In the four years since I have had my SLR, I haven't had more fun in photographing a place as much I had in capturing the river and boat life of Hoi An and the slow touristy pace of its old quarters. Check out this photo essay, I love it and you will love it too. Don't forget to leave a comment.

I still can’t believe why we went to check out these falls which are about 26 kilometers from Chiang Mai. Maybe, because we had a motorbike and sometime extra time on hand so we decided to go. But even with time to kill, I found the entry ticket to falls at 100 Baht/200 INR/~$3 (plus the parking charge) steep for what falls really turned out to be. The ride to park and beyond on the Mae Rim Samoeng road is beautiful but I am sure that’s not what you pay for entry gate of the falls. There are 10 falls in all but the whole area has a very city park sort of feel to it. We spent two hours in all here with some quite spots and lots of picnic benches to rest on but we would not recommend it not even if you are coming all the way to check out Tiger Kingdom. I am sure anyone who has had the good fortune of travelling a little would have seen better falls and for free. And the ones who haven’t, well, honestly, there are better things that deserve your time.

We spent five nights in Ho Chi Minh city and before we arrived we had planned to do everything there was to do in the city – the day trips, the museums, the touristy things and not so touristy things as well. But now that we have been there and done that, take our advise on five things NOT to do in the city. We learnt the hard way but you don’t have to make your own mistakes. 1. Visit the war remnants museum – It will probably the top on your list if you are visiting Ho Chi Minh city but you could get more information about the American war in Vietnam by researching it online or reading a book. If you get to the actual museum you would want to see more than just images of people who suffered. The American war was awful but before you feel glad that Vietnamese people won the war, you will be saddened that America continues to wage many such wars in different parts of the world. And while I saw a few people touched to tears with the images, I felt weird that they fail to realise how these wars continue to be fought elsewhere. 2. Cruise the Mekong – In Ho Chi Minh, we were really short of things to do. So we were considering a dinner cruise on Mekong. Luckily, one evening we walked to the banks of the Mekong and saw rows of cargo containers lined up along one side of the banks and others passing along. If you are in South East Asia you will have ample of opportunities to cruise or take quiet rides on Mekong. Give this one a skip, if you are considering it to be a romantic sunset ride on the Mekong in …

Listed as the Wonder of the Nature, Halong Bay figure as a must do on all itineraries for travel around Vietnam. However, Empty Rucksack Travelers claim that a greater wonder and adventure is in store for you in the by lanes of Hanoi's old quarter where everyone will happily sell you a trip to Halong Bay. Read their review of Halong Bay and reasons for opting for a day trip.

A two hour ride upstream on the Mekong will bring you at the foot of Pak Ou cave set in limestone cliff, twenty five kilometers away from Luang Prabang. The ride to and fro will cost you around 100,000 kip (roughly $9/INR 900) and may keep you wondering if it is a bit too much you paid. But as soon as you take a seat the long wooden boats, your doubts will be put to rest. Over the next two hours, the boat driver will navigate the rapids on the giant Mekong, gently moving in the direction of the caves. You will pass by serene views of green countryside, b and petrol bunker on the way and then as the two hours will pass by you will see a white hollow in the face of a giant cliff approach. You have arrived, your boat driver will say and you already know it was worth the time and the money. The quiet ride on the Mekong had already put you in the ideal state of calm necessary before visit to a religious site that has been used for meditation as well. As you climb the flight of stairs you pay an entry fees of 20,ooo kip ( roughly $3/INR 180) and make your way to the lower level of caves. Over four thousand Buddhas have been placed in this cave over a period of hundred years. With each Buddha representing the faith of an individual, you feel a sense of spirituality pervading the cave. After a few moments you make you way up to the upper level caves, where a giant statue of Lao Buddha meets you on the entrance. You go inside and look up your flashlight because the upper cave is absolutely dark. You imagine the cave lit up …

Kuang si are the spectacular waterfalls about 30 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Jump into a tuk tuk for a shared ride at 35,000 kip or sign up for a minivan at 40,000 kip that your hotel can arrange for you or you could find one waiting along the Sisavangvong road. The falls are multi-tiered and their turquoise blue or sometimes emerald green pools are a sight to both behold and jump in. We decided to trek all the way up to the top of the falls in the true spirit of exploration. And we were rewarded with the breathtaking top view of the falls and multiple tiny lakes. The climb although not too long is not so straightforward either. It is both adventurous and a little daunting because many a times you will be guessing if you are heading the right way. We were often left guessing wondering if we were the only ones heading up but a lot of people make the effort to climb up the top. So if you find the company of others and the waterfall symphony missing for too long, you know you are going the wrong way. The hike up is slippery, through wild woods, underneath the green canopy and definitely not for everybody. To navigate your way across the water pool at the top stepping over the moss covered rocks to get to the other side needs caution. If you slip, there is nothing to hold you back except for a railing of bamboo. But to put your feet on the black stones smothered by the time and water gushing down brings a feeling of peace to your nerves as you are panicking with both thrill and horror. To walk down is more challenging. But each step is a wonderful surprise. We stepped down a …

A weekend in Aurangabad We love Aurangabad, because we are from Auranagbad. So, it is highly important for us, that you love it too. And, here is our list of things that one must do in Aurangabad to get the full flavour of the city. Hire a car: First and foremost, you will need a car to check out all the major sites in the city and to do a day trip to Ajanta caves. Start Early: On day 1, Wake up early in the morning. Yes, no lingering around or sleeping in. Our monuments get hot and crowded very early in the day. So be sure to be out by seven at the latest. Plan your day: Start with a hike up to the top of Daulatabad fort. Then move over to the Ellora caves. Remember, you cannot see all the caves, so pick a sample of caves based on a little booklet on sale outside the Ellora caves and aim at covering those. Added attractions: Finally check out the Grishneshwar temple which is further ahead of Ellora on the same road. On your way back into Aurangabad, at stop Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khuldabad. All these attractions are along one highway that goes in and out of Aurangabad so finding them will not be a problem. You can also buy fresh fruits along the highway. When back in the city, enjoy a glass of juice at Lucky Juice center or Pakeezah if you are here in the summers. Have a meal of Rajasthani thali at Bhoj or Eklavya. And wrap up the day with paan at Tara pan center On Day 2 you can explore the Ajanta caves, which are 108 kilometers from the city. It is possible to visit the caves and return the same day back to …

  Brijwasi ki chaat – Famous for Bunn Tikki – Amritsar must taste!   Women cooking langar for lunch meal at a neighborhood gurdwara Famous Chai Stall in Amritsar. A morning stop for many Amritsaris.   New style patterns of the colorful Phulkari, traditional embroidery of Punjab   Stacks of duppattas in a cloth shop in Amritsar    Dress material for women’s clothing. Amritsar likes it bright.   Lovers of Osho in Sikh dominated city of Amritsar Read my travelogue on Amritsar.

Located in one of the oldest part of the city of Aurangabad, Osmanpura, Tara Pan center is a local  favorite. The lights shine on what one could call the Paan street of Aurangabad in late evenings when families and adult males in groups arrive for to bite into special ingredients wrapped raw into a betel leaf. The old Tara Pan center The undeniably most famous in Aurangabad and arguably so in India, is the paan of Tara pan center. Running for generations this shop serves a large variety of paan. A fact you will be told everytime you go to the shop with your hosts is that it is in this shop that Asia’s most expensive paan is sold. I have no means to judge the veracity of the statement. But, the costliest of paan on the menu costs Rs 3000. The new Tara Pan center formed after brothers seperated There are several competing paan vendors on the same location. I have tried paan at both the Tara Pan centers and liked both equally well. The paan vendors have their employees reach out to arriving customers who place their orders sitting inside their air conditioned cars, receiving a quick delivery of ordered paans and leaving as soon as they arrive. But what they carry with them is the refreshing after taste of paan well-made and served. Competing Pan sellers on the same street  

Sachkhand express initiates in Nanded every morning and finishes its journey in Amritsar the next day after running for 34 hours.   We boarded the train at Aurangabad. We were provided free langar at the station. A bowl full of vegetable rice. At Manmad station, vendors sell pomegranate in little packets. At nine in the evening we reached Khandwa where devotees served rotis called ‘parshada’ with kaali daal to the travelers onboard train.    The train itself is considered holy since it connects two major centers of Sikh pilgrimage, Golden Temple and Hazoor Sahib. This was my first overnight journey on a train and we were pampered all the way by the kindness of the believers. 24 hours passed by quicker than usual.   Here is my video log of the journey:   <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/ktM5cj9gIhQ” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>