A quick break by the lakes- Sattal & Naukuchiatal, India

An exhausting 8 hour drive followed by a moonlit ride across the lake, and a short trek was not the way I was expecting to start a vacation. But the minute we reached our campsite at Sattal, the exhaustion disappeared.

A little over an hour away from Nainital, Sattal and Naukuchiatal are part of the beautiful series of lakes that takes over most of this region in Uttarakhand.

Sattal Lake, Uttarakhand

Further away, hard to reach, and smaller than the others, Sattal is far less commercial but every bit as beautiful as its nearby lake sisters. With campsites rather than hotels, trekking spots rather than restaurants, Sattal is a must visit if your holiday plan is back to nature

We spent 2 nights in Sattal, followed by a drive to visit the nearby Bhimtal, and ended our trip with a night in Naukuchiatal. We found Naukuchiatal just as pretty, but far more modern.

TO DO:

In Sattal, you can trek, rappel, kayak through the day, and follow it up with a simple dinner by the campsite at night. We were really lucky to get a fantastic guide who knew the area, so we spent a rather active day in the hills and around the lake. Trekking is a must do; just an hour climb gives you a view of the Bhimtal lake and the Sattal lake.

The forest we trekked through

Rappelling was a first for us. Our guide asked us to follow him to the forest, where he identified a bunch of trees. After which he checked the height (a good 20 feet), tied rope around the tree, tested the strength, and asked us to climb backwards. This was definitely the most rustic way to go, and added to the fun of the whole experience. Needless to say, it was very safe.

Rappelling

Once we reached Naukuchiatal, we decided it was time to put our feet up and have a lazy day. Our only activity was kayaking around the tiny lake.

TO STAY:

We loved the atmosphere at the Getaway Jungle camp in Sattal. The tents were comfortable, but of course we needed to carry our own sheets. The toilets were clean.

Getaway Jungle Camp

We chose the Lake Village in Naukuchiatal, and absolutely loved it. With a beautiful lake view, and amazing music, it was peaceful and perfect. During our stay, we found out that the owner ran a music school in the hotel, guaranteeing that you had some talented future singers serenading you while you enjoy your meal.

View from Lake Village

TO SPEND:

The camp cost 60 USD per night, with meals included, and our hotel at Naukuchiatal was 150 USD per night with breakfast and dinner included.

5 Indian Vacations NOT to do this summer (and the ones to do instead)

I’ve come to realize that some of the most beautiful places from 10-15 years ago are now over crowded, or have lost their charm. Luckily, India being such a huge country with varied landscapes, there are many newer options to visit. Here are some Indian summer destinations I would choose over the ones I picked 10 years ago.

Sattal instead of Nainital, Uttarakhand– Nainital started out as a gorgeous hill station with a beautiful lake, 6 hours away from Delhi. The prettiest and largest of the 9 lakes in the area, it became the perfect summer break. Till it opened more hotels, sold more land for summer homes and just had more visitors than it could handle. Luckily for us, the close by Naukuchiatal and Sattal have similar beauty and far less people. Choose Naukuchiatal if you are looking for a peaceful summer break in a nice hotel, or Sattal if you would like to go camping by the lake

Sattal, Uttarakhand

Kasauli rather than Shimla, Himachal Pradesh– With its lovely cool weather even in the summer, Shimla was an obvious choice for summer vacations. In fact it was chosen as the summer capital by the British during their time in India. Till it reached a point where walking in the main town area was no longer fun. The newer spots are now Chail or Kasauli. Both are perfect for a weekend of long walks, lazing around and beautiful scenery.

Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh

Pawna Lake over Khandala town, Maharashtra– Khandala used to be the little hill station 2 hours away from Bombay, the perfect break for any season. Unfortunately too many people thought so, and many bungalows were replaced by hotels so much so that the main street of the town now looks more like a crowded city. For close by options, try Pawna Lake. Or if you are willing to drive a bit longer, try Bandhardhara instead. While it is further away, its lush green landscapes and minimal population make it completely worth it.

Pawna Lake, Maharashtra

South Goa rather than North Goa– Don’t get me wrong, I still love Goa. Its just parts of Goa like Baga and Calangute beaches which were my favourite a few years ago are now crowded and filthy. Definitely not what you expect in a beach vacation. Luckily for us, Morjim has become the new hot-spot with its beauty and a great vibe. Else there is the always gorgeous South Goa with its white sands and calming waters. Or a beautiful, more recent discovery is Ganpatipule a few hours drive away from Goa.

Leela, South Goa

Pushkar over Mount Abu, Rajasthan– Yes, there are beautiful old palaces converted into hotels, the lovely Dilwara temple, and crocodiles to see at Mount Abu. But unfortunately, the temple is crowded, the crocodile tank is dirty, and just beautiful hotels don’t make for a perfect holiday. Overall, Mount Abu is not terrible, but compared to the better options today, it’s disappointing. But with a state that has so much to offer, there are many more options in Rajasthan. Pushkar, with its lake and temples is a perfect spiritual break, and with its colourful streets, a treat for the eyes.

Pushkar, Rajasthan

2 Weeks in New Zealand – Breathtaking views & adventure sports

If you are looking for breathtaking landscapes, fantastic food and wine peppered with some exhilarating adventure sports New Zealand is it.

The best way to enjoy this beautiful country is to drive right through it. We spent 2 weeks, and loved every minute. Here’s our guide to the perfect 2 week trip:

Day 1: We reached Christchurch in the morning, hired an SUV and drove to Mount Cook. The drive was 5 hours long during which we drove past the beautiful Lake Tekapo and stopped for lunch at MacKenzie’s cafe bar and grill. We carried on to Mt Cook where we stayed the night.
TO DO: Must see the Mount Cook Aoraki glacier. Although the lake is beautiful we found the boating trip quite boring.
TO STAY: We chose the Hermitage, and picked out a room that faces Mt. Cook.
TO EAT: Steak of course. We ate the pork belly at the Panoramic Restaurant at our hotel and would highly recommend it.

Day 2 to 6: The next place on the list was the lovely quaint Queenstown where we spent 5 days. The drive was 4.5 hours long, and as expected beautiful.
TO DO:
1. Wine tasting: While there are regular tours, the best way to do this is book Funny French Cars – the personalised wine tour in vintage Citroen cars
2. Arrowtown: We took a lunch trip to this historic gold mining town where you can watch movie in old style cinema.
3. Bungee jumping: We jumped from the first ever bungee jumping location at Kawarao Bridge

4. Rafting: We rafted through the day, a must do at the Shotover lake
5. Sky diving: The ultimate thrill jumping off a plane. Unfortunately we missed this
TO STAY: The Rees is fantastic. Do choose an apartment facing the lake
TO EAT: We tried every kind of meat. We would recommend eating the leg of lamb at Botswana Butchery, trying the insanely large burger at Fergburger, and the venison burger at Devil Burger 

Day 7: We left Queenstown for Wanaka where we stayed the night.
TO DO: Walk by the lake on the beautiful walking track, stop, breathe in the air, and take some pictures.
TO STAY: We loved Ferryman’s cottage which was an adorable bed and breakfast run by a wonderful couple. Don’t miss their signature breakfast.

Day 8 to 10: We drove to Franz Joseph Glacier and stayed here for 3 nights
TO DO: Check out the phenomenal expanse of white, either from the air by a helicopter tour, or by foot with the walking tour. Both are fantastic, and we would recommend doing both.

TO STAY: We had 5 star luxury in a little wooden lodge at the Westwood Lodge
Day 11: We then drove to the quiet seaside town of Greymouth

TO DO: Visit the seals at Seal colony, drive by the apostles on the sea front, take in the natural wonder of the Pancake rocks and refresh yourself with a sampling beer platter at the Monteith’s Brewery

TO STAY: Breakers Boutique Resort, it is a beautiful sea facing resort

Day 13: We drove back to Christchurch and stayed for 1 night
TO DO: Unfortunately this beautiful quaint city was almost destroyed in the earthquake, so there was not much to do besides visit a few pubs and restaurants.

TO STAY: The George – a lovely 5 star hotel facing the Hagley Park.
TO VISIT: Black Betty which has a relaxed environment with live music (visit before 4pm). Other than that we liked the very ‘propah’ Strawberry Fare and tried the brunch at Under The Red Verandah

 

Guest Blogger- Gaurav

Serenity and Beach Love in Redang, Malaysia

The South China Sea has the most beautiful deep blue water. The clear kind so you can see fish a couple of feet under you. And the little island of Redang is right in the middle of this sea. Redang is an incredible place to dive. Or relax. Or get away from it all by surrounding yourself with miles and miles of perfect blue.

TO DO:

Dive, snorkel, play beach volley ball or lie by the beach and stare at the idyllic blue. There are diving courses for amateurs depending on how many days you spend in Redang. All divers and snorkelers definitely see the beautiful corals. The lucky ones see sea turtles.

The main tips for amateur divers are- find a good buddy, ensure you have no ear pressure issues, take the training class very seriously, and stay calm in the water.

Jet Skiing and Water Skiing are banned to protect the corals, so the only other water activity you can try out is kayaking.

TO STAY:

We landed up staying at a secluded diver’s lodge –Redang Kalong which would have been a better bet for serious divers rather than us casual holiday goers. In fact diving is such serious business here that the owners of the lodge are called fish whisperers because they can spot or hear any fish.

A day into our holiday though, we discovered another beautiful resort – Laguna Redang Island Resort– literally across the thicket of trees that we assumed led into more seclusion. It became the perfect mix of isolation and activity, as and when required. Redang is a must visit if you’re a beach person and/or a diver.

Tiger Sightings in Ranthambore, India

Seeing tigers in the wild has been unchecked on the bucket list for too long. It was time to end it, hence the visit to India’s tiger capital – Ranthambore. A beautiful wildlife sanctuary in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, Ranthambore national park is almost 400 sq kms and locals claim it has close to 40 tigers. Given the number of tigers, the vast population of deer, and the fact that these tigers are used to seeing humans, Ranthambore is the safest and surest way to see a wild tiger in India.

We spent 2 nights in Sawai Madhopur, giving ourselves just 1 full day to spot a wild tiger. 2 safari’s later, our wish was granted.

TO DO

The park is beautiful, with a pretty lake right in the middle and a number of peacocks, spotted and sambar deer all over. However, like most tourists, our only objective was a tiger sighting.

Tigers don’t live in packs; they hunt alone, and only interact with the others when mating. In fact the male tiger usually lands up killing his own cubs, so the female runs away when she is pregnant. Given the territorial nature of the tigers, each one occupies an area for itself, which is why the park rangers were aware of the general areas some of the tigers lived in.

For our 1^st safari we were in a private open gypsy. With just 5 of us in the gypsy, and a choice not to follow the set path that the bigger vehicles (the canters) must follow, we were pretty sure that it would be our lucky day. Imagine our disappointment 3 hours later when the canter with 25 people was boasting about their sighting, and we just had paw-mark sightings to talk about. Of course we made the decision that our second safari would be on the canter.

For our second safari, we spent over an hour in one spot, quite sure that a tiger was close by. A walkie-talkie update told us that another tiger had been sighted, and we rushed to another area of the park. Unfortunately we missed the tiger and it was time for the park to shut. While driving back dejectedly, we saw a crowd of canters in the spot we had just left. And my heart stopped – low and behold, just 10 feet away, there she was. T-19 as she had been labelled by the park rangers strolled right by us in her majestic glory. Her coat a faded orange, she almost blended right into the tall dried grass around her. Waiting for 6 hours over 2 safaris was completely worth it once we saw this beauty.

A lucky bonus on our way out of the park was an extremely rare sighting of a black bear. Luckily this majestic beast was over 30 feet away from us; any closer is quite dangerous.

For an alternative tiger sighting option, we were told that the pond close to our hotel was frequented by tigers and leopards at night. Of course, if you try this option, you have to stay in your car throughout, walking around is an instant way to become leopard meat.

The other thing we found interesting was to go check out some block prints, tie-dye and patchwork handicrafts made by a local women’s self help group Dastkar.

TO GO

Anytime between October to June is fine. However, winter months December to February are very cold and summer months May and June have soaring temperatures upto 48 degrees Celsius. The park is shut through the monsoon months- 1^st July to 30^th September.

TO STAY

We chose Nahargarh which was just 5 minutes away from the park entrance. In spite of being a new construction, it resembled an old palace with a beautiful exterior, and lovely high beds

TO REACH

We drove from Delhi, it took us 8 hours to reach, but with a shorter route and an earlier morning, only 6 hours to return

TO SPEND

Rooms cost us approximately USD 220 per night, and the safaris were under USD 20 per person.

5 Remote Islands to visit in Asia

Walking on pure white sands, swimming in turquoise blue water clear enough to see fish around me has always been the dream. I love everything about beaches- the marine life, snorkelling, swimming, getting a tan, sitting by the beach or any sea sport. My island & beach wishlist is endless, here are some of the top contenders for my next vacation:

Raja Ampat Islands – Indonesia:  Aren’t the far out ones always the best? Raja Ampat islands look like heaven on earth. With clear blue waters and marine life that includes corals, manta rays, sea turtles and even sharks Raja Ampat is a dream diving destination.  You can spend your days snorkelling, diving or visiting other islands, and your nights in homestays or diving resorts. A flight away from Bali or Jakarta, Raja Ampat is for serious beach lovers.  Definitely top on my list. 

 

Palawan Islands – Philippines:  An island with a difference, Palawan is not just famous for its diving and marine life, but also for a number of hiking options. Reachable by air from Manila, Palawan is photographed for its limestone cliffs, lagoons and beaches.

 

Phu Quoc – Vietnam: Situated in the Gulf of Thailand Phu Quoc is a 45 minute flight away from Ho Chi Minh. Phu Quoc is a newer discovery which has the potential to become really popular in the next couple of years. Luckily while its still low key, its the perfect island break to dive, swim or cycle.

 

Andaman Islands – India: With marine life and a geographical landscape that looks like no other, and unique sightings like elephants in the sea, the Andamans are unlike any other part of India. With a host of diving schools and resorts, you can spend a week or even a month here and rejuvenate from city life.

 

The Palau Islands – Palau: An island country in the Pacific ocean, Palau is serious diver destination. Reachable by air from Japan or the US, Palau is a difficult but not impossible vacation. Famous for swimming with sharks or visiting (but not swimming in) jellyfish lakes, Palau is not for the faint-hearted. Another top on my list of offbeat beach holidays.

Jakarta, Indonesia

As part of the world’s largest archipelago, this capital city is similar to the rest of South East Asia, but different in that it probably has the nicest people. I was lucky enough to visit Jakarta a couple of times for work, and while I missed on some of the regular touristy events, I managed to see a different, real life side of the city.

With a huge population, and a thriving commercial district, the main street in the city will remind you of Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. The earlier governance was very proud and always felt that Jakarta should be comparable to any major commercial city- and ensured the city centre makes Indonesia look like a developed nation

TO DO:
Shop, eat, walk through the busy streets, try to speak a bit of Bahasa. Of course if you have the time visit Bali for a perfect culture and beach holiday. If you have more time, take the trip to Raja Ampat- the ultimate diving destination- hard to reach but as pictures suggest, well worth it. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to either place.

A must visit in the city is old city of Batavia called Old town. It’s a 3 hour exercise and you can just spend those hours walking through the rundown streets.

Aside from an almost daily massage at the best spas, restaurants, clubs and malls are what I visited most in Jakarta.

TO EAT:
One of my nicest experiences in Jakarta was walking down the road from my hotel and chancing upon a pretty little bungalow and realizing that it was actually a restaurant. The balcony was full of tables, the kitchen was where the home kitchen was, and the dining room had the nicest biggest table. It was a restaurant called Dapoer, one of the recent conversions from a home to a restaurant.The chicken satay and nasi goreng are a must try for local food

My favourite meal by far however was at restaurant+nightclub Blowfish. Fusion Asian food with a spectacular variety in sushi. It was here I finally mastered the art of using chopsticks, not without some embarrassing instances though

NIGHTLIFE:
Jakarta is incredible for its nightlife. The schedule is, go home from work, eat dinner by around 8pm, start getting ready, and finally leave your house fully ready at 11pm. Once you enter, the party’s just starting and you can be out till 5am or in some clubs, the next day. On my first night there I landed up going for a fantastic party organized by Malboro at an old train station.

My favourite club was Dragonfly– saw some of the best dressed people and tried out some of the best alcohol. Definitely a must visit for anyone there who likes nightclubs

TO STAY:

I’ve tried out a couple of different hotels in Jakarta, but my favourite is definitely Grand Kemang at Kemang. The hotel fits the bill in terms of facilities and food, has a cute bar, but its best advantage is location. Right in the heart of the area, Kemang which is lively at any hour- even 4am. In fact 4am is when I got most of my street shopping done in Kemang.
For a quieter time, there’s a little boutique hotel – Gran Mahakam at Mahakam, the hotel has an excellent breakfast, but the area has no night life. If its more of a corporate trip, the main strip is an option- but that’s restrictive because you can’t move around without transport

TO SPEND:
If zeroes are not your thing, be prepared to get highly confused with the Indonesian currency. I spent most of my time counting millions and then converting amounts into dollars. Everything costs over ‘one million rupiah’.

Food and massages are really cheap- you could manage both meals and a massage in approximately 75 USD a day. Staying is usually about 150 USD a night for a great hotel, and cabs – the easiest way to travel around are reasonable.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires, the commercial and political capital of Argentina is like any big city – easy to travel around in, noisy, full of busy people. The city gives off a happy natural vibe from the beginning. Away from the paradise that is Rio, Buenos Aires is more livable

Anyone can tell this city, once capital to the worlds’ most prosperous nation has obviously faced some economic downturn. With footpaths having some stones out of place, with its streets a bit old with potholes, older cars, cabs and buses, you get the feeling of a very real city.

The people are helpful, inspite of the language barrier; they make an attempt to talk to you.

The best way to experience Buenos Aires is walking or cycling through it.

TO DO:

The obelisk, which is on the widest street in the world. In the middle of the most crowded part of the city, this monument is a pretty photo op, but not much else.

The ‘pink house’ (roughly translated from Spanish) is the Prime Ministers headquarters, another nice place to go see from the outside. Every Thursday, the mothers of children lost during the city’s biggest political rife during the 70s gather outside the house in a peaceful protest. Protesters wear head scarves which is what they are recognized by

La Recoleta cemetery:
When we were told to visit the cemetery as tourists, we balked at the idea- I mean cemeteries are creepy right? Well, not always. La Recoleta- the cemetery in the middle of the city is like a pretty little city. Full of tall tombstones, with a different sculpture assigned to each different grave, this place is a work of art. Just a street away from the bustle of the city, is a mini city that fills you with calm. The tomb stones that fill up the cemetery are those of famous and rich persons from the early 1900s.

Florida Street:
One of the longest tourist streets in the world, this street is amidst the hustle and bustle of the main city running right through the business centre of the city. The street is jam-packed with stores- branded & unbranded, street vendors, street entertainment like mimes and singers. Definitely a must to walk through

Home to a number of global street artists, the city is full of graffiti- some of it colourful and pretty, some just statements screamed out in ugly black ink. The laws against graffiti are lax, giving artists freedom to express themselves on walls. If you are interested, they have tours (Graffiti mundo) which can take you around to see the city’s prettiest walls along with give you some information on the recent history.

TO STAY:
While downtown is popular for those who have come for a couple of days of work in the city, it is only a commercial district with no night-life. Palermo Soho & Palermo Hollywood are the two nicest streets to stay in. Palermo Soho has beautiful streets, lined with stores, restaurants and bars. Local industry is encouraged by the government, which is why local brands have huge stores while 3-4 international brands share single stores.

We stayed at the Mine Boutique hotel in Palermo Soho, a cute boutique hotel with fantastically helpful staff, and an incredible breakfast. The receptionist spent over an hour updating us on things to do within the city, and sent us a bottle of champagne to enjoy our honeymoon.

TO KNOW:

All of South America with the exception of Brazil speaks Spanish. Learn the key words to help you get around

Safety: Enough people have had bad experiences in Argentina to be scared. Stick to crowded places, don’t walk around with much cash, any expensive phones or bags in your hand, keep passports in your hotel safe. Any extravagant show of wealth gets instant attention, so tone down your clothes and bags

Packing: Buenos Aires has a warm and humid summer, and a cold winter. Pack your casual best and ensure you have a good pair of walking shoes to visit the whole city

Getting around: Buses or cabs are easy for tourists. We travelled by bus a couple of times, it was fairly simple once our hotel gave us the bus number. For nights though, buses are a no-no- its safer to take a cab. Always carry your hotel address and number

A great way to travel close distances in the cities are cycles- most cities have a specific bike lane, and the option of picking up a cycle at one spot, and dropping it off at another

TO SPEND:

You can get great boutique hotels in about $150 per night, and assume another $150 for daily expenses

TO EAT:

Lots and lots of steak, and other red meats. Argentina has the best beef which goes perfectly well with Malbec red wines- which are the most popular wines from the vineyards of Mendonza.

In case you can’t handle much red meat, try their salads or salami sandwiches. For breakfast our hotel had the best pancakes topped with dulche de leche- their caramel sauce which is a must try.

Also try alfajores- these dulche de leche and chocolate biscuit sandwiches which are absolutely a must have. Havana sells the best ones, we took some home for our families and they were wiped out

El Calafate, Argentina

A pretty little town in the Argentinian side of Patagonia, the first thing that strikes you about El Calafate is the turquoise blue water. And then you look up and you can see that the sky has its own shade of blue. Most tourists come to this town to see the Perito Moreno glacier which is about 100km away from the city’s centre.

TO DO:

Use up all your energy and hike through the Perito Moreno Glacier. Make up and relax at any of the ranches or estancias.

The ranches are beautiful old structures in the midst of beautiful natural surroundings like brooks and little lakes, these ranches usually have options like horse riding, archery, mountain biking. All are great options, but I would recommend horse riding which would be fantastic to take in the beautiful scenery. Estancia Christina is the prettiest ranch and a must visit if you have the whole day. We had less time so we visited a ranch closer to the city.

 

Perito Moreno Glacier:

Words, pictures, videos would all fail to do justice to one of the most breathtaking sights I’ve ever seen. The 3rd most important ice body in the world after Antartica and Greenland, the Perito Moreno glacier is a natural marvel that grows even in the summer.

The glacier, which can be reached by car and then boat forms a huge national park which is beautifully maintained.

While the glacier is simply beautiful to look at and take pictures, the most exciting activity you can do here is a glacier walk. There are two options- the mini trek (approx 2.5 hours) or the Big Ice (6 hours). We chose to do the big ice, definitely one of the most rewarding and tiring experience of our lives.

The Big Ice starts by climbing up a mountain for about an hour. The weather while cold, did not affect us much- since we were constantly walking.  Once at base camp, they fitted us with crampons which we would use once we started walking on the ice. After an hour and a half of an exhausting hike up and down the mountain, we reached the ice. It was incredible – suddenly white, calm, cool and beautiful. With our crampons on out guides trained us how to walk on ice. (Its pretty simple- feet apart in a very wide ‘V’, and step hard in the ice. When walking on a steep slope, one foot straight ahead, the other at 90 degrees to keep your balance. )

Trekking through the ice was a beautiful experience. Often the path is not fixed even by the guides, so it is important to stay close to your group while they figure out the way forward. At times they used their shovels to break the ice and create steps/paths as required.

While walking through, we found dozens of deep blue crevices, no one could tell how deep.

After walking for at least 3 hours with minimal break time, we reached a spot we found suitable for lunch. My favourite part was when they broke 300 year old ice to put in the liqueur we carried in our little hip flasks.

The way back was equally tiring, but well worth the exhaustion. We encountered quite a few streams and filled our bottles with the most refreshing water- the only thing that could tackle the exhaustion.

TO KNOW:

If you are a hiking novice like me you will need:

• Stamina (lots of it)
• A bagpack
• Hiking shoes (don’t compromise on these, your feet need all the support they can get)
• Optional winter clothes (light and heavy jackets/ perhaps a ski jacket- the best advice we got- dress like an onion, when needed pull off or add layers)
• Packed lunch- something light and portable- perhaps a ham and cheese sandwich
• A bottle of water (remaining water can be filled in the stream)
• A hip-flask of whisky/baileys (to drink with ice from the glacier)

Since the glacier is the main highlight of the town, you can rent all of the above at any of the stores in the area. All hotels do a packed lunch for you

TO STAY:

We chose Design Suites Calafate, a beautiful property overlooking the lake, just a few kilometres away from the city centre.

The staff was very helpful and booked all our outings for us

TO SPEND:

Look to spend about USD 600 for the Big Ice hike per person, or USD 200 for the mini trek. The ranch visit cost us USD 150 for each person, and staying was not so expensive at approximately USD 150 per night

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Landing in South America after over 24 hours of flying we were absolutely exhausted, but reaching what I’d describe as the prettiest city in the world, gave us a new wave of energy.  In spite of not being the capital city Rio De Janeiro is the most popular city and the tourism capital of Brazil. Not surprising since it is blessed with natural beauty like beaches, mountains, forests all within the city. A couple of days in the city and you realize that Rio is not a city dependant on tourists alone, it’s a fully functional busy city full of offices and real life far away from the beauty of the beaches. Downtown Rio is filled with as many people in working clothes as are Rio’s beaches with skimpily clad beach goers.

TO DO:

The list of things to see and do are unending. The must sees definitely are- the Sugar Loaf mountain, the statue of Christ, all the beaches, the Tijuca forest, a samba show, a football match. Inspite of 5 days in the city, we still missed out on some of the places.

The beaches:
If you’re a beach person like me you’ll love the sand and waves that line the coasts of Rio. Our first day in the city, we walked straight down to Ipanema beach, and all the tiredness from 24 hours of flying disappeared. We jumped right into the 10 foot high waves and were tossed around.

Right by the beach front there are jogging and cycling tracks, and cycles for rent at 5 reals an hour. We rented cycles from one beach and deposited them off at the other.

Must see beaches are Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon. Copacabana was way too crowded, so we spent all our beach time at Ipanema

Football match:
You cannot go to South America and not go for a football match. So on the Sunday we were there, we went for a match. Our hotel organized it for us with a pick up and drop back. The match we went for was between 2 local teams, and the stands were not very crowded. But that didn’t matter. The energy and passion of the fans and obvious talent of the players was incredible.

Getting around:
Rio was pretty simple to get around. We used cabs and buses for distances, and walked to the closer places. Straight out of the airport we found a cab that used the meter with a driver who spoke English. He was pretty helpful and gave us some advice on what we could do and costs for activities like samba shows and football matches.

Safety:
We’ve heard enough scary stories about Rio and decided to stay in a bustling area which was alive all night. The rules are, don’t carry too much money, stay away from lonely lanes, don’t be over flashy, and leave your passport in your hotel room. Try to carry your camera in a regular bag rather than a case so that you don’t attract too much attention.

Language:
As the only Portuguese speaking country in the continent, there is a strong language barrier, but people are generally helpful. The receptionists in our hotel spoke English and gave us daily instructions, making things quite easy

TO STAY:

Most people who know about Rio recommended Copacabana. But the one’s who have visited recommended Ipanema. When we went there, we knew why. We stayed at the Mar Ipanema, 2 lanes away from the beach in Ipanema’s main street. Ipanema is a beautiful preppy locality with bustling street life, bars, restaurants and stores all through the main street. The beach 2 lanes away is perfect- not too crowded. Copacabana on the other hand is very crowded. While it is worth visiting, with its number of bars and restaurants, it is not as nice to stay.

TO EAT:

You have to be a meat eater in Brazil. Rio being so cosmopolitan has a number of food options, but we didn’t see vegetarian food anywhere.

Our most interesting meal was at a Brazilian churrascaria- where we were given a map of a cow and asked to select the part we liked most. We started our meal with the leg and ended with the stomach. If you have a small appetite, you should skip lunch and save space for this meal. You can imagine how full we were when the following day we skipped both meals and had only sushi for dinner.

TO SPEND:

Rio, and in fact Brazil is far more expensive than the rest of South America. Expect to spend at least 350 USD a day (including stay). If you choose one of the fancier 5 stars you could land up spending about 700 USD a night, so choose your hotel well.