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.
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
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.
