Lucerne (Switzerland): A gateway to paradise

Lucerne is the tourism capital of Switzerland and gateway to the snow peaks – Mt. Titlus, Jungfrau and the beautiful town of Interlaken. On the periphery of Lucerne is Mt.Pilatus & Mt. Rigis which unfortunately are not on the itinerary of most package tour operators. Well, if you are going to Jungfrau & Mt.Titlus, you wouldn’t miss much by skipping these two lesser known mountains. And if must visit them, you can hop onto the tours operated by the Tourist Information Bureau next to the Lucerne main station.

Lucerne, a beautiful town nestled on the banks of a massive lake and surrounded by beautiful snow peaked mountains, is just an hours train ride from Zurich airport. You can book the tickets on the internet as well (www.sbb.ch) It is advisable that you travel light on your trip to Switzerland to be able to travel in the public transport. Taxis here are mind blowingly expensive. You have the option of leaving some of your bags at the LEFT LUGGAGE DEPARTMENT at Zurich airport. You can ask any information counter at the airport for directions to reach this department. However be prepared to pay up to Rs. 300-400 per bag per day as storage charges. This may be a better option though, than lugging the heavy luggage around with you.

Right across the lake in front of the Main Railway station lays the old town of Lucerne. This quaint old area with cobble stoned pathways and old European architecture remind us of the era gone by. You can just walk across the bridge from the station and turn left to reach the old town. It is a very beautiful place to stay. There are several budget hotels here, one of them being Best Western Krone at Weinmarkt. This is a nice, clean and a reasonably priced hotel. (http://www.book.bestwestern.com/ ) I must remind you here that Switzerland is amongst the most expensive countries in the world, hence you may find these rates very expensive. If you are a budget tourist, you will do well to travel in a packaged tour to Europe as they generally turn out 30-40% cheaper.

On this lake in the famous old wooden bridge which had got burnt down a few years back and has now been rebuilt. Close to the old town is the Lion Monument. Just a 15 minute walk shall take you to this WWII memorial. It is believed that if you make a wish and throw a coin in the pond here, you wish comes true, very much like the more famous Trevi Fountain of Rome. Just outside the Lion Monument is a small gifts and souvenirs shop run by a sweet lady. I have found here very exciting bargains on Swiss watches and other novelties. This is a good place to pick up some souvenirs and gifts for friends. If you looking for something in particular and it is not available here, bring it to the notice of the lady. She will take you to her bigger shop down the road which has a much bigger collection.

Next to the station is the tourist information bureau where you can get information on the various tours available as well as book the tickets for the same. Across the road from here is the McDonalds, the cheapest food in Switzerland. You can also pick up some food bargains in the subway shopping at the station. Restaurants here shall cost you minimum Rs. 1000-1200 per person per meal. A meal at one of the restaurants next to the lake is a nice experience. You can try the Swiss dishes – Risotto & Fondue here. You can also get good Pizzas and Pastas. You can also try Ravioli, a rice dish with veggies and cheese.
If you are dying for an Indian meal, try the restaurant on the 1st floor diagonally opposite the street leading to the Lion Monument.

Between the old city and the Lion monument is the Watch shop of Bucherer. You will get discount coupons from your tour operator for shopping here. Believe me, until you are a watch connoisseur, you will not pick up anything from this shop. Take the lane next to this shop and walk for 2 minutes. On the left you will find a big chocolate shop. If you are a chocolate fan, this is the shop for you. Choose the home made chocolates and candies from the Glass Jars instead of the packaged chocolates. If you are looking for cheap Swiss chocolates for yourself and for gifting, pick it up from the shops in the basement of the railway station. You can try the chocolates of “Lindtt & Sprungle”. Swiss white chocolates are worth a try.

Lucerne is your Gateway to the snow peaked Swiss Alps. The most popular being Mt.Titlus & Jungfrau. A beautiful coach ride through the scenic countryside of Switzerland brings you to the beautiful town of Interlaken. Interlaken, a town where several Bollywood films have been shot, is bestowed with natural beauty in abundance and is made famous by its beautiful mountains, lush green fields, lovely Swiss cows and wooden houses. A unique feature of houses in this region is that there are two houses a big and a small connected by a small bridge. The old parents live in the small house while the children and their families live in the larger house. From Interlaken you take a train to Jungfrauoch (Top of Europe 11000 ft). Some tour operators may take you to Lauterbrunnen to catch this train and give you some time an Interlaken on the return trip. The train ride through the Alps provides a breathtaking view of the god’s gift to this lovely country. You are required to change into a cog wheeled train at Grindelwald. The train on its way to the Top of Europe passes through several ski resorts and a long tunnel cut into the difficult mountain terrain, an example of the Swiss technological brilliance. The train stops at two places in the tunnel where glass windows have been built to provide you a view of the beautiful mountain ranges. At the top you can take a walk through the ice caves, or take a ride in the dog pulled sledges. A lift takes you to the snow covered table top land. Here you can take a walk and click beautiful pictures of the Swiss Alps. Do not forget to carry warm jackets, caps & gloves as it can get very breezy and cold at the top. After spending some time on the top you can come down to the snack bar and have a hot noodle soup to rejuvenate yourself.

Mt. Titlus, the most favored tourist spot of the Indians, starts with a surprise. The café at the souvenir shop at cable car station has Samosas on the menu. I picked up the Samosas to add on to the cable car experience. You have to change into 3 different cable cars to reach the top at Mt. Titlus. The first is a small car with sitting arrangement. I suggest you have your snacks here. The second one is a rectangular shaped huge car which transports you to next level. Here you travel standing very much like our local trains. The third is the only revolving cable car in the world. The rotating floor inside provides all round view of the beautiful Swiss mountains. You can spend some glorious moments in the snow at the top and just don’t miss the ride in the “Ice Fliers”. Usually the ticket for the ice flier is included in your trip cost. Ask your tour guide for the ice flier tickets as you need to show your ticket for this ride. “Ice flier” a recently added attraction at Mt.Titlus provides a closer look at the crevices & the snow covered mountains. Once back, you shall be besieged with hunger. The self service restaurant at the top offers some lovely pastas, pizzas, muffins and hot coffee. This is also the meeting place for the entire group and the tour guide.

Water is an expensive commodity in Switzerland. You may have to shell out Rs.100-120 for a 200ml bottle of water. Tap water is perfectly safe for drinking and you can save precious money by filling up your bottles before you move out of your hotel everyday.

Pattaya: Heaven for water sports enthusiasts

Pattaya is appx. 150 kms from Bangkok and a 90 minute drive on the motorway. You can hire a metered taxi which shall charge appx. THB 800-900 for a one way trip. If you opt for a limo it shall cost you about THB 1500-1800. You must insist on using the motorway which is safer & quicker. You shall be required to shell out an extra THB 100 for the toll.

In Pattaya, choose a hotel in North Pattaya close to the beach road. There are several cheap & luxury accommodations available here (you can get attractive hotel accommodation on http://www.wired-destinations.com/ ). In north Pattaya there are mini truck type taxis plying in a circular route between the main beach road and the 2nd road (appx 5-6 kms circuit covering the hub of all activities in Pattaya). You can just waive any cab moving and hop in and pay THB 5 per person and get down wherever you want on this route. Just press the bell over your head in the van when you want it to stop. Do not ask them for fares, just hand them the exact change. If you ask, you shall end up paying much more.

Pattaya is a heaven for a water sport enthusiast. You can ride a Jet Ski, Speedboat and do parasailing for a measly THB 600-750 for a ride of 30 minutes. In Mumbai & Goa you are required to fork out Rs. 900-1000 for a 10 minute ride. Again bargaining is a must here. Water sports are better and cheaper in the Jomtien area. A taxi ride to Jomtien from north pattaya shall be appx. THB 100.

Shopping in Pattaya is best avoidable as the prices are very high compared to Bangkok. But if you are an ardent shopper you can consider Lotus Tesco or a Big C in the North Pattaya or their branches at Sukhumvit near Jomtien area. Next to Lotus at Sukhumvit is the Factory outlet mall where you can get the big brands at very reasonable rates. If you wish to renew your wardrobe, this is the place.

Food: There are several eateries all over Pattaya catering to every palate. There is no dearth of fast food joints which also serve vegetarian dishes. There is a small Chinese restaurant on the main beach road near the walking street. On the looks it is not very appealing, but the food here is excellent and very reasonable. You can get a good variety of vegetarian dishes as well. If you are a vegetarian, insist on food without fish oil or oyster sauce. You can try roasted Sweet potatoes, Yam, Corn available on the roadside, they are nice and tasty. You must try Rambutan a local fruit like lychees. It is very sweet and juicy. If you travel to Jomtien beach area, there are several restaurants serving good continental food. (Jomtien area becomes dead after sunset)

Nightlife: In the evenings, a few drinks at the several open air bars dotting the beach road can add to the de-stressing experience. The drinks here are affordable and you can also expect some excellent starters. If you a beer lover, try the local beer – Singa and Chang. If you take my advice, avoid the GO-GO bars in Thailand. They are a rip off and shall leave you poorer by a few thousand bahts. Walking street is a great fun to take a walk in the evening.

Coral Island: A trip to Pattaya is incomplete without a day trip to Coral Island. A 45 minute boat ride brings you to a pristine island with white sand beaches and blue waters. Here you are taken in a glass bottom boat to see the beautiful corals. You can also indulge in water sports like Jet Ski, Banana boat ride, parasailing etc. The tour to Coral Island is inclusive of lunch so take care to inform the tour operator of your preference for a vegetarian meal. You can also opt for a under sea walking on your way to Coral Islands. You have to inform this to your tour operator in advance if you intend to do under sea walking. I advise that you must try this. Anyone can do this as it is absolutely safe and even if you do not know swimming, no problem. There are trained divers and several people on the sea bed waiting to guide and help you. You are first given a helmet type of head gear which is your source of oxygen and then you are lowered 25-30 meters in the sea from the anchored boat. Once you are down, there are several guides waiting to take you for a under sea walk. He will make you kneel and give you a piece of bread to hold. The moment you hold the bread aloft, lo and behold! You shall be surrounded by most beautiful fishes trying to take bite off the bread in your hand. The experience is truly worth experiencing. You shall also see some beautiful corals and under sea life, something you shall not forget in a hurry. Though you may find the charge of appx. THB 2000-2500 per person a tad high for this experience, but take my word, it’s worth every penny. You may be required to fork out 10 times this amount for a similar experience in man made aquariums in Europe & USA.

Sight Seeing: Thai government advertises for many sightseeing tours in Pattaya like trip to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Sanctuary of Truth with an added attraction of swimming with the dolphins, visit to the Crocodile park, Tiger Zoo, Elephant treks & the Ocenarium etc. If you have been to the Rose garden in Bangkok you need not visit Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. The Sanctuary of Truth is the largest construction of hand carved wood. Its being built since last 25 years and may take another 15 years to be completed. To attract visitors an attraction of a swim with the dolphins is added. The water pond where dolphins are kept is dirty and you will not feel like even dipping your feet in it. The visit to this place is not really worth it. If you have kids traveling with you you may visit the crocodile park & tiger zoo and get yourself clicked with the animals. The oceanarium (a giant aquarium with beautiful collection of fishes) has a lovely collection of undersea life and worth a visit. However, if you are also visiting Singapore, you can skip this as the zoo & ocenarioums in Singapore are much better.

Kanchanaburi ( Thailand ) - Reminds us of horros of WW II

Kanchanaburi is a beautiful district 130 kms from Bangkok. You can opt for a guided tour of the region offered by the local tour operators. The Kanchanaburi tour starts in the morning with a visit to the largest pagoda in the south east asia -“Phra Pathom Chedi”. Next is a visit to the JEATH war museum, on the banks of River Kwai, showcasing the plight of the prisoners of war during the WWII. You will proceed on to visit the well-kept cemetery, which contain the graves of an estimated 9,000 allied soldiers who lost their lives while building the bridge and constructing the notorious "Death Railway" which the Japanese had hoped to stretch all the way to the Burmese border.

The famous bridge on River Kwai built during the WWII is the next attraction. A famous Hollywood film has also been made on this bridge “ A Bridge over River Kwai”. After lunch at River Kwai you board the “DEATH RAILWAY” to Nam Tok station. This is a wonderful ride through Thai countryside and provide you the glimpses of the route used during the WWII. This railway passes through the famous wooden bridge which was built by hand by the prisoners of war. You spend overnight at one of the famous resorts on the banks of river kwai. Next day you visit the Hellfire pass memorial, now maintained by Australians in honour of their soldiers who died here during the WWII. You must walk down the path from the memorial to the Hellfire pass. This is probably the narrowest pass cut out into the mountains by bare hands by the POW’s. Embedded traces of the railway line & a tall tree right in the middle of this pass remind us of the horrors of war.

This is followed by a trip to the elephant park. You are taken on a Elephant trek through the dense jungles and can have a close view of the beautiful tropical forests. Elephants wade though the river kwai with water level almost reaching their head. It is a wonderful experience. You can then take a ride in the bamboo raft. The raft is pulled upstream by a tug boat and then released. The raft slowly cruises downstream with the river current. If you are adventurous you can jump into the river for a swim. The only sound you will hear is the sound of water and the chirping of birds. The serenity of this ride is breathtaking. After the ride you proceed onto the historic ruins of Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand. The ruins offer a glimpse of old Ayutthaya, which once was a prosperous and majestic capital with over 400 magnificent Buddhist monasteries.

The last attraction before you come back to Bangkok is the summer palace of the King Rama, Bang Pa-In. Within the inner palace are several buildings in various styles. Perhaps the most interesting building in the inner complex, and the only one open to the public, is the Chinese style residence built in China and gifted to King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in 1889. You must remove your shoes to enter and enjoy the ebony and red lacquer interior.

Surviving Bangkok: A practical guide for an ordinary tourist

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is easily accessible by air from all the major Indian airports. Though Thailand offers Visa on arrival, opt for visa prior to arrival from the Thai Consulates in India. This shall save you 30-60 minutes wait in the queue at the Bangkok airport and remember to carry passport sized photographs for the visa if you opt for visa on arrival. If you are traveling on your own, remember to come out of the terminal and hail a metered taxi. A ride to city in a metered taxi will cost you THB 150-250 whereas a limo ride would make you poorer by THB 500-700.

Accommodation: One of the better places to stay in Bangkok is Asia Hotel, a very inexpensive hotel with excellent location. ( you can check out various staying options at www.asia-hotels.com ). You can opt for a cabin room at Asia Hotel. This is a cheaper much room. Only drawback is lack of proper sunlight. But, on a holiday one hardly spends time in a hotel but for a night sleep. Asia Hotel, a 4-star property has a very spacious lobby, good restaurants, and nice, clean and spacious rooms. The big advantage of this hotel is that it is connected to a sky train station which can be accessed from within the hotel. This gives you an excellent mobility. It is however advisable not to dine here or hail their cabs. You can get much cheaper and better options outside. You can come out of the hotel and request the gatekeeper to call a metered taxi for you, they are much cheaper. One thing that goes against the metered cabs are extremely congested traffic scenario of Bangkok. A ride in a taxi may take more that double the time a ride in a sky train. There are several affordable accommodations available in the central area of Sukhumvit.

Getting Around: Sky train and now MRT are quick and inexpensive means of traveling in Bangkok. Though taxis are quite reasonable, they take a lot of time due to heavy traffic on the Bangkok roads. Sky train & MRT easily connect you to most of the city attractions. You can go for a day pass if you intent to whiz across the city. The sky train & MRT route maps are available on the internet, at the airport and also at your hotel.

Shopping: Close in the vicinity of Asia Hotel is the MBK shopping mall, Big C, Lotus Tesco, Central World Plaza, Pratunam Plaza and for the IT buffs, Panthip Plaza. You can get a bargain here for everything in computers & home electronics. This place is a Mecca for pirated DVD’s available for as low as THB 100 per movie and pirated softwares available for THB 100 per CD. Generally the movie prints and software quality is ok. You can get a good bargain on Laptop computers, Digital cameras, CD /DVD players. Avoid picking up unknown Chinese brands as their quality is a suspect. You can also visit Fortune mall situated at Fortune hotel complex for IT shopping, but I feel you get a better bargain at Panthip Plaza.

Thai government now allows VAT refund for the tourists. Ask the shopkeeper for Form PP1 to claim your VAT refund. A refund of 7% VAT can be a sizeable amount for an ardent shopper. BUT make sure that the goods you wish to claim your refund on are kept handy for inspection by the custom officers before your check in. After inspection and stamping of the PP1 form at customs before check in, you can claim the refund from the VAT refund counter in the duty free shopping area. Remember to tick the clause “I want refund in cash” when you are filling your PP1 form at the shop. Always carry your passports when going shopping as it is required by the shopkeeper to give you the PP1 form. Make a photocopy of the bill & PP1 form if you need a copy as the customs are going to retain these while giving you the refund. If by any chance you are unable to show some article you are claiming your refund for to the custom officer, he may cancel the refund application for your entire shopping.

Bangkok is a great place for clothes & footwear shopping. Shopping malls like Big C, Lotus Tesco & MBK offer great choices at great prices. Handicrafts are another thing that you can look for in Bangkok. Pat pong night market (starts at 9 pm) offers some excellent bargains in clothing’s, footwear, handicrafts and other gifts and novelties. Be prepared to do some real hard bargaining here. Start at THB10 if you are quoted 50 and you may get the stuff THB 20. Do not be a peeping Tom here as the entire area is a red light district. You shall do well to avoid the objectionable places here and sticking only to shopping, as you may end up loosing everything you have on your person here. Pat pong is very easily accessible by sky train. Bangkok is a good place to but rare gems & precious stones. If you are looking for a good pair of suit there is no better place than Bangkok. Most of the tailoring shops are owned by Sikhs and can deliver a suit within a day. A decent suit with a shirt & a tie shall cost only THB 3000-3500. If you go for 2-3 pairs and bargain hard you can get even a better deal. Most of the tailoring shops & gems shops offer a no obligation pick up & drop facility. Your hotel can assist you is contacting one of these shops.

Chatuchak market (pronounced Jatujak), promoted as a tourist destination, is a big let down. You can expect used clothing’s, poor quality stuff and not much pleasure of bargaining. It get overly crowded if you not amongst the first to visit. I found the place over hyped and if you are looking for some real shopping, this place is best avoided. You can of course visit this place just for the viewing experience. You can probably get a bargain in some handicrafts. Chatuchak is also connected by the sky train service.

Sight seeing: Though Bangkok is just like any other modern city, it has several nice places to look around. Several Buddhist temples spread all around the city are worth visiting. Thailand a Buddhist country revels in its Buddhist culture and Buddha in different poses is a treat to look at. Further, the temples offer a great view of Thai architecture. Besides the temples, you can visit Rose Garden to get a glimpse of Thai culture. Rose garden is a one stop shop which presents the entire Thailand before you. You can see the traditional Thai folk dance, elephant show, Thai boxing etc. There is also boating and many attractions for the kids as well. The City Palace, the abode of the king of Thailand is another place frequented by the tourists.

Dining at the top floor of Hotel Baioke Sky is an exhilarating experience. This is the tallest building in Thailand and the view from the top is breathtaking, especially at night. They serve buffet dinner and choice for the vegetarians is very limited. However, on request, they serve a full course of vegetarian meal with choice of Chinese or Italian cuisine.
A visit to the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is a must. A ride in a long tail boat through the canals gives you a glimpse of the Thai village life. The 15 minute ride through the canals brings you to the floating market. You can pick up some local made articles from here but remember to bargain hard. The prices are already inflated due to the tourists.

Food: If you are a vegetarian, be careful. Thai food is primarily non-vegetarian and spicy. Further, the Thai people do not speak much English and will not understand what you want. If you are a strict vegetarian, stick to the several Indian restaurants in Bangkok. If you wish to try local food, ask your hotel reception to write “vegetarian noodles, , veg fried rice, mixed vegetables, veg tom yam soup (very spicy) ” etc in Thai which you can show to the local restaurants. Please ask specifically not to put “Fish oil or Oyster sauce” as Thai cook everything in fish oil. For the kids, there are several McDonalds, Pizza Hut and other fast food outlets in most of the shopping malls.