40-Day Nomadic Experience Unveiled.

Hello everyone,

It's been long since I last wrote mainly due to the fact that I was traveling insanely in the last 40 odd days and that's exactly what I chose to write about this time.

Having finished all my work & getting done with last minute preparations I was looking forward to reach my first destination i.e. 'Bombay' from Dubai.

It was a fantastic feeling to be at the Bombay airport after almost a year. However the excitement turned into frustration in no time, thanks to the insane traffic that took me almost 2 hours to get to my place.

Having gotten home and knowing I had merely 10 days on my hand before my trip to Thailand, I wanted to do as much as possible. Unfortunately that had to take a back seat as I ended up falling sick twice in a matter of 10 days. On a positive note, I was glad to have recovered and be fit for my trip to Thailand.

Finally the day arrived, when I was set to leave for Thailand from Bombay, along with my mate. The most random plan I ever made was actually 'working' to my surprise. Our start off destination in Thailand was Bangkok followed by Phuket, Koh Samui & Krabi respectively. Since we barely had a little over a week to cover 4 places, we spent 17-18 hours per day out of our hotel and barely managed to get 4 hours of sleep daily. In addition, since time was of the essence we decided to take a flight to every destination, which meant being in a different hotel & at a different airport every 2 days.

The city of Bangkok certainly had a lot to offer for everyone. A must visit for 'shopaholics' and for those who wish to experience an unconstrained nightlife. Phuket too like Bangkok is quite famous for its 'unconstrained' nightlife especially 'Bangla Street. 'Patong Beach in Phuket is one of the most happening destinations for tourists. A great spot to unwind with a beverage in hand; a must visit for beach lovers. What made my trip to Phuket really interesting is the 'seven islands speed boat tour', where I got to witness some of the most exotic places in a matter of 10-12 hours. My favorite one being 'Maya Bay.' The 7 island tour is a must for anyone heading to Phuket.

After Phuket, we flew down to Koh-Samui. Since our hotel was located near Chaweng beach, one of the most popular hangout areas for tourists, commuting to main market was easy. For nightlife, I got to experience one of the finest beach club parties at 'Ark Bar Beach Resort' a must visit for party goers. After partying the night away, in barely 3 hours we had to rush for a city tour of Samui in 4WD which was one of the most adventurous experiences of mine in Thailand. At last came Krabi, the final destination on our list which was more like 'party your last night away' spot for us as we had merely 14-16 hours before flying to Bangkok the next morning and thereafter a flight to Bombay in a span of 3 hours.

Thailand, a destination I would go to over and over again for the places it has to offer and the amazing people you get to connect with- Simply fabulous.

There was no break after reaching Bombay as I had a flight to Amritsar scheduled in less than 48 hours; to kick off my 'India Road Trip.' The plan was to explore Manali, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala & Amritsar in little over a week which meant a lot of time on the road and new hotel stays every 2 days.

Having reached Amritsar with my sis and a friend who joined us from Dubai, we got ourselves prepared for a 9 hour (more like 11 hour) drive to Manali, since there are no commercial flights heading there as yet (only private jets). The road trip took its toll on me, especially after all the traveling I had already done. Nonetheless, the view from the hotel room, frosty weather and delicious breakfast next morning took away my entire exhaustion. Since I was aware of the fact that 'Manali' is a place for adventure, I set myself in the act for Skiing, River Crossing & River Rafting- A remarkable experience to say the least.

After Manali, the next spot on the list was Mcleod Ganj, a popular hangout destination for 'Firangs' and a place known for all the wrong reasons. On a personal front, I did not find much to explore in Mcleod Ganj barring a few spots like the Dalai Lama Temple & Dal Lake. My evenings in Mcleod Ganj were more relaxing, where I spent more time at the hotel watching IPL. Following the Mcleod Ganj tour, the next destination was Dharamshala, which again like Mcleod Ganj did not have much to explore besides HPCA Stadium & War Memorial. A cricket fan cannot walk out of Dharamshala without seeing the HPCA stadium. Its one of the most beautiful cricket grounds I have ever come across.

Last but not the least was to explore the city of Amritsar, mainly for Golden Temple & Wagah Border. I was quite ecstatic about the Wagah Border Ceremony, although after getting there, I had a disastrous experience as getting inside the stadium to watch the ceremony was next to impossible unless one reaches the place 4-5 hours prior or is a 'Firang.' Having to stay in the heat for almost 2 and half hours and not being able to get in for a 20 minute ceremony was quite painful. On the other hand, the experience at Golden Temple was something I'll never forget. In short, the much talked about 'Golden Temple' in Amritsar truly lived up to its reputation. Manali and Amritsar are the places I intend to go back to for adventure & Golden Temple respectively.

Finally, after an intensive week long road trip the day arrived when I had to fly back to Bombay and the term 'rest' still had to be out of my dictionary; as I was directly heading to 'Wankhede Cricket Stadium' from the airport with family to watch MI take on KKR (IPL). Yes, there was temptation to take a break and watch it at home, but then voice inside me & my sis said 'Jai, you can't miss this one' and I fell in to the trap. Nonetheless, it was a cracker of a contest resulting in MI's win and of course at the end of it I was extremely glad to have fallen into the trap of that voice & my sis who pushed me to get to the stadium for the experience was totally worth it.

After the nail biting contest, I was finally able to get some rest on my side for few days in Bombay before again hitting the road for 'Lonavla' with family. The drive back and forth was quite tiring. Nonetheless, the 4 hour break in a hotel helped me de-stress. After the trip, I had 4 days in Bombay most of which was spent with family and in completing 'to do list' before heading off to Dubai.

To sum it up, this was one of the most memorable trips I have done in awhile. 9 destinations, 11 flights, 20 + hours on the road & 8 different hotel stays covered in 40 days time was truly an adventure and all this fun could not have been possible without my friends and family who accompanied me in this episode.

Until next time, ADIOS!

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