Celebrating life!

Now most people wondered why we went to Armenia. It is neither a popular destination nor well-known. I am glad though we went because as a culture and photography buff, I found it amazing. The country is warm and welcoming and in April   - when we went – is a great time to visit as there are not all that many tourists. But be warned your jackets are required: it is still cold. We went via Indus Aurora Holidays based in Delhi. Email and telephone were our only means of contact. Yet the entire tour went beautifully and we were impressed. Our guide Mary Mirzakhanyan was the best and extremely helpful and thoughtful. Of course we had slight hitches at the airport as is to be expected when you are going to a country nobody has heard of except in the violent sense. But they soon gave us the green flag and we were all set to go. Our journey was peaceful enough and we had a breakfast of croissants at Costa Coffee before we made the transit at Sharjah airport. Air Arabia proved to ...

Last year this time I would not have believed you if I was told that I would be visiting Uzbekistan. But I have done it and so here I am with a tale to tell. Uzbekistan is probably not the highest priority on many travellers’ lists but it is worth a visit especially if you are a history buff and also if you love shopping, as there is enough to suit both tastes. Be warned though that in September it is still quite hot and it is not for the delicate darlings. It all started with a WOW Sumitra newsletter informing me of their upcoming trips. Uzbekistan caught my eye as it looked a lot like Iran. The budget also felt reasonable. Altogether I felt I could do this one and so I contacted WOW with my endless questions. They were friendly and helpful. Thus began the long process of preparing for the trip. There is a bit of documentation work involved such as NOC from the employer or bank statements. But I did it all. Came September and I found myself all ready to go tripping. I began my j...