California State Pacific Coast Highway Route 1

When Alok said we will take the Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles which would be a 9 hour scenic drive – I was already dreading the trip.  NINE HOURS of mountains and ocean is going to get boring, I thought – how much of this lengthy scenic drive can one take?!

There is a reason why Highway 1 is known to be one of the most scenic drives in United States. Breathtaking!

Where to go Shopping in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is a shopper's paradise.  There are department store chains, shopping malls, wholesale shopping areas, roadside stalls, weekend shopping markets, night bazaars, second-hand shops, and what nots.  If you are visiting Bangkok for few days, apart from places to see and things to do in Bangkok if you still have some time left on your hands to go shopping, then you might want to hit one of these malls or markets.

Pattaya City, Thailand

Pattaya City
- by the day, by the night

My sister from UK and I were in Thailand simultaneously, so a trip to some place nearby was a must.

We chose Pattaya given the lack of time (I was in Bangkok only for a week; thanks to Alok for forcing me to stay longer in India instead).  Just 2 hours away from Bangkok made Pattaya worth going for a day. 

Once we parked the car at the pier, we took the next boat to island.  This boat has capacity for 100 persons easily, I think.  From there, you have options to take the songthaew (passenger pick up taxi) or motorbike taxi to one of the islands nearby.  It was 10 of us, so we took songthaew.  Besides, the amount of food Indians carry to a beach requires a bigger vehicle  =)

You can see a map of different beaches there and choose your destination depending on how long it will take you to get there, how much time you will be able to spend at the beach, and when will the last boat take all the passengers back.

Terminal 21 Shopping Complex, Bangkok

With every new shopping mall or department store that was built in Bangkok over the past decade, a lot of us went - "ANOTHER mall?!  Aren't there enough already?!?!"

I had the same reaction again when I recently visited Bangkok after two years and heard Gateway at Ekamai, Terminal 21 at Asok, and couple of other new shopping malls have developed since I left.

Nevertheless, I still went to Terminal 21 out to see if they made it any different from the rest.  Especially after I was told, "when you go to Terminal 21, at least go check out the restrooms on every floor."

Weird suggestion, right?  I know.  But I went in and came out AMAZED.

Trip to India: Experiences, Discoveries, Stories - My Diary

After I moved out of India to Thailand in 1997, a trip to India once every two years in our summer vacations was most looked forward to.  Despite having been in India for so long and so many times as I grew up, it was just in the last couple of years that I started observing more, understanding a little more, and realizing many things even more about the place and the people.

Of my three and a half month vacation to Asia recently, which was my first trip back home ever since I moved to US after marriage, I was at my in-laws' in India for two months from October to December 2012.  My visit was especially for my devar's (bro-in-law's) wedding. 

With my habit of writing a diary, as I went through each day, I used to record at least something from the day what I did, observed, heard, visited, felt, or learned. 

Chatuchak Market, Jatujak, JJ Market - same thing

Forget the shopping malls in bangkok, go to chatuchak market instead.

Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the biggest, largest, hugest, grandest weekend shopping markets in the world, comprising of more than 5,000 shops and stalls altogether.  If you plan a trip to Bangkok and if your vacation falls on one of the weekends, don't miss shopping here.  Chatuchak Market is THE place to go for some amazing variety of products and reasonably priced shopping in Bangkok.

Here is a virtual shopping treat for your eyes ...

Makes for great Thai souvenirs - cups, vases, etc

Taman Safari, Indonesia

My parents and I visited the Taman Safari in Cisarua-Bogor district in West Java.  On the way we bought a few bunches of carrots and bananas to feed animals.  First drove around the free range wildlife in our car for almost two hours, seeing the animals up close and feeding them.  Thousands of animals could be seen, living and walking around freely in their natural habitat.  The long drive in the safari park was great.  If I loved it so much, I can imagine how much more excited little children would be!

Bandung, Indonesia

My mom and I left at 8AM from Jakarta to Bandung (about 190 kms away) and reached in about 3 hours.  You must actually leave at 6 or 7 in the morning if you plan to return the same day like we did.  However, a trip to Bandung is only worth it if you stay there for a couple of days.  When you see the green fields, feel the cool temperatures, and drive over hilly areas, you will forget the hot and sweaty, populated and polluted, traffic-jammed and building-packed Jakarta.

Dunia Fantasi, Indonesia

In Hindi, 'dunia' (दुनिया) means world and 'fantasi' in English translates to fantasy.  That is exactly what this theme park is: Dunia Fantasi - Fantasy World.  Located at Ancol (pronounced: aan-chol) in Indonesia (about 1-2 hour drive from Jakarta), it is part of the Ancol Dreamland - which is a huge, huge, huge, huge place - a city in itself and a great family getaway.

Fairy Tale Reversed at Botanic Garden

We went to Fort Worth Botanic Garden one weekend.

"The oldest botanic garden in Texas, a 109-acre living museum displaying over 2500 species of native and exotic plants." ~ http://fwbg.org

We didn't get to see as many beautiful gardens as displayed on their website, I wonder where they were, but whatever we saw was average.  After roaming around the gardens, we went to the "Butterfly Exhibit" - the main reason we were there for.

Places to visit in Bangkok, Things to do in Bangkok

Seeing the interest readers showed after the previous post Planning a Trip to Thailand, here is my take on part one of places to see in Bangkok and things to do in Bangkok.  In the land of smiles.

If it’s a 3-4 day visit to Bangkok, you have options of:

a) spending a whole day at one place (which may be a bit far but unique & worth visiting), or

b) visiting some places although near but may require a whole day trip, or

c) combine 2-3 places together within a day, as per their locations and your interest.

Planning a trip to Thailand?

I received that e-mail from my cousin to help him plan his trip to Thailand.  After growing up in Bangkok for some 14 years, after traveling around the country and after taking several relatives around the city – I knew no one else could help him better.  Then I figured I should also share my suggestions and tips here for people having similar questions.

Nasher Sculpture Center (Dallas, Texas)

Nasher Sculpture Center is home to the exhibition, study, and preservation of modern sculpture & contemporary sculpture.  "The collection – which numbers more than three hundred sculptures together with twentieth-century paintings and drawings – rotate in thematic installations throughout the Center’s seamless blend of indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces: an elegant, light-filled 55,000 ft2 building ... and a spacious garden."  ~ http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org

Nasher Sculpture Center & Dallas Museum of Art are just across each other and a combined ticket can be purchased.  The few photos below are only from the Center since clicking pictures in the vast 4-story Museum of Art was not allowed.  I did not note descriptions of all the pieces, so you'll just have to guess what it's about...

Keep guessing ...  :-)

Fort Worth Stockyards

Fort Worth Stockyards is a national historic district and the area has many shops, restaurants, night clubs, rodeos, stock shows, historical landmarks and events.  Here are just few of the photos I clicked out of the 4-hours of walking around the place!

Fort Worth Stockyards

Dallas Zoo, Texas

"The Dallas Zoo was founded in 1888, making it the first zoological park in the Southwest." ...
"With 106 acres to explore, thousands of animals to visit, and a huge variety of family activities, the Dallas Zoo is enormously entertaining!" ...
"Welcome to the Largest Zoological Experience in Texas!"
~ Dallas Zoo


Below are pictures and my review of my trip to the Dallas Zoo in Texas

Seeing an animal like this for the first time.  These are called Okapi ... ok, so this is what happens when a Giraffe mates with a Zebra? hehe :P

Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

"The Dallas Arboretum, one of the most beautiful outdoor attractions in Dallas, features 66-acres of spectacular display gardens that showcase incredible seasonal flowers, ornamental shrubs, trees and plant collections in a serene setting on White Rock Lake." - http://www.dallasarboretum.org