Srikanth B

Your no-nonsense guide to Mauritius I got back last week after spending 6 days of serene and calm with occasional adrenaline rush in Mauritius. If you’re planning a trip there, this is the ONLY guide you need. First things first: this isn’t a party island. It’s not about late-night clubbing or an exhausting, fast-paced active lifestyle. P.S. The image below is that of illusion undersea waterfall, visible only from a helicopter ride in South Mauritius. Image is sourced from a Reddit post.

Vietnam Trip – Part 2 🥢🛬 Day 1 in Hanoi – Halong Bay on Land & Metropole Magic 🇻🇳 We landed at Noi Bai before sunrise. Fast‐track immigration and priority bags meant we were road-ready by 6AM. 🚗 Road to Ninh Binh - Skipped early check-in frustrations at Sofitel Legend Metropole. - Hit the highway for a 2.5-hour drive to Ninh Binh, nicknamed “Halong Bay on land” - and every mile felt like a slow reveal of Vietnam’s rural poetry. 💎 Ninh Binh: Hidden Gem - UNESCO-listed karst formations rising from infinite rice paddies. - Quiet temples, mossy pagodas and stone-lined dykes that feel plucked from a scroll painting. 🛕 Temple & River Ride - First stop: a serene temple tucked beneath limestone cliffs. - Then for a boat ride through mist-shrouded grottoes - karsts peaked like emerald sentinels. ⛰️ Mua Cave & Ngoa Long Mountain - Climb 500 steps from Mua Cave to the summit of Ngoa Long Mountain for a sweeping rice-valley panorama. - We gave it a miss this time due to rains but have it slated top of the list for the next visit. 🍕 Unexpected Italian Pit-Stop - Post-boat hunger had us craving carbs, and we stumbled upon a tiny Italian joint dishing out wood-fired pizza. 🏨 Back to Hanoi: Sofitel Legend Metropole - Checked into Hanoi’s grande dame, over a century old, layers of French-colonial charm in every archway. - Housekeeping, architecture and heritage wing: flawless. Front-desk service? Room for a little sparkle. - Damage: ~₹25,000 per night (or not 😉). 🍽️ Dinner Vibes - A 15-minute stroll (or order via Grab) lands you in a maze of lane-side eateries. - We chose a cozy spot near the Opera House, street-lamp glow, steaming bowls of pho and local chatter.

✈️ Vietnam Trip – Part 1 Starting off with the flight experience on Vietnam Airlines, which was mixed. Departure: Mumbai to Hanoi Check-in at BOM was smooth. Dedicated counter, helpful porter, actual fast-track. We felt like travel royalty-until we met the aircraft. Let’s call her "well-traveled." Lie-flat seats? ✅ Solid entertainment? ✅ But the Indian vegetarian meal? Someone sent it on a silent retreat. Bland to the point of existential crisis. Mumbai catering, you had one job. Return: Hanoi to Mumbai Same airline. Same seat. Same Indian vegetarian meal. But this one had flavor, spices, even intent. It tasted like someone’s mom packed it with love. Verdict? 💺 Seats: Worn but comfy 🍽️ Food: Plot twist between legs 💸 Value: Absolutely worth it (Flying Blue FTW) 🎟️ Regrets: None (ok maybe some salt packets) It wasn’t five-star all the way, but when you’re flying business on less cash, the highs hit higher and the lows feel like punchlines. 🪧 Coming up in Part 2: 3N in Hanoi