Year: 2018

Madrid, Spain

2 Perfect Days in Madrid – Bustling Capital of Spain

Published by vaibhav

The capital, largest and a bustling city of Spain with a lot of museums, restaurants and an amazing nightlife that starts late, like really late, so you have to be an owl to enjoy it is what defines Madrid. With a lot of historic sites, major places to visit are : Palacio Real (Real Palace) or the city palace, depicting the history of Madrid in the princely times   Plaza Mayor – The main and central square with amazing streets leading to shopping places, theaters, endless Tapas restaurants, and bars which are filled with both locals and tourists in the evening times, a very peppy place with a lot of street performances and activities that for sure would keep you on your toes. Prado Museum– One of the world’s largest museums, this for sure is not to be missed.   Churros– If you have a sweet tooth, this Spanish traditional delicacy is not to be missed for sure, you will find shops selling churros all around the city but the best ones are found near …

Spain

Backpacking Guide to Spain – There’s something for Everyone

Published by vaibhav

A country that needs no introduction. Spain is by far one of the most impactful countries I’ve visited that has left a lasting impression on me. Right from its relaxed and enjoying attitude to its culture, history, food to the welcoming people to the amazing hip nightlife, Spain for sure is the country to visit for a holistic travel experience. The best cities to visit in Spain are Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia. It is one of the best and pocket-friendly countries to visit in Europe if you are a backpacker. The typical cost of a bed in a hostel would be anywhere from 13 to 25 Euros, a meal at normal restaurants and food outlets would be around 6 to 10 Euros, local transport costs around 1.5 Euros to 3 Euros and the cities are well connected with the rail lines and buses. Also, it’s a very good experience to walk around and know the cities by yourself, in addition to it, there are free walking tours almost in every tourist city of Spain where …

Welcome to the Sea

Thailand – A General Guide

Published by vaibhav

The land of smiles, Thailand is gaining a lot of popularity amongst the tourist circuit throughout the world as it has something for everyone whether you like to be in the lap of nature, have a relaxing time under the sun on the pristine beaches, dance your heart out in the amazing nightlife, experience the diverse marine life , lip-smacking food or the world-renowned Thai massages. With its capital Bangkok being ranked as the number 1 tourist destination in terms of tourist arrivals inflow and also the easy visa processes, Thailand is emerging as a tourism giant and one of the most favorite destination amongst the backpackers. There are a lot of places and a lot of ways to explore this beautiful country. Here is a general guide to visit Thailand.   Reaching and getting around Thailand With Bangkok having air connectivity from all over the world and being the major hub for people flying to Southeast Asia, Thailand enjoys year long inflow of tourists. Bangkok is also well connected to the other cities of …

Garden

Knowing and Getting around Chiang Mai

Published by vaibhav

The cultural capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai is also the fourth largest city and a major hub for travelers visiting the north of Thailand. Being covered with lush green mountains and surrounded by beautiful architecture and temples, this city is definitely one of the best places in the country. Chiang Mai is easy to reach as it has regular flight connections from Bangkok and other cities, plus the flights are really cheap if you book a little in advance. There are many great and diverse things to do in Chiang Mai and also getting around Chiang Mai is quite easy as there are many options like Songthaew (red truck cars), tuk-tuks, and you can also rent a bicycle or a scooter which is the best way to get around the city. The traffic is moderate except in the peak hours in the evening. There is an old city which is being surrounded by a canal and gates on all the 4 sides. This adds charm to the beauty of Chiang Mai. To take a walk …

Wat Rong Khun, Thailand

2 Days in Chiang Rai, Thailand

Published by vaibhav

The North of Thailand is as beautiful as South, in fact, it’s magical and very soothing. Chiang Rai lies to the north of Thailand close to Laos. The town is surrounded by scenic mountains, forest cover numerous temples and many places to relax. 2 days are more than enough to experience this beautiful town. The best way to get around is by hiring a scooter as the main attractions are a bit far from the center. The most important and famous attraction to see here is Wat Rong Khun, commonly known as the White Temple which is something marvelous to see. A Buddhist temple, made of all white material and carved out designs depicting various aspects of life like greed, desire, salvation etc. The temple lies around 15 km from the center and the way throughout is amazing. Located at a fair distance is the hidden Khun Korn Waterfall, which falls under national forest region. Surrounded by dense greenery and a narrow path, a short trek leading to this beautiful waterfall is really worth it. …

Map My Escape

A Vegetarian’s Guide to Thailand

Published by vaibhav

Thailand being a coastal country is famous for its seafood and is a paradise for seafood lovers. Being a vegetarian, you need to look a little harder to find places which serve good vegetarian food. With the growing number of tourists and a good number of vegetarian clientele nowadays, there are more and more restaurants serving vegetarian options. Whether you are in the South or North of Thailand, you will get good vegetarian cuisine options. Being a foodie, I cannot stay away from food. Though I love trying local cuisine, being a vegetarian leaves me with a few options throughout the world. At the same point in time, I love having my kind of food if I find an Indian restaurant during my travel and Thailand has them in plenty as Indian tourists have a major share in total tourism of Thailand. Being a tropical country Thailand enjoys amazing varieties of fruits, majorly Pineapples, Mango, Watermelon etc., so for fruit lovers, Thailand is the perfect place. Plus there are many traditional dishes that are being …

Mountains and Sea

A General Guide to visit Phuket

Published by vaibhav

Paradise with life is what describes Phuket the best. With its long beaches, clear skies, numerous water sports, endless food and nightlife options, Phuket serves as the complete package. Depending on the length of your stay, you can plan what and how to explore this beach city of Thailand. There are many options for stay depending on the budget. With Patong as the most famous and visited part of Phuket, it is where all the action lies. Be it the beaches, some great restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines to satisfy your taste buds, numerous nightlife options full of zeal, water sports or some great spas offering traditional Thai massages which are heavenly and relaxing. It also has some great less crowded beaches like Kata and Karon. The best way to explore the town and the nearby areas is by hiring and riding a scooter which is very economical. This town has some of the most beautiful temples and local markets. Also, you may find some really amazing spots on the way that can be explored. …

Roads

2 Days in Bangkok

Published by vaibhav

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, bustling with huge malls, palaces, temples, markets and a lot more things to see and explore. There’s always a time crunch for people traveling to Thailand as it’s big and there are a lot of destinations to cover. 2 days are decent enough to see and experience various things that this city has to offer. Being a backpacker, obviously, we like to stay at affordable hostels or hotels. Khao San road and the old quarter is the major backpacker hub of Bangkok and the best place to stay as everything you want to see, do and experience would be nearby so this cuts the major cost of transportation. Depending on which airport you land in Bangkok, it takes nearly an hour in public transport to reach Khao San, and there you’ll see the first look of Bangkok. The streets are a little quiet in the afternoons, but comes to life as it gets dark, so missing the fun and action is not an option as it has a variety of eating …

Map my escape

The Ultimate BunGee Experience in Nepal

Published by vaibhav

Craziness is the word that can best describe this adventure activity where you tie your legs with a rope and jump fall free from a good height conquering your fears. Many people don’t know but Nepal has one of the highest Bungee jumping around the world. I was very skeptical while doing this, in fact I wanted to experience it when I visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and that was way before I visited Nepal but wasn’t able to make my mind whether to do it or not. This time when I was in Nepal, I finally decided to give it a try but I kept this activity for the last day of my trip (for obvious reasons, avoiding death till the end hahaha). Came the day on which I could not turn back, there were many many thoughts running in my mind during that briefing on how to jump, the best thing that the instructor told was ‘its very easy, we will say 1 2 3 jump and you have to jump, that’s it’, …

Backpacking Guide to Nepal

Published by vaibhav

Call it adventure, adrenaline, fun or any word associated with pushing you to the limits of your fear, this Asian country in the laps of Himalayas has it all, be it camping in Himalayas, bungee jumping, rafting in the Trisuli river, paragliding above the mountains and the beautiful Pokhara lake, zip lining etc and the list is endless and that too without spending a fortune. So just make up your mind, pack your bags and experience for yourself what this mountain country has to offer you. Pokhara An ancient place, which served as a trading route between India and China, this city has its own tales to tell. A city which has the most beautiful aspects of nature intact within itself, simply, every tourists dream. Pokhara has the power to make you weak in knees with the magnificence of its temples. The cuisine here is so divine, that you will not be able to control yourself from having more and more. If you are a trekking enthusiast and looking for getaway, this place is ideal …