Phuket has the best of both the worlds. Families can plan vacation in and around Phuket while loners can stay for days around Bangla Street and not get bored. We were on a boys trip but we did both. It was a seven day planned itinerary that we were following that included Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phi Phi & Phuket.
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| Sunset @ Patong Beach |
Koh Samui is for party and leisure. The island brims with vacation air. Adjacent Koh Phangan island has become the biggest full moon party destination which attracts more and more tourists to this bustling town year over year. We were here around such a full moon party and witnessed the grandiose night unfold.
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| Fireworks @ Haad Rin Full Moon Party |
Krabi was a stopover. There are few attractions in Krabi although if you include day tours of Phi Phi and Hong Island you can actually plan a three day itinerary. We were here for just a night and so we decided to make the most of it without planning anything far.
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| Ao Nang Beach, Krabi |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
Next day we rented a two-wheeler for Wandoor Beach which is an hour away from Aberdeen Bazar. We crossed the airport on the way. It was refreshing to drive along the sea taking in all the greenery and beauty. Wandoor Beach was quiet and welcoming. We just sat the the beachfront and enjoyed the waves.
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| Wandoor Beach entrance |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
Next day early in the day we went for Bose Island where most of the cavalry and all of the British officers used to live during the Raj days. Now most of the buildings are in ruins. It is still a beautiful island with deers roaming freely. We took a ferry from Marina Park Jetty which hardly takes 10 minutes and runs every half hour.
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| Ruined buildings at Bose Island |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
We woke up in the dark not to leave for Port Blair. One visit was left. In the dark we started for Sitapur Beach which is the eastern-most point on Neil Island. We were on the clock. The sun was about to rise in 10 minutes and we were still fending in the dark. Somehow we reached the beachfront only to find a large crowd was already there.
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| Sunrise @ Sitapur Beach |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
Next day we promptly reached Bharatpur Beach at 11 and waited for the tide to rise the water level. Since this is the only beach where venturing into sea is allowed, almost entire Neil was here. We had fun going deep into the sea. We would take multiple trips into the sea and then rest at the sandy beachside.
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| Our second stint at Bharatpur Beach |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
Early morning we went to Vijaynagar Beach which was opposite our resort. We wanted to see a Havelock sunrise. We were not disappointed although half a dozen puppies did follow us back to our resort. They probably mistook us as their mommy.
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| Sunrise at the rocky Vijaynagar Beach |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
Our plan for the day was very simple. Reach the point where the trek to Elephant Beach starts. Cover the two kilometers to Elephant Beach on foot. Return back before dark. There was a small matter of rain that was easing in and out but with our raincoats and helmets we were mostly safe or so we thought. We parked our two-wheeler at a designated parking lot.
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| Muddy trek to Elephant Beach |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
First look of Radhanagar Beach is queenly. The sea opens up with a panoramic view, there is not much crowd and the beach is immaculately clean. That’s not the best part. The best part is when you get into the water. I have not encountered a more perfect gredient anywhere in the world.
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| The queenly Radhanagar Beach |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
Early morning we reached Haddo Jetty to take our ferry to Havelock Island. The ferry was modest and the journey was eventless. We reached Havelock around noon and a cab transferred us to our hotel in no time. Havelock is a moderately sized island so the first thing we did after checking in was to rent couple of two-wheelers.
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| The Blue Bird Resort, our hotel in Havelock |
Andaman’s: Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9
It was raining when we landed at Port Blair. By the time we checked out the weather had dried out. This was the story throughout our 10 days stay at the Andamans. The cab pickup however was efficient. We checked-in into our hotel in no time. We had booked the same hotel when we would come back for the return flight ten days later.
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| Marina Park, Port Blair |
While Kathmandu valley is a Unesco World Heritage Site, it actually constitutes seven separate entities that comprise into the WHS. They are:
D. Buddha Stupa
F. Bhaktapur Darbar Square
G. Changunarayan Temple
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| 7 Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley |
It takes 2 days minimum to cover all the sites although it may take more than a day to cover each one in the true sense, such is the grandeur of Kathmandu valley. Day 1 can be dedicated to A, B & C while day 2 can be used to cover D, E, F & G.
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| The Dark Hedges |
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| Shacks, Mandrem |
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| Lighthouse, Aguada Fort |
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| Little Vagator |
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| Water Sports, Baga Beach |
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| Tung Wan Beach, Cheung Chau |
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| A view from Victoria Peak |