Monday, August 14, 2017

The Melodious - Sawasdee Ka & Sawasdee Krub!

Sawasdee Ka & Sawasdee Krub!

Every time I came face to face with anyone in Thailand, beginning from the very welcoming staff at Thai Airways (good option to fly), I was greeted with the most warmest smile and a tuneful - Sawasdee Ka! I obviously googled and found out that 'Sawasdee' means 'Hello' in Thai and the 'Ka' bit is added if a lady/woman is being addressed to. In case you're travelling with your spouse/partner who happens to be a man in my case yes, then you also hear a melodious - Sawasdee Krub. 'Krub' is added when you're welcoming a man. 

This is the only bit of Thai I picked up, on our delightful trip to Thailand back in June this year. We covered Krabi, along with a lovely day trip to Phi Phi and a quick stopover at Bangkok. We stayed for four days in Krabi at the Holiday Inn Express and for about 2 nights and 3 days in Bangkok at the President Park . To sum it up the holiday lasted for a week and was quite memorable. I am in love with Krabi and its gorgeous landscape, the fresh and scrumptious seafood, hospitable locals and the most beautiful blue Andaman Sea. The weather was fairly comfortable, with sunny days, breezy evenings and very occasional bouts of rain. 

My floral, holiday look at Holiday Inn Express


Krabi 

Krabi is a fabulous beach destination, an hour away from Bangkok by air and nestled in the magnificent Andaman Sea. It is also a bustling tourist spot with tantalising white beaches, gigantic cliffs, majestic temples and lively local bars.  

Beautiful Krabi

We kept our itinerary a bit relaxed on the first day, by taking walks by the popular Ao Nang beach and market, strolling into cosy cafes, enjoying the traditional Thai massage, and hopping into ethnic looking shopping stores. 

On the second day we decided to go island hopping. The view of the blue sea flanked by enormous cliffs was breathtaking. Some of the popular islands we visited and took dips into the crystal clear water included Maya Bay, Bamboo islands with the last stop being Ko Phi Phi!! A picturesque island that has been wooing moviemakers since time immemorial and enticing travellers with its exotic pearls, Phi Phi is one of the most popular getaways in Thailand. After a quick lunch, now was the time for some adventure. We were trying something we had never done before. I can swim, but just know the basics, not that great at it, but my husband swims really well, almost as smoothly as a mermaid. We decided to go snorkeling and I was both glad and relieved to see that there were many in the group, who did not even know how to float. The trainer provided us with life jackets and snorkel tubes. It takes a few minutes to learn and get used to breathing with that on, but it is surely not too tough. Finally we jumped in and what we experienced after that was truly surreal. It felt like we were swimming with a myriad of colours under water. It was my first time and I could not go on for too long but I am so glad I was part of this experience. Next on the bucket list is scuba diving someday soon. It was such a beautiful day and while on the speed boat back to Krabi, I wished it never ended.

The view while island hopping!


Just before jumping in to snorkel
Snorkeling - ticked off



Our third day involved a day out at Krabi's most popular beach - Railay. We dutched in and took a long tail boat ride for fifteen minutes. We had three American men for company who hailed from Florida and were on a backpacking trip for two months covering Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Though this may not be my ideal idea for travel and not practical too, I must admit I was impressed with their plans, consumed by wanderlust. Once we reached our destination, it was a bright day by the beach. We basked in sunshine, read a book and feasted on a delectable lunch comprising - prawn chips, prawns dipped in garlic sauce, steamed rice with basa and Vietnamese sauce. It was lip-smacking! By late afternoon the clouds were hovering over the sea and albeit it was a splendid sight we needed to head back. We finally got into a tail boat and it started to rain right then. So shivering in the rain with a little bit of sunshine still in the sky, gushing winds blowing into our faces we were on a bumpy ride back. This is when I spotted two magnificent rainbows against the sky and over the vast waters. It was mind-blowing to say the least.

The tail-boat ride


The lunch we feasted on at Railay
Cloudy, Grey and just another day by the beach

Somewhere over the Rainbow!


Day four and the final day was fun too. We went on two short hikes. One led to a natural hot spring surrounded by greenery. A visit to Krabi's natural hot spring is a must. There are many hollowed-out 'bathtubs' which are caused by the running water from the thermal springs. You can relax in one of the many natural hollows in the creek and watch the water gently cascade into the blue pools.  Enjoy your own natural 'hot-tub jacuzzi' filled with running spring water at a pleasant temperature of 35-40c.

Natural Hot Spring - Krabi


The next hike took us to The Emerald pool and Blue Lagoon. These are part of the Khao Phra Bang Khram Nature Reserve, and their waters come from thermal hot springs that are deep underground. It almost seemed like we were amidst a nature's theme park! I will let the picture below do justice to the actual experience. However one has to be very careful while dipping into these pools as the way down is slippery and it is extremely deep. I really wish I could freeze time in Krabi, but it was now time to head to Bangkok. 

The hike upto - The Emerald Pool in the lap of nature


Bangkok

Bangkok as expected was full of fun, food and yes a bit of shopping!! I never go crazy shopping while I am travelling but since we were in Bangkok I had to indulge in a bit. The Platinum mall is highly recommended for all shopping enthusiasts. We had one dinner at the popular Cabbages and Condoms - a unique restaurant decorated with figures made out of condoms. Very creative, I must say! I will keep the Bangkok bit short and crisp with pictures to follow, however I have to mention that the visit to the Wat Pho pagodas and gazing at one of the largest recliner Buddha statues of the country was indeed marvelling.

The pretty and vibrant riverside point

The Pagodas at Wat Pho
The gigantic reclining Buddha

At Cabbages & Condoms


So if you have been wanting to explore the sights, sounds and flavours of Thailand take it from me - it will be worth it!

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Love
Debarati




Thursday, January 5, 2017

The Paradise Island: Sri Lanka


In between freelance work, drafting the scope of work and plans for prospective projects and most importantly attending a marathon of weddings of all close friends/cousins in 2016, I did not end up updating my blog for a while. However better late than never, so here I am.

Also let me take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy and healthy 2017, a year where you may discover and relish new experiences!

So when you want to plan and enjoy a holiday, but have a few preconditions what can be your best option that you can explore and not regret! My husband and I had to attend a wedding in the beautiful beach town of Kovalam in Kerala towards the end of August, 2016. We wanted to take a holiday after that, but one for not more than a week. 

So we actually did not have to travel too far, to a small country filled with pristine beaches, scenic towns, enthralling wild-life/conservation sanctuaries, rich heritage & culture, delectable local cuisine and the warmest locals. Yes I am talking about Sri Lanka, popularly known as the paradise island.

You can fly on Srilankan Airlines or Jet Airways as they seem to have the maximum frequency of flights to Colombo from several Indian cities. 


Sri Lanka: The Paradise Island


Galle

We landed in Colombo from Trivandrum, but drove straight to the gorgeous Dutch Colonial town of Galle and we stayed at this charming resort - the Jetwing Lighthouse, Luxury Hotel Galle  for 3 nights.


The Terrace at the hotel

It had the best sea view and you should not miss the sunset over the beach from the terrace while sipping on a cocktail and munching some crispy sea food. 


Lemon Prawns by the sea


Galle is an easy, two hour-long drive from Colombo. It’s well worth a visit, to see its 17th-century fort (and UNESCO World Heritage site), colourful bylanes and vintage cars, pretty shops and a series of eateries. Next door to the fort is an international cricket stadium with the sea by its side. 


The old Dutch Fort


Just about 40 minutes from Galle is Unawatuna, a hippy-chic, colourful and well maintained beach. Ideal for a day trip to enjoy the sunshine, a swim in the ocean, read an amazing book while drinking some beer with local fish! We spent 3 memorable days around Galle and had a great time!


The Unawatuna Beach

Bentota 


After Galle we spent one day at Bentota at the Vivanta by Taj. The property is beautiful and very well planned. We devoured a traditional Sri Lankan lunch which though a little spicy, was extremely delicious. On the way to Bentota we stopped by the Kosgoda turtle hatchery where we patted some oldies and also adored the babies on our palms.  We also learnt about Sri Lanka's pioneering sea turtle conservation project and how the village of Kosgoda in particular is a prime turtle nesting site. It was both informative and fun.



The view from The Taj Vivanta at Bentota

The Traditional Sri Lankan Thali

Kisses from baby turtles at Kosgoda


 Colombo


After visiting these beach towns, we finally reached Colombo. The city has two exquisite museums namely The National and Dutch period museum. You can indulge in all the local shopping from Odel - a high-profile department store that combines international and top local brands with both an ethnic and contemporary display.   It's always crowded with both visitors and the locals. We stayed at a hotel called - The Steuart by Citrus very close to the popular old dutch hospital area.

Last but not the least you just cannot miss a meal at the Ministry of Crab . It is a very reputed sea food joint amongst the local elite and foreigners. Thus an online advance booking is recommended. 

Famous cricketers, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara along with celebrity chef Dharshan Munidase decided to create Ministry of Crab as a celebration of Sri Lanka’s seafood, particularly of her wonderfully sweet and succulent crabs.

It was by far the best sea food I ever tasted till date! The Japanese rice coupled with a plate of chilly garlic crab and some butter soy prawns was absolutely lip-smacking.


Chilly Garlic Crab


This sums up our wonderful trip to Sri Lanka. I strongly recommend this as an option for a great holiday. Though we visited the above, Sri Lanka is also well known for its romantic landscapes, flanked by rising mountains, lush green forests, sprawling tea gardens and gushing waterfalls.  Travelling further north the landscape changes completely, North of Sri Lanka is a world apart from the rest of country. The colorful Hindu temples replace the white pagodas. So Sri Lanka has bits of so much weaved into one marvellous island. 

Till we meet again, don't take too long to tick this off your bucket list.

Love
Debarati