Month: July 2017

Ordeals Of A Solo Female Traveller

Published by Dev

Madhurima is a blogger by passion, traveller by choice and business analyst by profession.  Her blog OrangeWayfarer is a wonderful account of her journeys and memories. And speaking about her ordeals as a solo female traveller, this is what she has to say… The ordeal of being a female is never-ending, no matter where you belong to, or what your skin colour is. Misogyny looms large at every corner in the society. This particularly becomes more annoying for women wanting to travel alone. Sylvia Plath had said once said, “I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am. I am. I am”. And I adore her beyond words. I decided to let go the stigma taught to me by elderlies, “Äkeli ladki, khuli tijori” (a lone girl is a treasure trove) and break the norms. Of course, I live in a country and world which at large has accepted women’s lives outside the confinement of kitchen.” In a span of 3 years, I have travelled and lived in different parts of India, Thailand …

Europe: In Pictures

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Europe is a long, long way away. It takes tiresome hours to fly to. Getting there and staying is expensive than many people can afford to. The exchange rate between Euro and whatever currency you own is also (as expected!) not very encouraging either. And if any will was left, the super-cheap all-inclusive packages to Bali and Indonesia, costing just as much as a return airfare to Europe does, makes it even more discouraging. So why even bother with travelling to Europe at all? Well, let us count the ways in ‘Europe in Pictures’. Europe For Neoclassical Architecture The revival of Classical architecture during the 18th and early 19 century, defines Europe. Almost in every big city, and even in smaller towns, you can find an elegant piece of architecture characterised either by the grandeur of scale, or something just as alarming. Take St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest, for an example, which looks both reviving and ancient. With its 100-meter high dome, it represents a neoclassical and a period architecture. Europe For Beautiful Drives Whether driving with a purpose or for recreation, in Europe if you’re behind the wheel, …

How To Do Southeast Asia In 1 Month

Published by Dev

Disclaimer: Before you make any opinions, please note that this post was written keeping two things in mind: one, travelling a maximum number of southeast Asian countries on a minimum budget. And two, doing it all quickly and still not hurrying too much between places. If Southeast Asia is world’s top backpacking location then there’s a reason for it. It is perfect for millennials, who neither have money, nor time. The kind of people falling in my category. Here, the visas are cheaper, or not required at all, travelling through one country and another is possible by land (even for the unfortunate Indians with their weak Indian passport), and flights to a few major airports cost as low as flying domestically in your country! And if you just happen to be someone who needs visas for Southeast Asia, please note that right now is even better to do so, because to increase the tourist inflow, Malaysia and Thailand have just cut slashed their visa costs, and they’re particularly focusing on the Indian market. [I’ve just grabbed …

Reasons For Schengen Tourist Visa Rejection

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A Schengen tourist visa is one of the toughest visas to obtain. Its process is strict and complicated, and the result, totally unexpected. You might have provided everything to your best knowledge but you can never predict what the country embassy you’re applying for your visa with, has in store for you. Some people say that countries like the Czech Republic or Hungary are the safest options and guarantee high approval chances, but you can never totally believe that either. So if you’re applying for a Schengen tourist visa, be very careful, and avoid the following mistakes to improve your chances of approval. These are the top reasons for a Schengen tourist visa application rejection: False Travel Documents One of the recent rejection cases I came across, of a friend, who provided a photoshopped flight itinerary, made me realise that false travel documents are not going to get you a visa. So don’t even try. If you do not have a required document, simply mention that in your cover letter. For example, speaking of personal experience, …

Australian Tourist Visa Process For Indians

Published by Dev

After dealing with a long list of documents, a tiring visa application and high-rejection chances, three months ago, while applying for a Schengen visa for Europe, when it came to planning a tourist visa for Australia, things felt pretty easier and uncomplicated. And that was not just me. A few other people, I spoke with, to get an idea about their experience, moreover gave an impression that Australia has always been humble with its visa process, even for Indians. Though of course, if you compare a Thai or a Malaysian visa process for tourists, Australia still demands a better planning and a little more paperwork. Also Read: Tips For Australian Tourist Visa. What Documents You Need For Australian Visa Australian embassy, on its website, has mentioned that it discourages any prepaid hotel booking and reserved flight tickets, before the issuance of your visa. It moreover doesn’t want any health insurance, as you need while applying for a visa for US and Schengen European countries. However, the documents you may need, based on my practical knowledge — the …

Australian Tourist Visa: Practical Tips

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If there’s one thing that annoys me as traveller, thanks to my weak Indian passport, it is — applying for a visa. You want to travel to Europe, and you’ve all the money and time it requires, you still need to go through a lot of hassle and paperwork. Though of course, some countries are more reluctant, and some, fairly welcoming, the unapologetic fact that you still need to waste your time and money — is always a big disappointment. And my disappointment turned into dismay, very recently, when it took more than one month for the Australian embassy to give me a tourist visa. Though the folks in the embassy were quite humble and allowed me multiple entries for a period of one year, the price I had to pay for it was quite startling. Australian Tourist VISA Was Expensive With most Southeast Asian countries charging around 2 to 4 thousand Rupees, Canada charging about 6.5 thousand, and 26 Schengen countries in Europe around only 6 thousand, Australia, God knows why has set its own …

mount titlis

A Day Trip To The Swiss Alps

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Switzerland, for Indians, has always been a country where you would want to skip the big towns, wander off the highway onto the back roads, and experience its countryside — and with that, those unforgettable Bollywood movie sequences we’ve grown up watching. So as I landed in Europe, for a 2-month long backpacking holiday, I decided to leave Zurich behind, on the very first day I arrived in the country, and do a day trip to the mount of Titlis. From what I experienced to where I booked the tour from, here’s a quick video of my Day Trip To Swiss Alps From Zurich (yes, I’ve also written a blog post on it): Continue planning your trip to Switzerland, by reading: How to Spend 24 Hours In Zurich | Most Scenic Bus Ride in Switzerland

5 Beautiful And Very Distinct Places In India Everyone Must Visit

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Ever thought of taking that much-deserved break and losing yourself in a place virtually free from all sorts of communication? If yes, then this is a perfect place to start from. The places mentioned below aren’t your standard honeymoon destination, these are those places which can take your breath away and leave you shell-shocked with the beauty that these places in India has to offer. These are the 5 Must Visit Places In India: Pangong Lake, Ladakh Restricting Ladakh tourism to just Pangong lake would be an extreme injustice, but if you ask me to pinpoint the most beautiful place in the region, then Pangong would definitely top my list. Pangong Lake doesn’t have heavy traffic or inflow of tourists, so if you want to scream at the top your voices unabashedly, come here. The sight of the lake can instantly instill a sense of peacefulness in your mind. The lake located at a height of about 4350m is around 124km long and is also home to various migrating birds. Ladakh is definitely a travellers …

From Horse Riding To Learning The German Way Of Life

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It has always been my dream to ride a horse, slowly galloping away into the sunset. But the fact is… I never got a chance. Neither to pursue my dream, nor fantasies. The last time I felt horseback, I was in Darjeeling, some half-a-lifetime ago, under the scrutiny of my parents. And I vaguely remember (well, there are pictures to prove) that I cried the entire time. But then later in life, I happened to grow up with pets around me, and growing up as an animal lover, horses became my biggest fascination. So while planning for my two-month backpacking trip through central and eastern Europe, earlier in 2017, I happened to find an amazing volunteer opportunity work-exchange network called WorldPackers. The deal was, I had to help a family run their horse-farm in a small village, some 120 km Northwest of Frankfurt. [Also Read: Travelling The World As A Volunteer] So, after about 10 days of backpacking in Zurich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt (and falling in major love with German Beer), I made my way to Ballhausens household in Mörz, near Koblenz, and their horse-farm, that was …

Travel Tips For Slovenia

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What people think about a place, and what it actually is, can be two different realities. And so was the case with me before I travelled to Slovenia. While I was planning the itinerary for my first backpacking trip across Europe, I expected Slovenia as a part of the ‘wild west’ or ill-famous Eastern Europe. Moreover to my guilt, my heart was always more drawn to the neighbouring countries of Italy, Austria and Hungary. But since there was no way to travel from Hungary to Italy, via land, without travelling through Slovenia (because I didn’t want to cross through Croatia holding a Schengen Visa), I decided to pass through Slovenia, and moreover stay in Ljubljana for a few days. [Related Read: My First Impression of Ljubljana] So if you are visiting Slovenia for the first time, then read ahead. These four significant misconceptions are the most useful travel tips for Slovenia. Don’t Mix Slovenia And Slovakia Slovenian people are very friendly and well-versed. For almost always you will find them smiling. But if there’s one thing that …