Destinations
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How to find local Goan food and tavern in Panjim
It is a breezy and cloudy August day. Equipped with two umbrellas and wearing walking shoes, we wait by the Panjim Post Office. We are ready to “find” local Goan food in Panjim. In about 5 minutes Binita arrives riding a scooty. She greets us and gives an orientation by the gates of the Post Office. We have signed up for the “Secret Food and Tavern Trail in Panjim” – a walking tour, from the portal of Soul Travelling. We are also joined by two other members of team Soul Travelling. I have signed up for this tour in my search to see “offbeat Goa”. I was sure Goa is…
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Live music in Panjim: All about Madragoa
Navigating the streets of Panjim, we finally find our destination bang opposite river Mandovi. We ignore the neon lights of the casinos, show our bookings, and walk up the wooden staircase. A chandelier lights up an azulejo, Portuguese-era hand painted glazed colour tiles. We walk into a room full of framed azulejos. Then we enter the heart of the building – the performance hall. We are at Madragoa for a one-of-a-kind concert of fado and mando. Under the umbrella of CIPA in a many -years old Portuguese building, Madragoa is hosted. The organisers tag Madragoa as ‘The first house of Fado and Mando’. Both Fado and Mando are genres of…
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Offbeat Goa: How to drink feni like a pro
It is blisteringly hot outside. Perched inside the car I wonder if this is a good decision at all. In the April heat, I will be walking outdoors and sipping a strong local country liquor — feni. I want to learn how is feni made and how to drink feni. In my quest to find offbeat Goa (I write from the perspective of a non-local obviously) I have signed myself and husfriend for a feni-pairing experience offered by Fazenda Cazulo and showcased in the app Urbanaut. It is called the “Floating Feni” experience. Our car rolls into a forest area and drops us in a place that looks like the…
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7 Days in Thailand Itinerary: Bangkok, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket
While planning my Thailand trip, I have reconsidered a thousand times if I should follow the touristy trail or an offbeat one. Usually I would go offbeat, but considering the sheer number of Indians who visit the touristy circuit, curiosity got the better of me. This ‘7 days in Thailand itinerary’ is focused on southern Thailand. Is this itinerary right for you? This itinerary is meant for beach and water sport lovers. There is history only in the Bangkok leg of the itinerary. Of course there is good Thai food everywhere in Thailand, but I wouldn’t be speaking much about that, since my experience was very limited. Also, this was…
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Phuket hidden secrets: A forest beach and a slow evening
I arrive at Phuket, the biggest island of Thailand, on a ferry from Koh Phi Phi to catch my morning flight to Mumbai the next day. This is the last day of my 3 weeks Vietnam and Thailand tour, as well as my last day in Thailand. Surprisingly, it turns out to be my best day in the country and I end up experiencing unspoiled Phuket. Located in a quaint residential neighbourhood, the guesthouse I am staying at is merely a 5 minutes-walk from Phuket International Airport. A lovely residential cat meows and welcomes me. After resting for the afternoon, once the sun’s rays are oblique, I set out for…
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Koh Phi Phi Don Island: Thailand’s coral and limestone paradise
I am in a crowd of tourists boarding off from the ferry. The water seems turquoise in a distance, but near the dock, too many motorboats clutter the view. I am in Ton Sai village of Koh Phi Phi Don, an island in the Andaman Sea off the coast of mainland Krabi in Thailand. One by one, passengers collect their luggage from the deck and get off. On the pier, there is a queue of hotel and tour agents. They ambitiously come forward, speaking rote phrases to lure tourists. Some of them are here to pick up guests with pre-booked packages. Koh Phi Phi Don is an inhabited island of…
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Amari Vogue Krabi, Tubkaek beach: Hello vogue life
I am bone-tired and ridiculously hungry when I reach Ao Nang, a touristy beach in Krabi province of Thailand. The beach is picturesque and there are people all around, instilling in me a sense of safety. And I need every ounce – after all I have suffered a very rough night in the Bangkok-Krabi bus journey. When I leave Ao Nang in a taxi, I am still unsure of my decision. I travel on a deserted road hemmed by lush green to my haven of chosen seclusion— Amari Vogue Krabi. Visiting the touristy trail in Thailand during peak season and expecting seclusion doesn’t go hand in hand. However, I did…
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Wat Arun, Bangkok: A Thai house of worship
The central stupa soaring over 66 metres at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, simply called Wat Arun, calls for my attention. In broad daylight, fragments of seashells, porcelain and tiles shine from its body. Adorned with characters from Therawada Buddhism, the pointy stupa attracts tourists in hordes from Bangkok every day. However, the ‘tourist spot in Bangkok’ is just a secondary identity; primarily Wat Arun, also known as the ‘Temple of Dawn’, is a religious complex revered by the Thais. Racing back in time The area of Thailand has been continuously inhabited since the last 20,000 years, but the ‘Thai’ identity and civilization is recent. The term ‘Thai’ is coined from…
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Khaosan Road Night Market in Bangkok: Thailand unplugged
My first night in Bangkok and the country of Thailand starts with a stroll among a thousand revelers in the crowded Khaosan night market. This primarily food and drink market used to be a rice-trading neighbourhood once upon a time. Then the locals started opening up their houses to backpackers for accommodation and dining, making Khaosan Road what it is today. First impressions of Khaosan Road night market A million noises fight for my attention. Every restaurant and bar is blaring loud music. Here, tourists sit in open-air pubs and people-watch for hours. Local Thais have put up makeshift stalls selling everything from sex toys to kitchenware to unusual meats.…
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7 days in Spain itinerary: Madrid and Segovia
This 7 days in Spain itinerary is focused on the capital city Madrid and a historic province in Spain’s north-east, Segovia. For a quick introduction to Spain’s history, political setup and geography, click on this link and spare five minutes to read my article. Is this itinerary right for you? This itinerary is meant for history, culinary, archeology and shopping enthusiasts. Mountain lovers would find bonus joy in Segovia. There is no beach or adventure trails though. Is Segovia a province or a city? Segovia is a city in the Segovia province in the Castile y Leon autonomous community of Spain. So yes, there is a Segovia province and also…
