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.
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!
Chile had been on my bucket list since I came across pictures of Torres Del Paine National Park 15 years ago. We were excited to finally be going there and a bonus was a long layover in Houston that gave us a day with my sister and her family. We enjoyed a leisurely brunch followed by games of table tennis and long talks about life 😀.
After a fairly long journey, we reached Puerto Montt and made our way to Puerto Varas in our rental car. The hotel, Cabana del Lago and our suite were stunning, overlooking the sprawling lake and snow-capped volcanoes. At the hotels recommendation, we enjoyed a leisurely seafood lunch at a restaurant that reminded us of San Sebastián (one of my favorite food places in the world)! The Carmenere wine that our server recommended was fantastic. We were instantly drawn to the wonderful and friendly Chilean people that seem relaxed and content.
The rest of the day was fairly relaxing after our 3-flight journey, spent at the hotels beautiful pools and hot tub overlooking the volcanic mountains. The kids were thrilled with the water slide and took more than 20 trips on it – it really doesn’t get old! For dinner, we opted for casual food trucks near our hotel and were blown away by an Italian man’s hand-made pizza which was followed by our favorite – churros stuffed with condensed milk!
The next morning, we drove to Volcán Osorne and took the chairlift up to the first level. From there, the beauty of the mountains and the snow beckoned and we began a spontaneous climb towards the glaciers. After some time, Ariana and Gaurav retreated back down to view the crater while Ayaan and I continued the climb toward the peak. The incline was steep but we were rewarded with stunning views of the mountain up close and cheered on by the people on the chair lift. When we rested on the black volcanic rock, it actually felt warm, contrasted by the snow which we let melt in our mouth because we hadn’t carried any water. We ultimately retreated back down and Ayaan was very upset to have left his favorite warthog stuffie up on the mountain during one of our breaks.
We then proceeded to the Petrohue waterfalls which were a really stunning sight – the blue glacial water gushing down against the backdrop of the towering peaks. After another relaxing evening at the heated pool, we enjoyed dinner at a vinoteca. Warm bread, a ribeye steak and a bottle of Carmenera were a perfect way to be rewarded after the steep climb.
The next day, we embarked on a fairly long journey to view two species of penguins, the Humboldt and the Magellanic. Ayaan was stoked to see our car aboard the ferry to Chiloe Island. Although our guide only spoke Spanish, we appreciated his effort to help us understand the different wildlife we were viewing including birds such as the oyster catcher and turkey vulture. After our short tour, we enjoyed a lunch of fresh-caught ceviche, grilled chicken and a local white fish, washed down with a glass of vino. We stopped in the town of Ancud to enjoy the Christmas festivities at Plaza de Armas and proceeded to the fort.
Since it was Christmas Eve and most restaurants were closed, we enjoyed dinner at the hotel bar and spent our last evening viewing the volcanic mountain range from our balcony as the sun retreated over the coastline.
The next day, we boarded our flight to Puerto Natales to experience the much-awaited beauty of Patagonia. The views from the flight were jaw-dropping with one side overlooking several glaciers and bright blue lakes and the other side flying right over the Torres del Paine (Towers of Blue) as we approached. After renting a car, we drove straight to the caves of Milodón, a large cave where we saw bones and other fossil from several large extinct creatures such as mammoths and others from the sloth family. We then proceeded to hike on a trail to the top of the hill where we were rewarded by fantastic 360 views. Ariana has really started to love hiking. During this trip, she displayed the desire and ability to do some pretty steep and challenging hikes which left me proud and eager to do more together. That evening, we celebrated Christmas Day at a small local restaurant near the square.
We had an early start the next morning driving 2 hours into the Torres del Paine national park. The views as we approached were absolutely stunning particularly as the Cuernos (horns) and Torres (towers) came into view. Near the glacial blue waters of Pehoe Lake, we hiked a steep trail to the very top of a hill offering panoramic views of the lake and its surrounding vistas. Wildflowers greeted us on the trail and when Gaurav and Ayaan turned back because the trail narrowed and become too steep, Ariana and I continued on. After a brief stop at the Pehoe Lake Inn to pickup a picnic lunch, we proceeded to Salte Grande, an impressive gushing waterfall. Despite very strong winds, we picnicked here but decided to skip the next trail to Cuerno due to the extremely heavy winds that were getting hard to overcome for the kids. We then saw the beautiful waters of Laguna Amarga where we spotted several Guanacos, the first one solitary perched on a hill, and a large herd shortly after.
When we reached the base camp for the Torres del Paine hike (a fairly intense 8-hour hike), the guide there recommended a family friendly hike called intertievo. It was a fairly easy 1.5 hour hike following which we drove by Lake Sarmiento and made our way back to the town or Puerto Natales. We rewarded ourselves with dinner at the towns acclaimed restaurant where I enjoyed their wood-fired BBQ lamb and Gaurav devoured reportedly the best grilled salmon he’s ever eaten, both paired with a bottle of Carmenere.
The next morning, we had an early start for an 8-hour boat cruise that Gaurav had booked to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. The journey was breathtaking dotted with waterfalls, glaciers, and seal and condor sightings as we glided through stunning glacial waters. Before lunch, we disembarked for a 40 minute hike to the Serrano glacier which was absolutely epic as we were able to get pretty close to it. Once back on the boat, we each wrote our goals for 2025. This time, each family member was allowed to add a goal they wanted the other family member to accomplish in the new year. We were pretty impressed with the thoughtful and aspirational goals the children took on. Lunch was a real treat at Estancia Perales where an abuela served us pisco sours, and a whole chicken on the grill, table side. After a two hour leisurely lunch, we napped on the boat ride back to the hotel.
The next day, we had a leisurely start as our primarily goal as to hike to the Lago Grey glacier. The hike included a walk through a black beach with water on both sides and then a somewhat steep incline to the viewpoint. We enjoyed lunch at the nearby Grey Glacier Hotel. After lunch we hiked up halfway to the ferrier view point to take in breathtaking views of the Rio Serrano river.
On our last day, we took a 3-hour horse riding trip atop the Cerro Dorotea mountain, where we came within striking distance of Argentina. At the very top of the mountain, the panaraomic views were a true jaw dropping sight. Ariana did particularly well on her horse and enjoyed the ride! After a quick pit stop to pickup crepes, we departed on a flight to Santiago. Torres del Paine lived up to my high expectations and more. It is truly the most picturesque and stunningly beautiful place that I have ever been to from my travels to 70+ countries!
The day in Santiago started with a ride up the Gondola to Cerro San Cristóbal. At the top, we were all amused watching a robot machine make cotton candy before it “discharged” it for consumption. We arrived down in a funicular and then explored the cool, Bellevista neighborhood. Next, we walked to the more sophisticated Lasterria neighborhood and ended up in Plaza des Armas.
The following day, we drove to Maipo Valley and enjoyed a wonderful tour and tasting experience at Vina Aquitania. At the recommendation of a couple we met at the tasting, we went to see the Bahia Lotus temple, a part of the same faith and design as the one in New Delhi.
To celebrate New Year’s Eve that evening, we decided to return to the bohemian Bellevista neighborhood. It was the first time we were bringing in the new year together as a family as the children were allowed to stay up late to watch the fireworks. We didn’t realize though that Santiago is fairly quiet during New Year’s Eve (unlike its sister cities in South America such as Buenoes Aires or Cartegena where we’d enjoyed boisterous street parties and celebrations). Nevertheless, we enjoyed bar hopping with the kids and recapped what we were grateful for in 2024 and what we were looking forward to in 2025. We brought in the New Year viewing the fireworks from the 23rd-floor lounge of our hotel.
On New Year’s Day, we set off to the artsy town of Valparaiso where we strolled around the neighborhoods appreciating the artwork and graffiti that adorned all of the buildings. We also took a boat ride from the pier in Valparaiso that gave us a great vantage point to the city on the hill. We then enjoyed the heated pool and spa at the hotel in Vina Del Mar which offered sweeping ocean views. Ayaan and Gaurav also spent time at the beach and we played ping pong in the kids club while Ariana jumped on the trampoline and tried to make friends despite her sparse Spanish vocabulary. We enjoyed an early dinner at the hotel’s terrace restaurant and Gaurav and I enjoyed a bottle of Cabarnet from our balcony overlooking the ocean once the kids went to bed.
The next morning, we took one of Valparaiso’s super steep funiculars that reminded us of the hillevator in our Sausalito home. After browsing the neighborhoods including a stop at a famous poets home (now museum) to take in sweeepint ocean views, we headed to the airport for our flight to San Pedro de Atacama.
When we landed in Atacama, we were greeted with a pretty strong earthquake at the airport. After about an hours drive from the city of Calama, we approached the town of San Pedro and I felt as if we were taken back in time about 100 years or so. The unpaved narrow streets were barely habited, the shops were tiny and had just the basic necessities, and the homes were extremely modest. Other than the sparse cars, there were no signs of modernization or technology. It was quite surreal. We arrived at our small B&B, La Casa de Jose and were greeted warmly by the hostess, Alicia. After a quick dinner, we retreated for the night.
We started the next day with the Valley of Mars. The kids were excited to climb the sand dunes and run down as we watched other “sand board” down. The sights, terrain and topography truly felt like another planet! Our next stop, and probably my favorite from our time in Atacama, was the Valley of the Moon. This place was truly incredible from the various hikes to the miradors or viewpoints – it all felt celestial! We ended our day perched on a rock as we watched the sun set over the expansive landscape below.
On our second fully day in Atacama, we first drove an hour to the salt flats at Laguna Chaxa within the Flamingo reserve national park. This was Gaurav’s favorite spot as we admired hundreds of flamingoes over the salt flats, and their reflections on the lake. During the trail, we learned about the 3 types of flamingoes and their diet, consisting primarily of brine shrimp that are the only other form of life that can survive in the saline waters predominant in this region. We then drove up to 14000 ft to see the blue Altiplanic lagoons, passing by several Vicunas (part of the Llama family) running around the unique landscape. Our last stop was Lake Tebenquiche where the water had almost completely evaporated leaving behind a snow-like salt deposits. We ended the night with a fantastic meal at restaurant Adobe in the charming downtown of San Pedro de Atacama.
We had an extremely early start the next day on a tour to see the hundreds of suphur springs and geysers of ElTatio at 13000 ft. While we’ve witnessed the eruption of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful on multiple occasions, this was different. There were geysers in every direction, with volcanoes and snow-capped mountains as their backdrop. It is necessary to arrive early to watch these geysers in full eruption, and while I typically dislike early mornings, this start was absolutely worth it. The tour included a breakfast overlooking this beautiful natural wonder followed by stops at another flamingo-dotted lake and a large gorge / canyon. That afternoon, we returned to the Valley of Mars to undertake the actual hike, which felt as if we were walking on the planet, surrounded by red rock and craters. Ariana and Gaurav enjoyed some pool time while I napped. After playing with Bella, the hotel’s pet dog, we headed to a restaurant with a live concert.
On our last day in Atacama, Gaurav and I hiked up the fort and were rewarded with panoramic views of everything we’d seen in the Atacama region over the past 4 days. We appreciated the grandeur of the volcanoes, snow-capped peaks, the town of San Pedro, sand dunes and a different vantage point of the valley of Mars. It was the perfect way to end our trip! We were blown away by the rich diversity of Chile, and all that this wonderful country has to offer while occupying just a slender strip of South America.
After an eventful fall with my visit to India including the stunning Kashmir, and our 3-day trip to Mexico City without the kids, we were ready for another family adventure including my parents. Anjali and I had been on a few sporadic vacations to the Caribbean before (Jamaica, Cancun, Antigua, Bahamas), but were really looking forward to exploring the many different islands and cultures on this 2 week trip.
Our first week was aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise that we embarked on at San Juan, Puerto Rico. The kids loved their cruise to Alaska last year, and they were very excited for this one. we opted for this cruise because of its itinerary that spanned bucket-list islands of St Lucia, St. Maarten and Barbados. Although it was an older and smaller ship, there was more than enough entertainment, an engaging kids club, and great food to keep us busy. The weather was perfect in the 80s with mostly clear blue skies and no sign of hurricanes. One of the surprises for us was that almost 70% of the cruisers were Puerto Rican that made the entire cruise a cultural experience and an all day Spanish dance party! Some of the highlights were the Argentinian acrobatics show, silent disco parties and the Explosion show. Arianas highlight was the kids club, while Ayaan enjoyed ping pong, and Big Dada was obsessed with the casino.
Each port day was different and generally very relaxing. On the second day and first port day, we stopped at St. Croix, part of the USVI, where we spent a few hours at the beach and warm, wavy waters of Paradise beach, which was a convenient 5 min walk from the ship. The highlight was seeing a couple of swimming turtles right as we got off the ship! Our second port of St. Thomas provided another relaxing half day outing as we ventured in an open van to the stunning Magens Bay beach, while driving through the quaint town of Charlotte Amelie and stopping at the beautiful Drakes View point.
Our third port was the much awaited St. Maarten where we rented a car and spent the day driving around the Dutch and French side of the island. We first stopped at the cute boardwalk in the town of Philipsburg (Dutch) for a morning cocktail, before heading out to the world famous Maho beach with its white sand, huge waves and planes landing at runway right off the beach! Lunch was on the French side at the Anthony Bourdain recommended Rosemary’s serving delicious island food. We ended our tour of the island at the Orient beach on the east side where the kids spent an hour jumping over the waves.
St Lucia was the jewel of the ports and the one island we hope of come back to. Once we rented the car and drove out of the insane traffic in the town of Castries, we embarked on a 1.5 incredible drive towards the town of Soufriere surrounded by the two Peton towering mountainous spires and by the blue waters. It’s one of the most amazing sights we’ve seen in a long time and we were lucky to have lunch adoring the view. The main excursion in the area was visiting the drive-in volcano which was a great experience since none of us had ever been inside a volcano rim before! Ayaan was so proud that St Lucia was the 50th country he has visited!
Our final port of the cruise was Barbados where we rented a taxi for half a day. To our surprise, the first stop was Rihanna’s house (she’s a Barbadian) followed by the famous cricket ground Kensington Oval. We drank some local rum and visited the famous Harrison’s Cave in a tram and traveled 700ft underground to see unique stalagmites and stalactites. After a quick tour of Bridgetown, we had an amazing lunch at Lobster Alive and finished the day swimming at the Carlisle Bay beach, one of the best beaches we’ve ever been to with is soft white sand and crystal clear blue waters! Barbados was my 70th country.
After a wonderful week on the cruise, we were ready to explore San Juan and Puerto Rico. The old town is so cultural and historic with its forts, colorful buildings, cobblestone streets and live music everywhere. We spent all afternoon and next morning exploring the squares, streets, forts and bars across town with our best meal at the famous Raices serving traditional Puerto Rican food. We ventured out one evening to the Fajardo bioluminescence bay to kayak in the dark and although we didn’t catch the bright blue light, we did see sparkles in the water. On our last day in PR, we dropped my parents off to the airport and drove 45 mins to the El Yonque rainforest to see waterfalls and some fantastic views. For lunch we visited the St Regis Bahia beach for a relaxing beachside lunch, before heading to the airport to catch a flight to our final destination of this trip. We loved Puerto Rico and will definitely we back!
Our 30 mins flight to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was 2 hours late and we arrived at the all-inclusive Royalton Splash just in time to grab dinner. The next day was Ariana’s highlight of the trip as we spent all day at the water park in the hotel with its 7 slides that the kids went on a dozen times each, while Anjali spent the latter part of the day at the pool enjoying cocktails and live music. For the last three days of our trip we relaxed at the pool and beach at the sleepy Westin Punta Cana with absolutely no agenda. A perfect way to end a two week trip to the Caribbean!
Kenya was probably the most anticipated part of our trip because we’d planned our visit to coincide with the Great Migration when tens of thousands of wildebeest accompanied by zebras and gazelles migrate from the Serengeti to Masai Mara. After a brutal red eye that was delayed by 3 hours finally departing at nearly 4am, we were greeted by the team at Axis Africa Safaris and we made our way to Amboseli National Park. Nearly 5 hours later, we arrived at Amboseli Kibo lodge, an impressive lodge with a grand bar, fire pits, a large restaurant and best of all, a large two-bedroom suite. Each of us enjoyed spreading out in the lavish space after sharing small rooms through most of Asia. The kids even had their own private outdoor shower! We enjoyed a buffet lunch including some Indian favorites that were much appreciated by all of us. We embarked on an evening game drive where we witnessed huge herds of elephants including several with babies. The most stunning part was when the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro came into view soaring high above the clouds, and herds of elephants walked towards us as the sun set into the horizon. This sight was stunning and truly magical leaving me with goosebumps, truly grateful to be in there in that moment! That evening, we retired to the hotel and were pleased to find that the bar had some good South African wine. Dinner was absolutely fantastic and then I enjoyed the Masai dancing around the campfire as Gaurav put the kids to bed.
The next morning, we set out for Lake Naivasha where we embarked on a boat safari. We saw a herd of hippos and learned about their territorial dominant nature including that the dominant male could kill his own son so as to retain dominance. A few flamingo sightings later, we were on a guided walking safari where we had a chance to witness magnificent giraffes and zebras, within 2-3 feet from us which offered great selfie opportunities. That evening, we arrived late at Kongoni lodge just in time to enjoy a 4-course meal overlooking the lake.
The next day, we headed towards Lake Nakuru, most famous for its rhinos and flamingos. The part lived up to its name as we saw, in fairly close proximity, two black rhinos walking / running in unison as we followed them for quite a distance. What surprised me was their ability to scare off 3 large Cape buffalos, asserting their dominance! Towards the evening, we arrived at the lake where we saw hundreds of beautiful flamingos, pelicans, tens of Cape buffalos and other birds. As the rain started to pour down, we retreated to Ziwa Bush Lodge where we enjoyed another four-course meal (yes, the kids are getting too pampered! 😀)
Day 4 held high expectations for us as we made our way to Masai Mara National Park where we would celebrate Ariana’s 8th Birthday. We were greeted with a cake at breakfast and a short visit to the adjacent orphanage where 72 orphan children sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ariana. They were curious about us and asked a few questions, proudly toured us around their facilities and a teen girl named Jini gifted Ariana a large cucumber from the greenhouse where she’d planted it. Our guide arrived an hour late which left Gaurav fuming because it meant a later arrival to the much anticipated Masai Mara. The guide tried his best to make up for his shortfall and we arrived in time to make an evening game drive. Not long after, we were rewarded with sightings of two lionesses playfully pouncing on each other. That evening, we enjoyed a simple buffet dinner at Elangata Olerai Tented Camp. Our accommodation was rustic to say the least but the fantastic service compensated for it! That evening, at my request, the camp had organized a cake and African dance celebration for Ariana. Very soon, we all participated in the dancing, singing and celebrations!
We made an early start with a sunrise game drive this morning as we made our way to the Mara river crossing. On the way, we were greeted with Cape buffalos, hyenas, a jackal around a herd of impalas, stalks and a large herd of hundreds of wildebeest running across our path as they migrated north. This sight is awe inspiring and we wished we could have stayed longer (but our guide was eager to make it to the river close to the Tanzania border). We were lucky to witness 9 lions today including a ‘honeymoon couple’ as our guide called it, as well as a leopard hiding in a ditch. Once we arrived at the river, we saw a crocodile tearing up a wildebeest as well as tens of hippos. Overall though, we found the Mara river experience somewhat underwhelming given the hype. We made it back to our camp a few hours later in time for a shower and dinner followed by a nightcap at the campfire.
Today was our last day in Masai Mara and we spent the day largely relaxed since we’d seen everything we’d set out to see. We spent the majority of our time in the meadows surrounded by thousands of wildebeest and observed these animals admiring their solidarity but also their anxious nature. We were rewarded with another leopard sighting, a large lion sleeping right by the path, and a large herd of elephants protecting several baby elephants in between them including a 1 week old baby! Watching these smart, magnificent creatures cross right by us to join another herd of elephants was incredible. On our way back to camp, we stopped to watch a herd of baboons who seemed as curious about us as we were about them. The kids played together at camp while Gaurav and I enjoyed a few glasses of wine by the fire.
We had an early start this morning to arrive at the much anticipated Saaten Primary school where Ayaan had inspired a volunteer activity for the 157 children. He had raised and saved up $400 (matched by us) to donate educational and sports supplies to these children. I had been corresponding with the school for months and had chosen the safari operator based on their ability to help us organize this volunteer event for the Masai people at a small school located just beyond the park borders.
The children could not have been more excited to see us, and greeted us warmly in unison. The boys played soccer at Ayaan’s request with the brand new soccer ball we’d gifted them and the girls played jump rope and danced to African songs with Ariana. We then went around distributing educational supplies to each of the children surrounded by their songs and claps of gratitude. This experience was such a gratifying culmination of Ayaan’s vision to educate the children of Africa, albeit one small step at a time. I’m so proud of his generosity and hope that he continues on this path because, as the motto of Saatan Primary goes, Knowledge is Power!
Following a morning well spent, we made our way to Nairobi and we were thrilled to be greeted with the luxury of the JW Marriott Nairobi following 6 nights in the bush. Gaurav and I enjoyed a warm bath while the kids played with the balloons gifted for Ariana’s birthday. We then headed to the lounge where Priscilla, the lounge manager impressed us with her warm hospitality which culminated with the 3 of us doing an African dance interspersed by squeals of laughter. We enjoyed dinner at an Indian restaurant before retreating for evening. Kenya, while more commercial than our experience in Tanzania, was epic particularly during the Great Migration.
Laos has been on our bucket list for a while, and we almost made a trip during our 2018 sabbatical. Ariana astutely observed that Laos is the first country on our summer adventure whose flag is not just red and white (like Canada, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore). We didn’t know what to expect from Laos, though were excited by the fact it is landlocked by 5 nations with strong cultures – Vietnam, Thailand, China, Myanmar and Cambodia. In fact, a lot of its economic future depends on its geography through tourism and transportation. We were also a bit nervous since we started our malaria pills since it’s still present in the rural areas during the monsoons.
We arrived in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and checked into the Lao Poet hotel with its rooftop pool. Laos doesn’t have Uber or Grab, so we used the local equivalent called Loca or just grabbed a tuk-tuk that we all enjoyed. With just half a day in Vientiane, we ventured out driving by Patuxay, an India gate or Arc de Triomphe like structure (Laos was ruled by the French). Our first stop was the national monument of Pha That Luang, a massive Stupa with a large reclining Buddha next door. We loved that there was absolutely no one here since we were visiting during the off season. Ayaan was very excited when we were picked up in a BYD, Teslas biggest competitor, to take us 30 mins away to the Buddha Park. We were welcomed here with a downpour and bug bites, but still really enjoyed walking through the park with over 60 statues. The most memorable was a stupa that we could climb on top of and get a stunning view of the entire park. After a dip in the rooftop pool, we visited the night market where Anjali and Ariana bought a purse, and Ayaan bought a USB mobile fan! We ended the night with dinner at a local Laotian restaurant playing local live rock music. Laotian food is a mix of Thai and Cambodian food with shrimp paste in everything – good, but definitely not as good as Thai food.
Our 2nd destination in Laos was the nature town of Vang Vieng, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. We took the modern Lao-China train, a short 50 min ride, to this small town that reminded us of the Cat Ba island on Ha Long Bay. We absolutely loved our time at Vang Vieng and the Riverside Boutique hotel. We spent our couple of days here relaxing by the pool overlooking the towering mountains, getting a Laotian massage or going on a few adventures. We rented a 4WD run down buggy to drive around west Vang Vieng through rice fields, bridges across the Nam Song river, green mountains and very bumpy roads. We stopped to walk into a cave with stalactites and stalagmites, and to dip in the cool Blue Lagoon 3 on another hot day. We also took a tour in Vang Vieng through 10 zip lines, tubing the now brown Nam Song river, and jumping off a 5m board into Blue Lagoon 1. Ayaan and Ariana thoroughly enjoyed the adrenaline rush during these activities. We highly recommend Vang Vieng for everyone, including families.
Our final destination in Laos was the word famous UNESCO heritage city of Luang Prabang. After another 50 min Lao-China train ride, we checked into the On the Mekong resort that was, you guessed it, right on the Mekong river with the best sunset views in Luang Prabang. We had a Laotian lunch on the river in town where a Canadian expat, who started the first private fire company in this communist country, shared his tips and tricks about Luang Prabang and Laos. Next door, we visited the famous Buddhist temple Wat Xieng Thong and set out on the highlight of the day – spending a couple of hours playing with kids 6-10 years old at a local school Big Brother Mouse 2. The goal was to interact with them in English so they could improve their skills. Ayaan played soccer with the boys, while Ariana played some board games with the other children. The school children were very curious and asked us a lot of questions! That night we ate at the many stalls of the night market (Ayaan enjoyed the chicken skewer and Ariana at a Vietnamese spring roll) and had a night cap nearby at the Avani hotel (I enjoyed my peppercorn flavored old fashioned).
We woke up early next morning to the sounds of prayers in our room from the temple next door, where we observed the Alms giving ceremony of a full moon with the entire village congregated at the temple to offer food to the monks, some as young as 10 years. We were lucky to be in Luang Prabang on this auspicious day, and the kids were very curious about the lives on monks. After breakfast at the hotel that included yummy mangoes, we walked up 300 steps to the stupa at the top of Phousi mountain with 360 degree views of Luang Prabang including where the Mekong river meets the Nam Song river. The walk down the mountain was full of surprised with spotted Buddha statues along the way and a cave with Buddha’s footprints. We also visited the National museum where the kids enjoyed seeing how the king lived in the Royal palace. One of the most enjoyable things about Luang Prabang is walking down the streets with its colonial architecture, restaurants, and Buddhist temples.
On our last full day in Laos, we took an all day tour that started with a relaxing 2 hour cruise along the Mekong river, with stops at a village that makes Whisky and the famous Pau Ou caves with 4000 Buddha statues. The lunch was delicious with grilled skewers and Thai curry, but the real delight was when an elephant strolled to the restaurant and the kids got to feed it dozens of bananas! Ariana said she was so happy seeing the elephant and this made her more excited for the upcoming safari where she expected to see 50 animals (shhh :). After a long 1.5 drive from the lunch, we arrived at the gorgeous Kuang Si waterfall. It reminded us of our time at Plitvice national park in Croatia, with its many smaller waterfalls and blue pools of water. We all took a dip in one of the natural pools, and were constantly pricked by little fish that gave us a pedicure. Our tour guide Thin was fantastic, which made this all day tour even better!
Laos is definitely a country to add to your bucket list with its hospitality, spirituality, culture, nature, architecture and affordability. Khop Chai Laos, you exceeded our expectations. Ariana is lucky to have Laos as her 40th country visited!
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.
Fiji was the first country we visited as a family back in 2016 when Ariana was 4 months old and Ayaan was 22 months old. We had such fond memories from back then, that we decided to spend spring break in the super kid friendly country. We took Fiji Airways that conveniently is a 10 hour red eye and gets you to the hotel in time for breakfast! We all slept well and were ready to start our adventure.
For the first 4 nights, we stayed at the Marriott Momi Bay that is build on a lagoon with over water bungalow (no kids) on the west side of Nadi, about 50 mins from the airport. We got a beachfront room with a private beach mostly to ourselves, with plenty of fish in the water that you could see from the surface. We spent many hours sitting on the patio, beach and in the water in our room. A perfect way to decompress! Most of our days at this resort were spent eating a delicious buffet breakfast, swimming in the lagoon and pool, getting massages, listening to live music and playing games with the kids (coconut throwing, tennis, catch in the pool etc). Ariana loved the kids club where she spent a lot of time and also got her hair braided. Ayaan enjoyed learning how to sail a Hobbicat and riding in the golf carts. On the first night they had a Fijian night with a kawa tasting ceremony, local food, and a dance performance.
On the third day at the hotel, we took an all day tour with The Jewel of Fiji which was one of the highlights of the trip. We got picked up and after a long 2.5 hour drive reached the village of Navua, on the Navua river on the south side of the island near Suva. The tour started with a motor boat ride up the river surrounded by lush green hills. We transferred over to a traditional wooden raft where we learned about the Fijian culture. The third stop on the tour was an amazing waterfall with a natural pool that we could swim in. The guides were so nice to the kids and they even created a human tower in the pool with Ayaan at the top! Finally we ate traditional Fijian food cooked in the ground, watched a Kawa and dance ceremony, and learned how they lived. Ayaan had saved his money to buy toys and supplies for the kids in the village that we shared with them. Overall a wonderful day that we highly recommend.
For the second half of our trip, we transferred over to the Intercontinental hotel. We were originally scheduled to stay in an outer island hotel, but that had to close down for repairs due to the Cyclones in March. The Intercontinental is on Natadola beach, one of the best beaches in Fiji, with a Sandbar that appears in the afternoon for a couple of hours. We loved walking over every afternoon and spending some time of the fresh white sands of the Sandbar. Our room was beachfront and close to the main pool and the bar where they had live music every evening at sunset, and an amazing fire show on one night. The resort was very kid friendly with activities by the pool every day include hermit crab hunting, hermit crab racing and fish feeding.
We took another all day tour from the Intercontinental – this time on a large sail boat to the private island of Tivua. The 1.5 hour ride to the island was fun with live music and dancing, and Ayaan and Ariana got a chance be captain of the ship. The island was true paradise with only folks from the boat on the entire island. We snorkeled and saw over 50 varieties of fish and Ariana really got into it. Ayaan loved kayaking and the glass bottom boat ride. We relaxed on the island ate some yummy local food including fish. It was easily the best day ever.
We couldn’t recommend Fiji highly enough for families with kids. It’s so much affordable than Hawaii, a convenient flight, amazing beaches and welcoming people. We’ll definitely be back, Fiji!
After a wonderful few days in the Medellín area, we were ready for some beach time. We arrived in Santa Marta in the afternoon where it was 87 degrees humid and hot. We stayed in centro which gave us easy access to the malecon, the square, marina and to many restaurants. Our first afternoon was spent at an ocean front restaurant for lunch followed by a short drive to the nearby Rodadero beach with a beautiful sunset and the hundreds of hawkers. The kids played soccer and made a sand castle at the beach past sunset, before we headed to the square to get some local food in the square listening to live music. The next morning we took a tour on a sailboat to a secluded beach in Tayrona national park. We enjoyed the 1.5 hour ride to the beach that was choppy with beautiful views of Santa Marta, the coast and the park. Our afternoon was spent chilling on the beach, snorkeling and eating a grilled whole fish. We walked around Santa Marta that evening and ate dinner at a spot called Ouza which had delicious Mediterranean food. Colombia is an interesting mix of South American, Caribbean and Centra American culture and food.
We drove to Cartegena next morning for 4 hours to catch our boat for the next leg of our journey. Google Maps detoured us again which reminded me why it’s better to trust the locals than technology in countries such as Colombia. Nonetheless the drive was beautiful and we reached just in time to catch our boat to the amazing Isla del Encanto hotel in Isla Baru. We’ve been dreaming of our hotel stay in Belize from our sabbatical, and Encanto was that and much more. The entire experience was a little like the show White Lotus with no twists. A small 34 room property that can only be accessed by boat with 2 salt water pools (one with a pool bar), all inclusive local meals and a really calm beach. We spent our time here kayaking, lounging and eating some great food. They had pony rides on the beach at the hotel too! Ariana, Ayaan and I also learned how to stand-up paddle board (Anjali being the pro). For Christmas Eve, they had a celebratory dinner with live music and an elaborate buffet, which made the night memorable. We really loved our stay at Encanto which felt really intimate, and ended with a private boat transfer directly to our next hotel at Playa Blanca also on Isla Baru.
Playa Surf Baru is a tiny beach shack hotel with 6 rooms above a famous restaurant right on the beach. Our room and balcony was literally above the water with the smooth sounds of waves crashing. We witnessed a beautiful sunset as we walked along the narrow white sand beach spotted with beachside shacks. Playa Blanca is the beach you’d expect when you come to the Caribbean with brilliant blue warm water and white sand beaches. The stretch of beach gets crowded in the day with day tourists from Cartegena and tons of boats and vendors. We enjoyed our day having all meals on the beach, swimming and hopping between different snacks for meals and drinks. My favorite foods were the huevo arepas and the garlic grilled octopus devoured while staring into the sea. Ayaan had a pina colada in a real pineapple, while Ariana got her hair braided.
Our last stop for the last 4 nights was the international city of Cartegena. Founded in the early 1500s, Cartegena is a walled city with a ton of history, culture, live music, lights, nightlife, dining and stunning sunsets. We stayed at the Hilton located at the tip of Bocagrande with a beach and four pools. It was perfect with the kids as it had a kids club and served as a nice break from the afternoon heat. We started the first evening with a drink watching the sunset at Cafe Del Mar sitting atop the wall and ended it at The Arsenal: Rum Box, a wine and chocolate tasting restaurant where the kids got to make their own mocktail at the bar! The next morning we joined a free walking tour of the old town that walked us through the charming streets and squares over two hours. Ayaan and Ariana did really well even in the heat and we were all rewarded with a delicious local lunch at San Valentin along with live music. After some pool time, we went on a sunset catamaran cruise overlooking Cartegena that ended with Ariana and Anjali dancing to Colombian music with the locals.
On our third morning in Cartegena, we left the kids in the kids club and visited the San Felipe fort overlooking Cartegena and the bohemian Getsemani neighborhood. We loved Getsemani with murals everywhere, colorful houses and tiny bars and restaurants on the street. We liked it so much that we took the kids and went back on another free walking tour of the neighborhood that evening! On our last day we relaxed at the beach and the pool, and Ayaan loved playing soccer with the locals. It was New Year’s Eve, so we started the evening with the kids at the Wala beach club near our hotel overlooking a final stunning sunset while listening to house music. To bring in the new year, we left the kids at the kids club that had celebrations planned, and went bar hopping. From a street side bar in Getsemani with $2 mojitos to the swankier El Mirador with specialty cocktails and house music, we wandered in the crowded party streets. Our final hour of the year was spent at Cafe Del Mar as 2023 arrived with a stunning display of fireworks across the city.
Colombia, the land of Pablo Escobar, Shakira, Sophia Vergara, Encanto and arepas, made a memorable two week vacation with amazing hospitality where we not only felt safe but also welcome and well treated. The people are kind and make an extra effort to compensate for the reputation that country unfairly has. We definitely recommend it for families! Such a great way to end 2022 that was filled with travel and to kickoff off 2023. Happy new year to all!!!
To end the year, we were late in planning our travel but were all excited to explore another new South American country – Colombia for two weeks! We escaped the cold, rainy winter in SF on a flight to Medellin via Cancun. The drive into Medellin from the airport, gave us a great feel for this unique sprawling city – the downtown located in the valley, surrounded by lush green mountains spotted with varying neighborhoods at different elevations. Arriving at the Marriott Medellin, located in a upscale neighborhood, we were pretty exhausted and spent the evening listening to live music and eating at the lounge with an amazing view and getting some good sleep.
I woke everyone up next morning to quickly grab breakfast (yummy queso arepas) so we could rush to a local bar to watch the World Cup final between Argentina and France. We sat on stools with the locals staring at a massive screen sipping cerveza as we watched the best final of all time with Messi and Argentina winning against an incredible Mbappe. The locals cheered every Argentina play and the streets were filled with celebrations after the win. An amazing experience similar to the won we had 4 years ago on our sabbatical when France won while we were in Lyon. The difference was that the kids were partaking in the experience as opposed to napping last time! After the game we ate some street side tacos nearby and walked around the Parque Lleren neighborhood that was buzzing after the game with restaurants and bars filled with locals celebrating on a Sunday afternoon. We had trouble withdrawing money from an ATM (very unreliable), which messed up our plans to take the cable car up to Parque Arvi for a panaromic view. Instead we took an Uber to the Centro Historico Plaza Botero with unique sculptures that Ariana loved. It was super crowded being a Sunday and overall a bit sketchy or a neighborhood with homeless people, so we headed back to Parque Lleren to end the night with a delicious meal with Chilean wine, pizza for the kids and a local cream rice dish (like a risotto).
We woke up late, fully recovered from our flight in, and ate a delicious breakfast before catching an Uber to try our luck at Parque Arvi again. Being a Monday it was closed(!), however we were able to take the cable car from Acevedo metro station to the San Domingo station 7/8th up the mountain giving us an incredible view of Medellin and its lush green mountains while flying over the different neighborhoods and favellas. For lunch, we stopped at Mercado del Rio – a local food court where each of us enjoyed a meal and beverage including fresh mango juice for the kids. In the afternoon we joined a 3 hour walking tour of the famous Commune 13 in the San Javier neighborhood of Medellin. We explored the area while better understanding the history of hip hop, guerillas, murals and graffitis. We also got a performance of hip hop dance from local teenagers and an improvised rap battle. The highlight was ascending Commune 13 on slopes, stairs and escalators as it was filled with tourists, locals, murals, graffitis, culture and fantastic views. As the only kids as always, Ayaan and Ariana not only loved the tour but also became friendly and danced with a couple of girls on the tour visiting from Portugal. The tour gave us a great feel of the culture of Colombia and specifically Medellin. We ended the day once again in the Parque Lleren neighborhood munching on some arepas, chic Jaron and arepas.
We rushed the next morning as our driver arrived earlier than expected for our tour to a coffee plantation outside Medellin. An hour drive later, we arrived at the Arrerios coffee plantation where we wore the local picking outfit with baskets, picked our own beans, learned about the different types of coffee and the overall process of coffee making. Colombia is the third largest and finest producer of coffee in the world, primarily producing Arabica type of coffee. We smelt and tasted the cherry and honey types medium roast as well as a drink made from the mucelage. Ayaan had a whole cup of coffee with milk too! We ate the local food of the farmers that included rice, plantain and chicken wrapped in leaves. Our tour ended with Ayaan and Ariana’s first real horse ride as we rode up and down through the plantation and across the hills! Our final meal in Medellin was a special one at Carmen, one of Latin Americas top 50 restaurants. We enjoyed amazing cocktails and food while the kids were very well behaved. Anjali and the kids returned to the hotel for the night, while I strolled around the Parque Lleren neighborhood at night as it was buzzing with outdoor and rooftop bars.
The next morning we were picked up to drive two hours to the beautiful Guatape. Our Uber drive was interesting as we took an alternate route an extreme dirt road. Our hotel Los Recuerdos was located lakefront and a couple of minutes from the Piedra del Penal. We climbed up 700 steps to the top of this rock to the incredible panaromic views of miles of the lake intermingled with luscious green landscapes. We spend the evening dipping in the pool overlooking the lake and completed our day with a meal at the hotel ready for the next leg our trip to the beaches.
We really enjoyed the weather, culture, food and scenery in Medellin and could have easily stayed a couple more days. Off to Santa Marta and Cartegena!
Two Little Wanderers 