Wander-Eat-Click-Post

Life at the beach is always portrayed as perfect and carefree. Such was the experience during our holiday in The Philippines. We had decided to visit the country famous for its many islands and white sand beaches. Our travel was scheduled for August, for which our bookings had been confirmed in April. This was many years ago. My husband was very keen to experience diving at the archipelago. However, I was afraid of water. Period! On second thought, to say I was 'afraid' would be an understatement. It was only during our previous trip to the Tioman Islands (Malaysia) in March that I had kicked a fuss during snorkeling, creating a horrific experience for everyone on board the boat. Water constituted what I would call my "fear factor" (primarily drowning). Following the Tioman venture, when Sai suggested a diving trip to The Philippines, I promised myself that I would accompany him and take the challenge head-on. I took compliance leave of a fortnight to learn swimming

Day 1: Arrive at Kota Tinggi Waterfalls by morning. Enjoy the waterfalls. Lunch at Kota Tinggi (Not many vegetarian options). Proceed to the resort for check-in. Enjoy the evening by the private beach. Indulge in water sports to your liking. Dinner by the beach at restaurant (seafood if you like). Day 2: Enjoy the waterplay / waterpark at your resort. Lunch at the resort. Proceed to the Teluk Sengat Crocodile farm. You can see a 130yr old crocodile there! Come back to the resort for the firefly tour (most resorts arrange this). Alternatively, you may drive on your own to the river where cruise starts. Return to the resort and enjoy your dinner. Day 3: After breakfast, check out. Head to the Desaru Ostrich Farm. Have lunch on the way at a small inn. Most eateries at Desaru are small and do not offer much variety. Proceed to Desaru Fruit Farm for an afternoon surrounded by tropical plantations.choices. You may choose to grab many fruits here if you skipped lu

Traveled - Apr 2019 Having just discovered that I was pregnant once more, it was a time of jubilation. At the same time, the news brought along with it the realisation that flights would be a no-no, for at least a year. Though flights are permitted during pregnancy, I chose to be extremely careful and to avoid flying. Notwithstanding my self-imposed restriction, the eagerness to travel and explore new places was very much alive, within me. I was consumed by wanderlust to such an extent, that even crossing the border would suffice and qualify as a trip. My parents-in-law were visiting at the time, which gave us the scope to plan a big family road trip. We decided to travel to Desaru, situated in the eastern coast of Malaysia, by road. It is a small town surrounded by pristine beaches. A new integrated resort — the Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast — had opened recently. It consists of three resorts — Hard Rock Hotel, The Anantara, and The Westin — surrounded by a common water-park fa

Traveled - March 2020 Travelling is now ingrained in our DNA. There is a lifestyle shift in this millennium and travelling is an integral part of that lifestyle. Little did we know that a short trip to Ipoh would be our last for the next few months to come. As always, there was a desperation to explore a new town and so we set off to plan a trip to Ipoh. After all, we needed to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary. This was when the world had still not accepted the Covid situation and people were moving around freely. Borders were not sealed and travelling was deemed normal. So we set off on another journey to Ipoh (leaving my youngest one, Ivaan, at home with entrusted grandparents). Iyana was excited to explore another place and was looking forward to the 3 days of family fun. For those who don't know, Ipoh is a small city in the Perak state of Malaysia. Surrounded by million years old limestones, the city offers a very natural and scenic look to its residents. We took a

Many people have asked me to suggest itineraries and till date, I continue to customise travel details for family and friends. I decided to include a section on suggested itineraries for those who can benefit out of it. Taiwan is a small country but a variety of landscape it offers is unusual. Common question is if we can cover Taiwan in 5 days. Answer is a clear No. There are enough things to see and experience and this requires more time. I have added a 10day itinerary that I personally followed. We wanted to experience the bullet train and also wanted the comfort of a personal vehicle with driver (travelling with children hence the comfort). There are some specialty themed restaurants in Taiwan. I have listed some of them that we visited during our stay. I have also recommended some boutique places to stay. Feel free to read the ratings on Tripadvisor and plan accordingly. Day 1 Arrival at Kaohsiung Airport (morning). Proceed to Kaohsiung station Travel to Taipei v