Singapore Family Trip - Just Go For It!

Singapore is a World renowned Island city with multi cultural English speaking people, famously known for its friendliness, ease of transport, wide roads, along with immense positive vibes. Cherry on the cake being utmost cleanliness and honest Singaporeans! Right from that first view of Marina Bay Sands, The Merlion statue till the end view of Jewel indoor Waterfall and sunflower park on Changi Airport, Singapore stole my heart and literally added many awe moments for our family trip to remember forever.

Singapore has a flavor of everything for every tourist. Though famous for concentrated streets (Little India, Bugis, Arab street, china Town, etc) which welcomes everyone from all corners of World, what stole our heart literally is, Singapore has developed itself as friendly nation for children, couple, family or friends alike. We took 5 days quick break for a family trip with hubby dear's parents. Though skeptical in beginning that it might be tiring effort for Elderly parents, it turned out that they made most of it with lot of happiness and smiles to carry back.  As the golden rule dictates, with children or elders you cannot make long list of 'to do list'. The pace has be slower and one needs to be smart while selecting places to visit as per situation and health.

Key Tip: One has to be really picky and smart to make list of things to see and especially within the parks one has to select and check out what can be skipped and what is most important as per the choices. This may not require tireless planing and efforts but just quick visit to travel desk of your hotel and understanding in detail about the park in advance along with must do's and don'ts makes life much easier for all.

Quickly Putting down important things to note whilst traveling to Singapore:

Traveling in Singapore: MRT is amazing and very convenient, one has to buy SGD5 worth MRT card, non refundable. We traveled all the while by cabs and best way to book cab was by using the app named Grab. Look out for many deals available for Grab. It easy, quick and reliable. Ensure you have International credit card to top up money in case you use Deal code which requires pre-payment.

While traveling from Airport to your Hotel, if you reach early AM - Just Grab it! If you are alone or couple or someone with limited luggage MRT is best option.

Tip: MRT as on Sept'2019 was available only till 12.00 AM. So if your arrival is beyond this you have to take a taxi or Night buses. I would personally suggest Grab though. We traveled at 3.00 AM by Grab and costed just about SGD 17.00 from Airport till Hilton Inn.

Also, if you are the ones like us who will only prefer to commute by Grab. Just keep a note that post 6.00 PM, few Grabs charge peak hour surcharge and some ERP charges as well!

Connectivity: We booked online Sim Cards from Changiairport website for M1 operator for SGD12 and got online discount of SGD 3. It was very simple to pick up from airport changi help desk and you got to save some bucks easily :)

Currency: Singapore Dollar is the accepted currency in Singapore. You can carry alternate currency and you will find lot of options to exchange currency across Singapore.

Weather: Singapore always has hot weather with showers and thunderstorms coming occassionaly. So its best to keep small umbrellas or ponchos. Not to forget Hat and sunscreens. Sun can really be crude and mood spoiler here so ensure lot of hydration.

Food: If you are pure vegetarian or even a family who prefers Jain food - Little India is the place to be at! Initially we had little hitches looking for Jain food options but once near Mustafa centre, you will find abundance of options that will come to your rescue. To name few, there is Sarvanaa Bhavan, Kailash Parbat, Anand bhavan for good Jain Food.

Apart from hotels, In Little India there are ample of Indian grocery store and offcourse there is 7Eleven just next to Hilton. So we stocked Bread butter, milk and cheese and curds from here and enjoyed our brekfast and snacks in room ;)

Stay: So there are many neighborhoods that one can consider for a good accommodation. Its no hidden fact that Singapore is one of the expensive cities and finding budget friendly accommodation would mean you will compromise on space. Nevertheless, thanks to cash back saga of recent times we could grab Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Little India for a reasonable deal. So, we are Jains who prefer pure Jain food so Little India was obvious choice and why not Hilton Inn when it has Kailash Parbat Restaurant just below it ;) So Ideal location for us.

If not for food, I wouldn't have mind staying in Quayside area or Clarke Quay which personifies one of the true essence of Singaporean beauty!

Attractions: So Singapore has many man made attractions, one natural beauty one can consider while in Singapore is visiting Bintan Island which is ideally in Indonesia but closest from Singapore and easily accessible by ferries. Hardly half an hour away it is considered go to place for Singaporeans wanting to go for Stay-cation. Anyway coming back to Singapore, to book all the major attractions one cany easily rely on travel agents just round the corner in Little India or China Town (they say China town one can fetch cheapest tickets, but we haven't tried first hand). We booked many attractions from Klook and few of Sentosa ones from Zara Travel Agent just below our hotel. (More info on attractions as we go towards day by day Itinerary). 

Being Pro with Children or Elders: Singapore is amazing. Period. But the afternoon heat can kill you, literally! So most ideal suggestion is to plan your day as such that between 11 to 2 you are indoors within the place of your excursion.

Our 5 day Itinerary could have been more packed up if it would have been a couple trip but with parents, we gave lot of space for relaxation and ensuring that they don't get tired and enjoy wherever we go. Here is our Itinerar:

Day 1: (Merlion Park and Gardens by the Bay)

Time required : Merlion Park - Approx 1 hour (Photo stop point) and Gardens by the Bay - Approx 4 to 5 hours depending on your interest for flora (including night light show at 7.30 pm on OCBC skywalk)

Merlion Park: No visit to Singapore can be complete without posing with 'The Merlion Statue'. Its a very iconic and symbolic statue of Singapore. Uniquely designed as half Lion and Half Fish this statue is used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. It is situated near Fullerton Hotel in central business district with a clear view of another Iconic Singaporean building - Marina Bay Sands.

Tip: Its very enticing to keep clicking the photos around the statue Garden, but do not spend too much time around in Sun or you will be done for the day here itself. From here the gardens by the bay is just a kilo meter away but provided you walk on right path. We followed google map for sometime and got completely lost. Easiest way is to walk on the right side path and from end of road just take a left and keep walking till you find Gardens by the bay. (p.s right from facing the statue). If one has time and energy one can take River cruise right next to Merlion statue. Its a 1 hour tour.

Gardens by the Bay: If you have been to Eden Project in Cornwall, England you may not be too surprised with this place. Those domes were built on reclaimed land and so are gardens by the bay. Gardens by the Bay are beautifully built gardens focusing with 3 main attractions.

1) Flower Dome (as name suggests it consists of magnificent flowers and plants from the Mediterranean and semi-arid subtropical regions in this cooled conservatory),

2) Cloud Forest Dome (Its a tropical setup full of botanical wonders in the Cloud Forest, it has spectacular waterfall and mountain cloaked in vegetation) and lastly

3) OCBC Skywalk (Walk along the 22-metre high OCBC Skyway suspended from the iconic upertrees, and admire the most ravishing scenic views of Marina Bay and Singapore’s Skyline.) At 7.30 PM and 8.30 PM the light show is conducted

However for me, it was a refresher of Decade old memory of how beautifully indoor environment is set as such that once in Dome you may actually get feel of tropical or rain forests. Its a must visit for nature enthusiasts.

Tip: If you have booked Gardens by the bay ticket from the Klook, ensure you collect tickets first from the Red Dot museum and then head towards the Gardens by the Bay ( they are quite far apart). In Garden by the bay food court near OCBC skywalk there is Indian Restaurant where you can find couple of veg options and for Jain food preference they had Idli & Dosa.

Another important tip is from OCBC skywalk you can pretty much see the Singapore skyline view so if you have no time to head towards the Marina Bay Sands skypark or any other skyline view point this is good time to enjoy the skyline views. 

Day 2: Singapore Zoo

Singapore Zoo is pleasant one day experience. Though i personally found Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird park to be too much over rated. However, it is always a matter of personal choice. We personally visited only Singapore Zoo and found it to be quite limited. The shows were good but nothing extraordinary. Few wild animals like Leopard and Lions were seen in sorry state of environment. They were clearly  dozing off and i guess must be under influence of some medication. There was only One Giraffe and hardly one leopard. 2 tiger and 2 lions in wild animals zone.

Previously we have visited Guangzhou Chimelong Safari and by all means it was bigger and better.  Animals looked happier and there were huge natural habitat for them to roam around freely.

Key Tip for Park: When you enter the park, you will find most of people heading straight and follows crowd towards White tigers area but i would suggest take a detour and turn right and head towards the toy train. You can use toy train for multiple times and it has four stops which will ensure you get to see whole zoo without walking much. Also plan your day as such that you dont miss shows and feeding time of animals because that is when most action happens.

What we loved: Shows especially are must see. We loved the Sea lion show and Elephant Show.

Duration: It requires good 6 hours just in Zoo with Child or elders. Wheel chairs are available for free for elders and for children one can buy Pram cars for few $'s.  

Food: You may find few vegetarian curry options in Restaurant in Zoo but definitely not jain food. So carry some food for yourself if prefer Jain diet. Fruits and juices are widely available.

Travel Tip: Its quite a lot of walk uphill downhill and Zoo is bit far away from city so its best to Grab here for sure.

Tickets: We booked the tickets by Klook for just Zoo. If you wish to see all the 4 parks its best to book through their website because there are lot of promotions for direct ticket.

Tip for 4 parks: If you want to do all 4 parks, many people combine Zoo with River Safari and in night night safari. And another half day spent in Jurong bird park. So depending on your interest you can take call. However, with elder and children they may get bored and tired with hectic schedule. And seeing so much of animals and birds in a day might be overwhelming.

Day 3: Sentosa Island Hop On Hop Off Tour

So for many its quite a confusion, what is Sentosa? Well Sentosa is a name of a separate island which is specifically called "Resort Island" and has many many entertainment and recreational facilities and zones. It has its own monorail which runs within the Sentosa island and has 4 stops (Vivocity, Resort city, Imbiah and Beach). Most activities happen on Stop 2 and 3. It may take as much as whole day to just see overview of entire Sentosa and as much as 4 days might also not be enough for there is too much to do. Each stop has different activities.

To name few:
1. Universal Studios
2. SEA Aquarium
3. Trick Eye Museum
4. Dolphin Island
5. Adventure Cove Park
6. Casinos
7. 3 Beautiful Beaches(Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong)
8. Show called Wings of Time (something similar to House of Dancing water)
9. Luge Ride
10. Bungy Jump

And many more activities for kids

There are also high end resorts for people who wish to stay within Sentosa and explore the Sentosa World by staying within. We opted to travel 2 days to Sentosa while staying in city.

Key Tip for Elders: We just went to Sentosa Island and enjoyed Monorail by hopping On and Off each station. Then we went to Trick Eye Museum which our parents found surprisingly entertaining. They were marveled with technology and how you can live part of different Worlds by just appearing in front of camera (do download their app and click photos with it..its different and fun). So would recommend this activity strongly. There is colorful Merlion Statue and also within this stop there is SEA aquarium and Universal studios so if you have leisure time today, just take all required photo stops today!

Then we headed for photo stop towards Imbiah, that is where the Biggest Merlion Statue is! Also taking Luge ride is fun on this stop but it had too much queue so we preferred skipping. There is one nice Lookout place within this area but again it was little climb up and with parents little tough to make them climb up hill but it has some gorgeous view so if you can, you must go up there! (P.S. check the visibility)

Thing to note: At Imbiah Stop there is 7Eleven so stock yourself up from here! 7Eleven is local shop where you find drinks and few ready to eat packets and other utilities for quite reasonable rate. We also enjoyed Jain sandwiches and Hot coffee from 7Eleven.

And Lastly we headed to the Beach stop where the "Wings of Time" show was going to begin at 7.30 PM. There are two same shows one at 7.30 pm and other at 8.30 pm. We could thankfully reach there by 5 PM and we came to know that there is a bus which is again hop on hop off bus which takes you around all 3 beaches and area within the beach station. So entire ride of all the points in bus takes about 45 minutes. Its pleasant to even just sit and have a look at all the points from bus itself.



Key Tip: I wanted to experience the thrill of walking on suspension bridge which leads to southernmost point of ASIA. So we got down ar southernmost point stop and parents could relax on beautiful beach chairs available for free there while we went to cross suspension bridge which took us to the Southernmost point of Asia :) It was quite a scenic beauty! and must to see.

Tip for wings of time: For Wings of Time show its an open theater on the  beach. So its best to carry umbrellas if its drizzling. And try to catch the most higher seats in middle of the all seats. That is from where you will get perfect view! The seats are on first come first serve basis, so best to reach 30 mins atleast in advance to catch hold of good view.

Biggest takeaway for Sentosa: While you can book all this from klook, but if you buy with agent they make package of different activities and gives you the best possible price atleast 15% more discounted rates than window prices, Like, we bought Trick Eye and Wings of Time tickets from agents and with litttle more bargain could fetch 20% discount! 

Also, to travel in monorail within Sentosa you may have to purchase SGD 4 ticket per headfor unlimited rides or even 1 ride. But if you plan to come by Cab like we did from Little India we had to pay 16 SGD for 4 of us for a grab ride and once you are in, you dont have to buy these mono rail tickets separately. You can travel as much as you want to and fro for free . So if you are with family its best to catch grab and get in sentosa.

Day 4: Universal Studios

We were all apprehensive about selecting Universal Studios with parents. Knowing that we are not going to be sitting in most of the rides, it was a tough call. But thanks to friends suggestion, we went ahead with Universal studios and yes it turned out to be positive surprise for parents enjoyed there a lot! Right from the beginning those streets gave very positive vibes! It will consume your whole day. Park timings vary from season to season. Also on weekends and PH might be open till late. So its best to check their website beforehand.

Key Tip: Once you will be done with all the shows and rides, you will have ample time so its best to skip lines for taking pictures with Minion and all the streets which are enticing at the beginning. ALSO ITS BEST TO ENTER PARK AS SOON AS IT OPENS. You will get the Show timings, Parade timings seprate sheet at the entrance. Best to take picture of it and keep handy.

Buying tickets: Universal studios tickets were available with best discounts from the travel agents. But, if you have senior citizens (Age above 60) you can buy 50% discounted tickets from Klook. Even agents give more discounts for senior citizens but klook had best deal. 

What Not to miss in Universal Studios Singapore:

1) Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cylon (purely for much thrill lovers)
2) Transformers: The Ride (Good for elders as well, it gives 3D glasses and is crazy drive. Not a great option for people with motion sickness. But our parents thoroughly enjoyed this one! Its best to head here around mid afternoon when the lines are not beyond 10 mins. In mornings it can get so busy that you may have to wait for 120 to 150 mins. Its quite a famous ride!
3) Revenge of the Mummy: A 3D adventure that we skipped for we reached here around evening when waiting time was 90 mins. Its best to go here 1st in the morning.
4) Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure: Its fun filled guaranteed ride which will drench you. there is dry facility post the ride which is available for SG$5. Or just wear dry clothes. Keeping bag in locker is compulsory for this ride. And is often very crowded.
5) Waterworld: Its a marvelous theatrical show which is there only twice in a day. So manage your time as such that you attend one for sure. It has good adventure an thrill on the motion to watch.
6) Shrek 4-D Adventur: Its a 4D show which takes you along princess Fiona and Shrek's honeymonn adventure. Its a fun thing to do for all ages. Must see! There are couple non moving seats available as well so pregnant ladies or people with back issues can opt for this non moving chairs.
7) Light, Camera, Action: Being Fan of Steven Spielberg movies, Jimit wanted to see this very much! It was rather best time when we went around 4 PM... we could directly enter in whereas in afternoon there was 90 mins waiting here. This is short 15 mins show by Steven Spielberg who shows how empty stage is pictured. the theme is empty soundstage is transformed by a hurricane about to hit New York City.
8) Minion Parade: This parade happens twice in a day, and is only opportunity to click pictures with giant dancing minions. Key tip or quick picture with Minions is to stand on corner where minions may end their dance (3 lines one facing towards the entrance and 2 at start of each street). This will ensure you quick photo with minions in less than 5 mins!

Whilst this are all must see and feel, there were couple of other small family rides that parents enjoyed sitting in and relive their childhood memories:

1)  Canopy flyer
2) Enchanted Airways
3) Spagheti space chase
4) Madagascar crate adventure (we made a mistake to begin with this ride and had to queue up for 2 hours, so its best to start from other end like Egypt to start with when most  of people will still be stuck here)
5) Treasure hunters : Its just fun ride, may be good with children. Though parents were enchanted little and we could directly go in without queuing so no regrets)

Lastly, For vegetarian food options even Jain food options (Jain chole, Palak paneer and rice) within Universal studios is a possibility! There is Oasis Spice Cafe just opposite the Mummy ride where you can find these options.

KEY TAKEAWAY FOR USS: There is concept of single riders for famous rides where in you may not get a seat with family but you can enjoy the quick entry to the ride.
Also, there are express tickets available which has obviously least lines. But i would recommend that if you are going with elders or children you may not aim to check in all the places, parades and shows so you may not want to put extra money for express tickets.
Also if you time it well as such that you reach where other crowd is not following then you may anyway be able to enjoy most of the rides without too much queuing up. USS is not that big as compared to Osaka or US so be rest assured you may be able to see most of it in a day!

AND for all those who say USS is too taxing for Elders or small children, do not listen to them! Its fun for all gae groups equally. Our parents thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent there, off course they were tired but they had gala time and amazing memories to look upon at!

Day 5: Changi Airport

Well, its no secret that Singapore's Changi Airport is World class and World apart airport with much to see, do and enjoy. So we had purposely kept half day for excursion on airport.

Its too big and too much to walk. So with elders its a huge tiresome task for them. But it truly is a jewel you dont want to miss. To begin with latest build Jewel part of changi airport which has the biggest indoor waterfall surrounded by rich vegetation all around is surely treat for eyes. You can ponder over it from all 3 floors at each stage or just catch one corner and click your best self and take exit ;) it may take around 20 to 25 mins slow walk to reach here after you check in your bags (from T2 terminal) Jewel is located somewhere between t2 and t3 terminal. But beware do not head for immigration after check in because Jewel is reachable only before immigration. 

We could also head to Sunflower Garden, The orchids garden and Enchanted garden which are pretty close by from each other on Terminal 3. However all this are accessible post immigration. We saw lot of massage chairs and movie theatre to private pods to enjoy at the airport.

Key takeaway: If you happen to transit in Singapore for more than 7 hours do check and pre book for their free Singapore city tour of 3 hours approx. Its FREE! but need pre-registration and they have limited timings so check all information before hand.

Also if you are transiting and traveling through some of their partner airlines like Singapore airlines or silk-air or air new Zealand you are entitled for SGD 20 coupon which can be used for any food, beverages or shopping to be done at their retail outlets.

More information on:
http://www.changiairport.com/en/airport-guide/transit/changi-transit-privileges.html

As i come towards the Summarizing part of our entire trip, i reminisce all the beautiful memories we built together as family there and how much we loved each and every bit of it! Its a beautiful small little country but has immense positive vibe and most importantly their rapid growth and development is totally noteworthy! Singapore impressed us in best way possible! And we are happy that Hubby Dear's parents loved, enjoyed and carried with them lot of good memories!

  

Meddling with Memories on this 73rd Independence Day Celebration (1Min Read)

Unity in Diversity, Gandhigiri in vicinity, Patriotism wearing Tricolor clothes, Excitement of holding crisp Flags, Kavi Pradeepji's most famous composition "Ae Mere Vatan ke Logon" repeating in tape recorders, followed by flag hoisting by Society chairman or Honorable chief guest, some speeches to follow under scorching sun or down pouring rain and last but offcourse not least for Gujjus ~ Jalebi Fafda Gathiya Idlis and dhoklas with cultural events in vicinity - Sumamrising here my entire childhood and teenage years of celebration of Independence Day and Republic Day!

With no time and efforts, this gets quickly replaced by lazy mornings and enjoying one more holiday or some discount shopping or outing during corporate working years. In run for luxuries ~ many cultures, values, and grass roots somehow disappears without even being noticed. 

Coming to HK and being Entrepreneur thanks to "bhai" and his venture "Mehta Investment" gave me an opportunity to connect back to roots. Thanks to  ample of time i have for "I, Me, Myself", which was rarity while being into hectic field like Equity Research.

Recently, a thought that crossed my path while attending 73rd Independence Day celebration in Hong Kong hosted this time in Bharat Bhavan in their Lawn under bright sky, with scorching sun but enthusiasm at its peak... was...Where do we get lost as we grow up?... where do we want to reach? why are we running so fast ? what is the achievement or outcome of this rat race? 

Thankfully few "Jadibootis" like meditations and yoga, company of right people in surrounding and values granted during childhood years keeps you bit grounded but heh! where are we heading?

#HumKisGalliJaaRaheHai

 

Not sure, when and how this puzzle can be solved. But for now, to sum it up, patriotism catches peak when being in Hong  Kong I get opportunity to connect with our base. It mounts highest especially on Indian National Days! Watching Movie Swades and dropping a tear has become common phenomenon. Watching movies like Gandhi and Sardar and Bose's documentary has suddenly topped the list instead of gluing to Netflix. Anyway some people will hate me to say that I am "ModiFied" but you never know :p it could be the primary reason of risen patriotism!

Thanks to such wonderful arrangements by Indian Counsulate across the World that helps to re-connect Indians to India, where I truly belong to :) 

p.s. there were some wonderful cultural events that are prepared by Indian children in HK every year for these celebrations. I don't know what feelings does it build in them but I know they learn what they see and they are been shown wonderful, diversified, glorious culture of India. 

Here comes obvious photo clicks with honorable Dignitaries of Counsulate and glimpse of few cultural activities...Attended event with a doting Yoga Teacher, Mother of 2 lovely girls and Amazing person right from Rishikesh - Mansee Chandola :)

Also, this event marked 1 year completion of digital platform i am closely associated with - Hong Kong Desi. A gesture from die hard patriots for spreading India-ness among Indians especially NRI's!

https://hongkong-desi.com/73rd-independence-day-celebration-in-hong-kong/

How To Travel World Renowned City like a Pro - Hong Kong Travel guide!

Hong Kong has been becoming Home! Fighting with our mind time and again to call it a place where we can settle or not? we have spent almost 4 years now in this renowned World City. We have been in a Love and Hate relationship with this small place, Its just like Mumbai but Country in itself - Hong Kong, we love to call it modernized version of Mumbai! 

Initially, we didn't fancy this huge high rises and sea faces and promenades. Eh, we are from Mumbai! We have born and bought with this similar looking city and lifestyle. So it never felt like a different place in World except that we terribly miss family, friends, social gatherings and events every now and then. Still a phone call from family at times makes eyes teary, an big occasion back home brings dullness in our moods here for not able to being there, still the smallest medical issue in family terrifies us,  still a see off to loved ones from HK tears apart the heart and still a good bye from Mumbai always makes us cry!

I have some clear vivid memory of Sept 2015 when we landed in Hong Kong and we were welcomed with heavy downpour. Well, honestly it was not a great kickstart. We had our share of struggles to settle here and call it our own. We still doubt time and again only to accept later we are most centrally located in midst of World. Especially in an economy which is robust and flourishing since some time. If you are in financial Industry this is is one of the ideal location to be in to grow and prosper.

With doubts in mind, but spirit high we have explored this city In and Out and its neighboring countries. An opportunity which always makes us Smile and feel full of gratitude :)  I probably would not have met AOL family and explored Meditation and Yoga and Swimming and Gymming with flavor blogging and conducting business if i wouldn't have been in Hong Kong. Not to forget love for mountains and beaches that these city has bought wouldn't have ever imbibed in me. From a struggling cook to a PRO, from an obesity to fitness and from lazying to walking is all this city has given!

Living like a localite and exploring the another side of this city has been a true privilege. Hong Kong is beyond High Rises. It has amazing patches of islands(260+), beaches (50+) and forest areas - country parks (20+)  and it all has beautifully paved roads and ways to reach there. This blog is going to be mix of all these experiences of exploring HK as a local here. I will just draw a brief outline an my personal or friends recommendations on these places and leave it for you to decide where you would pick to go :) 

Geographically Hong Kong is divided in 3 main islands like Kowloon Island, Hong Kong Island, Lantau island and approx 250+ other small islands surrounding it along with New Territories (Technically part of HK gifted by China).

Hong Kong is an autonomous territory, and former British colony, in southeastern China. Its vibrant, densely populated urban centre is a major port and global financial hub with a skyscraper-studded skyline. Central (the business district) features architectural landmarks like I.M. Pei’s Bank of China Tower. Hong Kong is also a major shopping destination, famed for bespoke tailors and Temple Street

  

In the Western District is Hollywood Road, lined with antiques shops, and Man Mo Temple, honoring the gods of literature and war. Tram rides up Victoria Peak afford sweeping views, while Star Ferry boats cross Victoria Harbour to the Kowloon Peninsula. There, Tsim Sha Tsui offers a waterfront promenade and Nathan Road, nicknamed the "Golden Mile of Shopping.” Outlying islands include Lantau, famed for its massive bronze Tian Tan Buddha, and Lamma, known for its bohemian beaches. Hong Kong is also known for its lively food scene, ranging from Cantonese dim sum to lavish afternoon tea. (wiki)

Few quick tips /facts about Hong Kong for travelers:

Accommodation: 

Hong Kong is one of the most expensive city in World to live in. One can book either Hotel or Airbnb or Hostels or guest rooms depending on your budget. There are high range hotels which are beautifully built with some of the best views (Ranges from 2500 HKD to 40,000 HKD) to mid range hotels (1200 HKD to 2400 HKD) and affordable hotels (500 HKD to 1100 HKD). Hostels or guest rooms can come in range upto 500 HKD and Airbnb can start ranging from 500 HKD to sky is limit :) 

Where to stay: Kowloon side (Especially TST if you want to be in Tourist hot spot easily accessible to all touristy places including all hot favorite food spots - One can find affordable to high end range of hotels and Airbnb here), Hong Kong side (This is good option for Business travelers and people who would like to explore Hong Kong island side more than overall HK), staying in New territories can get tricky since connectivity to all tourist places may not be best but if one want a holiday stay near quiet and relaxing place... New territories it is!

P.S. for Indian travelers (preferring vegetarian / Jain  / Vegan meals) staying in TST  is rewarding option since majorly all the vegetarian restaurant is in TST area :)

Traveling: 

As soon as you land in Hong Kong by airways you can buy Octopus card for traveling around Hong Kong. Octopus is prepaid card which can be used in MTR (trains), busses, trams, and in fact in many many stores like 7Eleven, Wellcome, PArkNShop, lot of restaurants, etc. One have to pay deposit of 50HKD and 1st time refill 100 HKD. This can be refilled in 7Eleven or Kcircle or MTR customer services.
Buses are well networked and you can download HKeMobility App for a consolidated travel planning. It shows the fastest and cheapest way by any means of transport and its very handy and easy to use.

Key Tip: Taxis are not very expensive in Hong Kong but be aware that they may not always speak English and you should have chinese address or name of the place handy. Minimum start fare is 24 HKD.

Currency: One can bring currency in card or cash. Hong Kong is one of the safest place to stroll around even in mid of the night. If you are carrying USD, then one can get good price here for HKD. 

Connectivity:

The good news is one can buy prepaid card for Hong Kong, Macau, China which is one SIM but can work in all the places for as small as 78 HKD (only for data valid of 30 dayss) to upto 200 HKD (for talk time and internet). There are many options like 3HK, CSL, 1010, and China Mobile.

Drinking Water: 

Tap water is drinkable in Hong Kong. But generally people residing here use bottled waters. So, there is no standard MRP system for bottled water. The prices may vary from shop to shop. Best is to buy from some pharmacy in interior area and you will find a 1 Ltr bottle for 5 HKD which may cost 12 HKD in 7Eleven.  

Food:  

http://globetrotterandbeyond.blogspot.com/2019/03/ 

You will find lot of food options in this link. Indian / Vegetarian food in Hong Kong is quite expensive. For many many other options you can always download Openrice app or Happy cow App and check the food for your preferences.
Key Tip: You must try Dimsum when you are in HK!

Language spoken: 

Cantonese is official language spoken. English is not very widely used and one has to surely use google translate for conversation with local shop owners.

Weather:
Now this one can hget really tricky! No, Not as tricky as in London but yes it can prety much rain during odd times and you want to be prepared so its advisable to keep Hong Kong Observatory app and plan your travel accordingly.
For example: If you travel to The Peak on a cloudy day or rainy day you may absolutely get no view or even Big Buddha on a cloudy day is a bad idea. So you got to have plan B ready incase you planned The peak but its cloudy on that day then u got to reach there some other day.
So key is to check weather pretty regularly during your visit and stay in Hong Kong

From where to book all excursion tickets:
All this information i have included in the link below named - Things to doand see in HK 

Places to see:

List of activities to be done in Hong Kong can really get big and varied :) so I had to put this Excel link down, which one can click and check and also open the links mentioned in the sheet.

Hong Kong - THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN HK (WITH DETAILS, REVEWIS & OVERVIEW)

 (The ones marked in grey are definitely must do for your visit in HK)

P.S. Just for quick reference copy pasting the sheet here for a quick glace.

 

Source: most of descriptions from Wikipage

I am sure, you will be able to sort your interest from many activities and make a great trip for you own self. Many people who come to Hong Kong always will definitely want to visit Macau, Its neighboring country and also known as "Vegas of East".  I will be coming up with a new blog on Macau soon.

Before closing, lot of friends and family has always requested to help with understanding budget for a trip to Hong Kong & Macau. Mumbai to Hong Kong flight costs on an average - Rs 32k - Rs 40k (if you are very lucky may find tickets for 25k). Mid-range hotel may cost up to Rs 8k to Rs 10k. And if you do all the famous activities then per head cost may be up to Rs 20k - 25k (depending on activities). So a stay for 6 Nights 7 days in HK & Macau may cost up to Rs 2 lakhs for a couple. 

Key Tip: The best way to travel Hong Kong, Macau and extend tour upto Shenzhen is quite a great idea especially for one time visitors in this part of Asia. 

Enjoy your holidays in Hong Kong an I am always available for any doubts regarding HK & Macau travel :)  

Euro Tour: Captivating Italy and Dramatic Switzerland

Kahan se shuru karu uski taarif jo khud khuda ke itne kareeb hai....
kahan se bayan karu woh ehsaas jo chasm-e-badoor hai,
Jahaan tak nigaahein jaaye duur duur baahaar hi baahar hai,
Dil ko tassali mile inn bahaaron mei aisi yeh jannat hai!

 "Travel makes you modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in this World" - Gustav Flaubert

More we have been traveling, more we feel small teeny meeny part of this Whole big Universe and it only brings gratitude towards everything and everyone. With such Gratitude in Heart and immense blessings from loved and dear ones and i am sure with some happy hearts we commenced the journey of Italy and Switzerland with merely 1.5 months of planning. Impromptu traveling though can sound exciting can go worse especially the huge trips like this! But Thankfully for us it worked very well and we were quite bang on our targets of "to do list" except bungee jumping and paragliding over Interlaken. 

Wedged neatly between Germany, Austria, France, and Italy, Switzerland melds the best of all worlds — and adds a healthy dose of chocolate, cheese Fondue, cowbells, Alps mountain playground, pristine lakes and cable cars.”

So how this plan began? Ideally extended Mehta family was to visit Bhutan and due to some cancellations in plan last minute. Bhai as we call him (Kaushal Mehta) came up with his desire to visit his Dream Destination - Switzerland. Combined with lot of Comp off holidays that Jimit could get during Easter break. But Heh Easter was just around the corner so it sounded impossible at beginning to even think of Europe for Holidays. Also we all come from humble background where a Euro trip means a real big deal. But ultimately Our Wooden Anniversary was game changer and we all promptly agreed to carry on this trip. So 4 of us are decided to travel for 16 days. And 16 days just in one country sounded like huge task so we decided to add one more country. This was not that difficult since bhai and UB as i call her (Urvi Bhabhi) have been to France and Germany and I didn't want to Flights to or Fro from Austria was quite expensive so we boiled down our option for 2nd country as Italy. And heh remember Italy - My childhood memories of watching Italian lanes and those Tuscan road drives in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam made me absolutely in favor of this country instantly. Not to forget recent mention of Italy for Viruhska wedding in Tuscany and DeepVeer wedding in Lake Como. 

So here we go for Emirates Flight from Hong Kong to Rome and Zurich to Hong Kong Via Dubai both the times. (Emirates gave great flying experience, Its called Class for a reason!)

Next Most important decision was planning Itinerary and trust me, I had given up this time! Post flight booking i realized 6 days in Italy is complete injustice. "We travel at length in one country to explore and live with its vibes rather than just traveling for checking in" hence it became more difficult to plan Itinerary though we were sure of not spending anything less than 10 days in Switzerland so obviously we had 6 days in Italy. So with back calculations we divided days and our Itinerary building started.

And then our Itinerary looked like this: Off course it took some time to derive at final one after 15 edits may be - The details of this with out Learnings, mistakes we made, key takeaways, etc will be followed ahead in this blog.

ITALY-

Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s "David" and Brunelleschi's Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital. It uses curency as Euro and official language spoken is Italian. Country code being +39. So we planned our Itinerary only North of Italy since we had only 6 days. South Italy covering Positano, Amalfi, etc will be covered in next Tour de Italiano :p For now here is our details -

Day 1 : Base Rome

Flight from HK to Dubai and there onto Rome. Landing in Rome was mesmerizing. All those tales of the town that i have heard since school history book days about Roman empire and well built Roman Guys, its rich artistic and cultural excellence,  The Italian Renaissance and not to forget the stories of Pope and its importance to Catholics which is right in Rome - The Vatican City. Off course many may not be aware but Vatican City is a different country and is the smallest country within city itself. With flashbacks of history book we landed in UNESCO World Heritage recognized city famous for most tourist visits - Rome!

There is Long queue for Immigration so plan for the day accordingly. Initial vibes werent that great honestly because of Cab Scene!
Mistake : Whatever happened, still we should have straight away taken direct cab. Though if you have very very very limited luggage Express train from Airport to City is quickest option. But Gujjus with tons of food, beware!
Why? Few bucks saved and didnt have to rely on anyone but had to carry bags up and down the stairs which made us tired on day 1 itself.
Learning: Always travel direct to hotel in fastest mode of transport with least exertion to body to enjoy rest of your vacation with peace.
The taxi driver we approached quoted 50 Eur for entire Van till our hotel ad suddenly when we came out with luggage he started demanding double the price and also the information desk said post 9 AM the traffic in city is crazy. So you will take 1 hour by train route and 2.5 hours by road and probably in half sleep we didnt bother to check google maps and went ahead for train option.
However, rough beginning always make you tougher and it never means rough end as well. So with Kadam kadam badhaye jaa motivation we reached Hotel Pacific which was 700 mts walk from Cipro MTR. Felt like longest walk of life!

Never mind, Every dark cloud has silver lining. Thankfully got early check in and we could leave hotel on time for our expedition. Well, before that - Rome being ancient city its natural that man hotels were quite historic and especially we were traveling around Easter so we didnt have much options left and this could fit our criteria and Budget (Approx HKD1000 per night) so went for it. It had big beautiful rooms and some rooms had balcony facing city with vibrant yellow buildings (my favorite part). So would like to rate it average just because it was tooo old built probably in early 1940's. So you can look for relatively new properties but if dont get any other option this is good!

Best part is here to come...look of gigantic Colosseum...right outside Colosseum MTR. Absolutely spellbound by its size and structure. What an Architecture. What kind of Vision people had then to build such structures and what Engineering they learnt to have this. Its magnificent.  Well we booked guided tour with Klook which included visit to Colosseum, Ruins of Roman Empire, Palentine Hill  and Gardens around. Honestly i found them to be quite boring and dragging. Except the fact that you get to skip lines and get easy access to otherwise Huge place this tour was not worth it. (We paid approx 400 HKD per head for it)

Key Takeaway: They have limit of some 30,000 people per day can enter Colosseum. So its wise to book through some agent so you dont miss out on being there still not getting in. And don't underestimate the queue for direct entry its crazily big so i guess its best to not put your brain in saving money here.

Day 2: Base - Rome

 

source: From respective location websites

  

Today we technically visit another country :) - The Vatican City. So here you will see the Famous Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and the St Peter's Basilica. So everything is interconnected and guide will literally run you through it. We had taken 11 AM to 2.30 PM tour post which we enjoyed lunch of Pizzas and went ahead on foot for our city tour of Rome which included visit to Piazza Novana, Piazza Venezia, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and finally Spannish Steps.

Mistake: Selecting super boring guided tour of Vatican  because of boring guide (Again Klook)

Learning: Check reviews of guide before booking, we saw some other guides doing fabulous jobs. One was tour name with The Roman Guy but they are double expensive then Klook. So Vatican museum has insane amount of crowd especially when you enter the Hall full of Michelangelo's painting depictions its insane and i realized why there were seprate tickets for VIP entry (which means you get to enter them 15 minutes before its open for crowd but off course it comes with much more extra price (We paid approx 460 HKD Per head for this day)

Best Part: We are in Vatican City, smallest country in World with best Architectural  Buildings. Also Trevi Fountain was love at first sight fountain.

Also, we took Rome Pass for 48 hours for 12EUR each which we could not use best because of initial tiredness

Key tip for travel in Italy: Once you buy 1.5EUR ticket you can travel for 90 mins with it in bus and train.

Key Takeaway: Skip line tickets through agents in Vatican City really works well...its super super super crowded otherwise and you may not get entry at all.

And my fav pose...

 
Day 3: Base - Florence

What is life, is full of care. We have no time to stand or to stare! But certainly not when you enter Florence :)
Right from starting train journey in high speed Italiano Train at 300kms/hr followed by almighty blessed rainstorm making the day cold with 8 deg temperature was perfect to be in that day.

The beautiful way to see the Florence is by walk because it's a small city centre with just 3 to 4 kilometres radius and and you have to take stroll around the town where one doesn't need to be on vehicle.

We started our walking tour from the
1. market which smelled all leather and some pretty cottons dresses to pick from
2. Just a walk away was Cathedral and Duomo which was giant piece of some unexplained beauty
3. Few blocks ahead was Ulfizi Gallery which displayed Michaelangelo's David
4. Glleria D'ell Academia again with few masterpieces
5. Followed by further small walk to Ponte Vechio and Palazza Vechio which survived World War II bombings.
And then back to our wonderful hotel in Florence.

We could not have asked for more beautiful Italiano day!

Mistake: We are PRO now for any mistakes so we managed to check in till hotel in perfect way. Learning: Should know cycling to see city fast instead of walking

Best Part: Seeing Duomo and famous sculptor Michaelangelo's work - David Saakshaat!

Key takeaway: Don't spend bucks in booking city tour. Just walk on. And Florence being typically travel touristy county some hotels may offer bike for free, even if its not you can definitely get one for free just by requesting to get for few hours.
 
Day 4: Base - Florence

 4th day of journey from Florence was nothing but a dream that i actually got to live!
Dream to see those long long patches of vineyards as far as eyes could settle!
Dream to pass by the road full of lush green beds of trees
Dream to walk those narrow medieval lanes 
Dream to be around those tall inverted triangle trees
Many dreams packed and lived in one destination named - Tuscany!

Destination 1 was Siena which mesmerised us with its giant cathedral on hill and Notre Dam like structure just next to it. Siena is one of the towns in hillside of Tuscany. The whole view made us stand still in the time. Must try here is Pizza which was just too perrffect for Italiano Snack. It was one of the most authentic one and that too Jain Pizza that i have tried till date. What surprises me is their patience to hear our preference and to respect it and make something to match your expectation. Traveling does widen your horizon of mind :)
Destination 2 was now a journey beyond dream... towards San Gimignano. After having superfluous Lunch of Pasta and Bruschetta and some old Cheese with Chianti White Wine we couldn't ask for more but then we were treated with Photo stopover at Chianti Region. San Gimignano was one of the oldest Medieval Town also known as Manhattan of Medieval Era in Tuscany.
This was Followed by obvious stopover at Leaning Tower of Pisa! For that no words only photos can do justice.
Under the perfect Tuscan Sun, we had an 400 Kms journey for our lifetime memory. And bus tour was immensely memorable with meet and greet with people across the World...

It would be unfair to not mention that Tuscany was most awaited destination of trip in Italy and it didnt dissapoint us at all... As far as eyes could go we were treated with lush greenery, vineyard and Medieval villages.

Learning: It was best to book tour from local shop in florence CiaoFlorence and in the street of city centre there are many travel shops which gives full day 1 day trip options to Tuscany at very reasonable rate then prebooked tours from klook like 3rd parties who eventually tie up with local tours. 

Key tip: If you have more time in Florence, spend at least 3 to 4 days discovering this mesmerizing district and include visit to Cinque De Terre,  Chianti Vineyard, Tuscany Medieval villages and off course Leaning tower of Pisa 

Best Moment: Lunch under perfect Tuscan sun overlooking Vineyards and enjoying Bruschetta, Cheese and Pasta. And not to forget the drive through Tuscany. It still gives me goosebumps when i recollect those images.

Key Takeaway - You should have at least 3Nights in Florence for sure. Pack Ponchos and keep small umbrellas and Caps and a hoody alway ready. Weather can change in fraction of seconds and at once you may need all :) 
 

Day5: Base - Milan

Boungiorno Milano! 

Milan city tour though didn't sound too exciting but as they say, when you expect least you get beautiful surprises. Milan we chose because it gave fastest and easiest access to reach upto Switzerland and we had initially planned to visit Venice from Florence and move to Milan overnight. But thankfully we skipped Venice and reached directly to Milan. Its a big debate if one should or should not go to Venice. In my personal opinion Italy has much more to offer and Venice is just badly overrated.so post reviews for Venice, we decided to skip it al together and hence we got opportunity to do city tour of Milan city.
We visited with our unlimited day pass following places - Duomo Di Milano it was Cathedral and was mesmerizing with detailing and sculptors beyond imagination

Followed by Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II just beside the Duomo - On the ground of the central octagonal, there are four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan's. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull's genitals.

Followed by Milan Castle which has excellent park and best way to sit and sip some coffee and see sunset, well if you are photo crazy people like us you are going to get many photo stops here.

And then all the to Milan Canal which looked like pseudo Venice. It was beautiful Piazza for strolling around with many many cafeterias and Restaurant and it did look like some Party stop.

Key tip: 48 hours Milan pass is just for 8EUR per head which was best decision since we sat around in tram, bus, trains all with this pass. Tram number 1 is the Tram that you can board and is the best way to see around whole city just by being in Tram
.

Learning: All train stations has city map and information desks so one should spend first 10-15 mins.in understanding local map from localite and you may want to consider re scheduling your trip as per some expert advices. 

Learning: Everything is very well connected and one need not really walk too much if planned all well.

Best Moment : Eating Palak Paneer after long time at Rajput Indian Hotel and walking over flee market. Seeing the vastness of Duomo and strolling around Milan Canal.

Day 6:Base - Milan

"Not Until we are lost, we begin to find ourselves" and its only when you risk something and find its more worthy than your risk the true satisfaction seeps in!

Lake Como and Bellagio visit was a stake that we took risking our whole day since it was 1 hour travel away from Milan. But Thank God we took that risk, it was every penny and every minute worth it. And what a Finale to end journey in Italy.

It definitely wouldn't have been perfect without going to Lake Como and Bellagio! We are all in absolute awe of this picturesque prefecture town of north Italy. The nature just made us sit still in front of it for hours and we never realised where did hours flow with this place and it was time to bid adieu already. It was probably most silly day because we as such didnt wander much but at times pace is least important every minute spend on those landscape took breath away, bought in more satisfaction to be there around, made me full of gratitude towards almighty, Jimit, family and friends to be part of my life and it was place may be where i felt i wish i could afford to bring everyone here!

We were trying to figure wedding of DeepikaRanveer villa location to building our own futuristic retirement plans on banks of this lakeside colorful town... it was enormous!

Key tip: Lake Como is quite wide area and you may end up messing up whole.day. Thanks to information desk in Galleria, we went from.Milan centrale to Varenna which was 1 hour scenic journey and from there Bellagio is Just 15 minutes ride away... Varenna in itself is quite big and may need 4-5 hours of good time to hike up till castle but we decided to just walk around Promenade which was just too perfect to sum up best of beauty and relaxation and took 15 mins ride to Bellagio. (Return Ferry ticket cost 24 EUR)

Best way to see Bellagio is booking Toy train which also works as hop on hop off train and you can see entire Bellagio in 2 hours instead of wasting time walking up hills and getting tired we found this to be best way to see Bellagio. And it costs just 5EUR :)

Mistake: Thankfully none!

Learning: The another way to reach Lake Como and Bellagio is to take train from Milan to Como Cadorna and from there bus to Bellagio which takes 1.5 hours. But this may be long cut if you have limited time.

More information here -https://lakecomotravel.com/how-to-get-to-lake-como/
 
Key Take away: Dress at your best :) This place has some serious wonderful locations for perfect pictures. Also for Varenna there are not very frequent trains so be on time, they are very very punctual and train stations are quite big especially in Rome and Milan so you may want to reach train stations bit ahead of time. Well if you have luggae, there are not many luggage racks in trains so you may want to reach early to find sweet spot for your luggage.
 

SWITZERLAND

Switzerland is a mountainous Central European country, home to numerous lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps. Its cities contain medieval quarters, with landmarks like capital Bern’s Zytglogge clock tower and Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge. The country is also known for its ski resorts and hiking trails. Banking and finance are key industries, and Swiss watches and chocolate are world renowned. For its location covering different regions it has four official languages spoken like French, German, Italian, Romansh. So we decided to skip West and North of Switzerland for this trip and here comes details of the ones we did-

Day 7: Base Interlaken West Airbnb

An Exclusive good bye to Country which enriched us with scenic views, landscapes beyond drems, history, Lake side beautiful coasts, rich ancient culture and some magnificent structures to remember forever. We take EC32 train to begin our journey from Milan till Interlaken and it was so convenient to cross borders being seated in train. Not to forget the unimaginable views from Spiez to Interlaken which was a super headsup to begin tour to our Dream Destination. We checked in our Airbnb in Interlaken which was superbly connected by bus in midst of meadows and mountains we definitely wouldnt have asked for anything more for another 7 days to live. It was great apartment with appropriate convenience and no nonsense extra stuff. We like Big empty and appropriately furnished house and this was it! 

Today with limited time in hand, we went on to explore local information desk to gather all information and marched to Grindelwald to treat our eyes with first exclusive looks of snow clad mountains and lush green valleys beneath!

Key Tip: Even if you have 2-3 hours in hand once you are in Interlaken, its best to head to Harder Kulm. It gives most mesmerising view of valley and snow clad mountains both from Funicular and the Harder KulmView point. Best part in spring and summer is sunsets are generally at 8.30 - 9.00 M so you have more time to enjoy beauty in day time. There is Queue  to go up so earlier the better. In summers last Funiclular to go up is till 6.15 PM but check the timings before hand in websites to avoid disappointment. With Swiss Pass you have to pay half fare for this Fuicular (Approx 16 CHF for return ride per head) 

Learning: Thinking that we will come back to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen again and do trekking and will click pictures leisurely. "Will come back again" never works so its better to plan ahead in time.

Mistake: Nothing can go wrong here, there is so much to do and see that if you miss one beautiful thing you will be instead treated with another beautiful thing to see and do.

Key Takeaway: Yeah! Switzerland is Beautiful but devilishly Expensive!

Day8:Base - Interlaken

 Mountain Excursion - Schilthorn (Free with Swiss Pass)

Best way was to reach Schilthorn was like this: (Trust me i didnt find this detailing easily and it can get quite confusing) 
So Schilthorn peak falls in Jungfrauch region and Jungfrauh region is big Alp mountain with different peaks and Schilthorn is one of it. We skipped Jungfrauch for 1) Its insanely expensive 2)Its is overrated and crowded and 3)It didnt offer any exclusive views.

So to begin with Journey towards Schilthorn: Take train from Interlaken west to Lauterbrunen - Lauterbrunen to Murren by Cogwheeltrain and Murren to Schilthorn by Cable car

While returning if you are visiting in summer you can detour from Murren to Amendhubel which has small flower park trail and its insanely beautiful. Also you can enjoy some Cheese fondue at Almendhubel with best views. 

Mistake: We were not aware that it was peak Skiing time and we had to wait in long long queue in every mode of transport to reach till schilthorn (Avergae wait hours for whole to and fro journey was 4+ hours) so please check schedules before hand and plan accordingly.

Key Tip: Weather can get really funny in Switzerland what may seem like most amazing weather in Valley may not be true for mountains. Every Mountain has its own website with Live cams so its best to check live camera of the mountain and go for the excursion to avoid disappointments. Always keep Plan B ready incase weather in mountain is not best you can go for another plan. Once on top of mountain give yourself some time for SnowPark, Sky walk and Thrill walk its fun and time consuming experiences.

Learning: There is another way to reach Schilthorn, if you do not encounter so much rush you can include visiting Trummelbach waterfalls (Takes 1 hour including small hike up the stairs to see different level of falls) along with Schilthorn mountain. For this You have to take this route: Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg by Bus (Bus No 141 also stops at Trummelbach falls so you can plan visit while going or returning) and from Stechelberg cable car goes up to Murren via Gimmelwald and another cable car from Murren to Schilthorn to reach top.For James Bond fans - this is the place where the movie 'On her Majesty secret service' was shot.

Key Tip: Download SBB App for all forms of travel in Switzerland nothing can be best way to reach sooner and faster then using this App. This Mountain is Free with Swiss Pass.

Most important key takeaway: Mountain excursions can really get tiring especially if its windy and you are avid snow lover and end up playing too much up there. So post a day of mountain excursion you may want to keep normal day seeing valley or villages without going up the snow. Depends person to person again.

What to pack while going up the snow: As per weather (when we went up it was -5 degrees)

1. Appropriate Skiing Hand gloves (Just wollen is not warm enough) 

2. Layer yourself with Thermal pant and shirt inside, wear normal jean and tshirt and then if you have thick jacket its great enough otherwise layer with sweater and then jacket.

3. Muffler is a must to cover face till nose in case of bad wind.

4. Ear plugs (a great investment) or atleast take cotton balls

5. Warm head cap (even if you have hood this is must)

6. Camphor tablets (for good breathe incase you feel dizzy in extreme wind) we used it once and it was savior

7. A good shoes with grip is a very very must because you dont want to slip in ice which is melting and not walk friendly... a bad shoes only make things worse. I had bought Trail Hike rainproof shoes from Decathlon for 589HKD and it worked best.

8. Extra pair of socks so that you can quickly change if you get wet in snow

9. Polythene if you are not carrying snow boots or Shoe Protector (Yes, there is something like this available in market which makes wax like layer on your shoes and make it water proof - though i could not find one in HK) you may want to tie polythene inside your shoes. (Trust me it works fantastic both towards wind and water)

10. If you are vegetarian do carry your own food (and at request and buying hot cup of chocolate milk you will be allowed to sit in cafeteria and have your own sandwiches :) )

11. Lastly a small folding bag which can fit in your haversack so when you want your stuff on and off you can dump them in this small folding bag and keep handy as well. 

Day 9: Base - Interlaken:

 Tummelbach waterfall

 Local Interlaken tour

 Interlaken OST - Brienz Cruise

"So much of who we are is where we have been"

If not for the enthusiasm to see and explore more we would have ended up been lazy bees today but we wrapped all our tiredness and started from where we had left half yesterday - Trummelbach Waterfall - Its easy way from Interlaken to Lauterbrunen followed by hopping in Bus 141 to reach these well directed falls. There is an elevator to take you up otherwise 200 steps climb. Its an Engineering Marvel the way they have directed the falls between caves and mountains. Well i will not describe more and leave it to you for more exploration :)

Post these falls we headed straight for Cruise from Interlaken OST to Brienz. I have personally not seen something so pristine from so near. Mountains were dramatic, Glaciers were magnificent and Blue waters stole hearts, Cows grazing, the cow bells ringing in ears like most beautiful music, colorful town by the lakes, Children enjoying their summer homes in the vicinity, Gardens filled with lovers and admirers, waterfalls - small and big all around so much to take in in just one ride it was perfect and we absolutely loved it.

I was little sad to let go of paragliding for this cruise but once i was on it i didn't repent even once may be I saw and felt much more closer to nature and its beauty at ease than 15 minutes birds view from paragliding would have made me feel.

And though we were almost done for the day we stretched ourselves to Harder Kulm only to find long queue because a funicular comes every 30 minutes to take you up. With lot of doubts we stood quietly (Magic of Group Travel - a group always has larger and brighter energy than traveling solo or even as couple. One person's vision becomes everyone's goal and you ought to enjoy many more things) This 10 minutes Funicular is all you need to hold your breath and mesmerize the beauty of Interlaken. And the View point from Harder Kulm is again absolute must must must see.

And Imagine post this we also walked our way till home for 2 kms encountering white flower trees, pink flower trees, different color tulips on the way, it was like local Interlaken Darshan... and we could see Kursaal Interlaken Casino where Yash Chopra statue is instilled. He is being honored as Ambassador of Interlaken by Swiss government for his shooting in Switzerland and making otherwise not so famous place a very famous tourist destination for Indians.

Key takeaway: There 2 types of cruises here 1) Interlaken West to Thun which is 2.5 hours one way but you have an option to get down at any stop like Spiez and get a train back to Interlaken. or 2)Interlake OST to Brienz (1 hour cruise and you can remain seated and come back in same cruise to  Interlaken OST) All this is covered in Swiss Pass otherwise one way costs some 60 Francs approx.Remember the sun sets till late here and if you have swiss pass you can do too much in a day provided you are at your best energy levels :)

Day10:Base - Interlaken

Mount Titlis. Heh it was our Wooden Anniversary this day - The 21st of April and what best way to celebrate then go up the dramatic snow clad mountains. Mount Titlis is quite a far away from Interlaken (3 Hours one way to be precise but it includes Golden Line Scenic train and you will be promised mesmerizing 2 hours journey) So From Interlaken the journey begins till Lucerne and from there to Engelberg and from Engelberg a small bus ride till beginning of Cable car up till 1st stage of Mount Titlis where we got down and got carried away by snow and started playing and snow fighting. Well, then! Then, you have to be seated in same car and it will further go up and from there and you will take one more Rotating Gandola car which is unique experience and then you finally reach 10,000 Feet above sea level on Mt Titlis where you will come across Snow, snow and some more snow before you reach Cliff walk which is enthralling. The bridge is made between 2 cliffs and its achievement to cross that. Also there is Open Chair lift to come down.

Key Takeaway: Since we were staying in Interlaken we could reach earliest to Mount Titlis by 11 A.M and last cable car from Mt Titlis to Engelberg is 5 P.M. Since we were lost in between we spent quite a bit of time here and there hence couldn't do all activities. So time your visit wisely. At final phase you will find silly DDLJ poster with Raj and Simran...I know its silly but pardes mei DDLJ ka hona, ek photo tho banta hai!

Mistake: We had decided to do Lucerne city tour and Mount Titlis together but Mt titlis has quite a lot to enjoy and if you wish to really have fun one thing at a time do not plan anything else with a mountain especially huge mountain like Titlis.

Learning: Time your visit well otherwise will miss on lot of activities and fun opportunities.

SURPRISE: There is Vegetarian Restaurant just at base of Engelberg cable station called Restaurant Stand and one more surprise you will will find Panorama restaurant where you can find Jain food as well... may be most expensive Vada Pav on earth :p

P.S. When we went the wind was very very very much in speed and Open Chairlift was closed. So when we went to ticket centre and complained because we paid 12CHF per head specially for it they gave us souvenirs coupon costing 20 CHF :) So puchne mei kya jaata hai, always ask! This Mountain is where you can get 50% discount with Swiss Pass.

Key takeaway: Wear you best sunglasses and apply UV creams, if its sunny day you may really get badly tanned up in the snow close to Sun.  

Day 11: Base - Interlaken

Zermatt - They say its Heaven On Earth! but we could not see heaven from quite nearby. They also say that best way to see Zermatt is by seeing Sunrise or Sunset through Matterhorn. One cannot reach Matterhorn except hiking but one can certainly view Matterhorn from best place called Gornegrat view station and easiest way to reach there is by taking furnicular from nearby Zermatt train station. The ticket till up costs 76CHF for which iyou can get 50%  discount if you have Swiss Pass. We had hard luck and by the time we reached Zermatt after 2 hours train journey the cloud had surrounded Matterhorn and there was no point spending for funicular. So we saw partial Matterhorn from the Bridge which is well marked in map. You can pick maps from Tourist information centre right outside Zermatt station.

Key Takeaway: Zermatt is great Ski village which is car free zone and there are many many High end resorts which are quite expensive during Ski Season. Also there are few other options which if fits your budget is best to stay there for a night for marvelous night view of village.While returning from Zermatt you will have to change train in Spiez and may have 15 minutes time in between so all you have to do is exit and take quick photo stop of beautiful lake and scenic beauty of Spiez and then quicky get back. Shhhh its secret way of seeing one more city.

Also, Zermatt has lot of Shopping options. We found Cow bell cheapest in store near Zermatt station. Exactly in right from Information Centre (you will see Red colored Cow statue outside). Further if you walk towards right towards Church you will Find Lindt chocolate Showroom and trust me chocolates here were amazing and cheapest to get back for home.

Also if you are here around Summer you will find beautiful Alphorn players near Zermatt church or may be many other places in Interlaken.

P.S. We also found cheapest souvenirs near Interlaken OST station just next to Paragliding booking centre. We could not go back  to buy from here but we couldnt find anything like those rates anywhere else. So just for information - A small cowbell rates begins from 3.5CHF but its very very very small, smaller than key chain. A reasonable big bell may cost from 7CHF to 30 CHF and then biggest ones offcourse have no limits.

Day 12: Base - Interlaken

Finally DDLJ Moments coming closer :) We visited Glacier 3000, its pretty small mountain compared to other two we visited and quite overdone with Snow :p But we were still enthusiastic! So you have to reach Gstaad from Interlaken and take Bus No 180 from Gstadd to Col Du Pillon and you will be dropped near Cable car station of Glacier 3000 in 40 mins. The drive till cable car from Gstaad is extremely scenic and beautiful.

One can visit snow park there as well which has Tissot Cliff Walk and Open Chair lift. Unfotunately due to wind pressure cliff walk was closed and we attempted to take open chairlift but i must admit it was quite dangerous and fatt ke hath mei aagayi thi :p So you see a perfect and good weather is must must for enjoying mountains. But nothing can stop a group spirit of Gujjus and we started playing Garba to make our body warm :p Wow, that works!

With Swiss Pass one will get 50% discount on this mountain as well and cost around 38CHF. One can keep maximum 3 hours to visit this glacier since its not quite big.

Then come back to Gstadd station by same bus No 180 and enjoy the walk over Promenade which is very very beautiful and apparently lot of Indian Bollywood movies has been shot here. The list of which you can find in Mango Indian Restaurant which is just around the Promenade. May be maximum 1 hour you can spend around strolling here and then come back to Bus 180 and go to Saanen station just across the station you will find the Bridge where Palat scene of DDLJ was shot. It was quite thrilling living those DDLJ moments which i must have seen like soo sooo many times. From that Bridge you will see chapel again DDLJ one... its 10 mins walk away.

SURPRISE: Just outside train station we saw on the board that they have Bollywood tour organized from Saanen which take you around all famous shooting locations and also chocolate factory in Broc.

Key takeaway: Bus 180 runs every half hour so you may want to clic picture on bus stop and kepp for reference and return according to bus timings. Gstaad and Saanen together can take upto 1 to 2 hours depending on your interest and speed and catch back train to Interlaken. Also From Interlaken towards Gstaad, you will change train from Zweissmen and board Golden pass rail. But heh Zweissmen is the same station jaha se Simran ki gaadi chuti thi so dont forget to click yourself with it. You will have good 3 to 4 minutes to also go in front of the shop from where she had bought cow bell and told the shop keeper to keep change right in front of Zweismen station :)

Mistake: We should have probably not attempted this mountain already knowing the climate but we took chance. But one should not and rather plan something else.

Learning: Never go against the tide :) dont challenge climate. We learnt this hard way after Matterhorn and Glacier 3000.

Day 13: Base - Interlaken

After much traveling we were seeking rest but Thank God again that by mid day we got our spirits moving and we headed to another amazing activity to remember - Cheese making factory Le Gruyers and Maison Cailler Chocolate factory. Let the child inside you awake and experience this lovely treats. They are definitely must visit for understanding cheese making process and chocolate making processes.. Quite an eye opener and its so amazing to see how things are made which we consume dearly every now and then.

Key takeaway: Dont rely on google maps. It shows some weird ways to reach. Le Gruyer cheese factory which is just outside the train station may be 50 mts walk away. And Maison Cailler choclate factory as per google maps it will make you get down at Broc Village and walk 1.2 kms but you can get down at its next stop Broc - Fabrique which is just 250 Mts away. Also there are special Chocolate trains and Fondue trains which are quite steep in prices but if you are with kids this may still make sense.

SURPRISE: Both Chocolate factory entry and Cheese factory entrance is included in Swiss Pass, which we were absolutely unaware of.

Learning: There is so much of Chocolate, Nuts and cheese to taste that you certainly have to go empty stomach and you will be sorted till dinner :p

Day 14: Base - Vevey

Felt like an end of an Era :( We had to wrap our 7 days stay in Airbnb. It was so perfect to be here. But with little heavy heart we move our base to Vevey for last 2 Nights in this beautiful country. Today we head to French speaking South province of Switzerland (Why is it called french speaking ? Well, the history will follow in end :) ) Vevey is scenic and pretty but our Heart still belonged to Interlaken. Post check in, in our beautifully located Hotel Bon Rivage on Lake Geneva we headed to Chateau De Chillon. This is very strategically located Castle a bit further from Montreoux (Casino capital of Switzerland). It is most visited Castle in Switzerland as per tourists record. We clearly underestimated its size :p it took us 2 hours to see entire castle.The fun moment was to see the private company dinner organised in the castle and when the guests entered there were dances and trumpets... Aaah so lavish. Yeh idea use karne jaisa hai!

And finally, I could get Cheese Fondue with Snow mountain view just in opposite cafeteria along with some amazing pizzas to enjoy. Though i was looking forward for cheese fondue but honestly i didnt become fan of it. 

Just on Lake Geneva nearby from Station you will find installation of Huge Fork installed between lake and just opposite is Charlie Chaplin statue. Fork of Vevey is 8mts tall and holds Guiness book of World record as tallest installed Fork. 

Key takeaway: Head straight on top of the castle to see most breathtaking views ever. They are postcard perfect.

Just outside Castle they have made beautiful deck leading upto lake and one should not leave this place without photo bombing here :) Well, the entrance to this castle is free with Swiss Pass.

Learning: Do not underestimate the size of castles :p it does take time to see them inside outside throughly and also they had video stations inside for 20 mins movies for which we couldnt give time but one should certainly :) Also we were too tired and could not take a halt at French Riveria famous stop - Montreoux. Funicular 105 stops near Monetroux lake side promenade and if you have time its must to stop here and enjoy the typical French side of Switzerland :) 

Day 15: Base - Vevey

Geneva City Tour: Vevey to Geneva is an hour away journey. Heading to United Nations and feel pride to see Indian Flag. If you are on time then can take an hour of tour inside. Just outside United Nations is Big Broken Chair which symbolizes the Unity. From here straight away one can head to Jet'd Au water fountain right on Lake Geneva and Flower Clock watch right around the garden. One can head to Patek Philip museum  which is open between 2 to 6 pm which is must visit for fan of wathces. Best thing is to explore lake side by taking cruise of 1 hour around Lake Geneva. Last cruise at 4.30 PM and runs every hour from 12.30 PM. In return we took a halt at Aubonn for some more chocolate shopping :)

SURPRISE - Aubonn has Outlet Mall and you will go nuts to see the prices here. Basically they are all Brands shopping factory outlet and you may get lucky to get something for great deal. Recommended atleast half day visit.

I was not a fan of city tour and i think i can confirm after being there, personally i would have preffered being around village more than being in city.

Key Learning: Wherever you stay in Switzerland you will get Day passes which would be valid in local buses and trams adn may have some local sightseeing discounts attached with it. So if you do not wish to travel too far and is falling short from Swiss Pass days you can rely on these passes as well.

Mistake: I am calling it a mistake but it may not be actually. I think we should have based ourselves for last 2 days somewhere near airport or in village. Vevey is beautiful town of French Riveria and its gives total feel of being in France but Swiss village with Swiss chalet is amazingly different and valley has its charm for which you are there :)

Some tips on important things:

Food: So we are Pure Jain people and prefer fresh food. Switzerland is super super expensive for eating out. Just for example a Normal Indian Sabzi costs 20 to 25 Francs, so a one time meal for  2 can be anywhere around 40 to 50 CHF depending on you apetite :p

Coop, Migros and LIDL are almost available everywhere, you can find Breads, Butter, Salads, veges, lot of amazing fruits here. LIDL seemed cheapest for buying in bulk some Cheese or Chocolates for souvenirs back home for family and friends.

Breakfast - We had taken ready to make Upma and Poha home made. (You can message me for recipes separately :p)

Lunch - Mostly we took out Salads and Sandwiches with some khakhras and chips to top it up. Also we had made huge quantuty of Sukhadi (Gujju sweet made from Wheat flour, Jaggery and Ghee) so it used to be both filling and strength giving.  We also ventured into taking Biryani and Pastas in some occasions and it was definitely good to repeat.

Dinner - So we had taken rice cooker with us and had apartment in Interlaken. So we used to make some Daal rice or Khichadi or Sabzis and have it with Corn Pesso tortilas which were much available from Coop.

Cheese Fondue: Switzerland is founder of this amazing dish (not that i am fan :p) but beware if you are 4 and want to share 1 amongst 4 you have to pay cover charges. So better ask before you order. Generally Cheese Fondue costs 25 to 35 CHF depending on different places.

Must Try: Pizza and Pastas in Italy a must try. The olive oil they used was so different and yummy that it felt like all together a different food. We had best Pizza in San Giovanni in Tuscany.

Accomodation:

In Italy : Always stay near Metro station. This is basic thumb rule for happy and convenient travel. Rome and Florence didnt have easy availability of elevators and carrying luggage can be a task. So pack light, travel light!

In Switzerland: Its offcourse best to stay near stations but in Switzerland Bus connectivity  is fantastic so you can consider booking place near Bus stop and plan your connectivity accordingly. What i understand from my stay there is if you are like us and want to cook at home and changing base is a issue then base yourself somewhere in central place like Interlaken. Much depends on your Itinerary that what would be central location for you.

Traveling:

In Italy:  In Rome we took 48 hours pass for 12 EUR and in Milan 48 hours pass for 8 EUR. Florence is much smaller and you may not need such passes. All the more its very bike friendly. Inter city travel by in Italian trains is super easy and efficient. There are two trains like Train Italio and Trenitalia. the former one is cheaper and equally good. More details for the same is in below article. Inter city trains are super fast and can run upto 300kms/hr. Best article i found on train traveling in Italy is -
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187768-c19328/Italy:Italy.Train.Travel.html

Swiss Pass: So you must have understood by now that Swiss Pass is magical. It just works for anything in Switzerland including cable cars to reach up the mountains. But it comes with a cost :) there are 2 types of Swiss Pass : 1) Flexi pass and 2) Consecutive pass. There are fixed umber of days for which you can buy pass as following - 1) 3 Days Pass for 232CHF, 2) 4 days Pass for 281 CHF, 3)8  Days pass for 481 CHF and 4) 15 Days Pass for 513 CHF *These are second class rates there is also first class available.

Difference is - you get few preferences in cue when you have first class pass and also in trains 1st class compartments are different. Well i thought Second class was quite great in itself with not much difference. 

There is another Concept called Swiss Half Fare Card - best to my understanding this is best for people who keep changing base and do not have to travel much. This Pass makes everything at 50% discount.

Best way to know all information for travel in switzerland is by this App: https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/travel-in-switzerland/international-guests/swiss-travel-pass.html

Its super accurate and dont rely on google many times its plays funny. But SBB app is spot on correct!

By Road: EUROPCAR, AVIS are some of the options for car rental. I am not best person to guide for this but best to my understanding the routes covered by Trains are so scenic and beautifully carved that why to drive?

Luggage Management:

In Italy: Be rest assured that every big train station has luggage storage which you can utilise for few bucks (varies in every station) for parking your luggage if you want to take a city tour of one place and move on ahead from that train station same day then this is good option.

In Switzerland: SBB is a rockstar, they not only have luggage storage on most of the important stations but also have facility to transport your luggage ahead of you in case you want to stop over in one city for a day and reach your destination a day or two later and dont want to carry your huge bags. You can uses SBB services and they will transport it to the station of your next destination. And they are pretty accurate. We didnt use this service but we saw in couple of trains luggage being handled and they were spot on Neatly done! 

 

Packing tips:

1. Do not dare to carry more than required stuff. Most of the times you will be in Jackets or sweaters so rather use yur luggage for packing some different sweater, jacket and stoles.

2. Generally in Apartments you may get washers so you can repeat your clothes so pack accordingly. Even if you dont get washer, there are lot of laundry facilities and its wiser to use that.

3. STRICTLY PACK LIGHT and not more than 1 bag per head and 1 haversack. We carried lot of food and rice cooker, etc so we could not reduce luggage from 1 check in bag per head but if you are going to rely for food from out then carry less bags.

Currency:
In Italy,  Euro is accepted currency in Italy. they accept cards almost everywhere except street shopping offcourse. In Switzerland CHF or Francs is accepted currency. Som places they do take Euro but they will return change in Francs and Euro would be taken equivalent to Francs which is offcourse expensive affair. HK Credit card  charges around 1-2% after currency conversion and Indian cards are very expensive because charges can go upto 5.5%. Best is to fill in currency in your Bank cards if you are traveling from India. Like Axis Bank or ICICI bank or whichever issues foreign currency cards. They work best and gives best rates with minimal overhead charges. Do not convert Eur to Francs, again its expensive in Switzerland. Its best to carry two separate currencies. Limit your cash because Italy we had heard stories of too much notoriety. We didn't face any though. But we bought the travel sling which is quite thin and to be worn inside your t-shirt so you can keep passports and any big cash safely inside it and no one can notice :)    

Scenic Train Routes:

So there are couple of scenic route trains specially made with huge windows (though all the latest made train in Switzerland has much more bigger window and are equally beautiful and go through same paths as scenic routes). Some of the most known ones are Golden pass line, Bernina Express, Glacier Express. More information can be found on SBB for this. Though my personal experience is to first build your itinerary and then check which train journey you can fit in. Other way round may get tricky. 

People also love to see cities like Bern, Zurich, Lucerne, Lausanne, Basel and more villages like St Moritz, Chur, Lugano, etc and more of moutnains like Eiger, Mt Rigi, etc but that certainly needs atleast 20 day tour or more of Switzerland to fit everything in one go. 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” —Mark Twain

A best concluding picture cannot be best then this :) We put our heart somewhere in Switzerland and departed with aching heart to depart from Switzerland and Italy and then bidding adieu to Bhai and UB in Dubai! But with hope to meet family soon!

#MehtaBothersOnroll #KothariShahDaughtersRock #SwitzerlandTrip #ItalyTrip #MassiveEuroTrip2k19 #DreamDestination #BucketList #MustGo #WeLoveToTravel #TravelBudget