Category: TRAVEL

Warangal is a city in the South Indian state of Telengana. It can be easily accessed by road from Hyderabad and while it makes for a long day, like me you can do it as a day trip. We started about 7am and returned home about 10pm. It is about 150 kilometres but can take three hours to get there because of traffic congestion within Hyderabad. It is settled in the Eastern part of the Deccan Plateau made up of granite rocks and hill formations. Summer is very hot and temperature can go as high as 42^o Celsius and so my recommendation is to go in winter where the day is pleasant at 22 to 24^o.

Visiting Warangal is a lesson in history. Warangal which is a version of Orugallu or Ekshila Nagaram means a “single stone” referring to a huge granite boulder in the Warangal Fort. The city itself was the capital for the Kakatiya rulers who ruled between 12^th to 14^th century AD. When I visited the temples, I was in awe and wondered how it was humanly possible to have the vision to carve, chisel and create exquisite temples with one of the hardest and heaviest materials on earth. Remember there was no automation and nothing to assist the artisan – if the king commissioned you got the inspiration and just did it. They are very inspiring and you are left wonder struck not only at the enormity of the edifices but the detail as well. There are several legends being told about the benevolent rulers. Our guide demonstrated the space between petals by passing a thin coconut fibre through the gap!

Did you know that the Kakatiya’s were the original owners of the Kohinoor diamond? The city of Warangal was captured and looted by the Delhi Sultanate. They destroyed some of the art work within the temples and the broken or defaced elephants are a reminder of this.

Warangal is a city of more than million people but it appears most of the business seems to happen in Hyderabad. There are a few decent places to have lunch and we paid about $4 per person including tip for a vegetarian meal.

I know countless people before me have written at great lengths about Singapore and what to do on holiday. I have spent many hours in transit many a time and wanted to dedicate this to what to do in Singapore when you arrive at 0600 and your flight is not until 2100 hours. I have done some or all of these activities in the fifteen hours.

Singapore never fails to amaze me as I feel it is a city that is always on the go and improving each and every day. I would have transited through Singapore at least 20 times and I must say not once have I cursed the layover. The city goes to bed late and rises late – so nothing is open till about 11am.

0600 – Once you disembark and in the terminal go to the registration desk and book your free Singapore Heritage Tour for a 9am departure. No need to clear immigration.

After registration, walk around and have a look at the arrival gardens and displays. Depending on the terminal, you can either explore the canopy walk, butterfly garden or sunflower garden.

After exploring enjoy a cup of coffee or kapi, freshen up and deposit your cabin bag at the left luggage centre. (Only a small day pack back pack is permitted on the tour)

0900 – Check in for your heritage tour

1130 – Arrive back at your terminal and clear immigration now.

1130 – Walk down to the MRT station (they will accept only cash or MasterCard) and purchase a day pass. You will need to change lines but it is straight forward and head to Gardens by the Bay. The gardens are inspiring and spectacular – you can easily immerse yourself and spend a few hours even if you are not a gardener. You may stop for a spot of lunch at one of the train stations.

1130 to 1700 Travelling to Gardens by the Bay, lunch and viewing the gardens. If the idea of gardens and being out in the heat and humidity does not interest you, then head down to Orchard Road and get lost in the mall maze. Traffic at peak times can be a nightmare and you will not find a taxi between the hours of 5 to 7pm. Best to head back to the airport on the MRT.

1700 to 1800 – Pick up your cabin bag and head to the transit lounge where for $16 you can have a nice shower.

1800 to 1900 – Head to the food halls to have some good Singapore food

1900 to 1930 – Finish any last minute duty free shopping. Great place to buy cosmetics, skin care and perfumes

1930 – Head to your gate for security check and Bon Voyage!

Queenstown, New Zealand sits on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and set against the dramatic Southern Alps. As you arrive by air into the city the Remarkables greet you and as you drive into the city, the lake follows you wherever you go offering fantastic, picture perfect views. Being the adventure sport capital of New Zealand there are plenty of activities like bungee jumping or jet boating or white water rafting to get your adrenaline pumping. There are several walking tracks where you can walk at your own pace, or you can people watch sitting on a park bench by the lake front or sit by a roaring fire and enjoy a drink. I enjoyed walking around the lake and the landscape is so spectacular, I guarantee you would want to take a zillion photos to capture the serenity of this lake. By the way the whole region is very picturesque and don’t just fly in and fly out of Queenstown – take time to explore quaint townships like Cromwell, Clyde, Roxburgh and Alexandra.

Going up the gondola gives you a different perspective as you look down towards the lake. If you take your own car up to the gondola, finding parking can be a hassle – so arrive early. Otago Regional Council has made bus travel easy and convenient. Get the Go card and it’s the cost effective way to travel within the region to Wanaka and Arrowtown.

My husband and daughter did the A J Hackett Nevis Bungy. The bus ride to the place was worth paying the spectator fee and I was most impressed with the way everything was organised. The crew were professional and engaging and I would highly recommend it for anyone so willing.

On one trip, we went to Milford Sound on a Real Journeys tour. By the way I just want to make it clear that neither A J Hackett or Real Journeys or Queenstown Gondola have given me any freebies – I genuinely had an awesome time and felt that they deserve a customer recommendation. The guide was excellent and while it was a fourteen hour round trip, I would still give this tour a big tick. For starters if I hired a car and drove, I would miss out on the awesome scenery plus the historical and cultural context as told by our driver guide.