tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67260098309414413172026-11-12T17:00:21.163+05:30on second thoughts...A collection of experiential, offbeat and adventure stories from Antarik Anwesan's travels across India and abroad that would entice you to live the moment.Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.comBlogger396125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-63783836806908642292019-01-13T17:51:00.003+05:302020-10-15T19:56:59.736+05:305 Awesome Ways to Explore the Best of Kuala Lumpur
My visit to Kuala Lumpur in September 2018 was the first time I was exposed to the beauty of modern architecture of a developed city. I was absolutely in awe of the place, almost like Ted Mosby from ‘How I Met Your Mother’. I had booked tickets barely two weeks in advance and barely had time to do any research about the place before my visit. It was actually a good thing because that ensured I Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-35979166602489540532018-11-19T16:26:00.000+05:302018-11-25T01:42:52.155+05:30Losmanos Hostel: Yogyakarta’s Coolest Backpacker Accommodation
“I have heard these pancakes are awesome”, I told Lola as she prepared my breakfast. She laughed and handed me the plate. I sat on one of the bean bags in Losmanos Hostel’s common area overlooking the pool and wondered about my plan for the day. I had arrived in Yogyakarta, in Central Java, two nights back after taking a train from Jakarta. Having arrived after dark, I barely had a chance to Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-6797740013674691382018-10-31T14:07:00.000+05:302018-10-31T14:07:06.177+05:30Living the high life: Year 2- An Honest Recap
“Joss- What is that? Some kind of a drink?” I asked one of the guys looking up at the flashy menu on the bar counter. “It’s this powder. You mix it in a vodka shot and have it while shaking your head. It’s a Gili T tradition, you must have it if you are here.” “What happens then?” “It’s like powdered Red Bull. Except it is like 5 cans of Red Bull in one shot,” he laughed. Whoa, I thought as I Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-7865881118787916722018-10-17T01:19:00.001+05:302018-12-04T17:10:18.492+05:30A 25 day blind date across Malaysia & Indonesia
“You are saying this is a trip for the purpose of ‘tourism’ and you will return to India after 25 days?”
“That’s right.” “Can I see your hotel bookings for the entire duration?” “I haven’t booked them yet.” The lady at the counter looked at me as if I had used one of those words that are forbidden in an airport. The mid-September evening conversation went on for 15 minutes. 15 Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-21863348170462161262018-09-06T12:29:00.000+05:302018-09-08T18:30:09.199+05:30Exploring Puri beyond the Jagannath Temple
Recently I got a chance to visit the temple town of Puri on the coast of Odisha. Jagannath Puri is one of the Char Dhams of Hinduism and it is said that every Hindu should try and visit all the four dhams at least once in his/her lifetime. Since my childhood I have visited the Puri Jagannath Temple almost every year with family. Usually the trips are limited to a few hours- head there in the Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-51051299523553496262018-07-08T03:09:00.000+05:302018-07-08T21:06:58.076+05:30Finding the Train Street in Hanoi, Vietnam (With Location on Map)
What if I told you there is a street in Hanoi where a train
track passes between houses on both sides? Several trains pass through the
track on a daily basis. Sounds dangerous?
Welcome to the Train Street of Hanoi. It is, in reality, a
simple train track that passes through a dense city neighborhood as it emerges
out of Hanoi train station. And this is what makes it so interesting.
Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-48687155595098997612018-07-01T01:02:00.002+05:302018-07-08T21:06:25.517+05:30Seaplanes, Luxury Train, New Airports- Odisha Tourism to get a boost
Odisha is all set to get its second commercial airport this
week with the inauguration of the Jharsuguda Airport in Western Odisha and the
launch of daily short haul commercial flight services to Bhubaneswar, Raipur
and Rourkela. Air Odisha will be running these flight services and if rumours
are to be believed, the airport will be welcoming A320 aircrafts by the end of
the year. Can’t wait toAntarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-6343240084789030032018-06-21T20:26:00.000+05:302018-07-01T00:46:26.996+05:30Anthony Bourdain’s Best Vietnamese Sandwich in the World
Earlier this month, popular American celebrity host and
foodie Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. He was 61 and at the perfect of health.
It was less than 5 months ago that I had been introduced to this name.
I got introduced to Anthony Bourdain while I was researching
about Vietnam few months back before my trip. There were two major attractions
relating to him in the country- One, the Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-23926054960236330942018-04-17T11:51:00.000+05:302018-04-17T11:51:15.490+05:30Rokeby Manor, Landour- In the Lap of Nature
I love the winters and more than that I love being amidst
the mountains. Having almost entirely missed the winters of North India this
season due to my Vietnam-Cambodia trip in January, the trip to Landour in the
first week of March came as a huge relief from the already soaring temperature
here in Odisha.
Landour is a cantonment area- more of an extension of
Mussoorie- a small hamlet Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com6Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0759837 72.87765590000003618.5957917 72.232208900000032 19.556175699999997 73.52310290000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-42228693680624096042018-04-04T16:55:00.001+05:302018-04-04T16:55:33.796+05:30Vietnam: Overcoming First Day Fears #SayYesToTheWorld
One evening in January 2018 I arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to kick start my 3 week solo adventure trip across Vietnam and Cambodia.
That first evening after checking-in to my hostel dorm, I remember walking up to the bar on the hostel terrace, looking at the menu painted on the wall for longer than is required to read everything on it, scanning the room and watching the small Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com2Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-65667678027931983082018-03-27T01:30:00.001+05:302018-07-08T21:05:56.411+05:30Cambodia: Exploring Siem Reap's Countryside On a Bicycle
Siem Reap remains the most popular place in all of Cambodia
thanks to the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat- the largest
religious complex in the world. I stayed in the city for 3 nights. One full day
was spent at the Angkor
temples, another at the Kulen Mountains, and that’s when I realized 3
days were too less for this place. There is a ton of other activities around
theAntarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com4Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-65122195227517150582018-03-22T00:28:00.003+05:302018-07-08T21:05:17.592+05:30Why you should choose Mad Monkey Hostels for your stay in Cambodia
While looking for budget accommodation options for my stay
in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap during my Vietnam-Cambodia trip in January, I came
across this very popular chain of party hostels- the Mad Monkey Hostels. The
pictures and reviews looked great. I reached out to the property and soon
enough received a response from Claire, the Communications Director, offering
to host me at their Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com4Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-41324028041486433162018-03-16T22:55:00.000+05:302018-03-16T22:55:27.273+05:30Budget Roadtrip to Leh Ladakh- Itinerary and Tips
For me until a year ago, Ladakh was this ‘very expensive’
and ‘beyond easy reach’ kind of destination. It was one place I had wanted to
visit for at least 2-3 years but the ‘myth’ of the expenses kept me away from
it until I started earning. Last April, on pursuance of a good friend from
college, we both booked non-refundable return flight tickets from Delhi to
Srinagar for mid-June. The wheelsAntarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com0Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-23959834422386571812018-02-16T15:01:00.000+05:302018-07-08T21:03:58.613+05:30Vietnam-Cambodia 20 Day Budget Trip Expenses and Tips
How I saved on costs during my Vietnam and Cambodia 3 week
trip and how you can too
I have been asked a few times over the last couple of weeks
about my 3 week solo trip plan in January to South-East Asia (Vietnam and
Cambodia) and how much it cost me. So I took some inspiration from fellow
blogger Shrinidhi Hande and compiled this
expense report. I hope this helps you estimate a budget if youAntarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com7Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-48723046163353515982018-02-09T16:24:00.000+05:302018-06-22T12:46:57.735+05:30The Hideout- Comfortable Budget Stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon was my last stop in Vietnam
during the trip in January. It was also going to be the longest I stay in a
single city- 4 nights at a stretch. I was going to arrive in the city after 10
days of being on the road already, so the initial excitement of the trip would
somewhat be no longer enough to overshadow mishaps or shortcomings.
Rewind to mid-December. I was Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com4Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-11089970778020848402018-01-02T16:32:00.000+05:302018-02-02T15:55:13.695+05:30How to prepare yourself for your first trip abroad?
This is the second part in my ‘tips for first foreign
travel’ series. Check last week’s post: How
to decide your first foreign travel destination?
Now that you have decided where to go and booked your
flights, chances are you have absolutely no clue what next- How to go about
planning it, what to pack and what not, and so on. Chances also are that your
family members may not be able to help Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com3Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-41571048213312495842017-12-26T15:53:00.000+05:302018-02-02T15:55:35.624+05:30How to decide your first foreign destination?
Let’s face it- for the majority of Indians, travel to a
foreign country doesn’t happen by default from childhood. In fact, if you
decide to go on a holiday to a foreign destination, chances are you would have
absolutely no clue of where to go that’s feasible and practical. It might actually feel like a daunting task to plan things out. Depending on
your travel style you might want to pick a Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com5Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.4668716 83.981166499999972 21.4668716 83.981166499999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-64208801901466329742017-12-14T14:34:00.000+05:302017-12-15T22:55:57.758+05:30Review: In love with Urby Men's Slim Wallet
I reached home earlier this week to find an elegant Men’s Slim
Leather Wallet from Urby
waiting for me. The brand sent it for review a month back but since I was away,
only now did I get hold of it. I would say it’s in perfect timing for the
birthday and right when my old wallet had started eyeing its doomsday.
The wallet came encased in a drawstring bag which was
further stored in a box forAntarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com2Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-41217102451919725212017-11-25T00:40:00.000+05:302017-11-26T23:19:11.672+05:30The Tibetan side of Dehradun
Did you know there is a small but significant Tibetan
population that lives in Dehradun? I had absolutely no clue until my last visit
to the capital town of Uttarakhand last weekend. And what a beautiful discovery
it turned out to be!
Mindrolling Monastery, Clement Town, Dehradun
Before it became the capital of the new state, Dehradun was
a sleepy town that people would flock to for a Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com10New Delhi, Delhi, India28.6139391 77.20902120000005228.3907261 76.886297700000057 28.8371521 77.531744700000047tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-23988570114122033962017-11-01T02:59:00.000+05:302017-11-01T02:59:07.314+05:30How I travelled for a full year without a job
One Year of Epic Travel Memories
The evening of 31st October 2016 was when I bid
goodbye to everyone, punched myself out of my workplace for the final time and
headed home. The plan was to travel for the entire month of November, travel
internationally before 2016 ended, celebrate my birthday after 10 years at home
in December, move back to Mumbai by the end of the year and take up freelance
Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com16Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-70178260378351771822017-10-30T13:57:00.000+05:302020-01-29T18:57:56.686+05:30What’s the fuss about Goa?
‘You came to Goa for
the first time just two months ago? Seriously?’ my friend was surprised
when I told him during my second trip to Goa in January 2017.
‘Yes!’ I replied.
I never understood the reason for the popularity of Goa. It
had somehow never figured in my travel list unlike my friends and the world in
general.
Are the beaches in Goa so beautiful? Why do people go there
to Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com4Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-28336220887506899422017-10-27T18:56:00.000+05:302017-10-28T21:42:33.079+05:30Delhi’s Heartening Efforts for a Super Life #CelebratingSuper
“Are you able to
breathe?” came the first question from my friends when they saw my
Instagram story of arrival in Delhi just 10 days after Diwali last year in
November.
“Yes! The air doesn’t
seem as bad as the news showed it,” I replied surprised as I emerged from
the underground metro station at Aerocity.
“It was quite bad in
the 2-3 days immediately after Diwali; completely smoky and Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com16Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-40427785121349734322017-10-21T16:49:00.000+05:302017-10-22T14:54:08.458+05:30Top 5 Things to do at Bir-Billing, Himachal Pradesh
Bir is a tiny town in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh
that we explored during the Gandhi Jayanti long weekend. As we drove there, we
crossed several ‘popular’ hill stations on our way including Palampur and
Kangra Valley. I wasn’t expecting Bir to be the way we found it. Honestly, I am
glad we visited and spent 3 days there.
At first reaching there one might wonder if the place has
Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com0Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-56727066280951399162017-09-17T16:11:00.001+05:302017-09-17T16:11:56.809+05:30How I got published in a travel book
Getting one’s story published in a newspaper or magazine is
one thing, but it getting published in an international book is something of a
different level altogether. I have been published in several newspapers, but
the joy right now of holding a real book with my story in it is impeccable.
Here is the short backstory of how this happened.
One December 2016 night, I found an online Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com14Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726009830941441317.post-664208022140517982017-09-05T14:33:00.001+05:302018-06-05T16:52:21.325+05:30Ladakh- Tortured Twice in Two Months
Oh, I love Ladakh. Let the title not misguide you.
When I went to Ladakh for the first time in June this year,
I was awestruck by the insane natural beauty of the place. Brown mountains with
ice capped peaks all around a desert with sand dunes, a perennial blue lake
with no vegetation or plantation anywhere close to it till as far as the eye
could see, an ancient town with yellow buildings Antarik Anwesanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873099763860774244noreply@blogger.com2Sambalpur, Odisha, India21.4668716 83.98116649999997221.3486571 83.819804999999974 21.5850861 84.14252799999997