The press about Nairobi as a city to visit isn’t very positive. Safety is the first question that people ask. While the stories maybe true, there is clearly a positive side to the story as well. The airport experience on landing was amusing at best. The aircraft parked at an aerobridge, and we saw a swanky airport. Just before we could enter, there was a … Continue reading Days 1, 2: Nairobi – a touristy start…
Every jungle has a heart – one hidden deep inside the trees and the grass, one that moves with the herds, eats with the elephants, and roars with the lions. The heart is very hard to see and even harder to understand because the jungle does such a wonderful job hiding it – in the thickness of trees, the shyness of the animals, and the … Continue reading Kenya – The circle of life…
Cebu International Airport is by no means a small airport and Cebu is too large itself to be a beach town. It is lined with high-rise buildings and there aren’t many beaches in the main city. Even the drive from the airport to our hotel felt like going to the outskirts of a big city and not a beach town. Reef Island Resort wasn’t really … Continue reading Days 6-8: Cebu, a big city with some stunning nature
We woke up early and had another fabulous custom-made breakfast at our hotel. The view from the restaurant and the simplicity of the food were just awesome. This time our pickup car was a little late, even later than our delayed time. It did arrive with a driver who spoke no English, but it was a large van, a comfortable ride for a long drive. … Continue reading Days 4,5: An unbelievable wonder near a small town
Landing on an island at 1 am where everything shuts down at 9 pm is no mean feat. If someone had not booked an airport pickup from the hotel, they were spending the night at the airport. Fortunately, I had booked a cab despite it costing more than a bomb. It was probably a 20-minute ride and I paid an amount that could have taken … Continue reading Day 3: Rustic Natural beauty of El Nido, Palawan
Traveling on the first day of the year is probably the best way to kick it off. After a late night on the 31st, a very messed up sleep was probably going to be a good thing for Jet lag even though we were just traveling 2.5 time zones. We had a Malaysian Airlines flight with a long KL layover to buffer for possible fog … Continue reading Days 1,2 – Food, History and Malls in Manila
There aren’t that many warm-weather options to travel from India in December/ January, especially if you aren’t looking for a long trip. Goa is too crowded, southeast Asia is done and dusted, and Australia and South America are too far for a week of travel. That leaves some islands like the Maldives and a lot of Africa. I had done Egypt last winter – the … Continue reading Philippines – a watery heaven with tough choices
Going to Shymbulak was a heavily debated decision. In winter Shymbulak is a top attraction – a fabulous ski resort. In summer it mostly offers a great view. However, taking 3 cable car rides after a 40-minute drive was too much for just a great view. In addition, the third cable car was likely to be closed during the off-season. The first two cable cars … Continue reading Day 6 – Finding snow in Shymbulak
There is so much to do in Almaty, especially if you love the outdoors and nature. Maybe also if you like to party, but we didn’t explore that side. We had landed on Saturday evening and barely had enough time to grab dinner at a local buffet – one where you pay for what you pick from a pre-cooked display and freshly made doners. Then … Continue reading Days 4,5 – Culture and Nature around Almaty
Even in a simple trip, there are some complexities. I wanted to get done with them earlier and then relax in Almaty. Three of the most recommended destinations were a bit of a drive away and in the same direction. It was strongly recommended that we make it into an overnight trip, and we did. A friend with a local contact got in touch with … Continue reading Day 2,3 – Glamping trip to Kolsai, Kaindy and Charyn
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