Travelling has been one of my best experiences in life
During COVID when we were confined to being just in one city, one place and the limitation of not moving from our comfort zone at home, or being at Work.
Having a supermarket and coming under Essential service, We were open throughout.
As things started to ease, all we wanted to do was travel first and we travelled to Mumbai, And that time, going out for Coffee and a meal was something so refreshing and beautiful.
We visited Juhu Beach, To breathe in some Fresh Air, And enjoy the calmness of the Sea.
A few months later we travelled to Kolkata and the experience of reliving the city of Joy was wonderful, Mocambo, Kusum Rolls & Hangla’s Rolls, and Flury’s were all so wonderful.
But, at the same time, we experienced the Durga Puja, Visiting the Pandals, Witnessing the Art & Culture of the city with artisans challenging themselves to have innovative designs and ideas for doing up their pandals.
If we hadn’t known the locals, This experience wouldn’t be the same as we experienced it first-hand.
Even Amritsar, A city where mom has spent about Two decades of her life before she moved to Mumbai and then Nashik.
Knowing the Ice Cream, The Chaat place, the Kulcha Counter, Poori Aloo place, Fruit Cream and the Lassi place. Making the trip even more memorable.
We had also travelled to Japan Pre Covid, and Brazil this year and in both these places we knew people locally. And both these places, we enjoyed ourselves so much, because of the recommendations we received, The travel Tips and the insights into the travel destination. In both, these countries we explored and found hidden gems that would only be known to locals.
That’s one of the reasons why I have enjoyed travelling to countries and hope to know people around the world, so you can live and Travel like locals.
The 25+ Hours journey through the UK to Sao Paulo was slightly tiring.
The first impression, Sao Paulo is a huge city!
The architecture and construction are lovely.
Water! No Water in the rooms! This was going to become a common observation as we would travel around the country!
The restaurants too don’t serve you water.
This was quite alarming, Maybe the water isn’t quite hygienic here! Or maybe they aren’t hospitable or maybe they are going through a Water Crisis.
Sao Paulo had the appeal of New York, Wall Street and Fifth Avenue. The Liberade, Japanese Neibhourhood did remind me of being lost in Japan!
The Food whether it was the local Brazilian Meat, Mexican Gucaomole, American Burgers, Italian Pizza, Thai or Japanese was the best in Sao Paulo. In the places we visited, we realised they were either part of the best Restaurants in the World and Latin America or were part of the Michelin restaurant guide.
The Cafes and coffee were also some of the finest we had here in the city!
Rosewood in Sao Paulo. Ranked #25 in the Worlds best was truly an experience. Walking into the lush green arches and being welcomed by books at the entrance/Waiting area. As you make yourself comfortable through the hotel you pass through a couple of more coffee table bookshelves before you reach the restaurant, which you feel is in the middle of the forest.
The Acai Berry Smoothie, Pastrami Sandwich and Burger were the juiciest, healthiest and most satisfying meals of our trip.
Rosewood was a nice experience.
The city, Was so clean with ample of dustbins, unlike Japan. Where you struggle to find even one.
The shopping malls, Each one competing with the size and the interiors.
The weather, Yes, we did feel the heat waves.
The roads were so broad and well-maintained. It was a challenge to find even one pothole in the country.
Rio was a tourist hub, and so was our instruction. Be extra careful while walking on the streets of Rio, After 5 pm avoid strolling on the street with Mobile Phones, Jewellery or Watches/Smart Watches.
The Sugarloaf Mountain & Christ The Redeemer have to be our typical tourist highlight. One for the sunset view and the other for getting the structure to the top.
Copacabana Beach was going through a post-event pack-up! Madonna had performed a free concert two days before we planned to reach Rio de Janeiro.
Language is a huge barrier! The locals don’t understand English and as Tourist, we had no understanding of Portuguese.
Brazil has their measurement too!
P being M , The universal Medium size, G being large, GG being Extra large in clothing. For Footwear too, they are normally a size or two smaller than the Typical US sizes one Wears.
Salvador was a small quaint colourful city that would remind you a lot about Europe’s small towns.
While travelling across the city we flew through GOl or Latam. The local airlines of Brazil were always on time and internally we travelled through the Uber App with minimum communication!
Oh! One thing that was a huge disappointment was Google Maps! Often they did not take us at the right location, either 100 meters away from our location or would be pinned at another entrance/Exit of the same location.
The Google Maps, were always not updated with locations that had been permanently closed or had being relocated to another location.
In both of these times, We were faced with challenges on how to communicate to the exact location.
While planning Brazil I had also noted a few bookstores I wanted to visit in Brazil!
To my disappointment both of the bookstores that were listed for the longest time as the most beautiful bookstores in the world had been closed now! One in Sao PauloAnd the other in Rio. While I visited other bookstores across the cities. There weren’t any books available in English at all.
Brazil with two of the most prominent global events like FIFA and the Olympics in the past decade is still not considered a Tourist Destination. With Food options, the Weather being pleasant, Globally recognised homegrown Fashion brands and Warm and friendly people you wonder if the Country’s not being Safe Image is playing a key role in tourism.
Eat: #saopaulo @ranchoportuguessp @nbsteak @michelinguide @aizomerestaurante – Part of @theworlds50best #latinamerica @pingyangsp – #11 Best Place to eat in #Brazil
Taro Sushi – Michelinguide
@rosewoodsaopaulo -#25 Worlds Best Hotel @theworlds50best @sisenorbrasil @brazpizzaria – #4 best pizzeria brand in the World @pecorinoteresina @apizzadamooca – #77 in the Worlds Best Pizza
Chocolates: #brazil @dengochocolates @kopenhagen_
Personal favourite for Shopping : @farmrio @osklen
Today if you look around more than sixty percent people wear a smart watch! About 30 % don’t wear a watch at all. The Rest 10% wear a traditional watch. What makes smart watch so popular is it being health conscious , A fashion statement or affordability? How has the Smartwatch replaced traditional watches? Are Smartwatches, worn to track Health & fitness levels or are they just a cultural movement replacing traditional watches? Do we wear a watch to keep an eye on the time or do we look at a watch being the only legitimate piece of jewellery a man can wear? More recently Timex took A dig at smartwatches – “Read the time, not your emails, Watches like they used to be” Are watches a necessity? Or are they considered a luxury? So many brands like Titan, Sonata, HMT are heavily investing in the market with newer collection and stores. But what sets the traditional watches apart from the smart watches? A statement or A piece of accessory or a watch makers history? Are collaborations the only way for traditional watch makers to Woo the market and Buyers? Timex X Peanuts & Swatch X Omega to name a couple that have gained popularity recently. Or is it bringing back classic designs from the watchmakers?
When you have lived In a city like Mumbai for a long time and have had the opportunity to enjoy some of the best Yum food in the city and also get equally good food at home, It becomes difficult to find food that tastes just as good in the city or town you travel for vacation or Work. While travelling around the country, there have been some amazing cafes for Food, Coffee or The View and occasionally all three elements. Here are some of them I have visited and recommend
Goa: The La Plage Cafe in Goa. The beach view is amazing, The Coffee is good too and the seafood options are Yum. Babka in Anjuna has the best Eclairs, Coffee and Pasta.
Kolkata: The Roastery House location, The White & Yellow colours on the walls Definitely make you feel you are in Kolkata the cold brew options In coffee and the Baked fish in mustard is amazing!
Bengaluru: Araku’s Orange Cold Brew and the savoury Waffles have been two of the best things from the cafe. The Roastery within the cafe, The Mod Bar Espresso machines, and the Coffee table Books at the cafe does not make you get enough of the cafe.
Lavonee Cafe’sAcademy has been the Foundation for many patisseries and Pastry chefs in the city and in India and no wonder the Cafe Gets the Bake and the coffee right! The breakfast menu has been one of the most beautifully presented and filled with Taste and texture in the Bengaluru city.
Conoor: The Culinarium cafe en route to Ooty has one of the most breathtaking views. The coffee option, The Bakes( Lemon Cake) was one of the perfect ones I have had not too sweet or not too sour. The pizzas were amazing too!
Dharamshala: Moonspeak Deli Cafe – A tiny cafe near the main market is a hidden gem! The coffee Ricotta Cake has been one of the most delicious Tea-cakes I have ever had! The coffee was also well-balanced and the Ham and Bacon sandwich was very good too! The Cliffs In Palampur is a cute little cafe that’s like a cottage in the woods, with a small corner filled with books. The Marble Cake, Filter Coffee, and Mutton Kheema Dosa were the highlight of our meal
The Other Space: There wasn’t any other space like this one in Dharamshala! The day we visited this space, we witnessed Hail and Rain from the balcony of the cafe while sipping our Coffee and enjoying Spaghetti at this cafe. You just can’t miss this for the view!
Varanasi: Vatika – A cafe Overlooking the Ghats of Varanasi and you are enjoying the most delicious pizza, you could not imagine you could get here! For desserts, you must have Apple Pie with Ice Cream and try their Saffron Milk and Paan Stuffed With Rose Petal Milk.
The vivid details, the signages, The bustling streets, the hop on and hop off buses,
The Lego store, Leicester Square and Times Square coming together in my memory!
The M&M World! Piccadilly Circle written faintly!
And the huge square, Trafalgar Square with the lion roaring.
The London Bridge! All that meets the London eye!
The erratic weather changing, like mood swings for humans in the city!
Brexit has happened from the last time we visited,
Still trying to figure things out here!
UK! LONDON! Seems …
Can’t get over it it’s been a decade since I visited London!
The memories seem crystal clear, walking up the bridge and witnessing the Thames…
Felt like a Lord! After taking them through the cricket ring that has so much history in the sport and St.John Woods Brownish, Beige rooftops and homes with a little redness never felt the same again!
Walking through the dining room and changing room of the Lord’s Stadium was a Kodak tour in so many ways! The sport that I couldn’t breathe & sleep without in childhood is a distant reality in my adulthood!
The Marketspace CAMDEN! IN Yellowish brown BOLD Font, was an interesting space of shops and cafes!
The London Tube and the Big Red Bus! Through Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and Notting Hill!
The Tourist’s ness was rubbing on our shoulders, Afternoon tea and scones at Claridge’s was one splurge we did on our trip!
Oh! The now famous Pret A Manager that has India sipping and eating was one of our hangout spots after we strolled through Oxford Street!
Oh! We passed through Covent Garden which years later became a hub for Contemporary interiors and places to eat! Like the BKC In Mumbai.
London, The UK! Hadn’t seemed to have changed much! But, what had changed was it had become expensive to live and holiday here! Transport fares had doubled, and the pricing of basic goods & services too had doubled. And on the other side, Ireland was thriving with tourism, and had seemed a better bet for the UK Locals to move there! Irish Cream was a nice country with beautiful bookstores and odd-looking people with colourful hair. The Vibe & energy in Ireland felt more for youngsters and youth. With Good food options and not just 90 minutes by Air from London City Ireland indeed became a good option for UK residents to shift.
Galway & Cork were two small towns, each having their charm & differences.
The Bars were hangout spots to enjoy the Guinness Beer or have a cup of Irish coffee.
A pizzeria in Galway was also not just in Ireland but had been accoladed with the 16th best pizzeria in Europe in 2022 and 37th best in the world in 2022.
Well! Ireland is also well known for Bailey’s liqueur – A popular coffee-based alcohol and Butlers chocolates. A bar of chocolate that melts away!
And last but not least the Jameson whiskey outlet – The Secret ingredient behind the Irish Coffee.
The last highlight, An 18th-century Century Church that was restored over seven years in the late nineties until mid two thousands was opened in 2005 and still has the rustiness and architecture of the 18th Century. Information:
Ireland
Cities: Galway, Cork, Dublin and Belfast.
Enter through Dublin and travel through trains to the other cities.
Stay:
Ashkings Hotel Dublin
Buy a leap card from the station. You could use this across public transport (Trams, Trains, Buses)
A K H I L N A N D A 