accommodation that were home to us during these ten days. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, we stayed in hotels, B&Bs and hostels trying to find cosy and comfortable places to suit our budget. So, here is the list of the places we stayed in, along with our comments.
10 Days in Austria: Costs and Budget
Any trip to a Western European is on the expensive side. Everything costs quite a bit...money, hotels, activities ...really, everything! Regardless of the costs, we still return to Europe often. The continent has put a spell over us, and we want to explore much more of it! For those who are planning a a vacation in Austria and need to get a sense of the budget for the same, here is what our expense sheet looks like….
Selecting my ride…
I resigned from my banking job sometime in June and was expecting to be relieved by mid July. Well, as luck may have it, my organisation decided to accept my request for an early relieving and let me go on 30th June...the day I had to leave for Austria. I was happy...yahooooooo...finally...I was free to travel for a while...for a long long time! In the past twelve years, never have I left on a vacation without preparing a 'hand-over email'. But this time was different. I could simply leave. Really? I could simply leave! I may want to say that I felt liberated! While it would be only ten days in Austria, it was still a liberating feeling!
Packing for Austria
Our Schengen visa is in place. Our bags are packed …and we are finally on our flight to Vienna. We had been tracking the weather... Read More
Austria: Ten Days Itinerary
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We are back with a plan to revive our souls and heal our spirits in the Austrian countryside. We are off to Austria next month for a ten day long road trip. Here is what our itinerary looks like:
Destination next….
My last day at work is done. I have given back the laptop and the keys to my drawer. So, now what? Really, there is a big unknown that I am staring into. For most part of the day, it lets me dream and makes me feel excited. However, there are some moments when I do feel lost. But I have Ankur and a really supportive family, so I bounce back again pretty soon.
Let me talk out loud and share my plans. For starters, I am going to live my dream and travel for a few months. Where am I going... is a truly a function of my budget. There are three regions that I am contemplating ...
Long Term Travel: Woes of an Indian Solo Woman Traveller
Earlier this month, I decided to give myself a break from the corporate grind, at least for a short while. However, having worked for over a decade, I need to have something to keep me busy. So, I have decided to travel. I have read blogs and articles on 'How I gave up all my material possessions to travel the world' to seek some ideas and inspiration; none of them seemed to help. For each of us, things are different... and reasons are different too. I have my reasons as well... and some of them still continune to nag me a little, even though I have decided to trade my formal wear for a pair of rugged jeans.
Here are six things that held me back till now...
Diving in Seychelles: Finding Dory
I love the deep blue ocean. I love the colours inside the deep blue ocean. Obviously, Finding Nemo is one of my favourite movies. While we were in Seychelles in November 2015, Finding Dory (sequel to Finding Nemo) was in the making. While Pixar was doing its job, searching for Dory, I decided to take things in my hand to give it my best shot.
Van Gogh Museum: Amsterdam
I first heard of Van Gogh when I started my banking career with the Dutch bank ABN AMRO over a decade ago. Van Gogh Preferred Banking was a select range of services offered by the bank to rich and privilidged. It took me a few attempts to get the pronunciation right to ensure that I do not make a fool of myself in front of my Dutch counterparts. Some fellow bankers raved of Van Gogh's work while others called him the 'tortured painter', without an ear. My naive mind assumed he was deaf. Little did I know that he had cut off his own ear on account of a psychotic episode!
Seychelles vs Maldives
We are often asked by beach lovers on our preference amongst Seychelles, Maldives and Mauritius. We have been to the Maldivian islands twice and to Seychelles once. Sadly, Mauritius hasn't been ticked off our travel bucketlist as yet and our comparison is between Maldives and Seychelles. While I vote for Seychelles, Ankur votes for Maldives!
Here are some points that distinguish the two ...
Review: JW Marriott, Mumbai
Ankur and I are not full time bloggers and travellers. We would love it to be so, but we still have regular 9-5 jobs. Now,... Read More
Angkor Wat: Costs and Budget
I spent about USD 875 on air tickets, accommodation, tours, entrance fee and food on my three day trip to explore the the Angkor area. Here is what the expense sheet looks like….
Angkor Wat: Tips for Your Trip
Everyone raves about the Angkor area...the grandeur of the Angkor Wat temples... the enigma around the faces of Bayon...and gallery of a thousand Budhhas...the list goes on. However, there is stuff that few people tell you, which is good to know if you intend to head to Siem Reap to explore the Angkor area....
What not to do on a Safari?
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I love the wild regardless of where the jungle is ...South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Thailand or India! Being on a safari is an adventure that I truly enjoy.
To all those who share my liking for the wild, here are things that should not be done on a safari ...
Pench Tiger Reserve: Costs and Budget
We just got back home after spending a long weekend at the Pench National Park. We spent three days at the tiger reserve, breathing in crisp morning air, listening to the birds chirp and watching the sun go down behind branches of dried Sangwan trees. We sighted herds of spotted deer, monkeys, langurs, tigers and leopards. Definitely, a weekend well spent!
Here is what three days and two nights at the Pench National Park costs us...
Planning a trip to Pench Tiger Reserve?
Pench Tiger Reserve is an ideal getaway for a long weekend from any city that is connected to Nagpur by a direct flight. The reserve is about 2 hours away from Nagpur. This forest is teeming with wildlife...langurs, deer, bisons and of course tigers and leopards. The forest is Mowgli's home in the ever famous Jungle Book written by Rudyard Kipling.If wildlife does excite you and you have decided to visit Pench, read on to know a little more about Mowgli's world...
