After a whirlwind 3-day trip in Ho Chi Mihn City (Saigon); we hopped on a plane and head to the north of Vietnam. It takes about two hours to get to Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi, from Ho Chi Mihn City. If you’re on a packed schedule, consider half a day wasted on airport transfers and…
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After a long, sleepless night of tossing and turning — in anticipation of the trip; I managed to make it in time for my hotel pick-up at 8 am. We spent the next 15 minutes picking the rest of the members of the tour. Our tour group had an eclectic mix of people — two…
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We arrived in Ho Chi Mihn City, late in the evening, after an extremely long delay in Seoul. The rain poured down in torrents as our taxi made its way through rush hour traffic and I got the first glimpse of the city’s ubiquitous two-wheeler brigade. They whizzed by, negotiated nimble manoeuvres, doubled as…
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A year back, roughly around this time, I was a bundle of jittery nerves and two jelly feet. As July approached, so did my anxiety of having to relocate to a new country. The positive effect of living for two months in Seoul (April and May) — in preparation for the actual move — had…
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Jeju (Cheju) is perhaps the most popular tourist destination in South Korea. With cheap flights connecting all major cities, in the mainland, to Jeju; it makes for an excellent weekend getaway. Exploring the whole island itself, will take longer than a week and yet, it might not be possible to cover everything. Jeju is one of “The…
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After a long sweltering summer, I couldn’t have been happier to welcome October. And as I waited patiently for the temperatures to fall, leaves to turn, and magic to descend on the city, I’ve been calling home — for half a year; Basil got a few days off. The timing couldn’t have been more wrong.…
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Suwon‘s 5.74 Km UNESCO World Heritage Hwaseong Fortress — within its stony confines — offers a glimpse into Korea’s royal past. As with most world heritage sites, the town around the wall hasn’t stopped for time. The whirr of motorised vehicles and rush of everyday traffic dominate the scene, leaving behind nuggets of the old world, in…
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Back in the day, when it was acceptable to build walls, many eastern cultures went all the way in protecting their kingdoms. The most noteworthy of them all, without a doubt, would have to be the Great Wall of China. However, still unknown to many travellers; Korea has its fair share of city walls.…
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Chinatown is Incheon‘s top tourist draw. But, there’s a lot more interesting history, tucked away, from the main tourist street. Surrounded by dense vegetation or the sea (depending on which section of town you choose to explore); these sights are perfect to escape the sharp rays of the afternoon sun or loud tourist banter. By the time,…
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It’s interesting to see how cultures, across the world, mimic one another, in a bid to keep what-should-be-kept-out — outside. Fortress walls have proven to be a common feature of almost every citadel, fort, or palace complex we’ve visited. From the sandstone citadel walls of Rajasthan to the ginormous, ‘Great Wall of China‘; protecting territory,…
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