Let me start with the popular embroidery, known as Phulkari, which literally means flowering.

Phulkari is a type of single stitch work that is used to make interesting patterns on suits & dupattas. Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation Ltd has set up a number of showrooms (imaginatively called Phulkari) where you can get these & other handicrafts. A Pulkhari duppata can cost you anywhere from three hundred to six thousand rupees, depending on the cloth, the thread used and the type of work involved.

Another interesting accessory that you’ll find in Patiala is in the jewelery department. Pipal-patti is a light-weight, hand-crafted, delicate piece of jewelry. It is so called because the main focus of the design is the small pipal leaf. They have interesting designs, and this art is unique to this area.

Another thing on the ‘Must Do in Patiala’ list would be to binge on some street food at the 22 Number Phatak (Railway crossing no 22). Row after row of street vendors come to this place during the evenings and on offer is some really amazing food cooked right in front of your eyes. More than the food it’s the experience that is not to be missed.

Ok! Enough blabbering and on to my favorite thing in Patiala – The Patiala Jutti. A Jutti is a kind of slip-on footwear, made of soft leather. One can choose from the traditional red with some gold work or the full-on dapka embroidery ones. I picked up about five pairs the last time I was there, ranging from Rs. 250 to Rs. 600. There are about 150 odd shops, but the oldest and most recommended is Data Shoes (as in Bata with a D). No other place offers so much variety at such great prices.

The fact that you can get ready-made Patiala salwars gives you an idea about the huge demand there is for these awesome creations of Patiala. Believe me you can try & try but you’ll never find a tailor in all of … aaaammm… out of Patiala who can stitch something so amazing. All of these are available in the famous Adalat Bazar of Patiala.

And finally, the Patiala Peg. The Patiala Peg is a measure of liquor popular here in India. It is about 90ml, though the rough and ready measure is the amount of liquor needed to fill a glass equal to the height between the index and little fingers when they are held parallel to one-another.  And trust me, you’ll forget your peg measurer once you’re used to measuring your pegs using your fingers !

Cheers!!

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Have you guys seen the Madhya Pradesh Tourism advertisement? ‘Hindustan ka dil dekha…’
Isn’t it awesome? I totally lov it! Not only is the jingle catchy, the concept was clutter breaking and most of all – enjoyable.

For me the thought of Madhya Pradesh takes me to the years I’ve spent in Mhow.

Mhow?!?

Haven’t heard of it, have you? Here is some info to get you started.

MHOW

Must Know – Mhow is a acronym for Military Headquarters of War. It’s a cozy little town about 25 km from Indore and one of India’s most prestigious military training establishments. The military cantonment was founded in 1818 by Sir John Malcolm and is located in the Malwa Plateau. It was established as a result of the Treaty of Mandsour signed by the British Government and the erstwhile Holkar king.

College of Combat, Infantry School and MCTE are the three institutions situated within the cantonment. At has all thinks that are fauji, a golf cource, open air theater, swimming pool, Army School, Command Hospital and lots and lots of faujies.

Must See- Many of my memories of Mhow are of the picnics we had. Mhow is famous for its mild and pleasant weather, beautiful countryside and thus picnics were almost mandatory.

A few of the picnic spots near Mhow worth visiting are Patal Pani Waterfall (5 km), Berchha Lake (8 km), Mandleshwar (70 km), Nakheri Dam (8 km) and Choral Dam (12 km) . Chaaki wale Mahadev, Paatal Hanuman and Kaali Mata temple are the three significant temples in the town.

Must Do – If you are going to Mhow, I am assuming you know someone from the India Army and so something you must do is watch a movie in the open air theater at Infantry/ MCTE movie hall. The experience of watching a movie under the starts is very different for our normal run-off the-mill multiplexes. Another favorite activity for a lot of people in Mhow is fishing at Berchha Lake, although I have absolutely no patience this.

Also, if you do get a chance to see the light & sound show put up by the army, you must. It is truly out of the world. The sounds of live fire and the fireworks display at the end. I was fortunate to see a couple of them & will cherish those fun times.

Must Buy – Mhow is famous for a special kind of embroidery called ‘smoking’. A

must buy are the night gowns and kiddy clothes. They are easily available and ask around in the market for shops that stock them.

About a decade or so back there was a weekly market by the nomads. (don’t know what the situation is now).This was an open air market where what you’ll find was like going on a little adventure. One could find anything from beautiful handmade jewelry or artifacts, clothes, vegetables, knives, gardening equipment, well anything!

Must Try – There is a strong Parsi legacy to this small town as well (the architecture will tell you that) and so the bakeries here are wonderful. Also, try the sabudana namkeen it is a sweet & salty snack with potato flitter, peanuts and sabudana.

The lyrics:

Hindustan Ka Dil Dekha
Bandar dekha, haathi dekha.
Barahsingha, aur cheetal dekha.
Mowgli ke jungleon mein,
Sher Khan ko dekha.
Pachmarhi Satpura ka ajooba,
Bhopal lake mein suraj dooba.
Mandu ka jahaz mahal,
Aur marble ka pahad dekha.
Mahakaal mandir mein pooja,
Photo khicha jaake Orcha.
Gwalior ke kile mein bhatka,
Khajuraho ne de diya jhatka.
Dhim tana dhi re na… nadir…
Purvajon ko milne jule,
Jaa bahita mein Bhimbhetka.
Train ki chik chuk sunte,
Aa pahucha mein Sanchi stupa.
Sanchi ki shanti mein,
Khudke aandar jhaak ke dekha.
Hindustan ka dil dekha.
Hindustan ka dil dekha.

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Stores in GK range from the usual branded shops of Levis, W, UCB, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Esprit, L’ Affaire and so on, but what makes this market universal for shopping is the range & variety one gets in the stores and outside them (in small concaves). These smaller setups have pretty decent stuff & definitely worth a look. For instance you can get sunglasses from the branded stores for as much as Rs. 20,000 and cheap knock offs (may I add, pretty good cheap knock offs) for anywhere around 200 bucks at the outside stall.

While Sarojini is great for bargains, Khan Market for the foreigner-type of-mal, M Block has the best of both. Luxury goods, branded clothes, Indian handcrafted paper products (Rio Grande) and shoes (Finesse) and so on. Along with the shopping, you can have a quick bite at – Café Coffee Day, Barista or Costa Coffee. With so much choice, there’s no question why M block is a hot favourite among the youth, the socialites and also the drivers, who can’t but resist a pan from the famous Prince Paan Shop which has been there for decades. 

Evening brings with it the hip-and-happening crowd, as night clubs, bars, pubs and restaurants come alive. While housing the popular eating joints like Pizza Hut and McDonald’s, it also has China Garden, Spins & We2.

The only thing, one must remember is that parking can be a handful. Though there are ample mini parking lots, all around M block, but one must be prepared to not find a spot if you come in rush hour. Recommended option is a chauffeur driven, whom you can call your driver on the cell to meet you, once you are done.
 

GK1 – N Block Market

While there is tons in M block market, its alphabetical counterpart N Block houses some of the quiet glamour that is missing in M Block. 

One dominating feature in this market is the FabIndia chain. You can have a go at the traditional fare, with FabIndia which house clothes, accessories, toiletries, furnishings – you name it and its there – that too on either side of the road. If FabIndia doesn’t suffice, Cottons is an alternative.
Once you have had a handful of ethnic shopping, you can go in for designer wear with Ravi Bajaj’s who in fact owns an eatery here too. The Shoe Shop, Hidesign, Next, Apartment 9, Forest Essentials, Urban Shore London are some other good haunts.
Must visit Navrattan Jeweller for exquisite Jewellery.

And if shopping isn’t all that you are looking for, there are book stores cum cafés and tons of pubs and restaurants to satiate that hunger. You can head into Café Turtle for a cup of coffee and a time out to read books, or try the Breads & More, for bakery delights. Or else, there is Kasbah for some Italian, while Urban Pind and Shalom are the hot spots for the partying kinds.

Your trip to Delhi, isn’t complete without at least a stop-by at one of the GK markets. By-the-way there is GK-2 too… more on that later. Try this one till then.

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Udhagamandalam aka. Ooty

Must Know – Ooty is the “Queen of hill stations” and the capital of the Nilgiris district. It used to be one of the most popular summer and weekend getaways for the Britishers during the colonial days and still retains the old world charm.

Most movies in the 70’s and 80’s had at least one song shot in Ooty, if not entire sequences. It did not matter whether the movie was Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada or Mallu. It was a place where the hero and heroine would sing in the rolling tea fields or the hills. A large number of potboilers were shot here, as well as well-known hits such as Karz, Moonram Pirai, Gitanjali, Saajan to name a few. Mithun Da’s cult classics like Cheetah, Gunda, Ravan Raj have been shot here.

Must See - Winding roads, cool breeze, tea plantations, beautiful cottages, the lush and verdant greenery, the War memorial at the prestigious Defence Service Staff College at Wellington, the lakes and the botanical garden at Ooty.

Must Do – Take a trip on the ‘Nilgiri toy train’ that connects Coonoor to Ooty. The train itself is a charming blue and cream with wooden coaches and large windows. This train averages at 10.4 km per hour and
is probably the slowest train in India. It leaves Coonoor at 7.45 a.m. crossing Wellington, Aruvakadu, Ketti, and Lovedale, it reaches Ooty by about 9 am. The fare is Rs. 4 for adults in second class and Rs. 76 for adults in first class.

There are many tunnels along the way and the deafening whistle of the train as it goes through the tunnels has a charm of it’s own. If you enjoy taking pictures, keep your camera ready for a few memorable shots of the valley, plains and the picturesque landscape.

Must Buy – Ooty’s famous chocolates. Do pick up some fudge & chocolate from King Star Confectioners. It is a tiny shop at 33 Commercial Rd, Ooty, next to HP Gas. Well known for its home made chocolates of every conceivable description. You just can’t leave Ooty without trying some chocolates from King Star !

Must Try – Shinkows Opp. the Nilgiri Library, Ph: +91-423-2442811, for Chinese. Like they say, In the hills, things never change, Shinkows was recommended by my parents who were in wellington 25 yrs ago, and is still going strong.

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78% of all men/women when asked about his/her ideal way to spend their leisure time would say Shopping.

It a way to de-stress for some, for others it’s the reason why they earn. Purchasing something new, innovative, colorful, antique basically anything interesting gives most of us shoppers a high.

But for the other 22% shopping can be tiresome & boring. How many malls can one see & how many shoes can one try ?

The distinct feature of Delhi markets is that every shopping hub has its own ambience and specialty. Here are a few of my recommendations for people who don’t want to go to the same old boring branded shops.

Dilli Haat

Situated in the heart of Delhi, Dilli Haat is an upgraded version of the traditional weekly market, offering a delightful assortment of craft, food and cultural activities.

The handicraft stalls are allotted on a rotational basis to craftsmen from all corners of India, usually for fifteen days. This ensures a kaleidoscopic view of the richness and diversity of Indian handicrafts and artifacts. One gets to appreciate the hard work & skill that goes into creating one-of-a-kind handicrafts while watching the live demonstrations by craftsmen.

Dilli Haat is a joint collaboration between the New Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Department. The basic idea of setting up this crafts bazaar was to promote the Indian handicrafts industry and Indian cuisine. Spread across 6 acres of land, Dilli Haat is situated on Sri Aurobindo Marg, opposite the INA market.

There is an entrance fee to go in, but it is well worth spendingthe Rs. 20,  just to see the imaginative landscaping, creative planning, see the artists, and eat the regional food, even if shopping is not on your mind.

Santushti Shopping Arcade

The Air Force Wives association runs this small shopping complex, which is a favorite haunt of diplomats’ wives, located opposite the Ashoka Hotel. More than a dozen boutiques are ringed around a small garden. This isn’t the best spot for bargains, but it is the perfect place to find high fashion Indian clothing.

There is a handbag shop here that has an annual one-day sale when everything in the shop is on a discount. I strongly recommend going to the sale and get there soon because you know how women get around the ‘Sale Sign’.

Must have a ‘spot of tea’ at the popular Basil & Thyme restaurant.

Pragati Maidan

Pragati Maidan hosts a variety of exhibitions, trade shows and trade fairs each year. Functional since 1972, Pragati maidan is a premier event venue in India. It has a dozen indoor halls and almost 10,000 sq. m. of open display space that is spread across 61,290 sqm. Facilities here include Medical aid, ATM’s, Restaurants & parking.

India International Trade Fair & the New Delhi Auto Expo are the well known events, but something or the other is always happening here.

There is plenty to see near Pragati Maidan:

• Crafts Museum which is open from 10am-5pm daily, except Monday. Pick up some souvenirs from Crafts Museum Shop.
• Dolls Museum – A unique museum of Dolls is located near the ITO crossing on the Bahadur Shah Jafar Marg. These dolls are collected from different parts of India as well as from other countries of the world. Pick up some children books from Children Book Trust of India in the same building.
• National Science Centre
• Rajpath and India Gate

Sundernagar Market

If you are a jewelry buff, Sundernagar should be on your Top 10 things to go to. A choice selection of Antiques and silver trinkets, especially of silver jewelry from Ladakh, semi- precious stones, some textiles, brass, copper and silver artifacts are available here.

The Sundarnagar market also has shops selling India’s finest tea and a tea tasting session at one of these shops should be on the top of your itinerary.

Shopping is always on top of the itinerary for me, especially when visiting Delhi. There is whole hoopla of places to go for hard-core shopping. However, this list is for those looking for something more unique, something different.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

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I once saw a fuchsia pink ambassador (India’s oldest and most iconic car), driven by a Blonde European Lady, outside South Extension Market, with the back seat filled with Nalli & Benetton shopping bags: an image that forever will make me smile.

Well! Delhi is all about contradictions – unusual things usually happen here. The shopping is no different.

Take Khan Market for instance. It gives an impression of a local market, 2-3 lanes with a couple of big showrooms, double story buildings with a parking lot in the centre & a few nice restaurants.

But did you know that Khan Market is the most expensive retail destination?!?  In its annual report on global retail rents, the worldwide real estate consultancy firm Cushman and Wakefield put India at 16th position & Khan Market moved up eight places from its 24th position last year. Believe it or not, the market ranks above some of the fancied elite shopping destinations, such as Moscow, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam and Toronto.

If you’re in South Delhi the list of places to shop is endless including, but to limited to, Khan Market, DefCol, Southx, Lajpat Nagar & Hauz Khas Village…this is just the start. There is also New Friends Colony, Ashram, Munirka, Ansals Plaza, GK, Lodi Market, Green Park and Nehru Place, and some place even I don’t know about.

Khan Market

Khan Market is popular with the diplomatic community. It houses stores like Benetton, Tag Heuer, Levis, Woodland, Nike and also specialty boutiques like Anokhi, Ogaan, Bizarre, FabIndia and some-such.

Apart from these one will find excellent book shops, opticians, grocers, photographers, tailors, and household furnishing stores. Across the other side of the road there are shops that mainly specialize in Lamps, there is also Khadi & Hyde Out (for Shoes). Must visit Cafe Turtle, Big Chill & Khan Chacha Rolls whenever you are there.

Defense Colony
There are two DefCol markets; one is more famous for the restaurants and the other for the designer boutiques under the flyover.  Since my office was in A block, I know the one with the restaurant like the back of my hand. There is not much to shop here, except a nice Punjabi T’shirt shop. It’s mainly a place to indulge yourself. My recommendations- Appam & stew @ Swagat, Sizzlers @ Moet’s, Iddli @Sagar, Pizza @ Little Italy, chana-kulcha and onion chaori @ Nathus. Try the ‘Harry-Shanti’ saloon for a haircut.

South Ex
On both sides of the ring road when one finds colorful displays & neon lights, with huge departmental stores like Ebony, Big Jos, Hopps – one can be sure to have reached South Extension.

Southx is an up-market shopping area where quality garments and footwear sell like hot potatoes. The annual sales here are a much-awaited feature. Remember- most shops are closed on Mondays.It’s basically a hangout for the-so-called- hip-n-happening-college-crowd. Must do’s here include a peek at the jewelry shops & eating bhelpuri at the corner shop in Southx-Part 1.

Lajpat Nagar
Delhi is a genuine paradise for shoppers, where else can one buy cheap-export-rejected-designer-branded-goodies. If that caught your attention, Lajpath Nagar Market is the place for you. I once bought home-décor table runners with potterybarn’s label for 100 bucks a piece (beat that!).
But that’s not all , you get good photo-framing options, accessories, home tit-bits and running cloth material. It has the largest ladies suit market in Asia. Of course one has to bargain, but the prices are very reasonable anyway. One can never get tired of just looking around when here.

Hauz Khas Village
The haunt of the nouveau riche, HKV offers a combination of ethnic chic and designer lebels, Indian and international. A few years ago, an association called Dastakar - set up a showroom in the village. Over time, a village had developed around the medieval college and the tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Now the village has a plethora of boutiques and art galleries which coexist with hatched roof buildings and men with hookahs on charpoys. Far from being a deterrent, the “rural” ambience is a positive attraction.

Bridal Shopping in Delhi … coming soon!!

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Although, this was not always the case; there was a time when I thought Delhi sucked.

This was way back when I found traveling in Delhi inconvenient and the pollution levels unbearable. Things have changed for the better, with the metro and the CNG autos and buses. Traveling has become easy and pollution comparatively less. Agreed, the traffic jams and road rage is still a problem, but I can handle Delhi hormones :)

I’m planning do a 4-5 part series on Delhi for the benefit of some of you planning to visit Delhi for the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 or otherwise. For the people who are know-it-all and disagree on my-take-on-Delhi I have only one thing to say : “You may not agree with me but the difference between you & me is that – I wrote this & you are reading it !!”

So, let me get back to the topic of discussion …Shopping! Delhi is a shopper’s paradise; one can find stuff in every budget and every style.

Let me start with the heart of Delhi – Connaught place aka. CP. The area is built on a series of roads which run in concentric circles – much like a wheel. In the center of the wheel (hub) there is a huge underground bazaar called the Palika Bazaar, selling all kinds of things. Above this is our very own Central Park.

CP is a kaleidoscope of Restaurants, Banks, Movie halls, Branded Shops, Roadside shops and Offices. I have spent hours just window shopping there.

Spend some time in the State Emporiums (opposite Hanuman Mandir) for the traditional handicrafts of each state – The Rajasthan and Jammu-Kashmir emporeums have really amazing stuff, and the prices are also reasonable. Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Janpath has things from anywhere-n-everywhere in India; it is exclusive and hence expensive.

Visit Khadi Bhandaar. I always pick some handmade soap and khadi kurtas – excellent stuff for gifts. Other interesting thing includes the Chuddi (bangles) Market behind Hanuman Mandir – a treasure trove for bangles in colors to match every outfit and the wholesale market for flowers in front of the Coffee House (from 5-8 am).

Bargain hunters must visit Janpath & Tibetan Market for silk scarves, bags and clothes. House of Scarves on Janpath gets my vote for the best variety. Another cool store is People Tree near the Rivoli movie theater for unusual stuff (I admit – some of it is overpriced).

The Inner & Outer circles have there share of big-branded-shops. During the ‘SALE’ season, crowds can make it difficult to walk. Whenever we go to CP, a stop at Wengers (A block) is a must, the chicken puff is-to-die-for among other delectable delights & the cold-coffee at Kavenders or DePaul can’t be missed.

Panchkuian Marg is best for furniture & cane stuff, we bought our dog’s basket from there ;)

In the summer days enjoy the cool underground market & test your bargaining skills. At Palika Bazar you’ll find all types of electronics, clothes, leather goods, and jewelry… even the Nintendo Wii which may not be available in the rest of the world will be in stock here.

Shankar Market is famous for Indian dress material. Fresh Juice Shops & Rajma-Chawal corner shop were my office lunch time hang outs in this area. Gol Market & Bengali Market near CP, are better known for the food than shopping.

A short ride away is Daryaganj. It’s the most extensive second hand book pavement market. Book lovers and students come from all over to purchase books at throw away prices every Sunday. Some day I hope to find hidden treasures among the heap of books.

I can go on and on but am gonna leave some stuff for the next post ! Keep Reading.

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It was the shortest route possible, or so said the Yahoo maps! Guess Yahoo is still learning about the good & the bad roads of India. But like I said, it was exciting. We started at 5 in the morning from Bangalore & reached at about 9 in the evening at Sinquerim in North Goa.

North Goa offers glistening sands, hippie culture, ultra fresh seafood, luxury hotels & budget guesthouses and cheep chilled beer ‘n’ friendly people completes this compelling kaleidoscope.

We stayed at Lui Beach Resort a budget resort with all the basic amenities, a functional restaurant, a pool & a/c rooms. We’ve stayed at Taj Aguada &  Goa Beach Apartment earlier & will recommend them both. Kingfisher Villa  is also parked on the same stretch of road, only you’ll need to be Dr Mallya’s guest to stay there ;) (http://wikimapia.org/449932/Kingfisher-Villa-Vijay-Mallya-s-mansion).

Goa is known internationally for its beaches, be it water sports ace Candolim beach, the overpopulated Baga beach, foodie Calangute beach, rocky Anjuna beach or snobbish South-Goa beach. The golden sand spreads over miles and miles and the sunsets are to die for. One finds people just lazzzing around and getting that sun tan look or enjoying the cool waters of the Arabian Sea.

Since Goa is all about food and wine, we splurged with 4-5 mini meals a day. Some of my favorite restaurants in North Goa include Bristo on Baga, Xaviers on Candolim, and Fisherman’s Cove & Tuscany Gardens on the road to Fort Aguada. In the peak months (Nov-Feb), every courtyard of the houses on this stretch becomes a restaurant; I love the whole hustle-bustle.

We also went to Tito’s which was a big letdown. There wasn’t a valet parking facility and finding a place to park was a pain. At the entrance, their waterfall was spilling water on the pathway; I thought I spotted a stray dog in the restaurant also. Restaurant decor was somewhat akin to a shack. Food n Drinks menu was very limited, and the food was not up to the mark. It looks like Tito’s is just cashing the name. The entire road has big TITO’S signs and is very confusing. Basically Avoid. The disc section opens at 10.00 pm, and the crowd was (sorry to say) ghatti & rowdy. We didn’t even enter. Fortunately there are hundreds of other amazing places to go to.

As far as the drinks are concerned, we had the port wine (I know, I know, it’s not really a wine but I like it). The Kings beer a local beer is worth a try.

Suggested itineraries for Goa generally include attractions at capital City Panaji, Old Goa churches that are a legacy of Portuguese colonization (http://www.goaholidayhomes.com/churches-in-goa.php), Fort Aguda Lighthouse, River Cruise & the beaches.

On the beaches, sit back and relax get a non-permanent tattoo or buy cool trinkets. If you are the ‘lets-do-something-can’t-sit-still’ kind then a variety of water sports options are also available, just make sure you negotiate a good deal.

Shopping in Goa is luck by chance; you may get something incredible or nothing at all. Anjuna and Mapusa markets are famous for traditional curios and handicrafts of Goa. Remember to bargain a lot.

Goa will always be one of my absolute fav places to chill out. It is easy to slip into Goa’s warm effortless existence.

Looking forward to the next year’s trip!

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Bugis Junction, located above Bugis MRT Station, has a couple of great food courts where we tried our hand at Japanese Octupus Balls, Crepes and Thai food.

We walked across to Bugis Street Flea Market situated along a walkway through Bugis Village. Exploring Bugis needs time. It’s like our very own Sarojini Nagar … cheap stuff at cheap prices ;).

I also recommend Singapore Expo, it has some good sales going on & totally worth checking out.

Mustafa Mall (http://www.mustafa.com.sg) is one-stop-shop for everything one can buy. Three floor of Jewelry alone! The sports section was good. There were a couple of floors for electronics and an entire floor for chocolates. So may things so many people and I hated it! After being used to clean calm Singapore this was like Badabazaar of kolkatta with an a/c. The counters were overloaded with stuff which was literally falling on the customers. People love this place because it is cheap. Sure, Hershey is cheaper there than at duty free (I found out the hard way), but I wasn’t in the mood to be in Big-Bazaar Singapore Branch.

Seeing ‘The Merlion’ was the last halt before going to Changi. The Merlion is considered to be the tourism mascot of Singapore. Getting a picture clicked with the icon is a must. There is an 8 meter high Merlion statue at Fullerton Road & another one on the Sentosa Island. In case you didn’t know, the Merlion is a mythical beast – said to be half lion and half fish. It symbolizes the courage, strength and resilience of the Singapore people.

By evening we were off to the airport, returned our Singapore Tourist Pass at the Changi MRT and felt sad that the 3 days were over so soon.

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Highlights include a special climate-controlled home for five species of penguins; the world’s first underwater viewing station where visitors can see the watery activities of all seven species of pelicans; the world’s largest walk-in aviary with man-made waterfall and 1500 free-flying African and South American birds; 500 parrots from 110 species; and colorful birds of paradise. You can also feed the birds, watch bird shows, and checkout the sky train (As you can see that I read the sign boards very diligently :).

My favorites were the Eagles, Pelican Cove, Talking birds and the Penguin Expedition.

To reach the Jurong Bird Park, we took the MRT from the Outram park station to the Boon Lay station, which is the last station on the Green line. Just outside the Boon Lay station is the local bus depot from where we took bus number 194, which dropped us right at the gate of the Jurong bird park.

The park is quite some distance away from the city center in the midddle of the industrial zone. Crossing a bus terminal on to a four lane highway, with the smell of coco from the Cadbury factory, with in 15 minutes, we reached the colorful entrance to the park.

Jurong Bird Park is a 20 hectare open-concept park, open from 9am to 6pm daily. Scrolling around the park would take you more than two hours. It’s a good idea to come as early as possible before it becomes to hot & humid (http://www.birdpark.com.sg/attractions/parkmap.html).

We had some incredible fresh fruit juice at the Boon Lay MRT station, on the way back. Mango & Grape juice resembling what is sold as slush in India (SD$1), very refreshing.

Out next stop was lunch at Plaza Singapura, on Orchard road, next to Dhobi Ghaut MRT. After which we just went around to all the major MRT stations on the NE line and since we had the Singapore Tourist Pass we could just pop in and out of the MRT to see the various places. Very useful! if you – like us want to see the ‘other side’.

Most Itineraries list out these ‘Things to see in Singapore’

• Civil War Memorial dedicated to the civilians who lost their lives in the Second World War.
• Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles the founder of modern Singapore
• China Town for interesting little curio shops, Chinese herbs, mahjong sets & jade. The little red lamps all over the street add to the mystique.
• Little India is the most crowded & smelly area of Singapore. Mustafa the 24/7 market is its pride & joy. In case you are missing Indian food (!!) you’ll get butter chicken & naan here for sure.
• National Library Singapore
• Zoo & Night Safari
• Botanical Garden & City Hall
• Marina Bay is the last stop of the MRT North Line (it is undergoing massive renovation – avoid)

There are other places & malls which are highly recommended by others BUT my suggestion – just chill out at Boat Quay or Clarke Quay. For the evening we decided to do  just that. With one hitch -while getting out of the MRT under the StanC building we got lost.

Tip: It’s important to read the signs to which side one wants to get out from. It’s obvious, I know, but still! The walk from the one level below to out of the MRT is about 500 meters and you don’t wanna get disoriented. Although for us some good did come out of this. By serendipity we found Satay Club @ Boon Tat Street & Lau Pa Sat crossing. The aroma of the BBQ satay’s was irresistible and we dived into our mutton, chicken & prawn’s satay.

Anyway, talking about Boat Quay and Clarke Quay – the view was awesome (and on our daytime visit too we were not disappointed). We sat on the steps next to river & enjoyed the view of Raffels Hotel, Esplanade building, the lit up bridge, boats & the river. We had some wonderful Hoegaarden at a refurbished inn. A great way to end the day don’t you think ?

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