Posted on by adusija

Baja California Spring Break

After our extensive travels, the kids had urged us to stay local for spring break this year. However 2 days in Ayaan and Ariana were getting the travel urge, asking if we could go to LA or telling us how their friends were traveling. Luckily we had a major surprise up our sleeves!

We had planned a trip to Baja California, Mexico, but kept it a secret until the Lyft arrived (We packed their bags without them knowing). Ariana thought we were going to the mall; Ayaan with his good navigation and observation skills, figured we’re heading to the Oakland airport but didn’t know where we were going. Even after arriving at the gate, the kids thought we were for flying to San Jose. Only once the pilot started speaking in Spanish and said the flight was 2 hours 45 mins did Ayaan realize we’re actually headed to San Jose Del Cabo! It was such a fun surprise for the kids and us.

We arrived into warm Baja, rented a car and drove to Todos Santos where we stopped for a beachfront dinner at The Green Room. With its beachfront relaxed vibe, incredible tacos and ceviche, music, and fire pits, it was the perfect spot to start our trip watching the stunning sunset on the west side at the Pacific. Ayaan chased the huge waves in the water, while Ariana practiced new gymnastics moves on the beach. At dark, we continued to our first destination at La Paz.

We awoke to a beautiful marina and bay view from our room, and ate some local Mexican breakfast including freshly made chilaquiles and quesadillas (which became Ariana’s staple diet for the week). We made our way 20 mins north to one of the best beaches we’ve been to – the protected, calm Balandra beach on the Sea of Cortez with miles of shin height water, the famous mushroom rock, and surroundings of dessert, dunes and cacti. We sat and waded in the water, and played catch for a couple of hours before we all got hungry. Luckily, just 5 mins away is the more commercial Playa Tecolote with restaurants, bars and street vendors. This beach is beautiful as well, though much rougher and windier. We ate octopus, coconut water and mangoes, alongside some local beer, while admiring the view. After stopping at another calm beach for a short period, we headed to the warm hotel pool for some chill time. In the evening, we walked around the Malecon in main La Paz, ate ice cream, visited a playground, ate dinner, and grabbed a drink overlooking the sunset. La Paz itself is a bit sleepy compared to the other towns in Baja, PVR or Mazatlan.

Our second and final day in La Paz was a repeat of day 1 visiting the Balandra beach, another beach where we kayaked, a dip in the pool, before driving towards our next destination at the JW Marriott near San Jose del Cabo. On the way we stopped in the quaint town of Todos Santos walking around the church, square, park and the Hotel California. We ended the night eating tacos once again at the Luche Libre taqueria at the hotel and listening to live music.

Our 5 nights at the JW Marriott were mostly centered around relaxing, taking a few calls, and exploring the local area with our car. The kids enjoyed going to the kids club one of the days, while Anjali and I got some work done, visited the spa facilities, and got some adult time at the pool. Every morning started with a filling Mexican breakfast followed by a walk along the beautiful but rough beach. Each night ended with live music at the bar with fire fits. And most of the day was spent lazing at the pool and spending time as a family. The resort had some alcohol related programming where we enjoyed sipping local cocktails such as mezcal, jalapeños margaritas and old fashioned. Unfortunately not much programming for the kids, and in general fewer kids than we expected. They did have a ping pong table that Ayaan and I enjoyed a game at!

The highlight of our stay was a sunset sail cruise Anjali had reserved out of Cabo. It was a 12 person sail where we sipped cocktails, ate hor d’ourves, and got lucky to watch 2 whales for about 20 mins against the sunset setting. It was a magical family experience that we’ll remember forever. We topped it up by eating chocolate and caramel stuff churros, and walking along the waterfront. On a couple of other days, we drove to the main square in the town of San Jose del Cabo, which we found very charming. We ate more tacos and churros the first night, and on our final night ended with my 45th birthday celebration at the Don Sanchez restaurant, with an amazing singer who happened to sing all our favorite songs all night.

The trip was just what we needed – something that was simple, easy, kid-friendly, experiential., and with great food.

Posted on by adusija

Taiwan

Inspired by our love for Japan and other major Asian cities, we decided to head to Taiwan for ski week. The fact that Taiwan is the only country outside of Japan that has a Hoshinoya resort played majorly into our decision as well. We started off our first day in Taipei climbing seemingly countless stairs up the elephant mountain where we were rewarded views of the city and the unmissable Taipei 101. Next up, we visited the iconic Taipei 101 where, apart from the towering views, we were impressed with the exhibits they’d created in the viewing spaces. After we paid our dues waiting at Din Tai Fung, Gaurav and I devoured the Xiao long bao dumplings, both the pork and chocolate ones while the kids enjoyed following the robot servers that even had their own names! Next up, we visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial and spent the evening strolling the Ximending pedestrian street. We ended the night at a karaoke room which, while intended to be swanky with two dedicated servers inside the private room, felt a bit stuffy for us and our inevitably unmelodious but rambunctious style.

The next morning, we took the bus to the charming town of Juifen where we enjoyed numerous street food delicacies including the peanut roll and the taro balls and a tea tasting atop the famous tea house that inspired the film, Spirited Away. Our next stop was the town of Shifen, smaller but even more fulfilling due to its year-long lantern celebration. Each of the colors on the lantern symbolize a hope such as success, joy, peace and love. We chose the one with four colors and each of us painted our hopes and dreams onto the lantern, as is the tradition. We then, with the help of the locals, lit the lantern and watched it soar to the skies amidst numerous other lanterns from travelers visiting and sharing their wishes from around the globe. We then hiked to the stunning waterfalls which we viewed from various points before making our way back to Taipei. This was one of the highlights of my visit because I found both the towns and their street atmosphere and food very unique, quaint and charming.

We rented a car early the next morning and drove to Sun Moon Lake. After an upscale Sichuan lunch overlooking the lake at a swanky hotel, we took the gondola over the lake high up into the mountains. It was a long ride and the kids were pleased to have gotten the special Sakura gondola on the way down, replete with a glass bottom floor to view the lake. Once back at the town, we took the electric boat around the lake which Ayaan called a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. We enjoyed xiao long bao’s in a small local joint for dinner before retreating at our balcony to enjoy a glass of wine while listening to the beautiful mandarin melodies from a musician below. The next morning, we rented bikes which we rode on the bike path along the lake. After checking out, we stopped at the Wenwu temple, a must-see with extremely intricate carvings spanning multiple levels with stunning views of the lake. We then headed to Hoshinoya, the much awaited part of our trip. We arrived early and strolled around the beautiful water gardens, drank tea and read books in the lobby. We also made tea-infused coffee and a fungus mocktail before checking into our room, which was two levels with its own private onsen. That evening, we enjoyed a leisurely dip into the resort’s multiple pools at the onsen, most definitely the most beautiful onsen I’ve ever been to. For dinner, we enjoyed Hoshinoya’s infamous in-room dining experience which we’ve all come to love, wearing resort-provided matching clothing that is ever so comfortable, it’s hard to change into anything else.

After a restful nights sleep in Hoshinoya’s signature PJs, we enjoyed a multi-course Japanese breakfast at the restaurant and then embarked on a guided tour of the town of Guguan. It was interesting to hear of the impact of the Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan for 50+years and understand some of the local customs of Guguan, including popsicles made from pine trees by workers who had cooling equipment.

That night, we celebrated Ayaan’s birthday with a multi-course Kaiseki meal at the restaurant which should easily have earned one of not two Michelin stars. The food, service and presentation were nothing short of exquisite.

I awoke to a lazy last day at Hoshinoya enjoying the in-room onsen to myself while the others went to the resort pools. After indulging in more of the resort’s programming, we made our way to Taichung to visit the Rainbow Art Village. Back in Taipei, we headed to the Rahoe Street night market where we enjoyed numerous street foods including egg and noodle rolls, pan fried pork dumplings, chicken skewers, and Thai-style desserts.

On our final day, we visited the Maokong Gondola, the longest gondola ride we’ve ever taken with views of beautiful temples, cherry blossoms and tea plantations along the way. We learned that cherry blossoms arrive in Taiwan earlier than in Japan and as luck would have it, our timing was impeccable! After lunch at Taipei 101, we headed to the Taipei Children amusement park, a surprise I’d planned to celebrate Ayaan’s birthday. We ended the night with dinner at our hotel’s Italian restaurant and a nightcap at the bar featuring live music. Ayaan was lucky to visit the cockpit on his flight home (the UA pilots were friendly and welcoming) while I enjoyed a Taiwanese cooking class where I made new friends and got further inspiration for future extended travel!

Posted on by adusija · 1 Comment

Around the world in 70 days

Now that we’re back in Tiburon, I thought it’ll be fun to recap our 2.5 month or 10 week summer adventure across Canada, Asia and Africa. We traveled to 11 countries over the summer, including 5 each in Asia (Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Thailand) and Africa (Kenya, Seychelles, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia). We took 15 flights flying for over 75 hours, and drove over 100 hours. We used pretty much every mode of transportation – from ferries to gondolas to trains to bicycles to a helicopter/microlight.

🇨🇦 🇯🇵 🇮🇩 🇸🇬 🇱🇦 🇹🇭 🇰🇪 🇸🇨 🇿🇦 🇿🇼 🇿🇲

Our 10 weeks were split evenly across beaches, mountains, safaris, cities and miscellaneous (coasts, rice terraces etc). It was perhaps the most diverse and epic journey of our lifetimes, and we observed almost every possible major animal on our trip – bears, moose, big 5, giraffes, hyenas, turtles, tortoise, penguins, hippos, crocs, you name it.

The trip was fairly seamless with no lost bags or majorly late flights, though we did have a few misadventures such as Ariana breaking her toe a couple of weeks before we left, scrambling to find Malaria medicines in Bangkok after forgetting them in Laos, and kids getting a stomach bug in Lombok. And of course the occasional fights and quarrels. We had 5 rules of the trip, that we did reasonably at – especially staying off our devices and taking a lot of photos together!

As we start to look back, a few experiences absolutely stood out:

– Our stay in Hoshinoya at Mt Fuji Japan was exceptional with upscale glamping peppered with incredible hospitality.

– Our time in Gili T in Indonesia was the most fun 2 days in our trip, as we really enjoyed the tiny island with everything it has to offer.

– Vang Vieng in Laos was relaxing and adventurous at the same time with the most stunning landscape.

– Watching herds of elephants at Amboseli with Kilimanjaro in the background, and seeing thousands of wildebeest running during migration at Masai Mara will always be etched in our memories.

– Our 3 night stay on the private Silhouette island at the Hilton Labriz with its white sand beaches and warm waters was special.

– The close wildlife encounters at Kruger, with an out of the world stay at Honeyguide Khokha Moya camp which was the best safari experience of our life.

– And finally, our amazing time at Victoria Falls across Zim-Zam was epic to say the least.

Trip highlights

Ayaan and Ariana loved their time with family in Banff/Jasper and Bali, visiting the schools and interacting with the local kids, watching animals in the safaris, the bustling Asian cities (to our surprise), and all the major activities we undertook (cooking classes, ATV, zip lining, paragliding, Segway, river tubing, snorkeling, biking, karaoke, kayaking, toboggan, massages etc). Anjali’s top country was probably South Africa, and I loved Laos. And we all can’t wait to go back to Japan. Although it’s incredibly hard to pick, since each of our 70 days was very, very special and memorable.

We’re so fortunate to have taken this trip and created memories for life, and thankful to family and friends who made our journey more delightful. We’re equally excited to be back in the bay, and get some individual space after too much time together in hotel rooms, planes and safari jeeps :). Ayaan and Ariana are ready for 4th and 3rd grade at Bel Aire after a summer to remember.

Posted on by adusija · 1 Comment

Bangkok

Our short visit to Bangkok was motivated by the direct flight to Africa to begin the next half of our adventure in the continent of Africa. Following another efficient airport process, we soon found ourselves at the Marriott Marquis Queens Park where Ayaan reveled in the hotel’s grandeur and VIP service, that had him wishing we could stay longer. We were escorted to the lounge where Ariana made a Korean friend while Gaurav and I imbibed glasses of sparkling wine and hors d’oeuvres. We surprised Ariana by having the hotel organize a chocolate cake, balloons, small presents and painted “Happy Birthday” greetings on the mirror. She was thrilled! The room overlooked a magnificent pool, a park with dancing water fountains and the Bangkok skyline further in the distance. Ayaan named it the best hotel of the trip so far.

We headed out to Asiatique that evening where we enjoyed the large Ferris wheel, and the haunted mansion ride (the kids decided to go together and at one point, I heard screams of “mommy” from Ayaan because he was so scared!). The kids also enjoyed a VR roller coaster simulation following which we grabbed a tuk tuk to Yaowarat Road, Bangkok’s Chinatown. Our first stop was a restaurant that had made optimal use of its limited space with a ladder to access the upper tier tables. We of course opted for that and ordered a new year’s dim sum platter which was absolutely sumptuous! In particular the char siu pork bao was the best I’ve ever had. Next, we tried street food including chicken sate, coconut pancakes and ducked into another restraint for xio long bao and noodle soap. At this point, we were in food coma and retreated back to the hotel.

The next morning, after a somewhat lazy start, Ariana realized we had forgotten their malaria pills at the hotel in Laos. Panic ensued since we were headed to Kenya that evening. The amazing hotel concierge helped us locate a travel clinic that had the pills we needed and we spent the better part of the morning in Bangkok traffic to get them. We had barely enough time to to make it to our cooking class where we made a 4-course meal – Tom kha soup, green chicken curry, shrimp pad Thai and of course the infamous mango sticky rice. After filling our bellies, we headed back to the hotel where we played golf and football simulation games and ended our time in Bangkok with luxurious foot massages, the best in the world!

Posted on by adusija

Singapore

While we’d been to Singapore multiple times when my sister and her family lived there, it was great to return to reunite with old friends and family. We were impressed with the efficient automated immigration experience which had us from touch down to Dhiren’s house in just over an hour! The kids were excited to play with Stuvan and Maeve who they remembered from their trips to the Bay Area over the years including just the summer before. They instantly connected and built forts, played music and other games. We relaxed over beers, soju and multiple bottles of wine and interesting discussions with Dhiren, Bhamini and Adi while simultaneously watching the Wimbledon final. Not surprisingly, it was soon midnight and an evening well spent with friends and family! Dhiren’s, Gaurav and Ayaan woke up at 3am to watch the Euro final between Spain and England which Spain won, breaking Dhiren’s heart.

The next day, we enjoyed a lazy late start to the Gardens by the Bay where we marveled at the 7 levels of the Cloud forest. Stuvan and Ari enjoyed in many deep discussions, with Stuvan sharing his scientific knowledge and insights well absorbed by Ariana’s intense listening interspersed by some challenging questions. It was intriguing to watch them interact, so different but yet so deep into conversation. We enjoyed chatting with Adi and viewing the exhibits, particularly the interactive ones.

We then proceeded to see Adi’s well appointed post-college apartment where the 3 kids enjoyed playing video games. That evening, the kids enjoyed a slumber party while the 4 is us devoured an 8-course Sichuan meal at Birds of a Feather. Following dinner, we made our way atop the Marina Bay Sands to the Sky Bar for cocktails. We then transitioned over to C’est La Vie where I created a game asking everyone to embody the accent of the country from which their cocktail originated. This resulted in an entertaining mishmash of Colombian (Anjali) British (Bhamini, switching between proper and cockney on demand) and midwest American (Dhiren) while Gaurav didnt participate, much to my disappointment. Several rounds of shots later, we hit the dance floor and the night ended with us jamming to and singing Above and Beyond in the taxi ride home. Overall, such a fun time! Thank you to the Sarin family for hosting us so warmly in your home.

Posted on by adusija

Indonesia part 2 – Gili T & Lombok

After a week in Bali with my parents, we were off to explore parts of Indonesia we hadn’t visited. We took a 1.5 hour Grab to Padang bai port to catch a fast boat to Gili Trawangan (Gili T), largest of 3 Gili islands just off the coast of Lombok. Our boat was late, so we grabbed some local lunch and got a foot massage while we waited. Ayaan has gotten so used to the SE asian culture of foot massages! The fast boat took a couple of hours and Ariana enjoyed dancing on the top floor of the fast boat with mommy.

Our two nights at Gili T were probably the most fun of our summer adventure so far. Gili T is a small island with only bikes and horse carts on a 7km road around the island. A 2km strip has everything you can imagine – cooking classes, mini golf, hotels, restaurants with live music, multiple Irish bars, wine stores and many beach bars. Between the three islands it’s a complete independent ecosystem that is so easy to navigate. We loved our stay at the Pearl of Trawangan, at the south side of the strip with a lovely pool, and highly recommend it for its great service, facilities and location. After a swim in the sea and a dip in the pool, we spent the evening exploring the night market where they grill everything under the sun – from crabs to octopus. We ate grilled fish at the beach at Scallywags and it was delicious and just what the doctor ordered after an overdose of traditional Indonesian food. After dinner, Anjali and I put the kids to sleep, and ended the night enjoying some of favorite rock songs played live a couple of blocks away at a beach bar. Ayaan woke me up at 3am to watch the Spain – France Euro Cup semi final at an Irish bar. We were lucky to watch the only three goals for the 30 mins we were there!

On our second day in Gili, we rented bikes for all four of us and rode all around the island which was incredibly fun for the kids. We navigated through streets filled with people and horse carts, and spent an hour swimming with a turtle off Turtle beach! (It literally took us 2 minutes to find a turtle). Our afternoon comprised of a cook class where we cooked Four of a Kind – peanut sauce with Pan fried tempeh, mie goreng, a curry, and a pandan dessert. Ariana and Ayaan not only cooked well, but ate even better. The rest of the day we biked around the island, and ate dinner at the Malibu sunset bar. The kids got a pony ride on the beach, while we sipped Prosecco. For our last night on Gili T, we took the kids for ice cream and to listen to some live music.

On our last morning on the island, we biked to our private snorkeling tour. The Gili islands are famous for diving and snorkeling, and our experience did not disappoint. Over two hours, we swam at eye level with turtles, saw blue coral and an underwater statue at Gili Meno, and floated among thousands of fish. We cannot wait to come back to Gili, and explore Meno and Air next time as well. Wish we had a few more days…

Our final destination in Indonesia was Lombok, a sleepy and green island that reminded us of Kauai. Unlike Bali, it’s much quieter with no traffic and majority of the population is Muslim instead of Hindu. We took a private 15 min boat to Bangsal pier and were picked up right at the beach outside our hotel in Gili T. We stayed at the Sheraton Senggigi on the west side of the island, with an incredible sandy beach, and the resort had a slide in the pool. Ariana’s favorite part was feeding and walking the cats on the beach every evening. Walking a few steps along Senggigi beach, there were a few beach shacks that reminded us of Goa, though much more sleepier.

We spent a day on a tour to the famous Tiu Kelep waterfall on the north side of the island, with views of Mount Rinjani. It was a long 2 hour drive from our hotel (the island is huge), and unfortunately both Ayaan and Ariana threw up multiple times as we arrived. We suspect it was the noodle soup at breakfast. Both of them were troopers though as we first visited a traditional mosque and a local Sasak village. That was followed by a moderate hike to the Tiu Kelep waterfall, including a few river crossings. The waterfall was stunning once we got there, and we were able to go right under it with its strong force and chilly water. Definitely worth the trip.

The rest of our time was fairly low key as we all needed a down day after four weeks of travel, and the kids needed a couple of days to get over the stomach bug. We hung out around the beach and pool, played tennis, got massages, and ordered in room service. Ayaan and Anjali went on a jet ski ride that they thoroughly enjoyed. With almost 2 weeks in Indonesia, we were all ready for Singapore and to meet friends and family.

Posted on by adusija

Indonesia part 1 – Bali

After visiting Ayaan’s 40th country (Japan), we arrived in Bali via Kuala Lumpur. My parents arrived from Mumbai two hours after us, and we planned to spend a week together in Nusa Dua and Ubud. Ayaan and Ariana were very excited to get another week of family time, this one with dada and dadi.

Our first destination was to relax and get some pool and beach time at the Ritz Carlton Nusa Dua for four nights. The first couple of days were a bit overcast though the weather did get lovely after that, and we made the most of it by taking advantage of the resorts programming. Ariana enjoyed the kids club where she made cupcakes, made new friends, and went down the water slide. I enjoyed a massage at the spa and got some much needed gym-time. All of us engaged in making Dudur Gulung, a local dessert just like a pancake made with pandas leaves and filled with palm sugar and coconut, and in a cooking class making fish satay and sambal. Anjali and dadi took a Balinese dance lesson, while Ayaan took buggy rides around the resort.

Every evening we stepped out of the resort to explore different neighborhoods (Sanur and Nusa Dua), get foot massages, and eat some local food with live music. Ayaan got pampered with his first foot massages that he thoroughly enjoyed, and Ariana got braids and did her nails. On our last night in Nusa Dua, Anjali and I left the kids with the grandparents and ventured out for a fun night out at Rock bar and the After Rock nightclub (our first in a few years).

Our next and final destination in Bali was a stay at a private villa with a pool in Sayan, on the outskirts of Ubud. It was a very different experience than staying in a large resort, and we all enjoyed the serene view and peace at the villa, a few km away from the craziness of Ubud. We did have our first misadventure at the villa though, when some money was stolen from our bags in the room.

The drive to Ubud from Nusa Dua was two hours, and we stopped at the Monkey forest on the way to the villa. Ariana was fascinated watching the monkeys interact with each other and the visitors. After a delicious rijsttafel meal at Gedang Sisi Warung, we watched a traditional Legong dance show at the lit up Ubud Palace.

Anjali had planned a surprise ATV tour for Ayaan the next day, and the three of us set out early. Dada, dadi and Ariana had their own adventure visiting Tanah lot temple and eating some dosa. The ATV tour was definitely the highlight of our Bali adventure. We spent two hours driving our ATVs through rivers, caves, villages, hills and mud tracks. Ayaan had the time of his life driving the ATV with Anjali’s help. Our reward was lunch and drinks at a pool club overlooking the rice terraces, where we spent a few hours relaxing. After reuniting that evening, we all had an amazing dinner at a gazebo on the water watching the sunset at Bebek Tebasari. Anjali and I took another opportunity to get some cocktails at the Pinstripe bar at the Viceroy which was recommended and lived up to its reputation (they even had an amuse bouche and dessert drinks to supplement our cocktails).

On our last full day in Bali we rented a car to take us to the north side of Bali. Our first stop was breakfast at Sayan Point with a wonderful view of rice terraces, the river and forests. Next we stopped at the famous Tegalalang rice terraces where the kids enjoyed “hiking” up and down the fields. We briefly visited the holy springs temple before driving up to the peak of Mount Batur, with its cooler temperatures and sprawling views of Lake Batur and surrounding forests. At this point, we became accustomed to eating Nasi and Mie Goreng for most of our meals. Ayaan has been very amused that chicken is called Ayam in the local language. On our way back to the villa after a long day, we made a final stop at a coffee plantation where we learnt about how coffee is made, including Luak coffee, and got to taste 13 different teas and coffees.

For our last meal in Bali with the grandparents, we had planned to go to the popular Cafe Lotus. However, the infamous Bali traffic had us stuck for 45 minutes and we decided to eat at a random restaurant named Brie, which turned out to be our best meal in Bali! After a fun family week in Bali, we bid farewell to the grandparents and continued onwards on our adventure in Indonesia.

Posted on by adusija

Japan

This trip to Japan, my 5th visit to this beloved country, was inspired by our desire to see the country through our kid’s eyes. Besides, we all shared a common love for sushi and hand-made ramen, so how could we go wrong! We started with a visit to Harajuku where Ariana and I enjoyed window-shopping, admiring the cute fashion items and other tchotchkes each luring her into a begging plea to purchase. We also visited the Meiji Jingu shrine, and strolled the swanky tree-lined Omotedando. That night, Gaurav had booked a one-Michelin starred dinner at Hirooishizaka where we enjoyed a private dinner prepared and served by the chef and his wife respectively. We were impressed with the multitude of nigiri courses and enjoyed tasting four different types of sake including the chefs library selection. The next day began with a much-anticipated sushi-making class at Asakusa which we all thoroughly enjoyed. After devouring our handmade sushi 🍱, we walked to the nearby shrine where we followed the traditional practices and sought blessings.

Quite possibly the highlight of my day was 3 hours of Karaoke at ‘Big Echo’ in a highly advanced private Karaoke room in Ginza where Ayaan quickly learned to navigate the Japanese-marked buttons to queue in songs and most other requirements. Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and a couple of classics were belted out by most of us, the adults enjoying carafes of sake and shochu. Our last entertainment stop was anime and games at Akhihabara where both kids ranked the train simulation as their favorite. For dinner, we slurped bowls of ramen paid for by a machine upfront, washed down with Asahi which was extremely satisfying. Returning to the hotel after nearly 12 hours on our feet resulted in as all retiring early for the night.

Dinner at Hirooishizaka

Today started off with a visit to the TeamLab digital art museum, a true spectacle for all senses. Each of us enjoyed the borderless wandering through the stimulating works of art, alluring us from one room to the next while indulging almost all our senses. The highlight was when we designed and colored our own fish which subsequently (and almost instantaneously) entered the walls ‘swimming’ with the rest of the artwork. Ours boasted taglines such as ‘exploring new waters’ and ‘swimming around the world’ aptly representing our journey.

Lunch was memorable as we tried the kaitensushi (conveyor belt) at sushiro and the kids throughly enjoyed the experience. Next, we ventured across to Odaiba where Ariana and I enjoyed several pictures and interactive displays at the Trick art museum while the boys indulged in more arcade games. That evening, Gaurav and I went off to one of our best memories from our last visit – Golden Gai. We experienced a diverse mix of bars from a bar-tender that was also an inspiring actor and avid baseball fan to one celebrating her birthday with her close friends and family (we got to be a part of her party belting out Kanpai at every opportunity). The last bar had a bunch of tourists packed in so Gaurav and I were nearly on the stairs (part of the infamous Golden Gai experience as I remembered it) but enjoyed the jovial atmosphere before tucking back into one of the alleys and making our way back to the hotel.

Trick Art Museum in Odaiba
Golden Gai

This morning, we treated ourselves to a sumptuous meal of grilled Kobe beef and shabu shabu at one of the established I’d added to the list from back home. The meat was succulent and divine! The kids always enjoy cooking their own meat tableside so they were pleased with the experience as well, and commented on how kid-friendly Japan was when they got complimentary gifts and ice cream.

We then ventured onto a bus to Lake Kawaguchiko where we were excited to finally stay at Hoshinoya Fuji. Hoshinoya had been on our bucket list for over a decade and I was pleased to try their glamping experience. Despite my high expectations for the resort, the attention to detail and thoughtfulness of the guest journey and experience completely blew my mind. Our cabin overlooked the lake (with a direct view of Mount Fuji when visible), replete with a large outdoor deck with a daybed and fire. The resort leaned into the rainy days that frequented the area to make it a positive (rather than a detractor) with rain-driven programming and gear that activated all the senses. There was water-color sketching with rain sounds as the backdrop, bird calls, binoculars, rainy day books, and the list goes on. That afternoon, we enjoyed s’mores and sparkling wine by the campfire before retreating the room to enjoy the views. As soon as I tucked into the Hoshinoya-provided matching family PJ’s, I knew that I was too cozy to leave! That worked out perfectly because Hoshinoya had curated an absolutely incredible ‘glamping curry’ dinner which the staff setup for guests on our outdoor deck. It included an outdoor grill that allowed guests to grill the meat and vegetables tableside accompanied by a choice of freshly-ground spices. We all loved the meal and in particular, Ayaan who requested it again the following night. The next day we relaxed at the resort enjoying the guided stretching course, water-coloring postcards of the resort and Mt Fuji, drinking Ethiopian coffee cooked atop the campfire, hiking through the forest, enjoying the distilled water fragrances, and lounging on the hammocks and floating benches. Gaurav and I found out ourselves repeatedly telling each other how magical the Hoshinoya experience was for our entire family! On our last day, Fuji-San graced as with her views from the room, and from the guided canoe trip that Ayaan and I had reserved through the resort. Hoshinoya, you were absolutely incredible with unparalleled service and attention to detail, and I can’t wait to return to another one of your resorts!

We reluctantly checked out of Hoshinoya for a ryokan experience with an onsen. Both kids embraced the matching yukatas, slippers and outdoor and indoor pools and baths. We also took the gondola up to views of Mount Fuji and enjoyed the swings that felt as if we were swinging toward the majestic mountain. On the last day, we went to a sake brewery, a pagoda and ate some incredible meals including okonomiyaki, tempura and ramen. After returning to Tokyo via the Fuji Excursion train, we dropped our bags off in a locker and enjoyed an afternoon of games, karaoke, and a final sushi meal before heading to Haneda for our flight to Bali. Sayonara Japan, you were memorable as always!

Posted on by adusija

Banff, Jasper & Lake Louise

We were counting down the days to begin our 2024 summer adventure across multiple continents. The destination – the Canadian Rockies – had been on my parents bucket list for over a decade, and my mom couldn’t have been more thrilled that both my sister and I were able to coordinate schedules to be there with our families. After hugs at the airport, Gaurav upgraded our rental car to a jeep which Ayaan and I were excited about for the off-roading opportunities it presented. We zoomed off towards Banff, and before long, we were admiring the magnificence of the alluring mountains dotted with glaciers and the pleasant sounds of the bright-blue river flowing beneath. Despite the destination being a second time visit for Gaurav and I, the grandeur and beauty of Banff was nothing short of incredible, as proven by the gasps of “wow” that could be heard throughout the drive.

Our first stop was Lake Minniwanka where Nani decided to create an impromptu video of how she’d decided this was going to be the vacation of a lifetime! We all chimed in, supporting her goal and excitement with some moves and jumps thrown in for effect. Next, we headed to Johnstone Canyon, where Mother Nature greeted us with a downpour which didn’t deter my determined mother from making it to the lower falls. Ariana too was a trouper and covered most of the way despite having a broken toe.

The next day was Father’s Day which we celebrated with lunch at the majestic Fairmont Banff overlooking the valley and lake below. The day was accentuated by a visit to the upper hot springs in Banff where natural mineral water soothed us, and an impromptu bowling competition where Ayaan beat us for a win.

The following day started with a hike around Emerald Lake, which we remembered vividly as the lake that’s color lives up to its name. We then headed to Takkakaw Falls which was in its full glory. Ayaan enjoyed climbing the rocks all the way to the top with Dhara Masi and Shloka to feel the strength of the mist upon their faces, which they seemed to love experiencing together.

Early the next morning, we ventured out for the epic drive from Banff to Jasper with jaw-dropping views at every turn, including the epic icefields parkway. Bow Lake was stunning but the turquoise blue waters of Peyto Lake had us all gasping with “wows” at every turn. The snow was coming down hard as we trailed the path to Peyto lake which added to the beauty of its glacial waters. Ari and Nani created songs and danced together in the snow, the first time Nani had felt snowfall on her face. At the Icefields parkway, Nani and Shloka took the bus tour atop the glacier while the rest of us walked to its foot. Gaurav and I noticed the material retreat of the glacier since we’d last seen it, and they’ve also fenced off the walk onto the glacier likely to preserve it. It was nevertheless beautiful and the kids enjoyed walking onto the smaller ice fields. Ayaan was disappointed not to be able to watch Ronaldo play for his country in the Euro Cup so walking on ice was a half way decent consolation prize. We ended with a stop at Sunwapta falls before checking into the hotel for a relaxed evening. The audio-tour that we purchased in Get Your Guide for a self-guided experience was well worth it, as we particularly enjoyed the quizzes after each section.

This morning, Dhara and I got an early start to a 3-hour hike called the ‘Valley of the 5 Lakes’. The trailhead was a short 12-minute drive from the town of Jasper and the hike rewarded us with stunning views of emerald green and turquoise lakes, picture-perfect reflections of the trees and snow-capped mountains above. There were few other people on the trail which had us both admire the beauty while also refreshing our bear encounter strategies. Overall, a morning well spent while Gaurav and Nani entertained the kids on a variety of other smaller lakes including Pyramid Lake and Medicine Lake. After lunch, we took the famous Jasper tramway atop the peak where we then ascended further on a snow covered path for epic views of the entire Jasper area included the Athabasca river. Ayaan enjoyed hiking toward the mountain summit after the rest of us retreated due to Ariana’s broken toe. Following our multiple hikes, we rewarded ourselves with cocktails at the Fairmont Jasper followed by a game of tag with the kids at the foot of the lake.

Today we were rewarded with many unexpected wildlife encounters. After a short hike with Nani around Maligne Canyon and lunch at the wilderness lodge, we headed into town to watch the soccer Euro Cup game over beers. Later, we all traversed Maligne lake and once the drizzle slowed, we enjoyed some sun by the picnic tables overlooking the lake. We saw a big mama bear with 2 baby cubs in the valley, not far from us where I got a chance to test the hyped-up 3x zoom of my new iPhone 15 pro that I’d purchased primarily for wildlife memories. It did not disappoint! We also saw a large herd of white mountain goat who were quite aggressive with their peers and marked their territory when their perceived grass was being eaten. Last, and quite possibly my favorite, was a large herd of cow elk with the head of the herd successfully communicating to cars on both sides to stop so that the herd could pass. Watching tens of cow elk, large and small, run in unison for a couple of miles until they finally felt safe enough to cross the street was extremely spellbounding – and we were grateful to have watched it.

The next day we started our journey back down the Icefields parkway to lake Louise with a short stop at Athabasca Falls. Lake Louise, and its turquoise blue hue against the backdrop of the glacier, was stunning albeit swarmed with much more tourists than when we had last visited nearly a decade ago. Dhara and Nani declared it their favorite lake and it was hard to disagree. That evening, we enjoyed 3 hours of live music in the gazebo of our hotel, over campfire, s’mores and a bottle of wine. The night ended with an inebriated Dhara and I dancing to a rendition of ‘Country Roads’, much to Shloka’s chagrin which only added to our pleasure.

On our last night which we spent in Calgary, Gaurav had booked ‘The Living Room’ for dinner where we enjoyed multiple courses of fondue satisfying nani’s craving. After dropping the kids with Nani, Gaurav and I headed to a bar for hookah. The next day after a short stint at Prince Park by the river, we headed to the airport and spent a few hours together at the lounge before departing for Tokyo. This was the first chance I got to have a real conversation with Nani and I was grateful for that time together, and pleased that she rated this part of her 2-month journey in three Americas the best!

Bears, mountain goat and cow elk in Jasper
Posted on by adusija · 1 Comment

2023 travels

This blog is a bit late, given we’re in the swing of 2024 already. Last year was another year full of adventure with several flights within the US and globally, and a myriad of family trips. Ayaan turned 8 and Ariana 7, both at great ages to travel as well as start experiencing local events such as Warriors and Earthquakes games, an Ed Sheeran concert, and the Mamma Mia broadway show.

Local adventures featured trips to our favorite destinations – Carmel Valley where we stayed at the Bernardus with Adi visiting; Tahoe where Ariana skied for the first time and Ayaan went on the slopes himself; camping at KOA Mendocino by Manchester Beach and Autocamp Yosemite; and a trip to Santa Barbara with Vidur and his family. We also had a couple of beach vacations: to Kauai where we stayed at the stunning 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay that Anjali is overseeing and met Bobby uncle and family, and to Punta Mita, Mexico at the fun W resort.

We had three big trips in 2023: a spring break adventure in France and Germany, a summer cruise and land adventure in epic Alaska, and finally a family trip over the winter break to India and Sri Lanka.

Spring break started with a flight to Munich and a short drive and stay at Abbotte Boutique hotel in the quaint town of Ulm, Germany. We spent the next couple of nights in the Baden-Baden staying at the grand Maison Messmer, strolling around, hitting the spa pools, and eating at places such as Rizzy. From there we drove to Burgundy, France stopping in the famous Alsace region and having an incredible meal at Le Petit Atelier. We love Burgundy and our stay was made special at Ermitage de Corton where had a very special meal and the kids got introduced to escargot (and loved them). We spent couple of days exploring the food and wine in the region from Cote de Beaune to Cote de Nuits. The most memorable wineries were Domaine d’Ardhuy with a private tour of the 400 year old winery, and Chateau de Pommard where the kids had their own tour and tasting including spending time with blind horses taking care of the vines. A surprise adventure for the kids in Burgundy was an afternoon at a tree top zip lining park in the hills. We ended the trip with three days in Paris where we drove in as protests disrupted the city. The kids enjoyed exploring the city with its bakeries, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, the Sienne cruise and an outing to see the Lion King broadway in French. Anjali surprised me for my birthday with dinner at Le Clarence, ranked in the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. Overall a fun road trip for spring break.

Summer was epic with a 7-day Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise starting from Vancouver. It was probably the highlight of the year for the kids as they loved the entertainment, karaoke, buffets, activities, live music and the kids club. Ayaan had his walkie talkie and was enjoying his independence exploring the ship, and making friends (Max in particular from LA who he spent a majority of his days with when not with us). In Juneau, we took a taxi to explore the Medenhall glacier. In Sitka, we strolled through the historic park with its totem poles, watched hundreds of salmon swim upstream, and visited the flight center to observe native birds. And in Skagway, we took the bus tour through the incredible landsacape entering Canada. The most amazing part of the trip awaited us as we disembark the cruise ship in Seward. We took the 7 hour Major Marine boat cruise where we saw incredible wildlife including dozens of orcas, a fin whale, puffer birds, seals and sea lions. The next day we drove along glaciers to the Alyeska resort stopping on the way at one which Ayaan did not want to leave. On our way to Denali National Park, we stopped at a reindeer farm. After seeing the reindeer in real life, Ayaan started questioning if they could fly and if Santa was real. Our couple of days in Denali were magical. On one of the days we went river rafting through the stunning landscape. And of course the Tundra tour that took us deep into the 42nd mile of the Denali park along which we saw bears and moose. Alaska isn’t cheap, but is as epic as any other international destination.

Over the winter break, we flew home to Mumbai, India. It was our first post-COVID trip to India as a family – the last time Ayaan was 4. It was great to spend time with the grandparents and Sid, meet friends, spend time at CCI, and eat at our favorite joints such as Trishna and Indian Accent. The highlight in Mumbai was a morning we spent with the kids of the Cuffe Parade slums. Ayaan had saved money all year to donate it to these kids and buy gifts for them, and Nani had arranged this special morning for us. From Mumbai, we took a 5-day family trip to Sri Lanka with dada, dadi, Sonil bua, Ravi uncle and Adi. We spent the first couple of nights relaxing at the Doubletree Weerawila located at the lake on the edge of the Yala national park. The food in Sri Lanka is incredible with egg hoppers, crab and giant prawns. We took a half day safari to the beautiful Yala national park where we saw some wildlife including elephants and crocodiles, but didn’t spot a leapord. We spent an afternoon exploring the Galle fort and town, before settling into the beachside Sheraton Kosgoda resort. Right outside the resort was a turtle sanctuary with one day old babies as well as mature turtles. We also took a river cruise as a family that took us through mangroves, Buddhist temples, wildlife and a cinnamon farm. Highly recommend Sri Lanka!

Looking forward to new travel adventures in 2024 as Ayaan and Ariana approach their 40th country!