# FridgeMagnet Tales


## Posts

- [Excursion to Ha Long Bay](https://fridgemagnettales.com/halong-bay-vietnam/): One of the most iconic images of Vietnam is one with a bunch of lush green limestone karst islands in the middle of the sea – this is none other than the Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and lies in the northern coast of Vietnam. Here's how you can plan a visit!
- [Weekend At Hanoi](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hanoi-vietnam/): We spent a weekend in Hanoi and we had the best time ever! Here is a list of must-dos when you are in Hanoi followed by our suggestion on how you can fit it into your itinerary.
- [Getting Around Vietnam - Travel and Where to Stay](https://fridgemagnettales.com/getting-around-vietnam/): What are the best options to travel around Vietnam? Where do we stay at each city so that we are close enough to all the main attractions? Find all the answers here!
- [Vietnam Voyage - The Itinerary](https://fridgemagnettales.com/vietnam-itinerary/): If you have the option to visit only 1 country in South-East Asia, it must be Vietnam! Here is our guide on how to plan your perfect Vietnam itinerary!
- [Getting Around Croatia – Travel and Where to Stay](https://fridgemagnettales.com/getting-around-croatia-travel-stay/): Getting to Croatia We start with how to get to Croatia from the neighbouring countries. The easiest and expensive option is by flight – through Zagreb or Split or Dubrovnik and use flights for the rest of the journey. You can use any booking website to look at available options. In this blog, we will cover how to use trains and buses and make the most of them to get around Croatia. From Budapest, Hungary: Our itinerary of Eastern Europe led us from Budapest to Zagreb. We had the option of taking a bus which would take about 5 hours (excluding […]
- [Croatian Food Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/croatia-food-guide/): Croatia is a delight for seafood lovers! We had some of the best seafood we’ve ever tasted here and is one of the reasons why we wouldn’t think twice before coming back here again
- [The Dalmatian Coast of Croatia – Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-dalmatian-coast-split-hvar-dubrovnik/): The first image that pops up when you hear the word “Dalmatian” would be the black and white spotted dogs made famous by the Disney movie. The origin of this breed is from a region of the same name in Croatia. The historical Dalmatia region is along the Adriatic coast and covers most of the southern half of the country. The major cities in this region are Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik. There are many beautiful islands off the coast, some of the best ones being Hvar, Brač and Korčula. Split We started our holiday from Zagreb where we spent half a […]
- [A Day in Plitvice](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-day-in-plitvice-croatia/): The place we were looking forward to the most in Croatia was Plitvice National Park. Why you ask? Take a look at these pictures we shot, and you’ll get an idea why. The lakes in Plitviče have been formed at different heights as a series of cascades. You can also spot many waterfalls and rapids as the water flows down from the upper lakes to the lower lakes. But what is most stunning in this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the colour of the water! The distinctive colours of the lakes is due to moss, algae and minerals which are deposited […]
- [Croatian Chronicles | Itinerary for Croatia](https://fridgemagnettales.com/croatia-itinerary/): When you are planning your itinerary through Eastern Europe, Croatia is a country you just cannot skip. With its beautiful beaches, quaint little towns and pristine national parks, Croatia has something for everyone and is perfect for a relaxed holiday and not to mention light on your pockets! Croatia (or Hrvatska in Croatian) shares borders with Slovenia and Hungary in the north, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina in the east and Montenegro in the south. In the west the Adriatic Sea with over a thousand Croatian islands – is the ultimate island-hopping dream! The idyllic Dalmatian coast in the south offers […]
- [How to Create an Itinerary](https://fridgemagnettales.com/how-to-plan-an-itinerary/): The Plan The summer of 2017 – Nam and I were planning the itinerary for our first long vacation together. We were looking at 13 days in the first half of June. After working out multiple itineraries, we settled on Eastern Europe. We wanted to experience the best of what each place had to offer. This meant staying with the locals, having the best of the local cuisine, exploring the small lanes by foot and travelling light by public transport across cities – in other words, backpacking! The way I see it, there are two types of backpackers – ones who […]
- [One of the most stereotyped cities in India - Chennai](https://fridgemagnettales.com/chennai-stereotypes/): One of the popular discussions in college was – which city would you like to live in and work? A more popular one was – where you would NOT like to live. And the answer almost invariably used to be Chennai (the word would be uttered with a nightmarish expression). The reasons ranged from the heat to the smelly beach. I’ve lived in Chennai for close to a year in the past. Yes, it’s really hot. And yes, the beach is kinda smelly. But I never felt a kind of repulsion as I saw with a lot of my friends. I […]
- [Mood Indigo 2011](https://fridgemagnettales.com/mood-indigo-college-fest/): What is IIT Bombay’s Mood Indigo? Is it really as big as all the hype surrounding it? I decided to find out along with some buddies from college. This is an account of my first visit to a college fest outside my college. I feel that experiences should be big – so I decided to make it no less than the biggest college cultural fest of Asia (at that time). I had a rather interesting train journey from Bangalore to Mumbai. Day 1 – The Panga Day There were three of us on this trip – NPK, Ku and I. We […]
- [Backpacking in Sri Lanka](https://fridgemagnettales.com/sri-lanka-backpacking/): One random weekend, Pilla, Mehta & I were chatting on our group and we realized that we’d never gone on a trip together. So we started planning for the weekend of 15th August. Potential destinations – anywhere in the southern half of India qualified as the three of us were sitting in Cochin, Hyderabad and Bangalore. After much debate, we zeroed in on Ooty, Pondicherry and Kodaikanal. And then, we went to Sri Lanka!
- [How to have a Max Weekend in Dubai](https://fridgemagnettales.com/max-weekend-in-dubai-uae/): This story starts with a video I saw on Facebook. One of my friends had visited Dubai recently and he did something jaw-dropping! He dived from a plane right over the amazing Palm Jumeirah, completing, what I felt was, a jump of a lifetime! I decided then and there that if I ever got the chance to do sky diving, it would be here!
- [Hogenakkal Falls - A Weekend Escape](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hogenakkal-falls-weekend/): It was one of the weekends when Spilla was here for his project. We decided to rent out a car and go for a drive somewhere nearby. After a lot of research and debate, we decided to make for Hogenakkal Falls which was on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We first tried Zoomcar but couldn’t get the car we wanted. Then we decided to explore other options if available and found Carzonrent who also offered self-drive cars. We did a quick check of how much the rates added up to with the distance and mileage and found that for […]
- [How to get Leh 'd - A Non-Adventurer's Tale (Part Two) | Pangong](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ladakh-pangong-nubra-diskit/): If you haven’t got a chance to read Part One, click here. You don’t want to miss it! Done? Let’s explore Ladakh and the place I’m looking forward to the most – Pangong lake! Day 7 The day began at 8am – there were no wake up calls for the day as it was dedicated to local sight-seeing. Some people opted to go for river rafting. I wasn’t too keen on it as I wanted to explore the town and surrounding areas. Along with some others, I decided to hire a cab and explore Leh. After breakfast, we set out for […]
- [How to get Leh 'd: A Non-Adventurer's Tale (Part One) | Ladakh](https://fridgemagnettales.com/leh-ladakh-a-non-adventurers-tale/): I’m pretty sure you’re wondering why I called this “a Non-Adventurer’s Tale”. For people who have read my other blogs, you must be wondering if scuba-diving in the Andamans, sky-diving in Dubai and river rafting in Kullu are not adventures. They are, of course. But going on a 3000 kilometers bike trip on a bike (that you’ve never sat on before) and taking, what is considered, one of the toughest routes in the world, is something different altogether. And as for the “Part One” – I really wanted to fit everything into one post but then it wouldn’t do justice to the places […]
- [Campus to Corporate - How has life really changed?](https://fridgemagnettales.com/campus-to-corporate-how-has-life-really-changed/): Everyone is busy ushering in the New Year – celebrating, partying, making resolutions, reminiscing old times and of course getting used to writing “2015” in the “date” columns. Yes, 2014 comes to an end. In fact, yet another year begins! Some are enjoying the holiday with their loved ones, some on trips with friends and some others working hard like any other day to ensure everyone has a jolly good holiday. So what is it that we’re celebrating about – just a day, a month passing on the calendar, like any other? Not that I don’t enjoy the holiday or the […]
- [Neil, Long and Ross – Part Three of “A Tale of Six Islands”](https://fridgemagnettales.com/neil-long-and-ross-andamans/): Last time we met, we were exploring Havelock Island and had just finished our much awaited scuba dive. This time, we’ll be going through some of the lesser known islands and wrapping up our adventure of the Andamans. First stop Neil, then Long and finally Ross.
- [Havelock - Part Two of "A Tale of Six Islands"](https://fridgemagnettales.com/havelock-andamans/): Last time we met, we had completed part one of our journey – Port Blair and Jolly Buoy islands. We continue our journey here to explore our next island in the Andamans – Havelock. I couldn’t club any other island with this one as this island tells an interesting tale of its own. We left early morning to catch our ferry to Havelock Island – one of the most famous islands here. We had tea near the port where Papa (nickname) brought tea for us in the classic chaiwallah-boy tea-tray. We entered the port to see huge boats waiting to sail […]
- [Port Blair and Jolly Buoy – Part One of “A Tale of Six Islands”](https://fridgemagnettales.com/port-blair-and-jolly-buoy-andamans/): Last time we met, we had just taken off from Chennai. You didn’t read the prequel? I suggest you do that to get the context. Won’t take more than 3 mins, I actually clocked it. It’s right here <— Click! 😛 Done? Now, let’s start our journey to Port Blair. We entered the flight happily as we had checked into the window seats. Sadly, mine – 14F – was right over the wing! Bah! The screens in front of our seats showed where we were in our 1200 km flight over the Bay of Bengal. Soon after breakfast, we began our […]
- [The prequel - A Tale of Six Islands | Andaman](https://fridgemagnettales.com/andaman-series-prequel/): The previous set of blogs that I wrote of North India, had 6 parts and I decided to shorten the next trip’s account to make it reader friendly. This will be a story of 6 islands which are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands – in three parts. A trilogy is the safest bet, at least in movies – LOTR, Matrix, Bourne, Oceans, Toy Story. The only thing that works for me with more than 3 parts is Federer’s Grand Slam victories. I wouldn’t mind seeing him win a 100 times! This part is the prequel – the one where […]
- [A New Store Opening - Retail Diaries](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-new-store-opening-retail-diaries/): It’s been almost 6 months into my first job. It’s been an amazing ride – a lot of learning, got exposed to corporate life, retail, Bangalore and a lot more. After stints as store fashion advisor, department manager, store manager and shadowing a regional manager (each having long stories of their own), I was in the middle of a retail operations project and this account is about the one which involved opening a new store.
- [Trains and Nostalgia](https://fridgemagnettales.com/trains-and-nostalgia/): Travelling on trains always makes me nostalgic. It’s like that reset button. Brings back perspective into life. Today I’m travelling from Chennai to Bangalore. I’ve been to Chennai Central a lot of times. The first time I was here was at the age of 10, travelling from Patna to Alleppey. I think it was Patna to Howrah, Howrah to Chennai and then Chennai to Alleppey. Knowing the delays in trains from the east and north, we’d kept a gap of around 15 hrs between trains as a buffer and still missed our train from Chennai! I remember it was the time […]
- [Down the Beas to the City with a Plan | Chandigarh](https://fridgemagnettales.com/down-the-beas-to-chandigarh/): We wake up early the next day. The hangover of the snow experience is still there and it is something which I will never be able to forget. This day was to be spent exploring Manali with its temples and monasteries and of course the “Maaaal Road” (read Shimla to understand what Maaaal Road is 😛 ).  We would end our day with a visit to Chandigarh. We first go to Vashishta Muni temple. The temple is a wooden structure with a slate roof. There is a hot spring gushing out near the temple which has been converted to a public bath. […]
- [Snow! Snow! Snow! | Manali](https://fridgemagnettales.com/manali-road-trip/): Having covered Shimla, we leave for Manali the next morning after breakfast. We take a different road that winds its way around the mountains and towards Manali. It’s a 250km drive and will take an entire day of driving to reach there.
- [The Summer Capital of British India | Shimla](https://fridgemagnettales.com/shimla-summer-capital-of-british-india/): The best thing about the road to Shimla is that the climb is not a painful experience. Travelling to the hills in India may not always be pleasant – going from Kozhikode to Wayanad in Kerala can be the most nauseous drive, thanks to the myriad hairpin bends and the crazy buses. Given that Shimla was more than 3 times higher in altitude than Wayanad, at 2400m, I kept my poly-bags ready. Our driver, Kalyan Singh was a Himachali through and through and the most talkative person I’ve seen. That’s what keeps him going without getting bored or sleepy – alertness […]
- [From the Capital to the Majestic Himalayas | Road Trip to Shimla](https://fridgemagnettales.com/road-trip-delhi-to-shimla/): Done with Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, we move on to the next part of our trip – Himachal. I was quite excited as this was one state I’d always looked forward to visiting. This too was part of an organized road trip by Panicker’s Travels. We bid adieu to the India Gate which we’re passing by for the umpteenth time. Delhi had been good to us – the summer heat hadn’t set in yet.
- [A Day filled with History and Wonders | Agra and Fatehpur Sikri](https://fridgemagnettales.com/agra-and-fatehpur-sikri/): I finally got an internet connection! So I’ll continue where I left – Delhi. Today we will be visiting Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. After covering Delhi, our next stops were Agra and Fatehpur Sikri – a one day trip. It was part of a conducted tour. The bus left Delhi at 6 am – ya, we had to wake up early even though the previous day had been pretty tiring. Anyway, as long as you’re travelling to cool new places, these things don’t matter.
- [Delhi in a Day](https://fridgemagnettales.com/delhi-in-a-day/): If you have one day to explore Delhi, what would you do? Explore the history of the city, visit monuments to enjoy the splendid architecture or find out places that showcase the amazing food? I would love to say – everything! But if a day is all you’ve got, you need to pick your agenda. This blog explores the historical monuments and major tourist attractions of Delhi – all covered in one day.
- [A bird's view - at Night!](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-birds-view-at-night/): After 6 long months of B-School I was on my way back home. I was hoping I’d get more frequent breaks when I first saw the trimester system (which would mean 3 breaks in a year as compared to 2 in engineering). I also hoped to go home more often as my college was in Kerala. Hehe! What wrong notions! 😛
- [A Weekend in Munnar](https://fridgemagnettales.com/weekend-in-munnar/): What makes Munnar the perfect weekend getaway? It is a part of most Kerala itineraries these days along with Alappuzha and Kochi. It is also an ideal destination for group trips – in fact I’ve been to Munnar twice and both have been group trips from my colleges. Here’s all you need to know to plan your perfect weekend in this beautiful hill station.
- [Let the B Begin!](https://fridgemagnettales.com/let-the-b-begin/): B-schools mean business! What better lesson can one learn on the first day at IIMK! I hadn’t even joined college and here I was submitting assignments and following deadlines. And the very first day – the registration day – was a clear indicator of how things worked here. The day had a proper itinerary from morning to night. Talk about an organized and systematic life!
- [Belling the Evasive CAT – Mera Version](https://fridgemagnettales.com/belling-the-evasive-cat-mba/): The feeling after cracking the CAT and getting into an IIM is amazing. You become an instant celebrity. “What are you doing now beta?” “I got into IIM” “WOW!”(With a look of amazement & admiration) And finally, people know where the college is! No need to go all – “NITK Surathkal – Arre! Surat nahin, SURATHKAL, Mangalore ke paas. Arre! Bangalore nahi, MANGALORE!” The worst people can do now is mishear “IIM Calicut” as “IIM Calcutta”. And I don’t mind taking that 😛 “How did you do it?” That’s what everyone wants to know.
- [A Train Journey](https://fridgemagnettales.com/train-journey-thoughts/): (The rhythmic sound of the train) Here I was, on yet another train journey, but on a new route this time. I was on my way to Mumbai from Yeshwantpur (Bangalore). The reason for the trip – Mood Indigo at IIT Bombay (Read Mood Indigo). It was a 24 hour journey. So I pick up my Nokia 2700 and start writing. A lot of thoughts rush into my head looking at the landscape rushing by. I decide to pen them down (or in this case, type ‘em down!).
- [Cleanup at the Beach](https://fridgemagnettales.com/cleanup-at-the-beach/): The sun shone bright making me squint. The steady breeze was soothing. So was the sound of the sea. The waves gently ebb, moving back and forth. The tranquil is striking but very much welcome. It heightens ones senses and I try to take in as much as I can. The first feeling is that of being watched, silently by many hidden forces. They have their stories to tell, if only one would care to listen to them.
- [Ranipuram & Bekal Fort, Kerala](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ranipuram-bekal-fort-kerala/): Kerala is a really beautiful place in terms of natural beauty. You get to see pristine beaches, misty mountains, valleys, forests and backwaters – everything in that tiny strip of land along the south Indian coastline! I’m sure you’d have heard of Alappuzha, Fort Kochi and Munnar. But this time, I’m going to take you to two lesser known but beautiful places – Ranipuram and Bekal Fort in the northern district of Kasargod in Kerala.
- [Counterstrike - A day in Tronix](https://fridgemagnettales.com/counterstrike-a-day-in-tronix/): Go! Go! Go! It’s Lionel Messi! He’s got the ball! Only the keeper to beat! TRRING!!TRRING!!
- [Hanumangundi falls, Karnataka](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hanumangundi-falls/): The first really exciting thing to happen in the fourth semester of engineering was the trip to Hanumangundi Falls. This one is in the Kudremukh region in Karnataka. It was only the first weekend back from home and I was expecting a quiet one. However it wasn’t to be.
- [Kollur, Sringeri & Halebeedu: A Karnataka Road Trip](https://fridgemagnettales.com/temple-trails-of-kollur-sringeri-halebeedu/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Kollur, Sringeri & Halebeedu, Karnataka · When: August 2025 · Duration: 2 nights · Travelled as: Family road trip (toddler + parents + grandparents) We were on a 4-day road trip in Karnataka. After an exhilarating Bangalore to Jog Falls road trip, we continued our journey on a spiritual and architectural […]
- [Bangalore to Jog Falls Road Trip: Day 1 Itinerary](https://fridgemagnettales.com/bangalore-to-jog-falls-road-trip-itinerary/): It was Parth’s fourth birthday. My parents were coming over to celebrate with us. They wanted to go on a short road trip from Bangalore – the plan was to cover Jog Falls and Sringeri. I hadn’t been to either of them and I invited myself to the plan. Nam had a workshop to attend […]
- [The Mauritius Itinerary: A Family-Friendly 7-Day Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-mauritius-itinerary/): This is our Mauritius itinerary – 7 family-friendly days, rental car tips, and the full day-by-day route. As with all itinerary blogs, I will start this one with the story of how we ended up deciding Mauritius as the destination. We were planning this trip with our friends (who were also with us in Georgia […]
- [Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths & Seaplane Rides, Mauritius](https://fridgemagnettales.com/seven-coloured-earths-and-seaplane-rides-hidden-gems-of-mauritius/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Chamarel, La Gaulette & Le Morne, Southern Mauritius · When: April 2025 · Duration: Day 4–8 · Travelled as: Family with a toddler · Base: La Gaulette This is our Chamarel Seven Coloured Earths day – plus Goyave picking and a seaplane ride over the Underwater Waterfall. The only Jyotirlinga outside […]
- [Breakfast with Giraffes and (not) Swimming with Whales](https://fridgemagnettales.com/breakfast-with-giraffes-and-whales/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Casela Nature Park, Blue Bay Marine Park & Whale Watching, Southern Mauritius · When: April 2025 · Duration: Day 4–6 · Travelled as: Family with a toddler · Base: La Gaulette This is our breakfast with giraffes Mauritius story – Casela Nature Park, whale watching, and Blue Bay Marine Park. Day […]
- [Ile Aux Cerfs & Chateau De Labourdonnais: Mauritius Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ile-aux-cerfs-family-travel/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Ile Aux Cerfs, Chateau de Labourdonnais & Trou-aux-Biches, Mauritius · When: April 2025 · Duration: Day 2–3 · Travelled as: Family with a toddler · Base: Mont Choisy This is our day trip to Ile Aux Cerfs, plus Chateau de Labourdonnais and Trou-aux-Biches beach. Day 2 starts with a hearty breakfast […]
- [Mauritius Family Travel: Our First Day on the Island](https://fridgemagnettales.com/mauritius-travel-blog-first-day-of-island-life/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Mauritius (Mahebourg to Mont Choisy) · When: April 2025 · Duration: Day 1 (arrival) · Travelled as: Family with a young child This is where our Mauritius family travel diary begins – our first day on the island with a toddler, from arrival to Mont Choisy. It was an early start […]
- [A Special Note for My Amazing Subscribers](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-special-note/): This post is exclusively for each and every one of you – my incredible subscribers! A few days ago, I received a notification that this blog has crossed 250 subscribers. It took me a couple of seconds to register that! Two Hundred and Fifty people have chosen to follow along on this journey with me […]
- [Discovering Lisbon - Food and Sights](https://fridgemagnettales.com/discovering-lisbon-food-and-sights/): The Spain leg of our Western Europe trip was done and we landed at Lisbon, the capital of Portugal (you can read the Seville and Barcelona blogs after this one). We left our bags at the airport itself and only carried the backpack. We had to get back by night for our flight to Ponta […]
- [No Entry in Barcelona](https://fridgemagnettales.com/no-entry-in-barcelona/): It was 5:08 pm and we boarded our train to Barcelona. We had just completed the France leg of our trip and got on the train from Nimes – a lesser known town in the south of France. The train sped along the coast as we passed the cities of Montpellier and Perpignon and we […]
- [Seville - Flamenco, Oranges and more](https://fridgemagnettales.com/seville-flamenco-oranges-and-more/): The train sped past the sun-drenched landscapes of Andalusia at a jaw-dropping speed of 300 km/h. This was the fastest we had ever travelled on land! Despite the speed, everything was calm and stable inside. We were travelling from Barcelona to Seville in Spain for the next leg of our Western Europe trip. Getting into […]
- [The Ever Shifting Lines of Scripts](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-ever-shifting-lines-of-scripts/): A couple of weeks ago, I was in Chennai for my US Visa interview (I’ve written a blog about that experience which you can read here). After the interview, I had some time before my evening train back to Bangalore. I picked up the phone and called my ever-dependable sources of information – my parents. […]
- [My US Tourist Visa Experience](https://fridgemagnettales.com/us-tourist-visa-experience/): One of the most frustrating things for me while applying for the US tourist visa was how little information was available online. There were multiple versions being posted on Reddit threads (often contradicting each other) and the official websites were very ambiguous in their statements. Also, the portal itself had changed recently and most of […]
- [Being a Tourist in your Own City](https://fridgemagnettales.com/being-a-tourist-in-your-own-city/): Let’s start with the core question of this article – “When was the last time you explored your own city as if you were a tourist?” This is one thing I’ve noticed very often (and also find funny) – many of us rarely explore our own city like we would a vacation destination. I’ve been […]
- [Hong Kong Food Guide: 8 Places We Ate and Loved](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hong-kong-foodie/): The blog highlights Hong Kong's culinary delights, featuring iconic eateries like Australia Dairy Company, Din Tai Fung, and Tim Ho Wan, emphasizing unique dishes such as beef brisket noodles and avocado toast.
- [Macau Day Trip from Hong Kong - Egg Tarts, Mosaic & Casinos](https://fridgemagnettales.com/macau-mosaic/): On day 3 in Hong Kong, we day-tripped to Macau, trying delicious local treats like egg tarts, navigating transportation hurdles, exploring cultural sites, and experiencing the Venetian's unique attractions while learning valuable travel lessons.
- [Hong Kong Temples Guide: Wong Tai Sin & Chi Lin Nunnery](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hong-kong-temples/): The blog chronicles a Hong Kong adventure exploring Taoist and Buddhist temples, cultural experiences, modern attractions, and an Imagine Dragons concert, showcasing the city's vibrant blend of ancient traditions and contemporary life.
- [Victoria Peak Hike & Hong Kong Park: A Full Day Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/victoria-peak-hong-kong/): This blog post showcases Hong Kong's blend of urban and natural beauty, highlighting a hike to Victoria Peak and visits to local parks and renowned eateries. It emphasizes the city's well-planned infrastructure, tranquility amid chaos, and unique culinary experiences, illustrating the vibrant yet serene aspects of life in Hong Kong.
- [Lantau Island Day Trip: Real Cable Car Wait Times](https://fridgemagnettales.com/lantau-island-hong-kong/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Lantau Island, Hong Kong · When: December 2024 (Day 1 of the trip) · Duration: 1 day · Travelled as: Couple This is our Lantau Island day trip from December 2024 – Day 1 of our Hong Kong and Macau trip, hopping between the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, Po Lin […]
- [4-Day Hong Kong and Macau Itinerary: First-Hand Tips](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-hong-kong-itinerary-macau/): The blog describes a trip itinerary to Hong Kong, inspired by a concert by Imagine Dragons. It highlights the city's unique blend of skyscrapers and green spaces, its cultural significance, and practical travel tips including visa requirements, transportation, and currency. Suggested duration is 4-5 days, also including nearby Macau.
- [Do AI Trip Planners actually work?](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ai-trip-planners/): AI is supposedly taking over every aspect of life. There are custom GPT-assistants for every task imaginable. One of the popular use-cases is building a travel itinerary with AI Trip Planners. I decided to put it to a test for my recent trip to Hong Kong! I’ve talked about this before in my blog – […]
- [Taking a Career Sabbatical: How Slowing Down Helped Me Move Faster](https://fridgemagnettales.com/taking-a-career-sabbatical/): Keep moving!  You need to keep running to stay ahead in the race!!  There’s no time to waste, every second is precious!!! “I take a (slow) tea break and think about where I am in life. And suddenly, I realise that it has been almost a year in the new job and the calendar is […]
- [Discovering Nimes and Pont du Gard in Southern France](https://fridgemagnettales.com/nimes-france/): When we planned our trip to France, we were looking for places beyond Paris and Nice. If you read the previous blog on the Azores, you know what I’m talking about. One place that quickly caught our attention was Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. From a commute and proximity point-of-view, it did not make sense, especially […]
- [Ponta Delgada - Whales, Volcanic Craters and Thermal Pools](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ponta-delgada/): If you directly landed here, I would highly recommend reading the previous part to get context of the next paragraph. We had just reached Ponta Delgada. We ran trying to locate the “Moby Dick” counter – the boat we had booked for our whale-watching outing. The payment had to be completed within the next 5 […]
- [The Azores Itinerary - the Portuguese islands in the Atlantic](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-azores-islands/): What would be the craziest way to pick a destination? Close your eyes and point anywhere on the map and just go there, right? I would agree but that might be impractical. A close second would be to look at the map and point somewhere and then go there. That’s how we landed on this […]
- [Flying on the Wings of Tatev: Armenias Longest Cable Car](https://fridgemagnettales.com/tatev/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Tatev, Goris & Noravank, Armenia · When: June 2024, Day 4-5 · Duration: An afternoon at Tatev, overnight in Goris, morning at Shaki & Noravank · Travelled as: Family — 4 adults, 2 toddlers · Base: Khoreayi Dzor, Goris This is our Wings of Tatev story — the world’s longest reversible […]
- [Khor Virap, Mount Ararat & Areni: South Armenia Road Trip](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ararat-areni-khorvirap/): Researching is one of my favorite parts of traveling – apart from the actual travel of course. I look for the most unique experiences possible in a place and try to accommodate it into the itinerary. After all, if I am traveling all the way to another country, I don’t want to come back and […]
- [Yerevan and Etchmiadzin: The Oldest Cathedral in the World](https://fridgemagnettales.com/yerevan-and-etchmiadzin/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Yerevan & Etchmiadzin, Armenia · When: Early June 2024 · Duration: 3 days across two visits (arrival evening, a full day trip, plus 1 day after our southern Armenia loop) · Travelled as: Family — 4 adults, 2 toddlers · Base: Airbnb apartment on Teryan Street This is our Yerevan and […]
- [Dilijan Armenia Travel Guide: Border Crossing & Floods](https://fridgemagnettales.com/dilijan-armenia/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Dilijan & Lake Sevan, Armenia · When: Days after the May 2024 floods (early June 2024) · Duration: 1 night (2 days incl. the border crossing and Sevan day trip) · Travelled as: Family — 4 adults, 2 toddlers · Base: Cozy Homes (hobbit-hole hotel), Dilijan This Dilijan Armenia story starts […]
- [The Armenia Itinerary: 6 Days, Family Road Trip](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-armenia-itinerary/): It was sometime in 2021. I was watching a Malayalam travel show on Youtube. There was no way we could travel with the pandemic raging. So the next best thing was watching travel videos. The video showed the person going to an obscure place called Yerevan. I had to open up the map to check […]
- [Gombori Pass: A Dirt Road, Petrol Scare and Georgia Floods](https://fridgemagnettales.com/gombori-pass/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Telavi to Tbilisi via Gombori Pass, Georgia · When: May 2024 · Duration: Day 8 (final day) · Travelled as: Group of 6, including toddlers This is the story of our last day in Georgia – a dirt-road crossing of the Gombori Pass on a fast-emptying tank, right as Armenia’s worst […]
- [Georgian Wine Country: A Home Winery Experience in Kvareli](https://fridgemagnettales.com/georgian-wine/): In the last blog, we covered the romantic towns of Sighnaghi and Telavi in the wine region of Georgia. We were traveling to Kvareli with our driver for the day, Rezo. It was Georgian wine day! Trip Snapshot | Place: Kvareli (Kakheti region), Georgia · When: May 2024 · Duration: Day 7 (afternoon-evening) · Travelled […]
- [Sighnaghi and Telavi: A Georgian Wine Country Road Trip](https://fridgemagnettales.com/sighnaghi-telavi/): Georgia is mostly a mountainous country with the Caucasus mountains running along the entire length of the country and the rest of it merging with the Armenian highlands. One of the vast stretches of plain lands lies to the east – the Alazani valley, home to the famous Georgian wines! That’s where we are going […]
- [Kazbegi Travel Guide: Gergeti, Gveleti & Sno First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/kazbegi-georgia/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), Georgia · When: May 2024 · Duration: 2 nights · Travelled as: Family with toddlers · Base: Mountain House Kazbegi This is our Kazbegi travel guide from 2 nights in Stepantsminda – the Gergeti church road, the Gveleti waterfall trek, and the remote villages beyond Sno. We’re on Day […]
- [Georgian Military Highway: Tbilisi to Stepantsminda Drive](https://fridgemagnettales.com/georgian-road-trip/): Towards the north of Georgia lie the Caucasus mountains and on their other side is Russia. Georgia and Russia have an open border – which means, Georgians don’t need a visa to cross over and the same is true for the Russians. While we didn’t have any plans to cross over, our next leg was […]
- [Hidden Gems in Tbilisi: Wine and Khachapuri](https://fridgemagnettales.com/tbilisi-travel-hidden-gems/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Tbilisi, Georgia · When: May 2024 · Duration: Day 3 (full day) · Travelled as: Group of 6, including toddlers This is our roundup of the hidden gems in Tbilisi we stumbled on during Day 3 – an unmarked wine bar, the Chronicle of Georgia, and the best khachapuri of the […]
- [Independence Day in Tbilisi: Confetti, Wine and Fireworks](https://fridgemagnettales.com/independence-day-in-tbilisi/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Tbilisi, Georgia · When: May 2024 (Independence Day, May 26) · Duration: Day 2 afternoon through Day 3 morning · Travelled as: Group of 6, including toddlers This is our account of spending Independence Day in Tbilisi – from a khachapuri lunch to confetti, street wine and a funicular ride under […]
- [A Rainy Arrival in Georgia: Dodging a Tbilisi Taxi Scam](https://fridgemagnettales.com/rainy-arrival-in-georgia/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Tbilisi, Georgia · When: May 2024 (the night before Georgia’s Independence Day) · Duration: Overnight arrival through Day 2 morning · Travelled as: Group of 6, including toddlers This is the story of our rainy arrival in Georgia – landing in Tbilisi at 2 AM with toddlers in tow, right as […]
- [Georgia Itinerary: 8 Days by Road, First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/georgia-itinerary/): Generally when we plan trips, the country and places are the first part of the plan. Then we figure out the itinerary, flights and airlines. For the first time ever, we planned a trip the other way round – our airline was fixed, now we had to plan a vacation! If you’ve been following this […]
- [Where We Are Going Now? | Milestone 100](https://fridgemagnettales.com/milestone-100th-blog/): We’ve reached a milestone on this blog. What you are reading right now is blog #100! The journey has been long and challenging. I never started writing to get to this number, but here we are anyway. I’ve written earlier in detail about the route this blog has taken. There are two parts, so I […]
- [What does Frugality mean anyway?](https://fridgemagnettales.com/frugality-upskilling/): Many organizations talk about “frugality” as one of their core values. It is one of Amazon’s famous leadership principles. It is a handy value to have – not just in corporate but also in life. It might come easy (not generalising here) to a person with a typical Indian middle class “mindset” (note that I […]
- [Music as a Teleportation Agent](https://fridgemagnettales.com/music-teleportation/): When we travel, our brains are subjected to new stimuli of all kinds. This could potentially put us into learning mode – once you get into that mode, the brain absorbs stuff like a sponge. It works out differently for different people – some people remember routes even though they’ve gone to a place only […]
- [My Podcast Journey - Learner to Creator](https://fridgemagnettales.com/podcast-learner-to-creator/): In April 2020, the world had been shut down. This statement might sound weirdly apocalyptic to someone who hasn’t experienced those 2 years but thankfully, we made it through. Those years helped a lot of people take a pause from their super busy lives and explore hobbies and interests. I discovered pockets of time where […]
- [The Pyramids of Giza and Cutting a Cake in Cairo](https://fridgemagnettales.com/pyramids-of-giza-and-birthday-in-cairo/): When we met last, we were on the VIB overnight train from Luxor to Cairo. We had a private coupe and it was a comfortable journey. Day 6 It was a special day. Nam’s birthday! Also, our last day of sightseeing in Egypt – we would leave next morning to Amman, Jordan (don’t forget to […]
- [Meeting Tut in The Valley of The Kings, Luxor](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-face-to-face-with-tut-in-luxor/): We reached Luxor, Egypt – our destination after the Nile cruise. It was evening and the orange setting sun covered the city with a very warm and welcoming vibe. It was a lot cleaner than Cairo and far less crowded.  Luxor, known in ancient Egypt as Waset and later Thebes, is one of the oldest […]
- [Going on a Nile Cruise like a Pharaoh](https://fridgemagnettales.com/nile-cruise-like-a-pharaoh/): After a thrilling drive to Abu Simbel, we were now on our boat, all set to depart for the Nile river cruise. Our guide, Ahmed, was also joining us till the first stop, Kom Ombo. After lunch and a short rest (we had started our day at 3:30am), we climbed up to the sundeck to […]
- [The Southern Tip of Egypt - Abu Simbel and Aswan](https://fridgemagnettales.com/aswan-abu-simbel/): We continue on our Egypt adventure (check out Part 1 – The Egypt Itinerary). It’s day 2 of the trip and we woke up in our hotel at Giza. Breakfast was included with our stay and we ate veggies, yogurt, sausages and croissants – I love breakfast buffets! Our cab driver was waiting outside to […]
- [The Egypt Itinerary](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-egypt-itinerary/): I remember this moment very clearly. We were on a flight from Madrid to Abu Dhabi and luckily it was a day flight. I spent most of the time looking at the on-screen map and the landscape below – something I absolutely love to do. At one point, we were crossing over Egypt and I […]
- [An Ode to My Favourite Food - Dosa](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-dosa-blog/): Food is a huge part of the overall travel experience. Every place in the world has its signature dishes – food that is made better there than anywhere else. Whether it is the falafel of Amman or the kulcha of Amritsar or the vada pav of Mumbai or the croissant of Paris – once you’ve […]
- [Three Small Countries  - Part 3 (Liechtenstein)](https://fridgemagnettales.com/three-small-countries-liechtenstein/): Welcome to Part 3 of our series, “Three Small Countries”. We continue our trip in Europe exploring the smallest countries in the world. We’ve already covered the smallest two countries – Vatican City and Monaco. We skip ahead a few spots on the list – number 3 and 4 are the Pacific Islands of Nauru […]
- [Three Small Countries - Part 2 (Monaco)](https://fridgemagnettales.com/three-small-countries-monaco/): Hello there! This is Part 2 of our series, “Three Small Countries”. In the first part, we visited the smallest country in the world, Vatican City. We continue our journey through Europe and move to the second country in our list. This country has the highest population density in the world. The word “population density” […]
- [Three Small Countries - Part 1 (Vatican City)](https://fridgemagnettales.com/three-small-countries-vatican-city/): How large does a place need to be to be called a country? Well, apparently, size doesn’t matter when it comes to that decision. It is a far more complicated affair to define what a country is – we’ll probably not get into that in this blog. But what we will explore are 3 of […]
- [The Beginning of Another Revolution](https://fridgemagnettales.com/goals-and-resolutions/): The earth has completed yet another revolution around the sun. And it has started on yet another one (how could I not use a pun on this one!). It’s time to put up that brand new 2024 calendar. Every year, a new calendar would come home. It would end up on the side of the […]
- [Of Coffee, Committees and Cohorts](https://fridgemagnettales.com/of-coffee-committees-and-cohorts/): The weekend! Feels like a really long time since I’ve had one. What’s up? Well, a lot actually! We got done with the mid terms (what a relief!). This was one thing I wanted to do differently here at IIMK; I was determined to slog and get good grades. Sadly, one can’t change so fast […]
- [Conquering the Fear of Weights](https://fridgemagnettales.com/conquering-the-fear-of-weight-training/): December 1st 2022. I woke up at 5 am, freshened up, packed my bag, picked up the car keys and stepped outside. It was pitch black and I drove my red Swift guided by its lights. Seven minutes later, I stopped in front of the Titan showroom and took the lift to the fourth floor […]
- [The Best of Budapest in a Day](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-day-in-budapest/): After exploring Austria, we moved further east in Europe to Hungary. Hungary, called Magyarország in Hungarian, is a member of the EU and part of the Schengen zone – which means it is easy to travel there with a Schengen visa. It is a landlocked country which has borders with Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, […]
- [Bridging Time and Connecting Generations through Podcast](https://fridgemagnettales.com/bridging-time-and-connecting-generations-through-podcast/): This is a story of two wishes. I always loved going back to Kerala for my vacations. Since we always lived outside Kerala, it was a long journey that had to be made – but we still went at least once in a year. One of the things that I really looked forward to was […]
- [Getting Into the Flow of Writing](https://fridgemagnettales.com/getting-into-the-flow-writing/): This is part two of my story on “How I Overcame the Resistance to Writing”. If you directly landed here, you might need some more context – go check out Part 1 here.  Done with Part 1? Let’s move on and see what was the thing that made me overcome the resistance to write. I […]
- [How I Overcame the Resistance to Writing](https://fridgemagnettales.com/how-i-overcame-the-resistance-to-writing/): Remember how the world was supposed to end in 2012? The year when every culture in the world had at least one reasoning as to why the world would end or “transform” in that year. Seems like a long time ago, right? I was graduating from my engineering college that year. It was also the […]
- [The Best of Prague in 2 Days](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-best-of-prague-in-2-days/): This was our first big trip together – we would be exploring 4 countries in Eastern Europe over 14 days. You can read all about how we planned this trip in full detail here. I’ll also link the blogs to the other countries we covered in this trip towards the end. Our first stop was […]
- [Cappadocia and Ankara: Fairy Chimneys & a Cancelled Balloon](https://fridgemagnettales.com/cappadocia-and-ankara/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Cappadocia & Ankara, Turkey (via Mustafapaşa, Ürgüp, Tuz Gölü) · When: Nov 2022 · Duration: 3 days · Travelled as: Family group tour with grandparents & 1.5-year-old · Base: Hanedan Cappadocia Suites, Mustafapaşa This final leg of our Turkey trip covers Cappadocia and Ankara – fairy chimneys, two cancelled hot air […]
- [Pamukkale and Konya: Cotton Castles, Rumi's Tomb](https://fridgemagnettales.com/pamukkale-and-konya/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Pamukkale & Konya, Turkey (via Denizli & Sultanhanı) · When: Nov 2022 · Duration: 2 days · Travelled as: Family group tour with grandparents & 1.5-year-old · Base: Polat Thermal Hotel, Pamukkale This leg of our Turkey trip covers Pamukkale and Konya – the cotton-white travertines, Rumi’s tomb, and the long […]
- [Troy and Ephesus Turkey: Is the Trojan Horse City Real?](https://fridgemagnettales.com/troy-and-ephesus-turkey/): After exploring Istanbul for two days, we joined a group for the rest of our Turkey trip, which included my parents. We started in Çanakkale, and visited the ancient city of Troy. We continued on our Greek adventure in Turkey with Asklepion and Ephesus.
- [Hagia Sophia, Topkapi & an Istanbul Earthquake](https://fridgemagnettales.com/istanbul-and-an-earthquake/): We woke up to the sound of knocking at around 4 in the morning. We also realised that our bed and the entire building was swinging like a pendulum. It was an earthquake!
- [Istanbul Food Guide: What to Eat in 1.5 Days](https://fridgemagnettales.com/lahmacun-pide-and-kunefe-eating-our-way-through-istanbul/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Istanbul, Turkey · When: November 2022 · Duration: 1.5 days · Travelled as: Couple + 1-year-old · Base: Beyoğlu Day 1: Evening Food Crawl – Kadıköy to Istiklal Street This is our Istanbul food guide — everything we ate, in the order we ate it, over about 1.5 days with a […]
- [Turkey Itinerary for Family Trip: 9 Days](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-turkey-itinerary/): The start Here’s our guide to plan your Turkey itinerary for family trip – 9 days with a 1-year-old and his grandparents in tow, from Istanbul to Cappadocia and back. One morning, my mother called and said they were going through some travel websites and came across an itinerary for Turkey. She wanted me to […]
- [Kazakhstan Itinerary: 4 Days in Almaty, First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-kazakhstan-itinerary/): This is our Kazakhstan itinerary – 4 days in Almaty with a toddler, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, and Charyn Canyon. Central Asia is a fascinating part of the world and is picking up fast in terms of tourism. My first exposure to this part of the world was in school geography where we learnt about […]
- [Almaty, Kazakhstan: Parks, Metro & Kok Tobe, First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/exploring-almaty/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Almaty, Kazakhstan · When: June 2023 · Duration: Days 2-4 of a longer Central Asia trip · Travelled as: Family with a 3-year-old · Base: Hotel D’Rami This is our Almaty travel account of 3 days with a toddler – parks, the metro, Kok Tobe, and some yum food! Kazakhstan’s largest […]
- [Captivating Kazakhstan: Kolsai Lakes & Charyn Canyon](https://fridgemagnettales.com/captivating-kazakhstan-awe-inspiring-nature-at-its-finest/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Almaty region, Kazakhstan · When: June 2023 · Duration: Days 1-2 of a longer Central Asia trip · Travelled as: Family with a 3-year-old · Base: Guesthouse Algados (Saty village), then Hotel D’Rami (Almaty) This is our account of Kazakhstan’s Kolsai Lakes, plus Kaindy and Charyn Canyon, travelling with a toddler. […]
- [Uzbekistan Itinerary: 8 Days, Family Friendly, First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-uzbek-itinerary/): Uzbekistan is easily the most beautiful country on the ancient Silk Road with the major cities still housing monuments and bazaars from that era. This blog details our Uzbek itinerary and will help you plan your perfect trip! Uzbekistan is one of the only two double-landlocked countries in the world. A country is called double-landlocked […]
- [Tashkent Uzbekistan: Metro, Chorsu Bazaar & Plov](https://fridgemagnettales.com/tashkent/): The capital of Uzbekistan and the largest city in Central Asia, Tashkent literally translates to “Stone City”. It is very close to the Kazakhstan border. As with most cities in the region, it was completely destroyed by Genghis Khan only to be revived and restored to glory by Amir Timur. It was built as a […]
- [Samarkand Uzbekistan: Registan, Gur-e-Amir & Shah-i-Zinda](https://fridgemagnettales.com/samarkand-uzbekistan/): Dating back to the 7th century BC, Samarkand (Samarqand in Uzbek) is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia (alongside Bukhara). It lies very close to the Tajikistan border and was also an important city in the Persian empire. Alexander the Great captured the city in the days when it was called Maracanda. It […]
- [Enchanting Bukhara, Uzbekistan: A Family Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/enchanting-bukhara-uzbekistan/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Bukhara, Uzbekistan · When: Mid-June 2023 · Duration: 2 nights · Travelled as: Family with a toddler (23 months) · Base: As-Salam Boutique Hotel This is Bukhara, Uzbekistan with a toddler in tow – two slow, relaxed days centered on the old heritage town area, a visit to the farmers’ market, […]
- [Time Traveling in Khiva: Off the Beaten Path in Uzbekistan](https://fridgemagnettales.com/time-traveling-in-khiva/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Khiva, Uzbekistan · When: Mid-June 2023 · Duration: 2 days · Travelled as: Family with a toddler (23 months) · Base: Islam Khodja Guesthouse Khiva is the off the beaten path stop most Uzbekistan itineraries skip — and travelling here with a toddler made it one of our favourite days in […]
- [The Roughest Start: A Family Trip to Uzbekistan](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-roughest-start-uzbekistan/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Bangalore → Delhi → Tashkent · When: Mid-June 2023 · Duration: Day 1 (travel day) · Travelled as: Family — toddler (23 months), grandparents and aunt This family trip to Uzbekistan almost didn’t happen — it began with a cancelled 3:30 AM flight from Bangalore and a toddler in tow. A […]
- [Austria Food Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/austria-food-guide/): One of the top reasons we travel is to eat! Yes, you heard that right! Food is an expression of the culture of the place. When you eat a dish at its place of origin in its original form, it is usually delicious and worth travelling all the way there! While Austria may not be […]
- [Getting around Austria – Travel and Where to Stay](https://fridgemagnettales.com/austria-travel-and-where-to-stay/): In our experience of travelling, Austria was one of the easiest to plan transits between cities. Everything was online and even while we were there, it was easy to find our way thanks to the readily available maps. We entered Austria from Prague by train and started our trip at Salzburg. Travel in Austria – […]
- [A Day in Vienna](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-day-in-vienna/): The capital of Austria, Vienna is also considered a hotspot for art and culture in the whole of Europe. With beautiful palaces, museums where you could spend days exploring, operas, musical shows and old coffee shops, Vienna has a lot to offer everyone who visits.  Vienna was the last stop in our Austria trip. It […]
- [Hallstatt and Dachstein - salt, ice and everything nice!](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hallstatt-and-dachstein/): We woke up at our farmhouse in St. Gilgen admiring the view of the lake and mountains. Today, we would visit Hallstatt and Dachstein, both part of the Salzkammergut region. We had an early start to finalize our plan for the day (yes, we do leave some things flexible till the end). It felt like […]
- [Salzkammergut - Nature at its finest](https://fridgemagnettales.com/salzkammergut-austria-nature/): There are few places in the world which can rival the pristine beauty of Switzerland – Salzkammergut is one of them! Salzkammergut translates to “salt domain” and lies to the east of Salzburg all the way to the Dachstein mountains. The region is also called the Lake District as it is home to over 30 […]
- [Salzburg - Mozart, the Sound of Music and a lot more](https://fridgemagnettales.com/salzburg-mozart-the-sound-of-music/): A beautiful town in the west of Austria, Salzburg is the perfect example of where nature meets culture. Sitting on the banks of the Salzach river, Salzburg is home to the legendary Mozart and has everything from beautiful gardens to palaces to an amazing medieval fortress and of course some amazing food. Salzburg literally means […]
- [The Austria Itinerary](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-austria-itinerary/): Looking for a country in Europe where you want to experience the beauty of nature? Austria may not be the first name that comes to mind. We are pretty sure it is among the most beautiful places we’ve visited (if not the most beautiful one). Nature is at its full glory with beautiful lakes, rolling […]
- [A Guide to Amman and some Amazing Jordanian Food](https://fridgemagnettales.com/amman-jordanian-food/): Amman is the capital city of Jordan. It is the largest city in the country and lies sprawled across hills and valleys. Our first reaction upon landing in Amman was that of awe – we felt like we were somewhere in Europe with lush green meadows and great roads. The stereotypical “Middle-east” image in our […]
- [A Visit to a World Wonder and the Red Planet - Petra, Wadi Rum](https://fridgemagnettales.com/petra-wadi-rum/): Two of the most iconic places in Jordan are Petra and the Wadi Rum desert. Petra Petra is one of the most prominent symbols of Jordan. The name Petra is derived from the Greek word “petros” for “rocks”. The rock in the region is rose in colour, giving it the name “Rose City”. The capital […]
- [From Jerash to the Dead Sea - the best of History and Geography](https://fridgemagnettales.com/jerash-madaba-kerak-dead-sea/): Jordan is a history-lover’s paradise. With its location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, Jordan is indeed a melting pot of history and cultures. Archaeological remains dating back to 10000 years ago have been unearthed here. It is also religiously significant – being situated in the Levant region (with Syria, Lebanon, Israel and […]
- [5-Day Jordan Itinerary: Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea](https://fridgemagnettales.com/the-jordan-itinerary/): When you pick up a map of the Middle East, you can see it being dominated by Saudi Arabia and Iran. Zoom in a bit to the north of Saudi towards the Mediterranean and you can spot a bunch of countries squeezed in – Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. We were looking for a place […]
- [Punakha, Bhutan: Chimi Lhakhang & the Dzong, First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/punakha-bhutan/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Punakha, Bhutan · When: November 2018 · Duration: Days 3-4 of a 6-day Bhutan trip · Travelled as: Couple The erstwhile capital of Bhutan, Punakha is one of the most beautiful regions of the Himalayan kingdom. Two of the main rivers of Bhutan – the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu (Chhu […]
- [Thimphu, Bhutan: Dzongs, Takin & Local Food, First-Hand](https://fridgemagnettales.com/thimphu-bhutan/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Thimphu, Bhutan · When: November 2018 · Duration: Days 2-3 of a 6-day Bhutan trip · Travelled as: Couple Thimphu is the capital and the largest city in Bhutan. It is home to the Royal family and is the commercial centre of the country – it is a place where you […]
- [Hiking to Bhutan's Tiger's Nest: A First-Hand Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/paro-bhutan/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Paro, Bhutan · When: November 2018 · Duration: Day 1 & Days 4-6 of a 6-day Bhutan trip · Travelled as: Couple · Base: Bongde Goma Resort · Budget: not specified in this post Our Bhutanese adventure started at Paro’s international airport. Landing here is, in itself, an adventure as it […]
- [Bhutan Itinerary: 5 Days, First-Hand Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/bhutan-itinerary/): The country where Gross National Happiness ranks higher than GDP. The only country in the world that is carbon negative and has 70% of its area covered by forests. The mystical kingdom nestled high up in the Himalayas. Bhutan is these things and much more. Bhutan had been on our travel list for some time. […]
- [Things to Do in Mahe Seychelles: 3-Day Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/mahe-seychelles/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Mahe, Seychelles · When: March 2020 · Duration: 3 days · Travelled as: Couple · Base: Beau Vallon This is our guide of things to do in Mahe Seychelles – Beau Vallon, Victoria, the Morne Blanc hike, and our favourite beaches. We took the morning ferry to Mahe (details on the […]
- [Praslin Seychelles: 2 Days of Beaches & Nature](https://fridgemagnettales.com/praslin-seychelles/): Trip Snapshot | Place: Praslin, Seychelles · When: March 2020 · Duration: 2 days · Travelled as: Couple · Base: Grand Anse This is our Praslin Seychelles day – Anse Lazio, the Vallee de Mai reserve, and our attempt at the Anse Georgette trail. Waking up to a sunrise on the beach, strolling along misty […]
- [La Digue Seychelles: A Perfect Day Trip Guide](https://fridgemagnettales.com/a-day-in-la-digue/): Trip Snapshot | Place: La Digue, Seychelles · When: March 2020 · Duration: Day trip from Praslin · Travelled as: Couple This is our La Digue Seychelles day trip – tortoises, vanilla plantations and Anse Source d’Argent, all in one day. You may have seen a place many times on TV, desktop wallpapers and screensavers. […]
- [Seychelles Itinerary: 5 Days on a Budget](https://fridgemagnettales.com/seychelles-the-itinerary/): This is our Seychelles itinerary – 5 days across Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, on a budget. Roughly a thousand kilometres off the eastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean lies the island nation of Seychelles. With human occupation coming relatively late in the 16th century, Seychelles is a “young” country with a cultural […]
- [Magnificent Angkor Wat](https://fridgemagnettales.com/angkor-wat-cambodia/): The Angkor Wat temple is synonymous with the country of Cambodia itself. The largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat was constructed in the 12th century by Khmer King Suryavarman II. It is so iconic that the national flag of Cambodia has the temple depicted in its centre! Our primary objective of this trip […]
- [Cambodia - A Day in Siem Reap](https://fridgemagnettales.com/cambodia-siem-reap/): The Kingdom of Cambodia is situated west of Vietnam in the Indochina peninsula of South-east Asia. Our trip was a short and sweet one – we spent two days in the historical area of Siem Reap, home to the biggest temple complex in the world – Angkor Wat. Siem Reap – Getting There You can […]
- [Fantastic Vietnamese Food and Where to Find Them](https://fridgemagnettales.com/vietnamese-food/): If there is one and only one reason to go to Vietnam, it would be the FOOD! With various dishes ranging from the north to the south, Vietnam is definitely a foodie’s paradise.
- [Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City (Cu Chi and Mekong)](https://fridgemagnettales.com/day-trips-from-ho-chi-minh-city-saigon/): Ho Chi Minh City is an excellent base location for one-day trips in South Vietnam. We went for two such trips – Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta. Read more about it here.
- [Ho Chi Minh City](https://fridgemagnettales.com/ho-chi-minh-city-saigon/): Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon is the biggest metropolitan city of Vietnam. It is also a perfect base location for day trips in South Vietnam. 
- [The Magical Town of Hoi An](https://fridgemagnettales.com/hoi-an-vietnam/): Hoi An is indeed a magical place and one that we would definitely recommend. Here is what you can expect.

## Pages

- [](https://fridgemagnettales.com/): Welcome to FridgeMagnet Tales 35 countries. One board full of magnets. From the ancient Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan to the volcanic islands of the Azores, from the golden temples of Bhutan to the coral-fringed shores of Seychelles — this blog is a decade of travel told one destination at a time. Follow us on […]
- [Non-Travel](https://fridgemagnettales.com/non-travel/): This website is not just travel blogs. Here are some of my thoughts distilled into articles. It’s my journey through life. My favourites (which I enjoyed writing most) Thought trails College stories Corporate stories
- [Travel Blog Finder - Pick a Story to Immersive Yourself Into](https://fridgemagnettales.com/archive-all-blogs/): Archive Preview 140+ stories from 30+ countries — find yours two ways below. 🗺️ By Destination Pick a country, find your blogs 📅 By Date & Search Browse the full journey chronologically ← Back 🌏 Asia 🏰 Europe 🌍 Africa ← Back 📖 Complete Journey — All 138 Posts ▼ # Date Blog Country
- [Travel Blogs - Africa](https://fridgemagnettales.com/africa/): Vast savannahs, island paradises and ancient wonders — here are our travels across the African continent. Egypt 🇪🇬 Egypt The Egypt Itinerary Abu Simbel and Aswan Going on a Nile Cruise Meeting Tut in Luxor The Pyramids of Giza Mauritius 🇲🇺 Mauritius The Mauritius Itinerary First Day of Island Life Ile Aux Cerfs Breakfast with […]
- [Travel Blogs - Asia](https://fridgemagnettales.com/asia/): The world’s largest continent spread across millions of square kilometres – ancient civilisations, every landscape imaginable, home to over 60% of humanity, and endless diverse experiences. Here are our travels across Asia. Bhutan 🇧🇹 Bhutan The Perfect Bhutan Itinerary A Guide to Paro A Guide to Thimphu A Guide to Punakha Cambodia 🇰🇭 Cambodia Cambodia […]
- [Travel Blogs - Europe](https://fridgemagnettales.com/europe/): From the ancient Roman ruins of the Mediterranean to the fairy-tale castles of Central Europe — here are our travels across the continent. Armenia 🇦🇲 Armenia The Armenia Itinerary Crossing a Land Border to Dilijan Yerevan and Etchmiadzin Mount Ararat and Areni Wine Flying on the Wings of Tatev Austria 🇦🇹 Austria The Austria Itinerary […]
- [Travel Blogs - India](https://fridgemagnettales.com/india/): From the snow-capped Himalayas to the tropical shores of the Andamans – here are our travels across India. East India East India Posts coming soon North India North India Delhi in a Day A Day Filled with History and Wonders — Agra From the Capital to the Majestic Himalayas The Summer Capital of British India […]
- [What is this place?](https://fridgemagnettales.com/about/): Hi there! Welcome to Nam, Aam and Parth’s blog! We are a couple who met in B-School and got married 4 years later. Among the things we bond over, travel tops the list. We love exploring new places together and experiencing what the world has to offer. And we are both super foodies and love […]

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