The Globetrotter

Photos: TRULY GEORGIA

globetrotwithme — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 23:45:00 GMT

October 2-5, 2015 Trip

TRULY GEORGIA

globetrotwithme — Fri, 2 Oct 2015 23:42:00 GMT

FYI. A Eurasian country, situated in Eastern Europe and West Asia. An amazing destination to explore for people who are into nature and at the same time historic places and architectures.

We flew via flydubai from Dubai to Tbilisi which only took 3 hours and 30 min. Fare price is cheaper if you book the flights few months beforehand (around 900 AED roundtrip). We got our visa upon arrival (validity of the passport should be more than 6 months). It was just a quick queue in the airport.

We had difficulty in finding Georgian Lari in Dubai so we have to change it at their airport. We tried exchanging our Dirhams and they said only USD. Not sure if they accept Euro or British pounds, so be sure to have USD with you.

Despite the fact that Georgia is a non English speaking country, people are very friendly and is a safe place to visit especially when you are traveling alone.

FROM THE AIRPORT. You can either arrange beforehand with your hotel to pick you up (which is the most convenient), or get a cab outside the airport. Taxi drivers tend to give higher price to foreigners (which is not unusual). You can try to bargain. We paid 60 GEL to our hotel which is near the Marjanishvilli square.

TOURIST SPOTS. You have a lot of activity options to choose from, a road trip to Ananuri, Gudauri and Uplistsikhe to trail hiking to Gergeti. If you prefer to just unwind within Tbilisi or the nearby towns, then Gori, Jvari and Mksheta are good choices.

Trail hiking to Gergeti is the highlight of this travel. After 2.5 to 3 hours of hiking, the sight of Gergeti Fortress will take your breath away. If you prefer not to walk, then you can hire a car from the town below and only takes 30 minutes ride.

For the tour, we tried the hop on hop off bus for a day, which was a good idea. Aside from it is cheap, there was also an English speaking tour guide and we had visited a lot of places within the capital and its nearby towns.

For the tour going to further towns, we hired a private driver which we paid $150 for the whole day. (If you need one, you can pm me. I saved our driver's mobile number). He is a nice and very patient guy. You can certainly ask him to stop anytime to take some photos. He also ended up as our personal photographer.

FAVORITES. Here are my top pick: Gergeti Trinity Church , under Mount Kazbegi. The magnificent structure that was built in the 14th century and is surrounded by vastness of nature, standing alone on the steep of the mountain. Ananuri fortress, about about 45 minutes from Tbilisi, situated on the Aragvi River. I just love the ambiance of the surrounding. Standing there, it feels like you are inside a fairy tale book--a princess waiting for its prince. Sameba, the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. You can enjoy the view--overlooking the Elia neighborhood.

A MUST. It is advisable to choose a hotel which is a walking distance from the town center. Very convenient to find a cab, or ride the train as well as cafes and restaurants. Food is cheaper than I expected. You can have one meal for just 30-50 GEL. You better try their local dish: Katmis Satsivi (Chicken with walnut sauce). It is spicy but very tasty. Another must try is the Georgian wine. It is one of the best wines I have ever tasted.

Last but not the least, try and learn some basic Georgian words, it will help you a lot and I can say that locals appreciate it.

Till next time! Madloba Georgia!

SRI LANKAN ESCAPADE

globetrotwithme — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 00:07:00 GMT

SRI LANKA. Formerly known as Ceylon is a tiny island in the south of India. The capital city is called Colombo and most of the country's population practice Buddhism.

From Dubai, we flew to Sri Lanka via Sri Lankan airlines. The flight duration is about 4 hours 25 minutes. If you book the flight early, you can get a return ticket for just 995 AED. For the visa, you can actually have it upon arrival, but I certainly advise to apply online to save time. And for the currency, you can either use USD or Sri Lankan rupees.

COLOMBO. We were picked up at the airport courtesy of our hotel's car. We want to escape the city's chaos so we only spent one day checking out the main city. Went to some tourist spots: Gangaramaya temple, Beira lake, Viharamahadevi park and Seema Malaka Temple. We stayed overnight at GSH Colombo and traveled south to Unawatuna the next day, c/o the hotel driver, which we hired for about $400 (Colombo-Unawatuna-Colombo). The hotel is clean, comfy and not pricey at all--ideal for an overnight stay.

UNAWATUNA. It is a major tourist magnet because of its beautiful beaches. Via a private car, it usually takes 2 hours from the main city depending on the traffic and the stops you'll have to make to take some photos. In our case, it took us 3 hours. We want to try a unique accommodation so we decided to stay in Galawatta Beach Cabanas. It's like a modern nipa hut, very cozy but no AC, just a ceiling fun and is 5 feet away from the shore (the lagoon outside the cabana is amazing), so it is kinda cool in the evening. Also, since it is just few feet away from the shore, you can hear the waves hitting the rocks especially at night. So if you prefer a quiet environment to fall asleep, cross this place out of your list.

The guy who's managing the resort and the staffs were really nice and very accommodating. They serve home-cooked meals and you can actually request outside the menu. You can also try the restaurant in Wijaya Beach House, just 10-15 minutes walk from the cabana. They serve variety of well cooked food. In general, the food in Sri Lanka is very cheap.

We came to this country to relax, so we didn't plan specific activities. We tried surfing though in Unawatuna, there's a beach there where the waves are not as big compared to other beaches, I forgot the name of the beach, but I am sure the locals could tell you where it is. It was my first surfing experience, so we hired a surfing instructor, which we met at the Top Secret Beach Bar, a cool place to chill and drink in Hikaduwa (30 min drive from Unawatuna). Found out, it's fun riding the waves, despite one sprained pinky toe. :)

We also wanna do some snorkeling and scuba diving, but the water visibility during that time was bad so we opt out to do those activities.

GALLE. Is a major city in Sri Lanka, approximately 20-minutes tuktuk ride from where we stayed. We visited the Galle fort, the light house, international stadium and spent the rest of the day roaming around the city. Locals are really nice and there were lots of tourists so we were comfortable walking on the street. Just so you know, thousands were killed in this city alone during the December 26, 2004, tsunami caused by Indian Ocean earthquake.

WEATHER. We traveled in July so the southern coastal areas of the island is still under the summer monsoon. Rainfall is expected but it is not as wet compared to the previous month. I am not sure if we were just lucky but we never experienced a heavy rain; just two consecutive nights of rainfalls. During daytime, weather's perfect for light clothing--shorts, tops and flipflops.

FYI. It is advised to have Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines minimum of 2 weeks before traveling to Sri Lanka and the mandatory childhood vaccines. Plus, don't forget to bring your insect repellent spray/lotion.

If you want to escape the busy and haywire life of big cities, this small country near the South-east of India is an ideal place for a getaway. We surely enjoyed our 8 days stay in this beautiful country.

ENCHANTING MALDIVES

globetrotwithme — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:15:00 GMT

MALDIVES.Lies in the middle of Indian Ocean, this beautiful country is composed of 26 atolls ( ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely). The visa is upon arrival for most nationalities. You can check online if you need to apply for a visa beforehand just to be safe. The currencies they accept are USD and their own: Maldivian rufiyaa .

JULY TRAVEL. We flew to Maldives from Dubai via Sri Lankan Airline. The flight duration was approximately 8 hours, 2-hour lay-over in Colombo. Personally, I enjoyed the flight (it was my first time to fly in the said airline), not to mention it is way cheaper compared to Emirates Airline.

My boyfriend traveled 5 days before me since he went scuba diving. He did 8 dives in the span of 4 days and paid more or less $700 including the hotel stay. He got his own diving equipment so he didn't have to pay for the rental.

After I landed in Male, which is the main city, we stayed there overnight. One day is enough for us to roam around the city. The local people there are Muslims so it is advised to wear "non-revealing" clothes (though I wore shorts and sleeveless top. Nobody tried to harass us but you'll just have to get used with the stares). Alcoholic beverages is a no-no in the main land. But you can have as much as you want in the resorts (which is kinda weird).

Though this country has a tropical climate, it only rained once (only a drizzle for like an hour), then its all sunny for the rest of our stay.

THE RESORT. The next day, we were picked up at the small port which is located just outside the airport. The resort is just a 20-minute ride ($162 per person) from Male via the private speedboat from our hotel, Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives. You can also use the public boats, it is cheaper, however it takes longer time. Another option is the sea plane which is more expensive but you can enjoy the view from above.

We stayed at the resort's over water suite ($514/Night). It is actually good for 3 people or couple with 2 kids. The room is just amazing, perfect for couples who like privacy.

It is very spacious and clean, very worth of what you paid. Our favorite part is the porch which has a private access to the sea. It's a good place to wait for the sunset while drinking some pinna colada. :)

We had an inclusive package which was a great move for us because we can eat from any restaurants (Koimala, Maakana, Rehendi, Raiyvilla Bar) in the resort. Aside from breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets, we have morning and afternoon snacks and its drink all you can! :) They served delicious food especially in Rehendi restaurant.

ACTIVITIES. We did some jet skiing for 30 min (max 2 people) costs $130 , snorkeling (a must do) by speedboat for an hour is $200 (max 4 people), one hour jet ski safari costs $90 per person . For the scuba diving, it is advisable to stay at Male and get a scuba package. They usually do 2 dives in a day.

For people who loves underwater beauty, you will for sure appreciate the pristine water of Maldives. The visibility is 30 feet! Just Wow, so don't you dare miss it! They have beautiful coral gardens (though according to our guide, it's not as beautiful as before the Tsunami 2004, that destroyed the coral reefs).

Laying on the sand with a book on one hand and a drink on another is an ideal activity for a relaxed afternoon. No small kids crying and running around the beach.

I am a kind of traveler who doesn't consider coming back to places I have been to, however, this breathtaking country is an exception. I am surely coming back soon.

Resort: http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/cinnamondhonvelimaldives/accommodation/