Around the World in Silver Years

The River Cruise is the best way to see Egypt  Since all historical attractions lie along the river Nile, the Nile River Cruise is the best and the most convenient means of sight seeing.    The cruise covers all important historical places at Aswan, temples at Kom Ombo  shared by their 2 Gods Sobek and Haeoris and at  Edfu and Luxor. There are many Nile River Cruise operators and these cruises start from Aswan ,a 1 & 1/2 hours flight from Cairo and terminate at Luxor or vice versa.  Ours was a 3 night cruise from Aswan on board Luxury Boat M/S Sarah Nile Cruise Boat about 100 M  in length which is one of the popular cruise boat. This cruise is unlike a Cruise Ship which sails for long distances but it is more like a floating hotel which actually moves for only few hours to reach the next historical location namely, 2 1/2 hours to Kom Ombo from Aswan followed by 4 hours to Edfu and 6 1/2 hours to Luxor. For the remainin...

My earliest memories of Egypt go back to Elizabeth Taylor who had acted as the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra in a movie of same name way back in 1960s.  Egypt was also in the news off and on during series of Egypt wars almost 5 decades earlier. My fascination for Egypt further increased when I joined the Indian Navy in 1970 since it was home to the strategically located Suez Canal, a marvel of its own kind of great importance to the Indian Defence Forces.  It is also the land of the Giza Pyramids, approximately 4500 years old being the oldest wonders of the world. The allure of the Nile Cruise one of the largest rivers of the world, marginally 2nd to only Amazon River, was an another attraction. Our Co-Travellers  comprised of 17 close friends including 8 couples. We decided to engage Vayudoot Holidays Pune to arrange our 10 days customised Egypt tour. We had earlier done another outstanding tour to Uzbekistan and Russia with the same travel agent which was planned meticulous...

Bade bade trips mein chote chote speed-breakers aatay rahete hai ! This is an often used Hindi adage which means in big trips one often hits fun spoilers that take away the enjoyment, leaving you stressed and hassled.  Being prepared for these while planning can go a long way in ensuring a trouble free trip. Here are some tips that can go a big way during your travels: 1. Avoid early morning arrivals. Since Early check in at the hotel may not always be possible even if promised earlier. 2. Keep a pocket diary with often referred details in person for easy consultation , especially your passport, visa and flight details including their expiry dates. 3. Keep Photocopies of all important documents including passport and visa(s) 4. Divide your baggage in 2 suitcases instead of 1 , each packed with essentials and few set of clothing of both travellers. This can be of great help if a bag is misplaced in transit, which is not uncommon. 5. Tie an uncomm...

We along with 3 close friends (couples) had visited Srilanka for 5 nights (25th Nov to 30th Nov.).  Our stay was as follows: a) Kandy - 3 nights b) Nuwara Eliya - 1 night c) Colombo - 1 night. While this stay was just enough to get a taste of Sri Lanka, it was inadequate to experience the true flavour of this Island country.   Our actual experiences are highlighted in the succeeding paragraphs to help intending travellers fine tune their itinerary to enjoy the most this country has to offer. On arrival at Colombo, we were allotted a dedicated minibus, which remained with us throughout the tour. The driver also acted as a tour guide.  We started with  Pinnawala Elephant orphanage,   Srilanka's most popular tourist attraction e nroute to Kandy from Colombo after arrival . This orphanage is world's largest collection of captive elephants from new born to elderly including orphaned and abandoned elephants as well as those injured in the wild. Some more than 50 ...

Currency All foreign and Indian currency get good exchange rates when converted to Srilankan Rupee.  1 SL Rupee equalled 0.27 INR, when we visited. There are plenty of money exchange booths just outside the Colombo airport. Food is not an issue since Indian and continental cuisine is available at most places. As such, Srilankan Gravy is quite similar to its Indian Version and worth a try for the taste of their local spices.  Transport   Colombo is the main, convenient airport in Srilanka offering connections to all major cities of the world. It is connected by rail to all major Srilankan towns as well as local travel. Government and privately run buses are also available for local, intercity and out station travel. Taxis are easily available t the airport itself and also within the city for local and out station travel. In most cases, the driver himself acts as a tourist guide. Language English is widely spoken and hence, it is...

Best time to Travel  Srilanka has tropical weather; Can get very hot & humid in summers and wet during rains. November to February is the best time to visit Cities and places to be visited Colombo   3 nights A business/commercial centre & a major sea port. Must See:   Kelaniya Buddhist temple dating back to 6th CBC Galle          2 nights (not visited personally) Kandy       3 nights A picturesque British hill town that offers ample local sights and daytrip options Must See: Temple of the Tooth taken from Buddha dating back to 313 AD, Kandy Lake and Royal Botanical Garden Day trips from Kandy: Sigiriya palace - a UNESCO World Heritage site located on a rock 600 Ft high Dembula Rock Buddha Temple - 500 ft high dating back to 1 BC  Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - world's largest collection of captive elephants. Herd going for bath in the morning and returning in the afternoon ,makes for a uniq...

During the active service years, one is full of commitments and liabilities. It is only after retirement with the children settled, unlimited free time is available at hand. What better way to utilise this time than  travelling to places within India and abroad To make a beginning, there can be no better foreign country, for an Indian,  to travel to than Sri Lanka.  Why Sri Lanka For Indians, Sri Lanka holds a special interest since it has a mention in their mythological epic 'Ramayana'. The travel time from India to Sri Lanka can maximum be 3-4 hours, depending on the place of departure making it comparable to  the travel time within India. Sri Lanka is adjacent to India, without any travel hassles including free access without any prior Visa requirement.    Other reasons for Indians can include similar culture, food habits, weather and no language problem. Above all, Sri Lanka offers excellent currency exchange rates for all tourists.  To get  p...