Krabi Part 2 - Kindling the warmth of Thai hospitality

... Continued from Part 1

Day 3 of my exotic Thai vacation began when I checked out of my previous hotel in Ao Nang and moved to a small, family run resort, deep in the jungle valley of Amphoe Mueang near the Tha Lane bay called Pool Tara. True to its unique and attractive name, Pooltara has a beautiful crystal creek that is more than 100 years and originated from Phanom Benja Mountain, the greatest mountain in the southern part of Thailand. The pool is surrounded by mature, tall and lush green trees, thus making it an oasis in the middle of nature. Dale, the manager came to pick me up personally from my hotel to Pooltaraas it was quite distant and far away and needless to say that this small gesture proved how hospitality tops the chart in this small resort.

As soon as I reached Pooltara a lavish spread of fresh bananas and Rambutans from the nearby trees welcomed me. "You can have them all and once you finish these, we will replenish them and don't worry, they are complimentary throughout your stay. Enjoy." said a chirpy receptionist in her early twenties. I took few Rambutans and by golly they were the juiciest.

 After taking a brief afternoon nap, I rented the scooter again and set out to see the very famous White Temple or Wat Kaew Korawaram - Although it is one of the largest temples in Krabi, it is not as popular or commercialized as Wat Tham Suea (The Tiger Cave).And in fact, it is very much the opposite of Wat Tham Suea. This temple was very quiet and serene and there were little locals much less tourists.Strolling up some (100) steps, we came to the ‘main hall’ of the temple.The interior was bright with light rays entering through the windows.We were greeted by the golden Buddha in the middle of the blue room with red ceiling. The entire atmosphere was peaceful and serene. After coming out of the temple on the main platform, I saw a few steps from where the entire city was visible. I sat there for sometime, just absorbing the stillness and beauty that surrounded me.

Coming out of the white temple I noticed Andaman Beads Museum, situated about a kilometre away. Contrary to most spots in Krabi which are outdoors, beads museum was opened in 2014 and comprises of an impressive variety of beads and stone formations and sculptures and also a beads workshop in the same complex. I happily clicked a few pictures and came out feeling refreshed.

As I reached the resort in the evening, Dale offered to drop me at a gorgeous restaurant right next to the beach with an awesome view and so I soon changed into my favourite red dress and sat in the car and drove towards KhaoThong Terrace, my lovely hosts for the evening. This is the iconic place where my affair with the very popular Massaman Curry as it was already pre-ordered for me by Dale. So here was I, just next to a beautiful bay, setting sun, a wine glass and Massaman curry to savour and life just seemed perfect. That night when I reached my room, it wa smelling of vanilla and lavender, my favourite fragrances and I could only smile and thank my hosts for this gesture.

Next morning I woke up and found that our receptionist picked up Chicken and sticky rice especially for me to taste the authentic Thai meal along with salads and sausage chicken sandwich. I ate to the brim of my appetite and then just sat next to the pool in the shade of trees and relaxed for a while before getting a traditional Thai Massage of Coconut milk and Thai herb oil. The massage lasted for about an hour and I slept almost immediately only to wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee being served in the oasis in the evening. That night I chatted with the staff till late night and they shared stories of their lives over glasses of wine and everything in life seemed perfect.

Before I could move out of pooltara the next morning to reach Khao Sok National Park, Dale and Pat gave me a nice cute elephant shaped pouch with Thai Chilli Paste as a parting gift and I couldn't thank them enough for showing such warmth and hospitality.

Cairo (Giza) - Gazing at the Great Pyramids & The Sphinx

The Great Pyramids ... One of the Seven wonders of the Ancient world, the oldest and the only surviving wonder preserved till date, facing storms of winds, time and eras of history - who wouldn't have known them and thought about them so it was a dream come true when I got the unplanned opportunity to visit Cairo en-route my stay at Toronto. I was always fascinated by how the Great Pyramids came to be, how they were built in an era when the technology & machines weren't as advanced and what was the vision behind creating one of the most iconic piece of architecture in human history both in terms of magnanimity and opulence.

 The Historical aspect takes us back to the Egyptian Empire where the pyramids were built for the Kings called as Pharaohs and their queens across the old & the new kingdom. There are eight pyramids that are well known and the best preserved of them are the ones in Giza, built for pharaoh Khufu, his wife and his brother.

It was early September 2018 when I landed in Cairo and almost everyone in the airport tried to sell me a tour of the Pyramids, but the solo backpacker that I'm, I was sure I wanted to do it on my own , with a small twist though. I was in touch with a Couchsurfing friend and she volunteered to be my guide in Cairo and honestly, it couldn't be more thrilling than that. Asmaa was a student of Egyptian tourism, perky and cheerful and as soon as I came out of the airport she called me and sent me the exact location to reach the pyramids. I took an Uber from the airport and followed her directions and as my car was nearing the Holiday Inn at El Giza, from a distance, I could see the mammoth structures, beckoning me with an instant yet strong attraction as if this was something I wanted to visit for ages. After getting my entry ticket for the Pyramids Asmaa was waiting for me at the base platform from where we started walking towards the endearing pyramids. As I looked up to the pinnacle of the largest one of the three in the complex, I couldn't help but wonder on the architectural marvel this was, given the fact that it was still intact, for most parts and well preserved across centuries, witnessing the rise and fall of the glorious Egyptian empire.

Though most of the facade is now eroded by the forces of nature, Khufu's Pyramid still stands tall at 455 ft, each base side is about 790 ft long and the mass is approximately 5.9 million tonnes. Therefore, it becomes impossible to not think about how such a structure got built and how the entire place was designed by the ancient Egyptians. The pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years, unsurpassed until the 160-meter-tall (520 ft) spire of Lincoln Cathedral was completed in 1300. The structure is made of limestone with steps cut in between for the tourists to scale some of it to understand the complexity of structure and also to enjoy the view of Old Cairo city from there. Asmaa and I went up and clicked a lot of fun pictures, while still in awe of Egyptian architecture and history as she kept me abreast with all the information from her Tourism course which greatly help us appreciate the predecessors of human evolutionary history. 

We then took a walk to the other end of the complex where we could see the Sphinx from a distance and started walking towards the vast plain of desert to witness another Egyptian marvel. The Great Sphinx at Giza, near Cairo, is probably the most famous sculpture in the world. With a lion's body and a human head, it represents Ra-Horakhty, a form of the powerful sun god, and is the incarnation of royal power and the protector of the temple doors. The Great Sphinx of Giza is a giant 4,500-year-old limestone statue situated near the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt.

As we reached the Sphinx, I was immediately in complete awe and surrender of its beauty and grandeur. Measuring 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) high, the Great Sphinx is one of the world’s largest monuments. It is also one of the most recognizable relics of the ancient Egyptians. near the Sphinx are small, closed chambers where the workers and artisans lived while the construction was in full swing, Asmaa told me. As we were gleefully clicking pictures and looking at the finer details of the place, Salma joined us. She was Asmaa's friend and was excited to meet a solo woman traveler from India. Salma greeted me with rare enthusiasm, offered me a local drink that she carried with her for me and went on to describe the story of the Pyramids and Sphinx.

It was 3 PM in the afternoon and I still had ten more hours in the city so both Asmaa and Salma took me to Cairo Downtown for a sumptuous lunch of Koshary and Shawarma along with some Simit. Koshary is a uniquely Egyptian dish that is made of a mixture of rice, macaroni or spaghetti, lentils and chickpeas, covered with a spicy tomato sauce. Simit is sesame-covered bread that looks like a cross between a bagel and a pretzel and has a soft, fluffy interior. Shawarma is pita bread filled with spicy chicken and pickles and all this is served with Egyptian Tea. The food is tasty, served fresh and is high in healthy components both my companions told me.

Our next spot was the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. We reached there after taking a local bus and the subway ride as I wanted to experience the local travel of Cairo. The driving in Cairo is not for the faint-hearted as people literally don't follow the traffic rules. They cut lanes and swear at each other, well it was fun for me but driving is not recommended for first time travelers. It has close to 120,000 items, mostly in store rooms and a representative amount on display, showcasing the splendor of Egyptian History and Power.  What I didn't like about it so much was that there were not many explanations inside and so I was lucky to be there with Asmaa and Salma, my local Couchsurfing friends who could explain the details of the artifacts. We spent about two hours in there, carefully examining the idols of the pharaohs and their queens, the sculptures depicting deities and animals, tools, jewelry and household items, looking at ornate tombs and limestone cutouts. We were like three kids in a candy store and I felt the inner historian in me appreciated the genius of our fore-fathers.

We came out of the Museum at about five and Salma very graciously offered to host me at her home for dinner as her family also wanted to meet me. For them it was rare that a solo female traveler from India has come all by herself into their city to explore Egyptian wonders and I gleefully accepted as I looked forward to see the hospitality of people in Cairo.

Her family welcomed me by serving Turkish Coffee, an Egyptian specialty along with some cinnamon buns, another Turkish delicacy. They shared with me their experiences as a traveler across Egypt and told me to plan a visit to Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan to truly enjoy what the Nile valley has to offer. They shared a warm, home cooked dinner and a heart full of love and generosity. We chatted after dinner over simmering cups of fennel seeds tea and some Baklawa and for a few hours I completely forgot that I'm all alone in the land of Nile and the fact that it was my first visit to Cairo. I felt at home and felt for the familiarity that the traveler in me aches for - the familiarity that breeds with the realization that its is our collective history as humans that has the power to alleviate us and unite us as the mightiest power in the universe - the sisterhood of travels!

Suffice to say, Cairo remains as fresh in my memory as the freshly brewed black coffee I have every morning, knowing there are people in that city I can call friends and that is the most precious collectible from a journey for any traveler - meeting new people and connecting with them.

How to reach The Great Pyramids 

Regular Flights to Cairo and then a 45 minute Taxi ride to El Giza

Must Try Foods

Koshary, Shawarma, Falafel, Fennel Tea, Turkish Coffee and Cinnamon Buns

Total Cost of this Trip (Excluding Flights)

 3500 - 4000  INR

Egypt Visa - 1900 INR

Best time to Visit Cairo

September - March

Chaul - the charm of Temples, Ruins and Beaches

When my then best friend and now my partner for life suggested we go to Chaul to escape a rather bad work week in Mumbai, I was not exactly excited to say the least. It was a terrible time at office and this was a long weekend and I could certainly do away with going someplace new and full of nature and even though I'm pretty well versed with Maharashtra's terrain, had never heard of this place.

The Gateway has always fascinated me as if it teleports me to the era where traders from the medieval times used to come to port Bombay for trading and also to enter Indian economic capital. When I came to know that to reach Chaul, we had to take an hour of ferry ride and then some driving across small and narrow roads of small towns and vast patches of green fields, I was looking forward to the much needed break.

We started at about 9 in the morning from Mumbai’s Gateway of India where there was a huge queue to get into the ferry. Luckily we had the tickets already for the AC room which was small, compact yet comfortable as it was very hot and humid in April. As soon as the ferry started I almost zoned out as if my mind found peace at last from the maddening, rushing life and I woke up with a thud when my partner told me the ferry is about to arrive at Mandwa port (Yea the same Mandwa which is the plot for the very famous AB movie called Agnipath). I looked around and what was in front of me was a small port harbor with two bridges, one that was old and ruined completely and the new bridge that took us out to the main road where a number of buses and autos were waiting to take us to our destination. We decided to take a local auto ride till our hotel, The Fern Silvanus in Chaul and it took us almost an hour to reach there as we crossed bustling small towns, lotus ponds, green paddy fields and small hills all along the beautiful ride.

The Fern Silvanus is a nice, little cottage style premise which is located on the top of a secluded hill, adorned with a small pool, lush green shrubs and trees all over, accessible via a small village road, surrounded by houses on both the sides and a small patch of dense forest at the base of the hill. As I stepped out I knew this place had a calming effect on us immediately.

‘Why Chaul?’ I asked. He replied wait till we go out in the evening. Since it was only noon and very hot outside, I started walking in the lawns of the property, looking at the blooming spring flowers and sprawling greenery and the beauty of it all.

In the evening at 5 PM we took a brisk hike down the trail of forest laden hill, blanketed by tall trees on both ends, protecting us from heat and Sun alike, towards the main road to catch another auto for Paradise beach, a local beach, mainly patronized by the residents so we thought it would be less crowded. While on our way, I saw a lot of ruins and that’s when my interest in the place grew manifolds. Paradise beach was true to its name. The black-grey sands, a typical of the Western Ghats on the Konkan belt welcomed us with white waves and froth and to our delight very few people were there, strung far away from each other and the beach had a helm line of tall coconut and palm trees all along its periphery. It was a very peaceful and romantic evening in nature after months.  As we were sipping on the fresh coconut water, our vendor told us about the rich cultural history of the place.

Chaul was a part of the Portuguese province in the 14^th century, which is now in shambles. In many parts of the nearby villages we could see that influence of Portuguese architecture and they have an old fort where the battle of Chaul was fought where Gujarat rulers vanquished the Portuguese in 1508.

Next morning we started for the very famous and highly recommended Dutta Mandir at 7 AM, before the Sun came up and it got hot. The temple is located on the top of a steep hill and the only way to reach the top is to climb the 1500 concrete steps, which also gives you the access to witness some of the most breath-taking views of the entire village, nearby valley and the sea on the other end. On one end you could see the vast valley and the forest covers till the very end of the horizon, on another you could see trails of small villages, the pale sea bordering the clear skies along with lush green paddy fields. 

We took almost 40 minutes to reach the top and I was exhausted by then however one look at the panoramic view and all my fatigue were replaced with bliss, happiness and deep sense of relaxation. We sat at the view point for almost 15-20 minutes, just soaking in the beauty and simply talking to each other. Getting down was pretty fun. I was stepping and skipping stairs and by the time we came down, a few local women had set up small stalls selling flowers and tea. We savored tea and came back to our hotel to freshen up.

In the following evening we decided to stop at another remarkable temple on our way to Paradise beach again. The Sri Rameshwar Mandir caught our attention as it oozed with the typical Maharashtrian style architecture with a large pond surrounding the main entrance. As we went inside the priest told us that the style of architecture is very common in Maharashtra and is called the Hemadpanthi style, popularized by small scale, built without any binding between the stones which have been cut to specific shape, uses locally found stones, A pillared Nandi mantapa, at the centre and Mandapa having balustrade entrances on three sides, held aloft by four ornamented pillars. True to its external beauty, we were fascinated with the ornamentally designed interiors of the temple as well. The temple is 275 years old and looks every bit regal and beautiful the priest told us. We sat there, clicking pictures and soaking in our rich yet forgotten cultural heritage before walking towards the beach.

The last evening at Chaul was full of ethnic fish curry, lal math ki sabzi, nachni bhakri and dal rice with traditional steamed modaks for dessert. Little did I know when I started for Chaul that I’d encounter such serenity and beauty along with peace.

As we were walking up the steep hill path, in absolute peace and silence, holding hands, the lights of our hotel twinkling like stars, I looked at everything around and beside me and remembered these lines by Martin Buber – “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

Ways to Reach Chaul :

Ferry from Gateway to Mandwa port

Tuk-Tuk, Auto, Bus ride to Chaul Village

What to eat:

Try Local Maharashtrian Fish Thali at Nivaant

Best time to Visit

October to April

Coonoor – Calming coziness amid the clouds

Most people had not heard of Coonoor before the famous and very beautifully directed movie, Kapoor and Sons, at least I hadn’t. And man I must admit while the movie was totally engrossing with its depiction of the dysfunctional family, the way it captured the beauty of the unspoilt Coonoor was equally breath-taking. Every frame and every camera angle showed what the place really stands for and it is then I decided that it is a must visit place for me so I landed in this beautiful Shakespearean hamlet in the summer of 2016.

On Tripadvisor, they showed a beautiful villa converted into a stay and the tranquillity of the place along with its surroundings ensured that I book it for my entire stay duration. The reviews of fellow travellers for ‘The Tea Nest’ were equally endearing. So after the flight landed at Coimbatore, I took a taxi from the airport and started for Coonoor. Luckily the taxi driver was a very nice young man called Selva. Noticing my slight discomfort and tired face, he stopped over to a local coffee shop and asked me to have some rasam vada and filter coffee. The food came in just about five seconds and was pretty lip-smacking. The filter coffee was strong and crisp with very less sugar, In other words, simply perfect. After finishing my cup, I ordered another and Selva also repeated his coffee. By then, I got pretty high, both on energy and trust as Selva chatted with me all through our ride and kept on sharing interesting anecdotes.

The road from Coimbatore airport to Coonoor is a long drive full of coconut trees, green fields, bright blue skies and the endearing Nilgiris staring down from a distance. The journey took us about 3 hours to reach as it started drizzling and we had to drive carefully because of the zigzag mountain roads sandwiched between think layer of trees and steep valleys on its sides. As Coonoor approached, the air was filled with the aroma of fresh and blooming tea leaves which just transported me to a different world altogether. Every breath that I took was soaked in the deep fragrance of brewing tea and with that, I was becoming even more excited to begin my journey of tea tasting. To most coffee lovers like me, this might come as a surprise that Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, after water. It is estimated that somewhere between 18 and 20 billion 6 oz. cups of tea are drunk daily on our planet. Also, the variants for the beverages are mind-numbing in itself viz. ice tea, green tea, white tea, chamomile tea, fruit tea, ginger tea, chocolate tea, honey tea, Darjeeling tea, Chinese tea, herbal infusion tea, clove and cinnamon tea and the list just goes on and on. Coming to Coonoor had transformed me into some sort of overnight tea connoisseur. Lemme share the details of the tea tasting journey a little later on.

The Tea Nest as it is called was in the truest sense of the world a beautiful old world villa converted into a guesthouse for patrons who would want to spend most of their time around the tea plantations as it is inside a tea estate itself. The rooms boast of a stone panelled fireplace, a queen size bed, a huge window to look across the sprawling tea estate and beautiful local landscape paintings. The common room was filled with a wide array of books on diverse topics, a Carrom board, Chess, ludo and a cricket gear, a Football and a set of badminton racquets. The various types of tea were displayed in a tastefully done wooden sampling shelf on the right and towards the left were thoughtfully laid fairy lights above the large fireplace that added to the existing charm of the overall décor.

As it was late noon, I decided to order for a cinnamon tea and tomato cheese sandwich in the room and rest for a while. The freshly prepared snack came in quickly and I finished it almost in no time and later on buried myself in the soft blanket while keeping a bit of the window curtain open to allow sunlight entering the room as beams.

When I got up it was around 5.30 PM and the sky was turning a bright crimson and deep purple, turning the beautiful valley of the front porch into a dark lined silhouette of the sleeping lady. The sleeping lady is a famous sightseeing point in Coonoor as the valley’s crests and troughs resemble a woman who is lying with her hair open and to my amazement from The Tea Nest this valley was clearly visible from the front porch. As I was admiring the wonderful ways of nature the dark clouds suddenly appeared from nowhere, completely transforming the colorful skies into shades of dark grey and black and it started drizzling. White thick patches of clouds contrasted with the color of the sky and added to the mystique of the valley in front of me as the sleeping lady is now wearing a veil of clouds, thus masking her beauty from the eyes of strangers.

The entire evening and later part of the night it kept on raining in moderation and it became cold. Post dinner the other guests had assembled in the main hall and we chit chatted, played board games and sand together as a large, united family.

Next morning Selva came to show me around the place. He first took me to Sims Park – The park is divided into eight major sections and you’ll have to walk down the hill lined with exotic and majestic trees like Pine, Cypress, Fir, Magnolia and Shola. Flower beds, rock gardens and lawns are created to give a pleasant and symmetric look to the park. A small island garden is in the middle of the park at the end of the valley downhill where boating is allowed. You could compare it to the parks shown in various Bollywood movies during the 90’s. It was just beautiful and serene. Our next destination was Dolphin’s nose. It is located at a distance of 12km away from the Coonoor city. It is near to the Tiger hills. From this viewpoint you can see the St.Catherine Falls standing on the top site. The Coonoor river can also be viewed from this place. The deep forest valleys are covered with greenery and mash of treetops.

While returning from Dolphin’s Nose we reached another point called the Lamb’s Rock. The drive to this spot is very interesting through tea estates. The view from the topmost point is eye-catching.You can see the toy train going from this point. There is so much of greenery surrounded by, trees and a well-paved road that you definitely fall in love with this post. Good place for photography and sunset.Beneath the rock, lies a vast forest reserve. On the right, there is a Helical ravine featuring Coonoor river. Soon I felt hungry so Selva took me to this nearby Tea Estate that had a canteen for the tourists called High Field Tea Factory. I was pretty amused to see Chocolate Tea there and ordered one cup along with some cheese Maggi and paneer pakoras. Chocolate tea resembles filter coffee in color and texture, however, its aroma goes back to the childhood dairy milk days. Without holding temptation for long I took a sip and was directly teleported to the childhood dream where everything in the house was made of chocolates and there was a chocolate river flowing nearby the house. Whatever you do or don’t, you gotta try this. After what can be only termed as pure gastronomic pleasure that calmed all senses alike Selva and I started our explorations once again.

Next was a toy train ride from Coonoor to Ooty. Selva dropped me to the train station and drove towards Ooty where I had an overnight stay at Derby Greens, a Mahindra property. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is located in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. It runs from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam (Ooty), via Coonoor, in the Nilgiri Hills. The track is 46 kilometres (28.5 miles) long and passes over 250 bridges (including 32 major ones) and through 16 tunnels. This railway is particularly picturesque because of the surrounding rocky terrain, ravines, tea plantations, and forested hills. It is also called as Heritage train as it pulls quaint blue and cream wooden carriages with large windows. It takes close to one hour and twenty minutes to reach Ooty from Coonoor, crossing stations like Wellington & Lovedale. You can book the ticket for Heritage train online otherwise it is advisable to go early and get the ticket at Railway Station.

As I sat on the window seat of the old railway carriage pulling through thick forests, valleys and tea estates my mind recalled the famous lines of R. L Stevenson’s poem –“From a Railway Carriage”

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;

And charging along like troops in a battle,

All through the meadows the horses and cattle:

All of the sights of the hill and the plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,

All by himself and gathering brambles;

Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;

And there is the green for stringing the daisies!

Here is a cart run away in the road

Lumping along with man and load;

And here is a mill and there is a river:

Each a glimpse and gone forever!

Each line echoed true in my soul as I captured the lovely memories of Coonoor in my heart and move on to the next destination, ready to explore a little more of these imposing, enormous yet endearing and beautiful ranges called the Nilgiri

Ways to reach Coonoor - 

* Frequent flights to Coimbatore from all major cities in India
 - bus service from Mettupalayam bus stand 
 - taxi service available from all nearby cities
 - state transport buses run daliy from Coimbatore/Ooty and other cities

Best time to visit 

- Winters from October to March
- Summers from May - June