Travel Tips

Prior to our trip to Hong Kong, the first thing that came to mind when one thought of Hong Kong, was tall sky scrapers. So Day 1 of the itinerary was planned to get a taste of the same. Overnight flight into Hong Kong meant that the kids were tired and they slept out the entire morning. We had anyways planned a late start to the day as we knew that the Symphony of Lights show starts at 8:00 p.m. First stop for the day was the sky100 observatory. This is an observatory on the 100th floor from where you get fantastic views of Hong Kong. If you are travelling by the MTR trains, then get off at Kowloon station. From there follow the signs to ICC building. We got ticket discount on showing our Cathay Pacific boarding passes. English audio guides are available for free in the observatory. From here we went to the Avenue of Stars at Tsim Sha Sui to catch the Symphony of Lights show. The Symphony of Lights is said to be the biggest permanent light and sound show. The sound (narration) can ...

Last minute change in plans meant that I was looking for a travel vacation during the summer vacations. We zeroed-in on Hong Kong, because we had heard that it was a "children-friendly" destination - lots of things /places that children would enjoy. Had to book my flight tickets, hotel, decide the itinerary in a very short time. I started to look around on the net. I realized that there are huge number of sites/applications that can help you in planning your trip. Below are some useful sites/links. Airline + Hotel booking : I checked the sites for  agoda and expedia .My observation was that the rates at agoda were marginally lower. Room rates from Monday to Thursday are much lower than the rest of the week. Ditto for flights. Look for a hotel with proximity to the MTR if you are planning to cover the destinations on your own, instead of joining group tours. We booked our room at L'Hotel Causeway Bay Harbour View. Review of the hotel can be found here . This h...

The Elephanta Island which is famous for the Elephanta Caves (designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site) is also a good spot for bird watching. Discovered this, thanks to BNHS, which organized a day trip there.  We assembled at the Hornbill House and registered ourselves for the trek. We then proceeded to Gateway of India to catch the ferry to Elephanta Island. Inspite of the summers, the ferry trip to Elephanta Island was made peaceful by a continuous cool breeze.  Once at the island, we started on the steps leading up to the caves. After you go past the rows of shops, there is a sign board by the archaeological department declaring that the site is protected. If you continue climbing straight up, you reach the caves. We turned left and started our trek through nature, away from the crowds that had come to see the caves. Spotting of birds was really easy... even to untrained eyes like mine. Iora, Magpie Robin, Brahminy Kite, Coppersmith Barbet, Golden...