Travel

After an amazing 5-day trip in Sri Lanka, we were to catch a late night Air India flight from Colombo to New Delhi. The flight was delayed due to an engine malfunction. First by an hour. Then another hour. And four-hours later, when the repair work finished, the flight pilot’s shift had already ended! An emergency flight was planned and it was supposed to arrive 20-hours later! Air India sent all the passengers to a complimentary all-inclusive stay in Taj Samundra. ...

There was no water fountain at the airport. Everyone was expected to buy the overpriced water bottles sold alongside the “Save Environment” banner. The bathrooms were slightly damp. The AC was only partially working. There wasn’t enough space to stand, let alone sit, in the boarding area. The boarding process was haphazard with little information being conveyed about why it was delayed. The restless passengers queued up in multiple lines that merge into each other at various points. Everyone was ready to leave escape. ...

One core aspect of traveling is figuring out where to sleep. Barring more exotic options like sleeping in a tent or an RV, most people end up choosing either a hotel, an Airbnb (or VRBO), or a hostel for a stay. Read on to see what I like/dislike about each of these and what’s my favorite. Hotels Hotels are designed for tourists and not travelers. Hotels, especially big chains, are great for consistent and high-quality service. ...

I stared at the clothing in the souvenir shop. “Cancún” is written on the cap. “Cancún” is written on the chest. Cancún written on the derrière. In myriad fonts and sizes. I wondered who buys all these souvenirs. I have occasionally purchased souvenir clothing in the past. But it is usually lower quality, overpriced, and seems to give a garish look. Then this guy steps into the shop.

An expensive place full of tourists is considered a popular destination. While an inexpensive place full of tourists will be called a crowded one. An expensive place lacking tourists is termed an exclusive destination. While an inexpensive place lacking tourists is considered deserted. It is never about other tourists, it is always about how much you spent.

I love taking public transport while traveling. One, not only, gets a chance to see the lifestyles of the locals but also becomes more familiar with the new area. So, when can one count on public transport while traveling? Peru and Ecuador had great public transport, both short and long-distance. Dominica had mediocre, Aruba had just one bus going around the island’s outer road. Hawai’i has mediocre. The Dominican Republic has great public transport for both short and long-distance. So, why is this the case? ...

They don’t fly on dates 2PM and 8PM on Friday are the same dates but the former flight requires taking a leave from office, latter does not. 11PM on Friday and 1AM on the following Saturday are different dates for the airlines, but it’s same for passengers. Discovery of the latter is especially poor on most booking websites. Destinations matter more than the airport The concept of the nearby airport based on the distance is archaic. For example, San Jose (SJC) and San Francisco (SFO) are almost identical for most leisure travelers since most individuals flying into either are going into SF Bay Area. A bit further one from SFO is SCK (Stockton) which sucks for the lack of ease of connectivity back into the SF Bay Area. A leisure traveler flying into Kona in Hawaii might gladly take a flight out of Hilo which is on the other side of the island. While I am giving the example of airports I am more familiar with, I think the idea applies to most metros with multiple airports. Airlines treat such a ticket as open-jaw and usually charge a higher price. ...

Choosing a travel backpack is a topic of several online debates. Here are some of my learnings. The final decision depends on your preferences. Size First, start with the size, usual sizes are around 25L, 45L, 65L. The 25L is OK for a day or two, and you can stretch it for a few days. It is almost what a good office backpack looks like. 45L can last for a few week-long urban trips. Of course, it cannot contain things like sleeping bag etc. Both of these are good choices for urban travel or travel not involving sleeping outdoors. For travel involving carrying sleeping bags or tents, a 65L backpack is unavoidable. But here is the flip-side. Not only, it is bulky but also, you cannot carry it in most airlines. You have to do a check-in which even if free, can be time-consuming. Here are some images from Google illustrating the sizes. ...

I grumbled that I have to go through security check on a connecting airport. It turned out that my domestic flight had landed in the international section. There was no secure passage connecting it to the next terminal. I crossed the security checkpoint at LA airport, and after wearing my shoes, I was waiting for my bag to come out of the scanner. “Sir, is this your bag?” a tall African-American TSA personnel looking at me, said, “it turned the light red on the scanner, we need to recheck it.” I was pretty sure the bottles were empty. I was not carrying anything sharp except keys which TSA people have seen before. She opened my bag in front of me, checked and pulled a banana bread out. “We have to test this,” she said. ...