Rakhee Ghelani

Category: Travel

  • Bangla Affair : Kolkata

    Bangla Affair : Kolkata

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    I can’t believe it took me so long to visit Kolkata. Even though I’ve passed through the city on my way to Odisha, for some reason I’d never stepped out of the airport until now. By chance I managed to pick up a cheap flight about 6 months ago and forgot about it, so it…

  • India Travel Advice For Women

    India Travel Advice For Women

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    As promised in this post, I’m writing a few posts with my advice on travelling to India. The advice is based on my experience, and that of other travellers whom I know and trust. There is a lot of bad and sugar coated advice out there, designed to please tourism boards and PR / Marketing…

  • Peace, Love & Mung Beans: Should You Believe that Travel Blog About India

    Peace, Love & Mung Beans: Should You Believe that Travel Blog About India

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    I’m pretty sure this post isn’t going to win me some friends in the travel blogging space, but something happened yesterday that just infuriated me so much I felt the need to write about it. I put a photo on my personal (private) FB page and one of my “friends” (although not now as I’ve…

  • Japan : Handy Hints and Travel Tips

    Japan : Handy Hints and Travel Tips

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    Visiting Japan had always been a dream of mine. I had imagined beautiful temples, sleek design and extraordinary food. I certainly wasn’t disappointed with what I found in Japan, but there were quite a few things that I didn’t expect. Here’s some of the things that surprised, some observations and some tips that others may…

  • Nagomi Visit : Eating Local in Tokyo

    Nagomi Visit : Eating Local in Tokyo

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    It’s no secret that I love food. I particularly like trying out local delicacies when I travel, which isn’t always easy when you’re in a new city only for a few days. Eating local in Tokyo was particularly challenging because of my language constraints. Aside from hello and goodbye, I didn’t know any Japanese and…

  • The Ancient Capital of Japan : Kyoto

    The Ancient Capital of Japan : Kyoto

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    Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan. With picturesque temples, old cobble-stoned streets and the occasional kimono-clad Geisha wandering down the street, it’s a postcard view of Japan. The temples are certainly a highlight of the city, along with the haunting bamboo grove in Arashiyama and the peaceful public parks. They need no words, the…

  • Bright Lights Big City : Tokyo

    Bright Lights Big City : Tokyo

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    I had always imagined Tokyo as a huge city of towering buildings and flashing neon signs. Something like this: But now that I’ve seen Tokyo I would describe it as green, peaceful and almost European. I spent a few days just wandering through different parts of the city, and was just amazed at how calm,…

  • The Toilets of Japan

    The Toilets of Japan

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    I know, I know, toilet humour really is the lowest common denominator. But this post isn’t about toilet humour I promise, but rather it’s about toilet etiquette in Japan. You see the Japanese are incredibly clean people, and their obsession with ensuring everything is pristine starts with themselves and in particular their toilets. From my…

  • Flying High : Paragliding Near Mumbai

    Flying High : Paragliding Near Mumbai

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    I will let you into one of my not so favourite secrets. As I get older I am becoming more and more scared of heights. I don’t have an issue going up, but when I have to look down or try to walk down a steep incline, I become paralysed with fear. Only a few…

  • Exploring Gujarat : Champaner

    Exploring Gujarat : Champaner

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    I’ve been to Baroda (or Vadodara) more times then I can remember as it is where some of my family lives, but I’m embarassed to say I’ve never visited the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of Champaner until now.  I did a fly by visit of Baroda last weekend and thanks to my own stupidity…

  • My First Solo Trip : Malaysia

    My First Solo Trip : Malaysia

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    I am asked a lot about where I went for my first solo adventure. For me it was back in 1998, and I visited the region of Sabah in Malaysia. To be honest I had never even heard of Sabah before I chose to go there.  It was a spur of the moment decision, I…

  • The Clayton’s Asia: Laos

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    Laos to me is Asia without really being Asia. It doesn’t have the high-tech feel of places like Singapore or Hong Kong, and isn’t an explosion of sights, taste and sound like Thailand or even Vietnam. To me it’s the Clayton’s Asia, or the Asia you have when you don’t have Asia (quoting a very…

  • The Road to Mandalay : Burma

    The Road to Mandalay : Burma

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    I took the bus from Bagan to Mandalay, but rather than going on the brand new freeway, we took the scenic route through central Myanmar. While it may have cost me a couple of hours of my life, the journey gave me the time to really appreciate what it’s like to travel in Burma. We…

  • Dubai the City of Glamour: United Arab Emirates

    Dubai the City of Glamour: United Arab Emirates

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    After a little hiatus, I am getting back into writing about a different location a week I have visited. This week it’s the United Arab Emirates, and more specifically Dubai. Dubai has a special place in my heart, I spent about 6 months there on a rotating fly in fly out arrangement about ten years…

  • Myanmar Travel : What the Guidebook’s Don’t Tell You

    Myanmar Travel : What the Guidebook’s Don’t Tell You

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    Before travelling to Burma, I dutifully read through my guidebook to ensure I was prepared and listened to my travel agent (I rarely use an agent to book my travel, but I was working so much before I left I didn’t have time to plan my trip so I used an agent to book hotels…

  • Bagan: A Temple Junkie’s Paradise

    Bagan: A Temple Junkie’s Paradise

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    Bagan in Myanmar would have to be one of the most incredible places I have ever visited in the world. I don’t think I can actually do it justice in words or photos either. The ancient city of Bagan originally had about 4,000 pagodas and temples dotted around its countryside. While not all of these…

  • Life in a Refugee Camp: Thailand

    Life in a Refugee Camp: Thailand

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    I was fortunate enough to spend New Year’s Eve and Day visiting two refugee camps on the Thai / Burma border (Burma is officially known as Myanmar now). A friend that I have been visiting in Thailand works on the border and offered me the opportunity to visit the camps and experience Karen New Year.…

  • Farewell 2013

    Farewell 2013

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    Another year comes to an end, so here is a quick post about my highlights of 2013 and what my plans are for next year. Highlight of 2013:  Visiting Australia and spending time with my family and friends. Saying goodbye to my 30’s was also a highlight, the decade has been a mixed bag of the…

  • I Have Been a Bad Bad Blogger

    I Have Been a Bad Bad Blogger

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    I have been a bad bad blogger! Yes I am well aware, that it has been over a month since I last posted, and my goal of posting a new location a week has gone out the window recently. I can explain though. Quite simply I had to earn some money! I have a couple…

  • Life in a Gilded Cage: Kenya

    Life in a Gilded Cage: Kenya

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    I have visited Kenya several times in my life, it is the birth place of my mother and some where I still have family. My most recent visit to Kenya was to attend a wedding reception for my sister in 2008. That will be the last time I ever visit Kenya, something that is only…