Tag: memorable

9 Things That Nobody Told You About Vacationing In Italy

Italy Banner PagePic Courtesy: Shutterstock

Italy is a European country like no other! A wise traveler once said, ‘Put all of Europe on one side and Italy on the other and Italy will still come up trumps’. Maybe it’s as true for their brand of football, wine and food as well, but I guess in his mildly inebriated state he meant it from the tourism point of view! This boot-shaped country has got beautiful landscape with a remarkable coastline and mountains, rolling wine country, an ancient culture which is hard to beat and architecture which will take your breath away. And after you have been suitably mesmerized by Rome, Florence and the Tuscany region, you land up in Venice and think, what the hell were these guys up to? How could they pull off such an incredible feat as building the city of Venice? And then off course there’s the incredible food and wine and the typical Italian way of life ~La Dolce Vita~

1) That Italy is NOT for a hop-skip-jump visit.

St_Peter's_Square,_Vatican_City_-_April_2007Pic Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org

If you are looking at Italy as a 3 night stopover in Rome, don’t waste your time. Go someplace else. That’s a frank advice. You can’t do justice to what this country did in 5000 years and attempt to even try and understand it in 3 days. Minimum spend 10 days. Anything short of that is a blasphemy! Rome and the Vatican needs 4 days; Florence and Tuscany another 4 days; Venice a good 2 full days; Amalfi Coast another 3days. Then there’s Sicily which if you want to get a feel you need 4days. Exploring it would require 6-7 days. And we haven’t covered Milan and the Lake Como region or the Dolomites! So, there you are. In 10 days you would be able to rush through Rome, Florence and a stay in a Tuscan villa, Venice and a bit of the Amalfi Coast.

2) Make a wishlist and dump that checklist.

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For those who want to see a bit of everything and have a hassle free guided tour where even your meals are accounted for, go for the coach tours. Yeah bring out your laundry list for Italy! But if you have your own wishlist and want to see the Duomo in Florence at leisure or check out the ambiance of Tuscany by staying on a farm or a villa or want to enter Venice in style aboard a cruising yacht or spend endless hours in a piazza in Rome or stand transfixed for hours on end in front of the Coliseum, or stay in Taormina in Sicily for the awesome views of Mt.Etna and the Mediterranean, then go for the independent holidays. Don’t get chaperoned like on a guided coach tour and spend all your time in the world to savor the beauty of Italy like you would your red wine while seated in a café in front of the Pantheon or at the Trevi fountain!

3) Add that ‘self drive’ star to your trip.

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Firstly, the ‘self-drive’ houseboat holidays near Venice. It’s a lifestyle holiday that’s so reasonably priced that it’s quite unbelievable. Imagine having a private yacht with 1-4 cabins with en suite loos, a small kitchenette, its own music system, the freedom to navigate down the river, choosing where you want to eat, where you want to moor and go for long walks or cycle down pretty pathways in villages you would never have seen otherwise. The second is self drive car holidays all over mainland Italy where we will chalk out your route and book you in pretty places all over Italy. The 3rd is the enchanting and myth laden island of Sicily. From short breaks to 10 day holidays in Sicily and covering Taormina, a climb to Mt. Etna, Cefalu, Palermo, Agrigento etc.

4) Don’t throw caution to the wind.

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They have never given suparis to Indian tourists. Not even in Sicily. At least not yet. The Godfathers are yet to hear about ‘India Shining’ out there. But yes, we keep hearing from people or reading in news that there have been purse snatching or pickpocketing. I have never ‘met’ someone who has been at the wrong end of Italian hospitality. But since they say its that way in Italy, why not just be more careful and don’t go hanging your new Mont Blanc wallet around your neck!

5) Don’t visit at the wrong time of year and regret.

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June to Sep is summer. The scent of a warm summer breeze, pretty cafes open till late at night, fashion laden locals and hordes of mesmerized tourists waltzing down every narrow lane, music pouring out from street corners and pubs. It’s a heady cocktail of splendid architecture, food & wine, fashion, amazing landscapes and warm people. You will find it hard not be swept into the philosophy of La dolce vita. Apr/May & Oct would have a bit of all that but less in its intensity as well as price.

6) Don’t be the last minute Indian while VISA application.

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Not a problem, if you have your papers in order. In perfect order. It’s a Schengen country. But during the summer months, the consulate is loaded with applications, so don’t plan to apply at the last moment.

7) Don’t club in random countries with Italy and regret later.

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France, Switzerland and Austria make a good combination. All of them are well connected by trains. For eg, you can combine Geneva (Switzerland), Chamonix (France) with a trip to Lake Como and Milan in Italy. Or you could wander to the Lake side triangle of Lugano (Switzerland), Como and Maggiore in Italy. The schengen visa will suffice for all these countries.

8) Exercise caution while hotel booking for ultimate savings.

ColiséePic Courtesy: Wikipedia

It depends entirely on your budget and the kind of location you like. But we would advise that in Rome choose a centrally located hotel between the Tiber river and Termini stn. Preferably within walking distance of the metro. In Florence choose any hotel close to the station. It’s a walking town. In Tuscany if you want to stay in a vineyard or on a farm, there are plenty of places to choose from. Check with us for ideas. In Venice, if you stay ‘inside’ Venice city, then prepare to pay a stratospheric price for a measly sized room but you may hear the gondola guys serenade you right below the window! Or you may opt to stay instead at Mestre, which is just across the creek and a 3min train ride away. Here you will get a decent 4 star hotel (eg Hotel Bologna) at the cost of a ‘so-called’ 3star hotel in Venice city.

9) Eat through Italy.

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Italy is a foodie’s delight. The further south you travel the more elaborate the meal becomes, so much so that in Sicily, 1-4pm is siesta time which I guess is more to do with their lunch than with rest. If an Italian decides to host you for lunch or dinner, do keep aside 2-3 hrs for that and no meetings afterwards. Nothing is short of a 3-course meal with wine overflowing. It’s not a Veg food paradise, but veggies will survive well. Indian restaurants are there in the main cities but these are not cheap. A simple dinner for 2 at the only Indian restaurant in Venice will set you back by Euro 40-50. Tap water is safe for drinking in Italy. But then in Italy who drinks water!

Holler if you finally want to take that Italy vacation or just click here to see our awesome Italy package: 16 Days Italy – The Wanderers Way!

March to the Gobi desert


By Alifiya Calcuttawala

When you speak of Mongolia the first thought that strikes is of ‘Genghis Khan’. Most people only read about it in history but how many have actually thought of travelling to Mongolia? I got a fantastic opportunity to travel to this amazing country last summer with a small group of clients’ from Kolkata.

Mongolia is said to be the least densely populated country in the world- an isolated yet magnificent landscape untainted by the modernist hands of destruction and sprawl. An ideal canvas for those who enjoy basic and slow travel, Mongolia is off the beaten track at its very best.

As I flew over the Gobi desert and made my way to the capital city of Ulanbaatar, much of my time was spent in awe – looking out at and being within a staggering expanse of serene, undisturbed wilderness.

Ulaanbaatar is the usual starting point for your trip across Mongolia; the bustling capital city offers everything from temples, museums and public squares, to international cuisine and busy nightlife.

We drove through the seoul street and WOW who would expect such a sight in this far away land – Irish pubs , grill bars , karoke, youngsters walking in designer labels, night clubs in full swing…. It was endless. The Mongols definitely took their Friday night fun quite seriously!

As we headed back to the hotel – my impression of Ulanbaatar had completely changed in those 3 hours – from a city trying to be modern to the most happening city in this part of the world.

After a night of rest in Ulanbaatar my journey to explore the land of blue skies finally started.

My first destination was Hustai National Park – the land of wild horses. One should be prepared that the country doesn’t have a well-trodden tourist track. Dirt tracks are more common than paved roads and a 14 km distance can take up to 3 hours.

As I left the city, I moved through vistas of various colours and textures and was soon greeted by the sights of white ger camps against the backdrop of mountains.

Staying in a traditional ger is a unique and unforgettable experience. Complete with a toasty coal fire heating system it gives you the opportunity to sample local food and the 5 am wake up calls by horses and goats rustling around the outside walls.

Hustai National Park is world famous for the successful re-introduction of the Przewalski horse, Takhi, the only still living wild ancestor of the domestic horse. I spent some time on learning about these beautiful creatures, watching a documentary and as evening descended, I proceeded to see them in their spectacular natural surroundings. These horses do not graze when the sun is as it’s zenith – they usually come out in the open when it gets a little cooler, towards the evening. I have never seen such beautiful creatures – the shutter bugs in our group frantically clicked every movement of the animal. White horses , beautiful grasslands that stretched mountain after mountain, the setting sun.. all of this threw myriad hues of colours on the landscape which turned truly heavenly!!

My journey further continued to the capital city of Genghis Khan – the Karakorum. Although nature dominates, history remains in this ancient city. Be sure to check out the Erdene Zuu Monastery in Kharkhorin. The most important Monastery in the country, it is the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia which once had over 100 temples and 1,000 monks before the Communist purges in 1937. Like many other scared sites, not much was left standing after this era of destruction, but the Mongolians preserve what is left of their history with great pride.

As the day passed, we shifted South from the mountains to the flat lands to make our way towards the famous red flaming cliffs in Gobi desert. We stopped in between at a massive stretch of green for a comfort break and were totally blown off by the strong winds. The landscape was desolate, not a single human being in sight for as long as you could see, not even an animal or a vehicle passing by – just long stretches of grasslands with rolling mountains in the distance and clear blue skies with small white tufts of cotton clouds and our vans romancing in this surreal landscape.

In the middle of the Gobi where the roads are non-existent with almost no civilisation, lies a tiny village – Ongi. The Ongi ger camp where we stayed the night  is nothing less than an oasis in the middle of this vast desert. With facilities like massage, Sauna rooms, restaurant, showers etc it is a true paradise for the travellers.

After a relaxed day at Ongi it was time to proceed for the last leg of my journey – the Flaming Cliffs site. Also known as Bayanzag, this region of the Gobi Desert in the Ömnögovi Province of Mongolia is an important place in archaeology as fossil finds have been unearthed here. The area is most famous for its first discovery of dinosaur eggs.

Sitting in the verandah, overlooking the unobstructed Gobi desert, I went back to the day my adventure trip started. Travelling through Mongolia is like travelling back into time- seeing surroundings that haven’t changed in decades or even centuries, where locals still live simply, inviting you into their homes with an eagerness to share their wonderful and unique way of life. Wandering through the distinct lack of infrastructure and amenities you realise you are a part of the Mongolian life.

The great outdoors await you with plentiful opportunities for walks, hikes and adventure. Clamber through rock formations, marvel at the hot to cold contrasts of Gobi desert or attempt the strenuous climb of the Khongoryn Els sand dunes, only for the excitement of running or rolling down them afterwards. Race the two-humped camels and soak in the dramatic scenery of the eagle valley.

What you hear about Mongolia with its green hues, herds of wild horses and the golden desert expanse..well, all of that is true. For me, it was an experience like no other. I lost myself for 10 days, embraced the beauty that came from simplicity, and indulged in the overwhelming sense of liberation that came only from standing in an uninhabited place.

(Alifiya Calcuttawala, Regional Director- The Wanderers Kolkata travelled to Mongolia in the summer of 2013 with a group of clients from Kolkata. She is an avid traveller,  always in search of a tryst with the sublime)  

 

Check out our latest Photography Tour in Mongolia