Explorer of Experiences

No matter how much prior research you do before you venture out on your trip, there are always things you learn on the road. I just got back from Italy and I couldn't wait to pen down some real handy tips that you could make use of while planning your trip to this gorgeous country (you're welcome!). There's nothing like hearing about someone else's experience first hand traveling around a city and take back those tips to plan yours. And my hope is that these tips will make your journey planning and experience a tad smoother.  Easy commute Trains are such an easy way to commute between different cities in Italy. The cities are very well connected and the routes easy to figure out. The good news is you don't have to wait in long queues at the train station to buy your ticket; simply visit Trainline.eu and book your seat online. Also note, you don't need to print your train ticket; simply show it on your phone and the QR code will be scanned. Within cit...

It's not everyday you get a complimentary stay at a room atop a tea plantation. So when I got the chance to stay at Tea Nest Annexe in Coonoor, I grabbed it. Even though I just returned from a two week trip in Ladakh, I was roaring to explore Coonoor - it's not much heard of, visited or spoken of. When we landed at Coimbatore, a humid yet cool weather greeted us. There were hordes of taxi drivers offering us their service, and we asked one to take us to Mettupalayam bus stand from where we could catch the local bus to Coonoor. The ticket for this 3 hour road trip by bus cost us Rs.40 versus a door-to-door cab ride that was Rs.1600 (post haggling). While driving us to Mettupulayam, our taxi driver tried relentlessly to convince us to take up his Rs. 1500 offer seeing that we had settled in so comfortably in the back seat. But we rejected. We hopped into the local bus - it wasn't promising by any standard, the usual rickety exterior and a houseful interior. The bus con...