Singapore Zoo - Ranked one of the best in the world!

Rated as one of the best zoo in the world, Singapore have got to be proud of themselves even when bigger countries in Asia can’t maintain such a spectacular world class zoo which carries great amount of healthy natural world not only wild animals but also tropical plant life.

Singapore Zoo followed the modern trend of displaying animals in naturalistic environment, open zoo concept with hidden barriers, behind moats and so on.

Asian Elephants performing at the show "Elephants at play and work" which is held twice daily.

Animals at the Australian Outback...

Lake Toba - North Sumatera, Indonesia

Lake Toba (Danau Toba) is the largest volcanic lake in the world and the largest lake in South East Asia is in North Sumatera, Indonesia. It’s spectacularly surrounded by tall mountains and with a large island called Samosir in the middle of the lake. If we descend from the mountain we see the lake glittering in all its beauty. This lake is way bigger than Singapore measuring 1707 sq kms.

You can get to Lake Toba from Medan by car or bus which takes about 5 to 6 hours depending on the traffic and weather conditions. There are two routes to Lake Toba which are via Permatang Siantar and Berastagi. The nearest airport to reach this destination is Polonia Airport in Medan as well.  

Lake Toba formed in a volcanic eruption around 75,000 years ago and was the largest in 25 million years. The volcanic blast was so large it deposited ash up to 15 cm all over India and up to 9 meters in Malaysia. Most of the plant and animal life across Asia was wiped out in that explosion.

 

Lake Toba is a quiet place to relax with it serene environment pleasing us all the time while we are there. There is a small market area called tuk tuk where you can buy some souvenirs and t-shirts and that’s where the ferry drops off passengers coming in from the main land ferry terminal called Parapat. It’s an hour ferry ride to get into Samosir Island from Parapat.

Few Batak villages are up for visits such as Ambarita and Tomok, the guide briefed us about the Batak tradition and history which involved cannibalism long time ago. Most of these Batak tribes are now Christians. It was pleasant to idle lazy in this peaceful island as a break from a hectic city life…

Alleppey/Alappuzha - Backwaters of Kerala

Alleppey/Alappuzha district in Kerala, Southern India is incredibly well-known as “Venice of the East” for its lengthy canals which are well connected to many other parts of Kerala, vast lagoons and lakes, also not forgetting to mention about the lush greenery on the both sides of the waterways, let it be paddy fields or coconut plantation on the both sides of the canals, it will never fail to impress us with its splendid countryside view of the gods own country.

Alleppey/Alappuzha is just 70Kms from Cochin (nearest airport), a main hub of Kerala other than Thiruvananthapuram & Kozhikode. A car ride will take approximately an hour and a quarter from Cochin to Alleppey. Train and bus rides frequent to Alleppey from Cochin. Tourist taxis will be the best option for foreign travelers as it will be uncomplicated to travel from one place to another hassle free.

Alleppey/Alappuzha has great weather which is not too hot even during summer, maybe since this district is in close proximity to the ocean. Best time to visit will be between mid August till mid March.

The backwater of Kerala is one of the main attractions in India. Best voyage in the backwaters either starts in Alleppey or Kumarakom compared against few other spots in Kerala. The Houseboats “Kettuvallam” are famous mainly among honeymooners. You can hire the houseboats ranging from ½ a day to few days which include meals on board. There are houseboats which even has 3 rooms in it for a big family. The houseboats are well furnished. 2 tier boats are also available for big groups. There are also small boats which takes you a few hours voyage through the lazing canals. You can get good bargains when you book directly with the houseboat operators rather than depending on touts.

From the boat you can observe the everyday village life of people, stop for a drink & snacks, watch birds, and enjoy this relaxing journey through canals, lakes and lagoons. It is nice to go towards Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, where rice farming is done below sea level. This unique experience in the backwaters of Kerala will be something remembered for a lifetime!