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 been a little over a year since my trip to Amsterdam. I spent three days there and made it a point to see as much as I possibly could and spend as less time in my lovely hotel room (read about my stay at the Hyatt Andaz Prinsengracht ). So this really is a much delayed blog about the many things I saw and places I covered, and now highly recommend.  A PICTURESQUE URBAN   GARDEN Amsterdam is a city for Instagram lovers! Almost everywhere you look is postcard pretty and picture perfect. Doors are a beauty in themselves and old buildings have flora organically adorning them. You'll stumble past lovely plaques on the walls and will enjoy the strains of the violin from street musicians. Take a stroll inside the massive Vondel Park replete with idyllic lawns, ponds and footbridges; truly fairy tale like! Make sure you charge up your phone battery because I'm pretty sure you're going to be click-happy once you step out on the streets of Amsterdam. These are s...

Yesterday, I went for the soft opening of Legoland Dubai . It's a much anticipated attraction at the Dubai Parks & Resorts - home also to the Bollywood Parks  (I hear you can film your own movie here), MotionGate  (a Hollywood inspired theme park), Lapita  (a Polynesian, tribal themed Marriott hotel) and Riverland (retail and dining zone). Now who doesn't love Lego right? I remember spending as many hours building Lego house models as I did playing with Barbie! So when you get a free ticket for a trial run of the park, you go!  Riverland, the 'reception' zone of Dubai Parks & Resorts; and way in the distance, Bollywood Park The beautiful 500-room Lapita hotel with the beautiful sunset backdrop This wasn't the first Legoland I have visited. On a trip to the U.K., we spent such a fantastic day at the Legoland . Imagine what a fascinating sight it was to my ten year old eyes! I vividly remember seeing a Lego version of a giant Cadbury...

View of the Marina from the 52nd floor of the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel So I have crossed the two month milestone of living in Dubai. While time seems to have passed by rather quickly, I also feel like I have been in Dubai for a long time. I settled into living by myself much easily than I thought and my studio apartment has now taken shape of home; it's clean, spic and span actually, and looks 'lived in'. I have created a comfortable routine for myself and have been able to navigate my way through initial hiccups of settling in a new city. The cockroaches are gone, Work has turned out to be great. Thank God. After all, that was the reason for stepping out of my familiar. Less than two weeks back, Marriott International announced the successful merger with Starwood. This integration was a long 11 month process that finally came to a close - and courtesy being part of the Marriott Middle East and Africa team, I was lucky to be part of the gathering addressed by Arn...

"Her would haves are our possibilities..."  - Emma Thompson on visiting the Anne Frank Huis   Off late, I do not go a night without watching a documentary on the Holocaust . My interest in that important and unforgettable part of mankind's history piqued when I stumbled upon an interview between Oprah Winfrey and Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel . The manner in which innocent Jew men, women and children were massacred during the Second World War, gives me goosebumps. The world knew what was happening inside the concentration camps but no one did anything, everyone watched silently - this is something   Holocaust survivors speak of in their documented interviews. Wiesel's book ' Night ' published in 1960 is his first person account as a Holocaust survivor and is a must-read. One of the most remarkable accounts of those dark years came from Anne Frank. She took to her red and white checkered diary to vent out her irritations and feelings during ...

The Schonbrunn Palace at night Vienna, the capital of Austria rests on Europe's longest river, the Danube, a river whose color changes from blue to yellow to muddy brown. Wien (German for Vienna) is a city that's rich with imperial history, where art and creativity flourish. It grabs top spot on the best-cities-to-live-in survey. Naturally then, I came to expect a lot from my trip to Vienna after spending an enthralling four days in Amsterdam and Belgium.  I landed at Vienna International Airport by KLM at 11.30PM. While the airport wasn't stunning, my mind wandered to figuring out the most economical way to get to my hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Vienna Schoenbrunn . But the airport had signs only in German (seriously???), so going by the pictorial icons I figured out the fastest way to get to the city center was the City Airport Train (CAT); a 19 euro fee for a 15 minute hassle-free ride (it's cheaper to buy return tickets). What was a pain was using the a...

While on a recent trip to Amsterdam, I learnt so much about this vibrant city and its dwellers. Amsterdam has had a long history of being innovative, creating many firsts and paving the road as a precedent. Through my trip, I typed on my phone some really interesting nuggets of history and trivia about the city so that I could bring them alive in this blog post. It was through listening carefully to tour guides, reading local books and visiting museums that I found out so much about the city.  - We are familiar to the canal snaking through the city of Amsterdam. Do you know how long the canal system is? 75 km and has 1281 bridges crossing over it. Impressive right? - While walking alongside the beautiful old canal houses (many of them date back to 400 years), look up to their roof and you will notice a huge hook. Wondering why every canal house has one? It was used to hoist furniture or goods into the house through the windows. This very thoughtful age old fixture is sti...

Recently, I was fortunate to visit Abu Dhabi. The city has an impressive resume - it's UAE's political, cultural and commercial centre, UAE's capital city, Dubai's satellite city and over 8 years ago was even declared as the world's richest city by Fortune Magazine.  Abu Dhabi didn't disappoint. I had a great time there and found the city fairly easy to navigate. Distances are not too much, taxis are abundant and the fares don;t really burn a hole in the wallet. People are friendly and you sink into comfort zone when you spot familiar brand names in shopping malls.  Here's what you simply must explore if you find yourself #inAbuDhabi. 48 HOURS IN ABU DHABI Experience Arabian Opulence at The Royal Rose Hotel This is a luxury five star hotel propped right in the heart of the city. Major attractions are not too far from here making this a convenient stay option. At first glance, the exterior of the hotel which is inspired by 17th cen...