6.5 totally Unconventional Reasons why I Love DUBAI!

Dubai, is everyone's favourite travel destination. Believe me not just Indians, but everyone across the globe is crazy about this city which has the 'est' factor as it's USP. Oh ofcourse you know the 'est' factor; tallest, largest, costliest and the list is endless. So here goes my 6.5 reasons why I absolutely am in love with the place.

1. The Burj Khaleefa.

view from the 'Burj Khaleefa'

It's simply magnificient, 200 plus stories this super tall.. taller.. tallest building (record holder when i was writing this post) is just magnificiently breathtaking. From any corner of Dubai you can see the towering structure and it has the capablity to make you feel sheer amazement, everytime. At night the lights strategically placed twinkle across the 'burj' giving you the feel of looking at a bejewelled masterpiece. 'AT THE TOP' the view is simply amazing and unless you experience it you will never know how beautiful is Dubai's ariel view.

2. Opulence and the planned city!

The Burj-Al-Arab one of the iconic and most expensive hotels of the world.

Perfectly planned, perfectly managed, clean, tidy, green (in the middle of a desert) and overflowing with opulence, this city will want you to make it your home. Sky scrapers, each one in a unique shape, metro stations, big luxury cars at every corner, bigger malls and a plethora of entertainment opportunities avaliable.

3. No homesickness.

A sight captured at the desert safari.

Bollywood stars smiling at you from across the huge hoardings greet you, FM stations playing bollywood songs and IPL crazy banners across the prime area's; what more can make an Indian feel at home? Ofcourse every third tourist or local might turn out to be an Indian so that makes you feel in a clearner and well mannered version of India.

4. Paradise for adventure lovers.

The huge aquarium inside the Atlantis hotel.

You have scuba diving, snorkelling, bungee jumping, para gliding, sky diving,  snow world, water parks, adventure parks, kiss-the-dolphins, dolphin shows, rappling and almost every form of adreline racing adventurous, fun filled activity in one city.

5. Atlantis-the palm.

Atlantis-The Palm Hotel.

Atlantis- the palm, is one of the 5 start luxurt hotels and huge is the only word for it. It has it's own beaches man made and natural, a water park, a huge line of restraunts, luxury shopping, you name it and they have it. Themed as the ancient city which sunk under the oceans, the place gives you a fishy feeling :P the in-house huge aquarium and aquatic life makes you fall in love with it instantly. Oh did i mention the man-made island of 'palm Jumerah' that the huge Atlantis is built on? 

6. Global Curry.

The city that captured my heart.

 The moment you land on the airport you have a huge curry of different people from across the globe. Huge eyes, small eyes, yellow, white, black or brown skin, abbaya's, sarees, shorts and jeans all mingle around bringing along with them a touch of their own flavor for you to expereience in this truly global city.

The 0.5 of my 6.5 is the fact that every visit to this city has something new for you to experience and fall in love with.

And with that I say Adios! 
Keep Travelling, Keep Living!
Dubai, U.A.E.

Jantar Mantar

 Since my last post was about 'Ranthambore National Park' in 'Rajasthan', I continue this post in the same royal state (Rajasthan- Abode of the kings). This post covers a popular tourist destination 'Jantar Mantar', built in the city of Jaipur. Now if you Google 'Jantar Mantar' I am sure there's gonna be plenty of links about the place... then why did I bother covering it? Because it's a place whose architectural genius I truly admire; especially considering the era in which it was built.

 The 'Jantar Mantar' is an equinoctial sundial, consisting a gigantic triangular gnomon with the hypotenuse parallel to the Earth's axis. On either side of the gnomon is a quadrant of a circle, parallel to the plane of the equator. The instrument is intended to measure the time of day, correct to half a second and declination of the Sun and the other heavenly bodies. The history of 'Jantar Mantar' is that in the early 18th century, 'Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur' constructed five Jantar Mantars in total, in Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. Now all of these are pretty much alike, (I've seen two of them) but  the stone structural gizmos never fail to amaze me.

 Also, this 'Jantar Mantar' that I am writing about is in the city of Jaipur which is one of the cities of India that is so close to my heart. The people are warm and helpful and being a popular tourist destination especially among foreign travelers the people are completely unfazed by the gora's and gori's in their shorts and don't even give them a second look forget staring or ridiculing; which is a huge thumbs up to the tourist friendly image that we need for our 'Incredible India'.

 I am sure my pictures will be able to do most of the talking in this case whatever I write, I will never be able to capture its true architectural and astronomical essence that you may get by visiting the place and actually experiencing it.

People who do not have a lot of interest in architecture or astronomy might find this place a bit dull. Having said that I'd still say that it is an important part of India's glorious past and stands tall proving to the world about the in-depth knowledge that we as a nation had about complex elements of astronomy dating back as early as the 18th century and therefore is a must see!

Visiting hours are from 9 am to 4.30 pm. 

The entry fee is subject to change, but the rates differ for students, tourists, foreign students and foreign tourists.

Keep Travelling!! Keep living!!

Nearest Railway Station: Jaipur Station.

Nearest Airport: Jaipur International Airport.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Ranthambore National Park

 Crossing the boundaries of Maharashtra from where I travelled for my previous posts here comes Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan. I had been to Rajasthan for my college Industrial visit and fortunately got to visit this National Park during the trip.

 Savai Madhavpur was the name of the station wehere we got off and a 30-45 mins bus ride away was our lodge. After checking in and getting all geared up for the safari we proceeded towards our cantors (open trucks with seats)and rode about another 30 mins to reach the National park. The main attraction here are the Tigers, before the trip whatever we did read about the place revolved mainly around them. So I started my safari with the hope of getting up, close and personal.. (atleast as much as I could from inside the cantor) with the India's National animal but I discovered that Ranthambore is much more than just the majestic stripes.

  There were four Cantors from our college and all four spread away into four different directions. The entire trip is a roller coaster, back breaking, getting slapped by trees journey! and when I say roller coaster- back breaking I literally mean it as, what awaits you in the ride is bumps and jolts of varying degrees that literally break your back. The getting slapped by the trees is not something everyone will get to experience unless you are a photography freak like me and try and stand up and regular intervals for clicking photographs in a moving cantor on a rocky path in a national park full of pointy trees...!

 And now you'll ask why does this place get a mention in my blog if it is such a painful ride, the answer is simple because it is worth it! Ranthambore houses so many different species of Deer's that even trying to keep a mental count gets difficult. Then there are the peacocks and the peahens, dancing beautifully to capture your attention, huge tortoises in water bodies and majestic crocodiles at the brink of those water bodies.

 Each new turn gets you a new breathtaking sight.The different species of birds you shall encounter are innumerable and each one is unique in it own way. The Monkeys mimic you all the way and the natural beauty that encompasses you is literally mind blowing. You get a view of the majestic Ranthambore fort that still stands tall after all these years. Getting to sight a tiger is a matter of a rare chance in this park and i was in luck that day. We saw the Tiger family lazing around near the banks of a water body inside the park. 'Majestic' and 'Royal are the only adjectives that describe these felines. 

 Even if you don't get a chance to see the Tigers the trip is worth every second you spend there. Its a whole new world, a world which the wild calls its home we are the intruders. Its truly mesmerizing and a must visit for the young, young at heart, adventure seekers, beauty lovers, wildlife lovers, nature enthusiasts and i guess this covers basically everyone ;)

A special thank you to my nature enthusiast friend Varsha Chachad for her contribution to this post!

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Keep Travelling!! Keep living!!

Nearest Railway Station: Sawai Madhopur.
Nearest Airport: Jaipur International Airport.
Ranthambore National park, Savai Madhopur, Rajasthan, India.

kAshiD...

The sun, the sand and loads of tan... back with another breathtaking beach! 30 kms away from Alibag, the very popular tourist destination in Maharashtra is the Kashid beach. With a lot of beaches in the vicinity what makes Kashid my favorite is its purity and serenity .

 The road to Kashid is full of breathtaking views and you feel transported to another world with the green and the black of the trees and the rocks playing hide and seek and trying to catch your attention towards their wild and humanly untouched beauty.

Once at Kashid the first thing you'll notice is the sand.. pristine white as if its there just to compliment the variety of different colours spread across the canvas of your vision. One side of the road is the green cover over a hill and on the other is Kashid. The water is clean and no trip to Kashid will be complete unless you get into the sparking waves and enjoy to your hearts content.

 The tiny shacks with their hammocks and hot smell of bhurji-paav (scrambled eggs) great you, the bhurji or maggi with the hot chai (tea) or coffee is simply very tasty and make up for the lack of other snack options.
Laze around on the hammocks or walk down to the beach both are a rare treat of uncountable hues and shades to the eye.

 From morning to evening every phase of the day has different combinations, be it the flaming orange and yellows with the black or the violets, pinks and ivories with the green! Like any other beach Kashid too has sand, the sea and a sky to cover the two coupled with the minuscule amount of greenery and rocks, but the shades and colours every different phase of the day and every different season gets along with it to Kashid is worth every bit of praise.

 It definitely is a summer weekend destination with its water sport facilities but my reason for making it a monsoon post is that Kashid can be enjoyed in this season as well. The sea is pretty rough and so going into the water is not permitted. Plus not all the shacks remain open at this time of the year, but its the perfect setting for a one-day trip for a group of crazy friends, just lazing around on the hammocks with the rain drizzling around you, the chilled beer or hot coffee and the feeling of being far far away from a world of deadlines, targets, pressures, social niceties and exams is sheer bliss.
 You get a lot of rooms on hire and there are various resorts too; a little far off from the beach at Kashid Gaon (village). If you are a bit whacky, then you can buy your meat or fish from the market and ask the cook at your room to do it up for you in whatever style you want, there are a few good Khanaval's too (rural-eating joints). 

 Keep Travelling!! Keep living!!

Nearest Railway Station: Pen.
Nearest Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.
Kashid Beach, Alibag, Maharashtra, India.

Malshej Magic...

A short family holiday destination is a huge problem to finalize, especially with Indian families where the elders want to include a temple visit and the gen- y needs something that has fun and adventure. The perfect combination of one such holiday is the Shirdi- Shani Singnapur- Malshej Ghat trip which I recently tried out.

 My mom was not ready to go on the trip unless we figured out a way to make sure her temple sector was covered, so this was the compromise me and my brother bargained for. Being a family who loves long drives, from Mumbai we choose to reach Shirdi by car, after taking the blessings of Sai Baba in the morning darshan we proceeded towards Shani Singnapur did the night darshan of Shani Dev and settled in for the night. Shani Singnapur offers very few options in terms of good accommodation and food facilities so make sure you have enough food to last you the night or have a early dinner en-route your destination.

The next morning we left from Shani Singnapur and reached Malshej Ghats by afternoon. The ghats are truly the epitome of natural beauty especially in the monsoon. The mist engulfs you, the waterfalls entice you and the greenery simply makes you fall in love with it. You can park your car on the side of the road and enjoy a dip in the waterfall, go click crazy if you love photography as every bend, every turn offers you a new visual treat. 

Malshej doesn't have many resorts or restaurants like a typical tourist destination but there is a  MTDC resort, that offers an awesome view of the ghats. The fun at Malshej is in the bhutta's (roasted sweet-corn) and the hot cup of chai from any of the road side tappri's (stalls) in the pouring rain. On way from Ahmednagar towards the ghats the road offers you the backwaters of a dam that are a very beautiful sight. those adventurous at heart can find a way through the kaccha rasta (improper road) and spend some time there, secluded and away from the hustle- bustle of the crowds.

Malshej is a great Family short holiday destination, coupled with the temple visits or without depending on your choice. With a group of friends too Malshej can be super fun in the rains. If you are going to enjoy the high of alcohol make sure you have a sober driver as driving in the rains can turn out to be very tricky on the ghats. A Monsoon weekend is the ideal time to visit but if you are not too fond of crowds try and make it into a weekday thing.

If you don't hire a car then you can hire a cab or go by bus to Malshej. A trip to Malshej and back wont be too hard on the pocket except for your transport cost, all the beauty and the mesmerizing view that you can make into fabulous memories and bring back home is absolutely free!!

Keep Travelling!! Keep living!!

Nearest Railway Station: Kalyan.

Nearest Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.

Malshej Ghats, Thane, Maharashtra, India.

gOrai Beach

My first post is about a place that I am really attached to. Now when you read this you are going to have a big question mark waiting for me asking that how can the beach that has an impression of being not one of the cleanest beaches of Mumbai and is a wee bit out of the way of city limits be worthy of being mentioned in a travel blog; but it’s when you actually get there you find out how amazing the place is.

For starters instead of going by road you can try out the ferry service. By road there is a way to get there through Mira Road via Uttan gaav (village), but you can catch the ferry from Gorai Khadi in Borivali west. At a very modest rate of 5 rupees per person, the boat ride that seems pretty short but takes up to 45 minutes of your time.

 Once on the opposite side you can take an auto to the beach, (make sure you bargain or else they will fleece you to their hearts content!!) or else if you have a bike take that along on the ferry and the ride to the beach is faster and hassle free to the beach.

Now at Gorai Beach you really don’t have to worry about the company to you have to keep you entertained. You can enjoy the place with family, friends or as a couple. Get yourself a room on the beach ranging from 1000 rupees per day; you may have to cough up a few hundreds less or more depending on the kind of room and the number of people in your group. 

For food you can take a room where they provide you with food as well, there are a few dhaba’s too and if of course there is the beach customary, bhutta (sweet corn), gola (ice lollies) and anda bhurji (egg bhurji) to keep your hunger at bay.

Enjoyment here is not at all stereotyped; you can do as you please. A cricket match with family or a match of football with your boy gang, plug in your speaker and dance till your heart’s content in the open area outside your room (mostly all rooms have it), and enjoy a drink or two while watching the sun set on the beautiful beach (don’t forget to carry your permits).

A romantic walk on the beach, get your guitar and sing your favourite classics and top it up with millions of pic sessions with the picturesque location as a backdrop will give you unlimited memories to treasure. You can also try a dip in the sea, it’s definitely going to be the high point of your day but do remember the water isn’t clean and I would definitely not recommend it especially if you have sensitive skin.

A very much in your budget fun day out (nights also available but make the booking advance). Nearest railway station is Borivali (west) you can get a lot of buses up to the ‘Gorai Khadi’ bus stop and take a ferry from there.

Keep Travelling!! Keep living!!

Nearest Railway Station: Borivali (w), Mumbai.
Nearest Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.
Gorai Beach, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

cRazzie tRavEller.. post Uno

Mystical Mahabaleshwar..

Dear diary…. Well I suppose when u read my blog title ‘ diary of a crazy traveler’ you expect sweet dear diary posts about traveling that are just as cliched as regular travel blogs (no offenses intended.. especially with my introductory post ;) ) but I do not tend to do so. I blog about places that have touched me, it may not fit into the conventional definition of the tourist destination but if it managed to make space for itself in my heart its going be there on my blog.

Romantic Ranthambore...

I am crazy and I love traveling… I guess keeping that much in your head while you go through my posts is enough to get across my perspective to you.

Love to talk, share and read… do revert back would be great to talk, share and read your feedback :P

Amazing Alibaug...