Long Weekend Holiday to Chiang Mai

Zip line adventures through the rain forest

Been thinking of a post on extended weekends since a while. How do you zero in on a long weekend holiday destination? The way air fares are going, international travel seems more pocket friendly now than travelling to say Ladakh or Kerala. Did you try driving down to Pune, Lonavala over a long weekend recently? I've done that and trust me it is quite a nightmare with the heavy traffic. So I am going to be on the look out for non traditional getaways and Chiang Mai, in the northern region of Thailand is one of them. 

Elephant Safari in Chiang Mai 

Things to see and Do

So here’s my two pence on Chiang Mai, a perfect choice for that 5 day, 4 night extended weekend getaway.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Mumbai office together with the Thai Consulate in Mumbai invited me to a Chiang Mai Night Festival in Mumbai recently where a select few travel writers were invited to a Thai cuisine workshop followed by a showcase of Chiang Mai’s attractions, hotels and resorts.

A day of sight seeing in Chiang Mai’s will take you through the Chiang Mai Zoo, zip line adventures through the rain forest, an aquarium and Night Safari with a visit to the Doi Suthep temple that overlooks the entire city.

Let's talk Adventure
If you know me, you'll know that anything to do with the word adventure in it excites me! So when I read 'Swing through the wilderness a la George of the Jungle at the many zip-lining centres in Thailand,' I sure am intrigued. Besides zip lining through the forest, riding a cycle high above the trees or slide down the trunk of massive ancient trees in Chiang Mai’s forests is also on the cards. Eagle Track, also located near Chaing

For a Lazy Day 

Ok so I am the adventure addict but I like my share of lazing around too. So engaging in a culinary lesson, or spending a day at an elephant farm will be nice. And there is now way I'd end the day without a deep tissue Thai massage. 

An adorable idea for an elegant souvenir for friends back home

Thai Tourism transported a whole experience of Chiang Mai to Mumbai from umbrella painting to cultural performances, wellness and fruit carving stations. And I got a personalised Travel Diaries little umbrella too! 

Logistics 

Chiang Mai is a short 1hr 15min flight away from Bangkok at a distance of 696 kms. Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Air Asia and orient Thai airways offer frequent daily connections. The city is also accessible by rail via a daily service that plies from Bangkok Railway Station to Chiang Mai 6 times a day. 8 hours journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by road for a road trip you may want to do or via air-conditioned buses from Bangkok Bus Terminal on Kamphaeng Phet II Road.   

So now all that's left to do is to actually go there. Bring on a long weekend and you'll see me heading there soon. 

The Himalayan Club Brings Banff Film Festival to Mumbai

Earlier this year The Himalayan Club, Mumbai screened a series of short films selected at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. I have been attending this festival each year and am amazed by the things people do for the sheer pleasure of adventure. Heading out in to the unknown, with their basic amenities and pots and pans, just watching their lives through the screen  - the spirit of adventure is contagious. Here are some of the short films that were screened this year.  

Down the Line

 The only way through some of the world's most magical canyons and waterfalls is - down. A warning for all water babies, this can get addictive.

Into The Mind, Sherpa Cinemas

This winter sport of skiing showcased in what is one of its most breathtaking, graceful forms. The cinematography makes it seem so easy, so fluid, like a dance. Inspiring, I'd take it up in a jiffy.

North of the Sun

 Two Norwegians, their surfboards, an arctic island and a dream. The element of adventure while watching this film jumps out of the screen and seeps right through you. And if that was not enough, the two youngsters clean up tons of plastic and debris while surfing through this crazy winter adventure. I sure was hooked.

Poor Man's Heli

With a dream to explore the Belledonne Mountains, a man gets his friends and takes off on a paragliding adventure. 

The Questions We Ask

Bruce Kirkby, Canadian adventurer questions the true meaning of adventure while on an inflatable sand up paddle board. Quite impressive that is, considering i'd contemplate mainly on managing to stay on that board and not fall off!  

The Himalayan Club conducts regular talks by prominent international mountaineers and adventure enthusiasts apart from this yearly film screening. You can head to The Himalayan Club Facebook Group to be kept in the loop of upcoming events.    

(All photos courtesy Banff Films and The Himalayan Mountaineering Club.)

Travelling from Mumbai to Chiang Mai Thailand: A Photo Essay

Earlier this month, I was invited for a culinary workshop by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This is all the fun that transpired!

Khao Soi, I was eating half the dish while making it! 

Shraddha Shirodkar striking the perfect pose in the middle of the yummiest version of Khao Soi cooked that day 

Hazel Jain and I smiling ear to ear with the dish we cooked, Chef Phonganan Sirisaengphaiwan (we called him Chef Paul) approves!

Ah quite an evening this was, here with the 

These little hand painted paper umbrellas make for gorgeous souvenirs  

And while we were on the topic of food, we sampled an array of light, lip smacking, authentic Thai snacks and starters. Every little bite was a surprise and I would be surprised if you would choose to visit there just for the variety of flavours in the cuisine, I know I'd like to sample some more for sure.  

Sampling some fresh, light, colourful and appetizing starters

Dandelion Dreams in the Midi Pyrenees

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That's what this movie was for me - dandelion dreams in the French countryside. This is not a film review. Its more my musing about an affair with France - the first country I travelled to 10 years ago when I started my travel diaries. 

Magazines and guide books quote a visit to Paris as perhaps the most recommended of all destinations to visit in Europe. But to do that is to taste just the cherry and leave the cake. The magic of the french country side, Bordeaux in the case of my first visit was spell binding. This film takes me back there, this time to the south of France. The film is shot exclusively in the Midi Pyrenees Region in Southwest France and the way it transports you to this gorgeous French countryside, you quickly want to drop everything you are doing and open a little bnb in the locale as the scenes change from one meadow to the forest to the little farmers market to a picnic spot near the river, ahh! Heaven. Like just stepping into a spring painting.  

The Hundred Foot Journey tracks the journey of the Kadam family who settle down in a small village of the Midi Pyrenees in France and open a traditional Indian restaurant just opposite a Michelin starred French restaurant.  

The film in a way has rescued France from the the glitz of its glorified capital and shows you a culinary romance with its charming countryside.

  

The cinematography oozes flavour, beautifully constructed scenes with a play of light and shadow: the way the reflection of fire burns in her (Charlotte Le Bon) face as she glares at him (Manesh Dayal)... another scene where a storm and rain are metaphors to depict the pain loved ones feel when the protagonist leaves home to conquer the culinary world; simple, simmering raw emotions.

The acting - Om Puri and Helen Merren filling seemingly trivial dialogues with their candid expressions and effortless humour; make for an adorable romance that makes me giggle in every scene.   

"Forgive the silence," says Om Puri in a scene, "seeing all this, I think my family thinks we died in the accident and now we are in heaven." a dialogue from the film that elucidates my point exactly. Cross over film some are calling it but I wouldn't call it that. No garish Bollywood songs, no silly tactics, just gorgeously created scenes of classy french cuisine, that is truly the hero in the film.

"Brakes brake for a reason."

In all my travels, be it in the little villages nestled in the Himalayas or the bustling markets in Barcelona or Munich's Viktualienmarkt, I have always shared with you my awe for local farmers markets. Admiring the fresh produce of the day, the fragrance of fresh citrus fruit of the season, the colourful flowers, the crisp greens and all that hustle and bustle; scenes of the Midi Pyrenees farmers market were precisely that - fresh, intoxicating, fascinating. 

#486966593 / gettyimages.com

And I can go on! But You must experience the magic for yourself, watch The Hundred Foot Journey it for the wanderlust and maybe the next time, make Paris but a stop over to explore the magic of the French countryside.

Note: The French Tourism Board invited me for the preview screening of The Hundred Foot Journey. I love the cinemas so I happily attended the screening and truly enjoyed it, a feel good film it is. Go see it and do tell me what you think. Cheers!       

Mario Miranda's Goa

Yes, there is a Museum dedicated to Mario Miranda. But did you know there is a fort, with not only a breath taking view of North Goa but also spacious reading rooms for you to pick up one of his famous works of art and get lost in the awesomeness of his humour.

This was by far my most favourite part of my recent visit to Goa organised by Tourism of Goa. I was given to understand that we were just visiting a fort, playing touristy in Goa. It is a gorgeous fort Reis Magos is. Beautifully restored with a breathtaking view of the sea.  

What really took my breath away was a retrospective - a collection of all Mario Miranda's work, his cartoons, his stories.

I was tempted to sit right there in the spacious gallery created with so much heart. His illustrations and caricatures about travelling across the globe, browsing through the travel stories and with that million dollar view of the sea! Aha!

A first such space I have seen restored, curated and dedicated to an artist of Indian origin in India with so much care, this I am seeing for the first time in my country. I wish this were done more often in more parts of the country, spaces displaying the history and life of artists, noted representatives of the region in the country. And the best part about is was that it was open to the public, not converted into a private product of capitalistic ambitions. Kudos to the people behind the idea and a pat on the back to those who executed the restoration of the fort and incorporating the retrospective without making any seemingly modern changes to the original structure.

In case you cannot make it to the fort but don't want to leave Goa without some of Mario Miranda's souvenirs, head to the recently launched Mario Gallery in Panjim.

Address: Mario Gallery,

Near Hindu Pharmacy,

Below Aroma Hotel,

Duarte Pacheco Road,

Panaji

Ph.No.+91 0832 2421776

(Note: This was a trip organised and sponsored by Tourism of Goa. But it truly was my most favourite part of the trip as shared here. So much so that I spent most of my money on souvenirs for friends and family back home. Quite unique presents from Goa this time around!)  

A Drive Across North Goa

The weather seems just about right for a post on road trips.

And what better than those smooth winding roads of Goa, peppered with coconut groves and rice paddy lush with the freshness of monsoons. Here's a photo essay of one such road trip I did with my besties Reddy and Shankar on one of my many exploratory trips to Goa.

North Goa is not just about Panjim, Baga or Anjuna. While scanning through a map of Goa, my eyes followed the little specs of beaches along its northern border. Cruising beyond the reaches of Calangute across the crowds of Vagator, brushing past the daze that is Morjim, finally slowing down at the quiet expanse of Querim and landing on the northern most tip of Goa at Tiracol.

Tiracol Fort is located at the mouth of the Tiracol river just a short ferry ride away from Querim beach. We drove down from Anjuna, which was approximately an hour's drive away.  

A little cafe and a gorgeous view of the beach from the fort 

Shankar enjoying the view Querim Beach from the fort 

Its beautiful the way they have restored the fort and converted it into a heritage hotel

Maintaining the classic charm of the fort, the rooms are a pleasure to live in

A classic Goan style church sits snug in the centre of the expanse that is Terecol 

It was interesting to see the class with which a fort was converted into a heritage hotel, ideally perfect for such a purpose. The rooms (I was not allowed to take pictures else would have shared them here) were astonishingly gorgeous and perfect for a honeymoon get away.

But having said that it would have been so much nicer had they created a space open for the public, albeit charging a certain sum of money. To know that only a privileged few could access its beautifully resorted spaces is quite a pity.

Also I would have liked to know the story of the fort through its walls, I am sure it witnessed and withstood many a rulers, many a celebrations and probably battles and massacres. What I missed here was hearing about its true story. 

And earlier this year when I visited Reis Magos Fort on a trip organised by Tourism of Goa, I was so happy to see a beautifully restored fort and open spaces for the general public to lounge around. It also has a retrospective about Mario Miranda. More about that in another post.

 (l-r) Shankar, Reddy, DJ 

None the less, I enjoyed a yummy caramel pudding, (not without my two friends here stealing most of it!) and that fab view of Querim beach at the cafe for visiting guests.

Now savouring the taste of the pudding and that oh so potent sea breeze... until the next road trip :)

If you have the moolah, want to go beyond the five star hotels and need a space to stay far far away from all the tourist clutter, I'd suggest you check in to Fort Tiracol Heritage Hotel. I know I would!

Here's a way to reach them:
t: +91(0) 2366227631
w: www.nilaya.com/tiracol  

(Note: This was a self sponsored trip. Shankar and Reddy are my partners in crime for every trip to Goa; a lot because they are my drivers for most of these trips. And now that I drive, they are a little intimidated for the next one :D)