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“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

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Marina Del Ray at Los Angeles, California

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Evenings in L.A <3

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Win a trip to Nepal !

Win a trip to Nepal !

It is no secret that travel is always on my mind..exploring new cultures and places is what I love to do! I have really been blessed with the opportunity to travel and I figure it is only fair that I now try to help others achieve their travel dreams. Hence, I am starting a new segment on my blog : CONTESTS / COMPETITIONS to win a trip. Which means, whenever I come across any contest, I will be…

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Driving by in L.A.

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Win a trip for two!- Tourradar

Win a trip for two!- Tourradar

Being a travel blogger, I am always looking forward to my next trip, to my next adventure, my next travel story to tell. So while planning my next trip which will be to Australia-New Zealand, I came across this  opportunity of winning a trip for 2 to Australia or Cambodia (yes, you get to choose your destination! And yes, the tour is for you and a friend. I was pretty excited about it and have…

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Beautiful Seychelles #seychelles #travel #beach #island

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The Grand Canyon- an overview

Spreading over 277 miles, the Grand Canyon is a huge tourist attraction, featuring on the bucket list of many. Located in the state of Arizona in the United States of America, the Canyon is an exquisite piece of nature and it is very hard to believe that it was all carved by the forces of nature- the Colorado river being the main hand behind forming it to be the marvelous wonder that it is today.

Getting there:

By Flight: Many of the visitors to the Grand Canyon take a flight to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) or to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). It takes 3-5 hours of driving from here to reach the Canyon, depending on which airport you arrive at and which part of the canyon you intend to visit.

By car: Incase you opt to travel by car, do keep yourself updated on announcements of road closures/ detours on the route you intend to take and the weather forecast during your travel time. North Rim route is generally snowed in during the winter months and is not accessible.

Tours: Most visits to the Grand Canyon are through tour agencies. Many hotels offer a selection of day tours via tour agencies to the canyon, which include a drop and pick from the hotel itself. And majority of these do include a visit to the Hoover dam as well, so if that’s on your list, make sure you specify the same at the time of selection. You can book your tour online or directly with tour agencies around. There are a number of types of tours to choose from- the walking tour (most tourists opt for this), the helicopter tour (if a bird’s eye view is what you are looking for), hiking (for the adventurous type) and jeep excursions, just to name a few.

Different viewing options:

Many of those visiting the canyon have this common question: Should we visit the North Rim or the South Rim, the West Rim or the East Rim?

Well, they are not comparable, really. Each of the rims offer spectacular views of the Canyon that are marvelous in their own right. Listed below are what each offers, to help you along your planning and decision. Do factor in your time of visit, duration of your stay, and travel convenience.

The SOUTH RIM sees the maximum number of visitors as it easily accessible to all. It is perfect for those looking for a day trip to the canyon. South Rim provides panoramic views of the Canyon that is ever so often seen in movies and pictures. There are scheduled activities here like helicopter tours, mule riding, biking and so on. Make sure you check and book these in advance. Other facilities like restrooms, restaurants and souvenir shops are available here, which makes it more attractive an option for a visit, especially for those traveling with children. The paved path of the South Rim has the Grand Canyon history timeline along the entire trail, giving detailed information of the Canyon, which enhances the experience- your personal tour guide, if you wish. There are options to hike too, but not as challenging as those that you will find at the North Rim. Easily accessible viewpoints along the South Rim make it simple for all visitors to enjoy this majestic marvel, all year round.

The NORTH RIM, being more remote than the south, has relatively fewer visitors, making the visit a more peaceful one. Hiking and driving to the view points is done from here. Most of those who visit here have their own transportation or travel by the “Trans Canyon Shuttle” from the South Rim. Do check the shuttle schedule, if you intend to employ it as your mode of travel. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park  remains shut during the winter because of heavy snow from late October until May. It is fairly cool during the summer months too, given the high elevation. The enchanting views from the North rim are typically accessed by hiking along the trails, which can be lengthy and sometimes, less accessible. Reserve a campsite or lodge in advance when planning your visit here.

The WEST RIM provides a one of its kind experience to its visitors. West Rim is well-known for its glass bridge, the Skywalk- a structure that juts out into the canyon, providing an amazing walking-on-air experience. This land is privately owned by the Tribal Indian reservation of The Hualapai, so visiting here gives you a chance to meet and interact with them in their homeland. Traveling to the West Rim takes around 2 and a half hours from Las Vegas by car. There are helicopter, airplane and bus tours as well as horseback riding that can included as part of the package. Visitors can opt for a half day visit or add on activities and make it a full day visit to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. Overnight stay cabins are available too, with prior reservation.

The EAST RIM enjoys moderate and warm temperatures due to lower elevation than the other rims. This area does not attract as many visitors as does the South Rim and is considered as one of the peaceful rims of the Canyon. There are many attractions here like a view of the ‘Horseshoe Bend’, visits to the smaller canyons, boat tours and helicopter tours. When traveling from Las Vegas, the other rims are more easily accessible, unlike the East Rim.

There is also the inner canyon which comprises of everything below the rim and is seen mainly by hikers, mule riders, or those taking a river trip through the Canyon on the Colorado River . Ofcourse, this requires more than just a day trip to the Canyon, so bear this in mind while planning your visit there.

Whichever you decide to finally visit, the beauty of this natural wonder will not fail to enthrall you. Remember to check the weather conditions before visiting so you have the appropriate attire on and the necessary gear while hiking/rafting.

Our Grand Canyon experience:

We visited the Canyon through a day tour booked from our hotel during our stay at Las Vegas. We visited the South Rim (North Rim was closed during our time of visit, being the winter months). The temperature on the day of our visit was between 30 to 40 degrees F, although it wasn’t snowing. The tour we booked also included a view of the Hoover dam on the way. Grand Canyon is nearly 5 hours away from Vegas by road and it was noon by the time we reached there. There were many visitors on the South Rim of the Canyon, who were enthusiastically posing for pictures despite the nip in the air. As we walked along the Trail of time, we learnt a lot about the geology of the Grand Canyon, that acted as a tour guide for those like us who chose to make our way on our own. The unique bird calls around and the tiny view of the trail of the river flowing deep below; the intricately carved canyon and the different hues the sun and shadows created on it as the day progressed, all added to the wonderful experience- truly, nature at its best.

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Las Vegas- More than just gambling

Las Vegas needs no introduction whatsoever. This populous city in Nevada, is internationally renowned for its nightlife, casinos,shopping and fine dining. A week in this city and we understood first hand why it is the tourist attraction that it is.

We traveled from Los Angeles to Las Vegas by bus (LUX BUS AMERICA). You can also choose to travel by airplane, or to drive down by renting a car. We decided on travelling by bus for the landscape pics along the way, and well, just for the experience of it. We reached Las Vegas in around 5 hours.

Commuting within the city:

The city of Las Vegas is well connected by buses and the monorail, which covers the strip. The ‘strip’ is where all the hotels and casinos are located. You could also choose to travel around by cab/ rented car, although we found travelling by the monorail to be very convenient.

Hotels:

The hotels here are reasonably priced and you have a number of them to choose from. Each hotel has a casino and may also have special performances by singers, musicians and magicians. Do check with the hotel for any such performances during your time there. There are some hotels worth visiting for the wonderful design and interiors, like Caesar’s palace, which is a Roman themed casino hotel, Circus Circus, which has circus acts as well as a theme park, Stratosphere, for the rides and the view at the top, just to name a few. You will find tourists walking in and out of different hotels, for a tour of the unique set up and for the casinos there.

What to do:

Gambling at casinos is the first thought that comes to mind, when in Vegas. We aren’t gamblers in the true sense of the term, although we did try our hand at that too! It is fun, but know when to stop, before you land up spending a good chunk of your travel money! Apart from this, as mentioned, you could also book tickets to a show running during your stay. We visited Little New York, located at New York-New York hotel, the theme being the skyline of New York, as the name suggests. We also visited the chocolate stores- M&M and Hershey’s, which were a real hit with chocolate lovers, who were walking out with huge bags of merchandise and chocolates. The fountain show at the Bellagio is also worth checking out, if you happen to be in that area after dark. We booked a tour to the Grand Canyon from our hotel concierge, which also covered a tour to the Hoover dam site. This is a must-do, the canyon is truly a marvelous sight! The walking tour along the canyon was an interesting way to learn more about it and click pictures.

Food & Shopping:

You will find a variety of cuisines to satisfy your taste buds here- pizzas, burgers, subways, buffets, steakhouses and diners. We also came across people giving out discount coupons for food and drink at certain restaurants as promotional offers. Numerous fast food joints can be found all along the strip.

For shopping, if you are looking for high end boutiques, you will find a host of such in a number of luxury hotels and also on the strip. If souvenirs are what you want, walk along the strip and you will find many small stores like 10$ souvenirs shops, with a collection of t-shirts, post cards and other such mementos of Vegas.

All in all, Las Vegas proved to be an exciting city, with fun tourist attractions and interesting sights to see.

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Hollywood walk of fame by evening- when the ‘superheroes’ come out to play!

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View from Santa Monica Pier

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Los Angeles- The city of dreams

This was our first trip together and we picked the city of dreams- Los Angeles. It lived up to all that we had imagined it to be..and more! With such a vibrant city, you need to plan your schedule ahead, just so that you do not miss out on anything. Of course unplanned days have their own element of surprise, but with a city like L.A, you do not want to have any regrets of that sort. Landing at L.A after a really long flight (we were travelling from Asia, so flights from here are no less than 15-17 hours long), we were grateful for the hotel pick up from the airport. Most hotels, especially those located closer to the airport, provide shuttle service, so do check for the same before you arrive. Commuting within the city: This was made very simple for us by the hop on hop off buses (HOHO bus) and the Big blue bus. We chose these are our main mode of transport since the bus stops were conveniently located just a stone's throw away from the hotel we stayed at. The HOHO buses in L.A. follow different routes (green, yellow, purple and so on) that gives tourists a choice of famous sites to visit. Always on time and providing audio commentary in a host of languages, these buses are your best bet on your first visit to L.A. You may opt to rent a car or take a cab around too, but we wanted to enjoy touring the city on an open roof-top bus. (It also helped to click pics from a higher view with no obstructions) What we visited at L.A.: Los Angeles is a vast city to actually cover in just a few days although, as mentioned, if you plan ahead, you can make the best of your stay here. Although we saw most of the "must see" sites through the hop on and hop off, we did get off at certain places to spend more time there or just to shop and eat! Hollywood Boulevard: As a tourist, you should definitely visit this place. Hollywood walk of fame, TCL Chinese theatre, Madam Tussaud's, Ripley's believe it or not are just few of the many attractions here. You can also view the Hollywood sign in the distance from here. We landed up staying in this area for around 2-3 hours; lots of entertainment, good place for shopping. Santa Monica Bay/ Venice Beach: You can plan a half day or an entire day trip to this beach, depending on the availability of time. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes close to the beach. We rented cycles, hung out at the pier and lounged by the sea side before trying out the choice of fast food available there at the far end of the beach. There are also street performers and small shops, eateries in this area. Fisherman's village at Marina Del Rey: Fisherman's Village is a waterfront mall, commercial boat anchorage and tourist attraction located in Marina del Rey. The waterfront offers panoramic views of the harbor and the brightly painted lighthouse and attractive set up catches the eye. Tourist attractions include live music concerts, restaurant and café dining, harbor and fishing cruises, boat and bicycle rentals and souvenir shops. You may also find water sports being done here; it does not hurt to inquire about the same. Do carry swimwear if you intend to go for it. We also loved the place for the lovely background it provided for photos. Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip, China Town are other places we had a chance to visit with the HOHO bus. Good for shopping/ window-shopping and just enjoying the pulsating atmosphere at these places in general. We also made it a point to go to farmer's market to try out the various yummy eateries there. Must try for foodies!!You get a wide choice of different cuisines from various countries here. L.A is the place for celebrity spotting, so have your camera handy at all times! We didn't have any such luck, but who knows, you may! We did manage to click a whole lot of photos which contribute to the amazing memories we hold of the beautiful city. What about you? Have you been to Los Angeles? What was your experience like?

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so true!!

Florida would have to be my favorite.

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Marina Del Rey