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!
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.
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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.
After a wonderful safari in Kruger, we took a short 1.5 hour FlySafair flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The immigration and visa line at the airport was longer than the flight, and we had to get our passports stamped three more times before arriving at the Avani hotel on the Zambia side! The Avani hotel is the closest hotel to the Victoria falls entrance on the Zambia side, and on the grounds of the Mosi-ou-Tunya (The smoke that thunders) or Victoria falls national park with zebra, giraffes, impalas and gazelles freely roaming the property. It’s also adjacent to the sister colonial property of The Royal Livingstone, where we ate a really nice dinner at the Old Drift the first night. On our buggy ride to dinner a giraffe walking directly at us forced us to take a detour!
We woke up next morning to zebras right outside our room! After breakfast, we decided to walk across the borders to the Zimbabwean side of the falls. It was our first time ever walking across borders, over the no man’s land bridge, and into a new country. I had been paranoid all trip that Ariana and I did not have enough passport pages left, but luckily all immigration officers have been very efficient. The Victoria Falls have been on my dream list forever, and they were as Epic as I had imagined – a true natural wonder of the world. Almost 2km wide and over 100m in height, we walked along the many falls including the rainbow, main and cataract falls, admiring the force with which the water hit the river bed. I was very surprised to hear from the guide that the country of Zimbabwe was 3 days younger than me, probably one of the youngest countries I have visited. After a couple hours of absorbing the grandeur of the falls, we took a taxi to the nearby Lookout cafe for lunch with views deep into the gorge. The rest of our day was spent lounging at the pool at The Royal Livingstone watching wildlife and admiring the Zambezi river.
The next day it was our turn to see the Zambia side of the falls. Ariana preferred playing at the kids club, so Anjali, Ayaan and I spent most of the morning walking around the marked trails and gushing over the beauty of the falls. The Zambia side offers a view into a smaller fraction of the falls than the Zimbabwe side, although you are closer and can cross the knife-edge bridge which is special. We at lunch riverside at the Kubu restaurant at the hotel, before another dip in the pool and some soccer – one of the zebras did a back kick as Ayaan kicked the ball towards it! The highlight was the day was the Mukuni Boma village tour, dinner spread, and live performances. We all wore the traditional outfits and painted our faces, Ariana got her hair braided, and Anjali and I visited a fortune teller. For dinner we loved the crocodile steak and local veggies, and Ariana thoroughly enjoyed all the performances – including a fire show, interactive drumming and dancing, and incredible costumes. A great way to experience the Zambian and African culture.
On the fourth day, I took the opportunity to go solo on a helicopter ride to get a different perspective on the falls, river and national park. You really can only appreciate the magnitude of the falls from the air, and the ride was made special with some wildlife spotting. We spent the rest of the morning walking down to the Boiling Pot where the water swirls around at the base of the falls and the Zim-Zam bridge. The afternoon brought on another adventure, as we embarked on a river safari on a small boat. We were treated to viewing half a dozen crocodiles, each about 4 feet away, and varying from tiny to gigantic. Dangerous hippos spotted the Zambezi river everywhere and grunted every time they wanted us to move away. We stopped at an island for drinks and snacks over the stunning sunset, and sat on the roof of the boat as we raced back to the dock of our hotel. It was a fantastic way to cap off our safari and wildlife viewing experience over the last three Kenya, Kruger and now Zambia.
On our final morning at the Victoria falls, Anjali sneaked in an adventurous Microlight flight over the falls where she also spotted 3 of the big 5! Victoria falls has been truly epic and Zimbabwe and Zambia have been very welcoming as our 10th and 11th countries of this summer adventure. Off to our last leg and week in South Africa before we head back!
We were excited for our next leg of the trip, South Africa which Gaurav and I had on our bucket list for over a decade. We’d decided to wait until the kids were old enough to experience it right. A lot of the private game reserves don’t allow young children because the animals are allowed to roam freely within the tented lodges. With Ariana turning 8, this was our time.
We landed in Johannesburg and experienced a relatively seamless 5-hour road trip to Kruger Gate Hotel arriving just in time for a lavish bush dinner. There were several fire pits, music, a combination of south African, western and Indian dishes and a large dessert buffet with s’mores. The next morning, we awoke early for a guided game drive in an open vehicle spotting elephants, giraffes, two lionesses running, a large hippo fairly close to us, and hundreds of impalas, kudu, zebras, nyala and other animals. Towards the end, we were rewarded with a large crocodile, next to another hippo. We returned to the lodge for lunch by the pool overlooking nyala, impalas and a visit from a buffalo and even a white rhino. This was special, and we lounged by the pool watching these animals go about their day. That evening, Ariana and I enjoyed a game of mini golf where we each cheered each other on (I’m so proud of how her cheers always bring me results!) while the boys played tennis. On the way back to our room, Ariana and I encountered a large herd of baboons which was enthralling to watch. From our room, we were greeted with impalas grazing outside.
The next morning, we decided to self drive through Kruger because the roads, infrastructure and signage were extremely tourist friendly. Immediately upon entering the park, we were greeted by two large giraffes right next to our car. We went on to see the hornbill (“zazu” from the lion king), a large herd of baboons, several elephants including babies, large black scavenger birds with red beaks, more giraffes, warthogs (Ayaan’s favorite) and impalas. Our most rewarding sight was a lioness eating a giraffe kill with her two baby cubs nearby. We stayed for a while watching this epic sight, an opportunity created by my insistence on taking the more adventurous route over to our next lodge.
We arrived around lunchtime to Honeyguide Khoka Moya Camp in the Manyeleti Private Game Reserve. As we entered our tent, we witnessed a large herd of elephants passing by to the watering hole near the camps pool, which soon became a popular sight for guests. After lunch consisting of a rosemary-garnished burger (that even Gaurav and Ayaan enjoyed despite not eating beef), we embarked on our afternoon game drive. Our guide, Luis and the completely open vehicle (no doors) were the perfect ingredients for an epic afternoon of wildlife viewing. The sundowner stop at the lake where Luis poured us red wine and then handed out blankets as we ventured back to the lodge had us truly pampered. As it was dark, with the glow of a flashlight, we saw a pride of 4 lions walking right to us. As they approached our vehicle, I heard myself silently gasp “oh my god”, mostly in disbelief of how close they were and how thrilling this experience actually was! The kids did extremely well, sharing in the disbelief as Ariana let out a small giggle of excitement when one of the lionesses passed us by. We retreated to the lodge freely truly lucky to have had this extremely surreal experience.
On our next morning game drive, we got a good start with a single male lion who our guide believed had lost the rest of his family, that he was searching around for. We also saw two hyenas and a cub lying down. That afternoon, we lazed at the pool as herds of elephants visited within a few feet from us, a truly exhilarating experience to be this close in harmony with these magnificent creatures. Our evening game drive was relatively uneventful as we saw the same lone male lion and some giraffes and an ostrich.
The next morning was our last game drive, and it did not disappoint. Luis was determined to have us see a leapord that he heard was in the south side of our game reserve. He was relentless in his search (as leopards are notorious for being discreet) as he took the vehicle through large shrubs and bushes knocking them down until it actually startled the leapord who sprung out of the bush. That movement had us excited, as the view of the leopard completed our ‘Big 5’ sighting across both countries. We then followed the leopard around for a while, and were lucky enough to see him running, hiding, ducking back in and out until we finally gave other vehicles a chance to view this evasive creature up close. After lunch, we departed the game reserve completed satiated with our game drive experience and made our way toward Johannesburg.
On our drive, we passed through the beautiful Blythe River Canyon and stopped for lunch at a Trout river lodge where the kids enjoyed playing soccer with the owners three puppies (including a particularly adorable white French bulldog named Olive) and even got to meet a baby decker. That evening, we checked into the rather swanky Voco hotel in Rosebank, and the kids enjoyed arcade games and bumper cars in the mall next door. We strolled around, and then dropped the kids to the room before heading to the hotel restaurant for a dinner of grilled octopus and truffle risotto. Overall, this leg of our South Africa journey has been one that already has me craving for more of this wonderfully diverse country, and thankful that our plans call for a return in a few days.
After a week in the bush in Kenya, we were ready for some relaxation on the beautiful white sand beaches of Seychelles. We arrived via Kenya Airways in the evening and rented a car to take us to the Laila Tribute hotel on the east coast of the main Mahe island, about 20 mins away. Seychelles is most similar to Mauritius with its French roots, though a bit smaller. We were greeted at the hotel with another cake for Ariana’s continued birthday celebration, and had some grilled octopus for dinner at the beach restaurant.
We set off in our manual car the next morning with a first stop at the botanical gardens. The kids had a blast feeding leaves to dozens of gigantic tortoises that were fairly aggressive. After a good hour spent, we drove to the trailhead of the Anse Major hike which takes you to an absolutely stunning, secluded beach. The kids did well in hike an hour to get to the beach, and we were all delighted to see a beach shack with food and drinks. After a quick dip in the Indian Ocean, we ate some grilled fish and chicken, accompanied by local Seybrew beer. While we waded in the waves for the next couple of hours, a wave swept away our belongings and unfortunately we lost Ariana’s glasses :(. Our hike back to the car was uneventful, and we spend the rest of the evening relaxing in the pool at the hotel and eating at the beach restaurant once again. We missed out on visiting the Takamaka rhumerie, an experience we had loved in Mauritius, though we did get to try some delicious mojitos at the pool!
Our next three days were perhaps the biggest splurge of our summer adventure (Seychelles isn’t cheap, especially after a month in Asia), as we took a 45 minute boat ride to the Hilton Labriz resort, located on the private Silhouette Island. Like a scene out of White Lotus, the staff at the jetty waved at us and gave us a tour of the property in a buggy. Our stay was exactly what we needed – relaxing in a beachfront villa spending most of our days moving between the white sandy beaches, warm pool, and the various activities and restaurants. Ariana was occupied by the kids club braiding her hair, painting her face, baking cookies and making friends. Ayaan enjoyed biking around the island, playing ping pong and mini golf, and pushing around the pool bean bags. The island had tortoises once again, as well as large hermit crabs, and baby sharks. The dinners were memorable and included grilled seafood on the beach, Asian fusion overlooking the ocean, a local dinner, and an incredible breakfast each morning.
With one more night on the main island before our 5 hour long flight to Johannesburg, we are refreshed and ready to visit our 9th country of this summer adventure and see more wildlife!
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!
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!
Two Little Wanderers 