the rahul kulkarni blog: July 2016

Saturday, July 30, 2016

The exciting trip to KL & Genting (Malaysia)

Our first trip to KL & Genting (Malaysia) finally happened in June 2012. Travelling to Malaysia for someone who stays in or visits Singapore is taken for granted , people are eager to visit Malaysia as soon as they land in Singapore! Maybe because , from its nearest point Malaysia is only a kilometer away from Singapore.In fact , the Woodlands causeway that links Singapore to JB(Johar Bahru) in Malaysia is just 1 km in length.

So , actually we were a full 6 years late in visiting Malaysia !!.....considering we were staying in Singapore since 2005. However , over the subsequent years till date this delay is well compensated by atleast a dozen trips that I made to Malaysia officially and otherwise.

Apart from it was our first , what made this Malaysia trip so exciting was we traveled by road in a coach , and were accompanied by my wonderful friend Arun and his family!!

Sharing some snaps......

By Coach to Genting/KL

Genting Resort

Arun &Family - Genting Resort

Genting Resort

Genting Resort-view from room

KL sight seeing

KL sight seeing - Batu Caves

KL sight seeing - inside Batu Caves

KL sight seeing - Batu Caves - view from top

KL sight seeing

KL sight seeing - Petronas Towers

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Top 3 reasons why I love Singapore

My top 3 reasons for loving Singapore .............

1.Clean/safe drinking drinking water from tap for all the 365 days in a year 24/7
Being an Indian think I'm better qualified to better understand this privilege/luxury which keeps you away from multiple diseases , and in turn prevents physical/mental/financial stress that arises out of it.

2.Safe,efficient and nicely integrated public transport
This literally means you can survive in Singapore without owning a car! The intelligent/seamless smart card ticketing system ensures that one pays only for the distance traveled even if you hop across multiple MRT lines and public transport buses. Again , this saves you from a lot of physical/mental/financial stress arising from owing a vehicle.

3.Safe,clean and green city
They say its a city in the garden , and indeed it is ! Singapore's numerous well maintained parks/gardens ensure you are never away from nature. The efficient garbage/sewage collection/recycle ensures to keep this urban jungle clean/safe and unpolluted , and helps in your overall well being!

Saturday, July 23, 2016

The amazing trip to Bangkok & Pattaya (Thailand)

We went to Bangkok & Pattaya (Thailand) in the school holidays of September 2013.
I bought this 3 nights/4 days package tour from a local agent in Chinatown which included air-travel , hotel accommodation , local sight seeing to pre-selected destinations and all the 3 meals ! Visa was on arrival.

Even though Bangkok & Pattaya amazed us throughout our trip , to be very frank , I found these destinations to be very commercialised , crowded and chaotic .They may not be perfect for someone seeking solace in the midst of nature.

Sharing some snaps of this amazing trip.....

Bangkok river ride

Bangkok - Wat Arun

Sriracha Tiger Zoo

Sriracha Tiger Zoo

Pattaya Beach

Pattaya - Nong Nooch cultural village

Bangkok Airport - Churning of Ocean(Samudramanthan) Sculpture

Saturday, July 16, 2016

The memorable trip to Bali (Indonesia)

We went to 'The Island of Gods' i.e Bali (Indonesia) somewhere in June 2014 along with friends Sreeni , Amit and their families. Oops! Can't recall the exact dates........I'm bad at remembering dates!!

Had booked the Garuda Indonesia flight tickets separately , and a 3 nights 4 day villa stay on Groupon. Its an 2 hours 15 mins flight to Denpasar, Bali from Singapore and visa was on arrival.

Bali is truly the 'The Island of Gods' , with temples easily outnumbering the number of houses!! No , I'm not joking...each family in Bali has its own family temple!!

But apart from temples, Bali offers numerous other options to see and do for visitors of all age groups.

Sharing some snaps of this memorable trip...

We 12!

Nusa Dua beach

Bali culpture

Uluwatu Temple

Uluwatu Temple - cliff

Uluwatu Temple -cliff

Balinese chicken rice!

Bali sculpture

Uluwatu beach

We 12 again!

Bali - Mt.Kintamani (Volcanic mountain)

Lake Batur

Lake Batur- hot water springs

Pura Tirta Empul

The single most experience that made this Bali trip so memorable was our stay in the Tamu Seseh private villas , with each villa having its own private pool!!

Please click this link for details on Tamu Seseh villas