Good Bye 2014, Welcome 2015

Yet another great year has passed by and I had made some unforgettable experiences. Hoping that I will continue to travel this year as well.

Here I present some of my travel statistics and highlights of 2014.

At Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Travel statistics of 2014

Number of days on road – 177
Countries traveled – 7
Distance traveled – 46,000+ km
Flights taken – 23
Train journeys – 4
Road journeys – 50+
Ferries taken – 2
New beers tasted – Lost the count
Days I felt homesick – 1
Average spend per day – 120 USD (food & beverages + accommodation + entrance fees + local transport – airfare – visa charges)

Favorites of 2014

With Chef Mural of The Song of India

With Chef Mural of The Song of India

Country – Sri Lanka
City – Downtown Singapore
Street – Orchard Road, Singapore
Nature Spot – Marakolliya Beach, Sri Lanka
Food – Banh Uot (Vietnamese food)
Beer – Saigon Lager Beer by SABECO (same as last year)
Airlines – Thai Airways
Airport – Changi International Airport, Singapore
Hotel – Shinta Mani, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Restaurant – Blu Kouzina, Singapore
Restaurant(Indian food) – The Song of India, Singapore

Highlights of 2014

  • Celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in Vietnam
  • Eating live oysters with wasabi in Can Tho
  • Boat woman in Mekong recognize me after a year
  • Motorbiking in the less known parts of Vietnam
  • Traffic police seize the rented motobike in Rach Gia
  • Had to pay 2,000,000 VND to the owner of moto to get it back legally
  • Staying in Bawa Suite in Jetwing Lagoon, Negombo
  • Hilton Colombo invites me for a dinner in their hotel
  • Meeting Kumar Sangakarra at his restaurant Ministry of Crab
  • Amazing Chinese food at Tsing Tao and Loon Tao in Colombo
  • Staying at Colombo Courtyard – a Carbon Neutral Hotel
  • Feeling Buddhist serenity at Mahavihara in Anuradhapura
  • Climbing Sigiriya rock for the second time in extreme heat
  • Playing with my favorite animal at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
  • Scary bus ride in the curvy hills of central Sri Lanka
  • Two nights at iconic St.Andrew’s Hotel in Nuwara Eliya
  • Drastic climate change when moving from Nuwara Eliya (5°C) to Waskaduwa (35°C)
  • Watching the Seenigama Perihera and crazy hippies dancing in this parade
  • Walking on the walls of Galle Fort and staying within the iconic fort area
  • Great food and stay at Amaloh and Lantern Boutique Hotels
  • Kayaking in the calm water and coral watching at Polhena Beach, Matara
  • Walking to the south most point of Sri Lanka, its called Dondra Head
  • Meeting an old friend in Tangalle and he takes me out for a local party
  • Escaping a land slide just in seconds, on way from Phuentsholing to Thimphu
  • Watching traditional archery in Thimphu
  • Masked monk dances at Trashi Chhoe Dzong
  • Invited to stay at Terma Linca – owned by one member of country’s Royal Family
  • Climbing the Taktsang Goemba solo for the second time
  • Meeting a person who actually came to Bhutan, following Romancing The Planet
  • Hitchhiking from Chuzom to Phuentsholing in a tour operators bus
  • Detained for one hour by immigration department in Singapore
  • Meeting a best friend forever in a Singapore hostel
  • Wonderfull Light & Sound show at Marina Bay Sands Shoppers
  • 5-course Indian food at The Song of India, the chef Mr.Mural is an amazing personality
  • Getting lost, in the streets of Singapore during Halloween (no map or smartphone)
  • Great Greek food and wines at Blu Kouzina restaurant in Singapore
  • Visiting Cloud Forest at Gardens By The Bay, it was surreal
  • Learning about local things in Singapore from lifestyle blogger Chevonne Cheng
  • Langkawi – one of the most beautiful island of the world
  • Just 30 minute flight from Langkawi to Penang
  • Exploring Ernest Zacharevic’s street art in Penang
  • Dinner buffet at a revolving restaurant that actually rotates 360°
  • Visiting the historic city of Malacca
  • Walking Jonker Street at night is an amazing experience
  • Eating Peranakan food like Pie Tee and Asam Laksa
  • Lunch and dinner at a Gurudwara in Malacca (it’s a special experience)
  • Stay at Eastern Heritage Guesthouse, you know what I mean if you stayed there
  • Street food at Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur
  • Invited for a dinner by Chef Cristia of Doors Music+Tapas
  • Tag team with a Pakistani friend to beat a New Zealander and South African in billiards
  • Sunrise at Angkor Wat for second time (done it in 2013 also)
  • Shinta Mani – it’s the best hotel I have ever stayed
  • Making amazing friends with locals in Siem Reap
  • Donating to the poor and unfortunates in Cambodia
  • Stunned by the calmness and serenity of Chiang Mai
  • Tom Yum soup on the street of Chiang Mai
  • Flight to Phu Quoc, the flight was very old

Bucket List for 2015
I have not made any bucket list for 2015, as I was not able to achieve them in 2014. So, it’s pretty useless.

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Sai Karthik Reddy Mekala

Karthik Reddy has been traveling around the world since completing his M.B.A in 2012. He is passionate about photography, trying out new food, meeting new people, experiencing different cultures and explore places solo.

2 Responses

  1. hiti says:

    it has been a long time i read a post about your experiences , i like these kind of blog! blogger!

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