Kochi, Kerala: The Kaleidoscope of Experiences

From the historic St. Francis Church (KOCHI: PEELING THE LAYERS), we navigated through the bustling traffic and finally arrived at the enchanting Kumbalangi Chinese Fishing Village. Kumbalangi, India's first model tourism village, captivates visitors with its iconic "cheena vala" – the Chinese fishing nets that grace its serene backwaters. Introduced by Chinese traders centuries ago, these nets offer a mesmerizing glimpse into Kerala's traditional fishing practices. The village thrives on a harmonious blend of rustic charm and sustainable tourism, inviting visitors to engage with the local fishing community and witness traditional crafts like coir making and crab farming.

Noboribetsu - Hokkaido, Japan (Winter Time)

Our stay at Hilton Niseko Village (HOKKAIDO WINTER TALES) had come to an end, and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment. Staying for two nights was indeed a luxury, albeit one that came with a price. However, the experience was worth every penny because Hilton Niseko Village truly is a star light, star bright place to stay when in Hokkaido.

With our luggage packed and loaded onto the coach after a hearty buffet breakfast, we embarked on our journey to Noboribetsu. The trip would take about four hours, with planned comfort breaks along the way, especially for the loo. After traveling for a little over an hour, we stopped at a store whose name eludes me.

Langkawi (Kedah) - 2 Nights 2 Days (Part 2)

Honestly, if I am to speak my mind on breakfast next morning in the cramped dining area, I must brand it as such a corny thing (Langkawi Part 1). Basically, food to keep your tummy warm. That's it. Forget about taste and what not, maybe because I have tucked into really sumptuous buffet breakfast in 4 or 5 stars hotels (Casa Del Rio Melaka) before, this breakfast came on as an irritating thingy. Dishes disappearing as quickly as they were refilled because people were akin scrounging scavenging for free food. Not at all a pleasant sight. Mannerism ditched aside, food spilled all over the place, disgusting more than anything else. I really hate such an ugly scenario, albeit I won't complain about the ordinaries like bread, jam, scrambled eggs and the rest of the items anyone can prepare (Port Dickson Part 2 & Sungkai Perak). But if you are asking me about the rest of the dishes, goodness gracious, I rather not even waste my time telling you. I did however tuck into a tiny bit of food (Alor Setar Kedah), of course coffee is a must (Penang Thaipusam) for me first thing in the morning. 

Port Dickson - Negeri Sembilan Getaway (Day 2)

Port Dickson (Part 1) Sightseeing. What an experience. Pheww! Walking non-stop, climbing up and down, sweating like a dog in the blistering sun and I think for the first time in my entire life, I actually literally begged for water. Frankly speaking, when I returned to the hotel after the few hours of touring Port Dickson, I was not only dazed in tiredness, I also felt as though my legs are going to automatically fall apart. No doubt, going from one place to the other was a treasured experience in further strengthening my backbone for bravely exploring places on my own, yet, I still had a tiny element of fear inside me. The fear I can’t let go despite having travelled to near (Penang) and far away places (Hilton Niseko Village Hokkaido & Pretoria South Africa), mainly fear of being mugged, robbed, accidentally losing my phone or handbag, or collapsing out of sheer exhaustion. Among these, the worst is fearing the fear of uncontrollable heart beat due anxiety and nervousness (My Fifties).