The City of Kuala Lumpur in a Day

“What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need do is stroll about with our eyes open.”

Kuala Lumpur was a myriad of things mostly being a dreamscape city tall with superstructures, a splendorous nightlife and bylanes that inevitably end up in mega-malls!

Proof of our twenty four-hours, in order of appearance:

Petronas Towers
A giant, an extravagance of illumination and the heart and soul of KL, the Towers are the tallest twin buildings in the world. This architectural marvel stands among the stars frozen in the sky, making a mighty presence.

Kuala Lumpur Tower
An elegant addition to the skyline, this communications tower has a prominent antenna extending into the airspace. Atop, there’s a revolving restaurant which is magical post sunset.

Central Market
Established way back in the 1800s, this gorgeous facade overflows with stores of all kinds of wares, a melange of aromas and a street market vibe. We were like children in a candy store, you know?!

Petaling St, Chinatown
Inexpensive window(less) shopping in this haven was delightfully entertaining. Overflowing with hawkers and locals, we’re upvoting the visit to Chinatown!

Sungei Wang
Surely, the only thing you can’t find in this centre is yourself, and bad bargains!

Changkat
The pride of Bukit Bintang is avenues and sub-avenues luxurious with the choicest restaurants, upscale pubs, cute shops believed to be pre-war, and plenty more. We did a little gallivanting before finding ourselves with delicious drinks and food at Baan 26 and amazing music at Beach Club.

Berjaya Times Square
The highlight being a roller coaster, this mall is an unending maze of branded stores and an occasional flea market in its midst.

Heli Lounge Bar
This helipad by day, rooftop watering hole by night, gave us an overview of the dazzling metropolis. Located on the 36th floor, it was here that we spent unspeakably calm moments absorbing the city’s vivid sensory details.

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Into The Rainforests of Malaysian Borneo

Our transit from Kuala Lumpur to Borneo of the Malay archipelago, was an arduous one that included multiple espressos and naps on airport benches.

But soon we were saying selamat datang!

On reaching Sandakan, located in the state of Sabah, our eyes met the Nature Lodge named after Sungai (river) Kinabatangan - an inordinately beautiful sight, lavish with evergreens lining the banks and hovering like apparitions.

Our eco-friendly chalet was set as if in a mythical landscape.

We began with an evening safari on the balmy waters, a soft orange in the sky, in the hope of locating a few jungle inhabitants.

In the first round, the next day, we spotted a troop of shy proboscis monkeys on the higher boughs, pearly white egrets, a family of playful long-tailed macaques, a scheming crocodile sunbathing, and orang utan nests.

A wonderland in the wilderness.

That night, we went on a guided walk through a bewildering maze of the lowland dipterocarp forest. What could’ve been tricky if we gathered tiger leeches or wasp hives was actually nature at its benevolent best!

Finding camouflaging caterpillars, sleeping trogons, screeching cicadas, Gelotia spiders, occasional flycatchers, and the rustling of leaves, rheumy air, the scent of flowering plants, resulted in a new, incontestably cherishing experience.

There’s something magical about being in direct contact with the earth.

In the cool of the following morning, we encountered birds racing around in the sky: pied kingfishers, a preying fish eagle, a flight of barn swallows, bushy hornbills and others among the many exotic species that the Bornean rainforest houses.

As we careened across the river, pygmy elephant tracks in the midst of the lustrous, tall grass became evident too.

Breakfast consisted of eggs, fried noodles and kopi, delicacies from the region, and followed by a nap as the day progressed into a velvety summer noon.

Later, we hiked to Oxbow Lake, getting lost in the rhythm of the melodious sounds emanating around us. The route we took had pawprints of wild boar, several pill millipede, fresh elephant dung, coastal monitor lizards.

One and a half hours later, we were already dipping our feet in the profoundly warm water, tiny Mahseer fish nibbling at the dead skin.

At daybreak, we drove to Sepilok, in the same district and a few kilometres away from our lodge, believed to accommodate more than 60 free living orang utans and orphaned babies, taken into the reserve where their survival skills are honed.

Although we do not support the concept of man playing a role in the lifecycle of a wild animal, we understand that its current status pleads conservation. Orang utans, 94% similar to humans, are currently at a risk of extinction due to manmade palm oil plantations.

As a giant squirrel foraged, a clan of these demure red-haired creatures popped out of their hideouts, swinging from tree to tree. A glimpse and they disappeared!

We checked into Jungle Resort, ate noodle soup, coconut curry and rice in banana leaves and dawdled in our supersized bed, a sense of ambedo setting in.

Also endangered, mostly due to deforestation, are the Bornean sun bears who we chanced upon; this adorable, compact and the smallest species of bear stole our hearts in an instant!

“Every creature was designed to serve a purpose. Learn from animals for they are there to teach you the way of life.”

Worth mentioning is the charming Lindung Gallery restaurant that serves delectable root vegetable chips and organic, sweet Sabah tea.

With memories for a lifetime, we left this phantasmically stunning place called Borneo.

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The Good, Better & Best of Tamil Nadu (& Pondicherry)

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

For months now, we've spent our time basking in the comfort of our motherland!

Our journey has been – from the land of glittery temples, Chennai (lovingly, Madras) to the luxurious coastlines and beaches of Mahabalipuram, to trekker’s paradise in Yelagiri, to former la territoire française de Pondicherry, to the blissfully poignant, Dutch-inspired Tranquebar, the enchanting lake-town of Pulicat to the fecund, Anaimalai Hills and the city of Coimbatore to the undulating tea estates of Coonoor and Ooty – has been all parts fantastic.

Vanakkam! Madras, where every nook and corner boasts of elegant, architecturally perfect temples. 

Delicious vegetarian street food in Chennai has us ransom for life. Yes, we vote it over the five-starrers! 

A sense of the sublime in Vedanthangal, an hour away from the city, and bird paradise in short.

Fisherman’s Cove and its exotic seaside dining, with a view of the Bay of Bengal, almost has no match. The restless motion of the waves slapping against the banks, serendipitously, exudes a calming effect every time.

Mahabalipuram, or Mamallapuram: all about lunch at The Wharf at Radisson’s Temple Bay, dinner at Moonrakers and, not to forget, a mandatory visit to the banks of Shore Temple.

Teeming with tradition in Pondicherry, is La Maison Tamoule, a 19th century Neemrana heritage hotel, a regal mix of the French, Baroque and Indian styles of architecture. This goes straight up our list of favourite hotel rooms.

Boulangerie, a pocket-sized coffee house serving us their best rye bread with black olive pate, organically grown salad, and of course, French coffee. On t’aime! Run by volunteers from Auroville, just a few kilometers from the heart of Pondicherry. 

The Chennai-Bangalore highway, NH4, sure is a satisfying drive. We used this to our advantage and one weekend, an impromptu decision landed us in Yelagiri Hills. Trekked all morning in the ample leafage and the overindulgent brightness before we came upon a panoramic view of the city and the plains beyond.

Flamingo-watching and lighthouse-sightings in Pulicat. This town is so off-the-beaten-path, it was sheer delight to explore.

Neemrana’s Bungalow on the Beach, and make that poolside, please! Tranquebar, the coastal settlement in the Nagapattinam district never recovered from the tsunami of 2009 but it sure puts on a brave front to its visitors.

Weekend getaway to GMR’s Coco Lagoon, Pollachi, at the foothills of the Anaimalai Hills. Here we found respite, and elephants. 

Cups of cardamom tea are like magic portion, and the Highland plantations in Coonoor are proof of that.

A fairytale hike through Shola Forest inflated our lungs and made us breathless at the same time, courtesy scenic views of the Nilgiri hills jutting into the cloudy sky.

We have fallen prey to some stunning, offbeat destinations in and around the capital of Tamil Nadu, and this is probably only just the beginning.

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The Land of Coffee - Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places…” ~ Roald Dahl

A smooth drive of 300km from Bangalore led us to the district of Chikmagalur, locally known as Chikkamagaluru, set in the foothills of the Mullayanagiri hills (parent range, the Western Ghats). We were welcomed by a profusion of colours in the region.

Before reaching our accommodation, a small detour to the temples of Belur was warranted. In what is an architectural feat of the Hoysala period, the intricacies and workmanship of this group of structures left us awestruck.

Festooned with an oasis of greenery, River Woods, the homestay was set in midst of unending plantations of coffee, pepper and paddy.

The rustic-looking yet megasized cottage, our home for the night, was indeed lovely. We were served fresh cups of coffee on arrival, the gentle wafts from which were divine in the perfection of the weather.

The River Bhadra runs through the estate bringing an inordinate sense of serenity to its surroundings. We day dreamed by its banks, reflections of trees rippling in the waters that stretched off into infinity.

Unspeakably mellow.

At sundown, we returned to our cottages and dwelled in the warmth of a bonfire and barbeque, telling stories late into the night. Nature, as it turned out, was most benevolent (the winter didn’t chill us to the bone)!

In the aurora of dawn, we awoke to trek in the undulating acres of forestland with the Western Ghats by our side.



Strutting peacocks, the harmonic rhythm of the Arabica pickers and tales from a town making hundreds of tonnes of coffee annually made, indeed, for a delightful experience.

Three hours later, we were on our way back home.

“As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?”

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Utopia: Three Islands of The Andamans

Port Blair

As the flight from Chennai landed in the island’s archipelago, immediately, a pleasant radiance emanated.

We checked into a cozy B&B, Andaman Galley, a few minutes from the airport. Our only agenda was beach food at Corbyn’s Cove, a curvy coastline with palms in the background, jet skiers and paragliders galore.

The setting sun quickly melted into shades of orange and we rode off towards the iconic Cellular Jail for an evening tour.

In what was a brilliant show of light and sound, we learned of India’s struggle for freedom and the strength of her heroic fighters in these parts.

A fathomless realm.

We then ensconced ourselves in the exotic Fortune Resort Bay Island, swaying to the tunes of the 90s, and retiring to bed early.

Havelock Island

In the soporific breeze of dawn, the Green Ocean ferry awaited us as we climbed aboard its royal class.

The mellifluous waves of the Bay of Bengal, the extensive sweep of the sky with a hint of sunshine and the gentle wafts of air reduced us to liquid slow, in mind and body. Except when we spotted flying fish!

Three hours later, we arrived at the Havelock jetty and hailed an autorickshaw (more easily available than cabs) that led us to Island Vinnie’s Tropical Beach Resort. Located on Beach no. 3 and the hub of Dive India, we had truly descended upon paradise!

The tented cabana was an eco-friendly, luxurious, clean, comfortable accommodation, adjacent to the beach, and oh, a private hammock for happiness.

A massive breakfast at the Full Moon Cafe was followed by biking all the way to Kaala Pathar, yet another piece of gorgeous façade interrupted by bits of private beachland.

Sunset on the island decorated the pristine beaches of Radhanagar, voted among Asia’s best, and we momentarily forgot about the notoriously rough roads that got us here.

The place felt alive with the warmth and sound of the languid seawater.

At the rise of the misty sun, the next morning, we dressed in our scuba gear ready for a session of diving in ‘Nemo Reef’ of the South Andaman Sea.

We careened underwater while the popular clownfish peeked in and out of his sea anemone, the inquisitive parrotfish displayed herself where a squid or two wandered, a shy manta ray zoomed off the ocean floor in contrast to the sluggish sea cucumber.

A kaleidoscope of colour, a whole different world.

We swam back to the shores, and again got lost in the rhythm of the unspeakably blue waters and the dazzling white sands; strolling, and then pausing to take it all in. Ah, life on an island!

Ross Island

A night was spent in Port Blair’s Shelter on the Sea, a value-for-money homestay, almost touching the sea.

We were awash on to our destination - terra firma, thankfully - after a 15 minute bumpy motor boat ride. On the flipside, oh so azure!

The islet, now abandoned, was quaint wilderness.

Lavish with forest area, we explored the ruins of an erstwhile church, still an elaborate structure, army barracks, remnants of commissioner bungalows undimmed by the advance of time.

The beauty of Ross Island also lies in its flamboyant peacock and a species of red deer that traipsed in our midst as we lost ourselves in tranquility.

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.”

Our two cents on the Andamans: an incontestably magical wonderland.

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