Philippines

I don't really care if it's not one of those oh-I-am-an-avid-traveller sort of a place to visit, or that it's apparently a poor country.. So they say about India, so I really want to visit and see for myself. Because, all I have looked up and heard is that it's a gorgeous, gorgeous place. Oh, and check out the skyline in the financial capital.. Come again, how is it poor?

Okay, so moving onto why exactly the fixation of Philippines took shape.. I have a friend, who has a friend in turn.. She's been to that country a lot of times and she's never seen a more beautiful place. I take her word for it! The descriptions she shares.. I am in love. It's not really a very in your face touristy place, so that's a real pull as well.

Firstly, it's an island country. That's a win-win for me. 7,107 islands. Each with a beautiful beach. Imagine that, friend. The typical island boasts a jungle-clad, mountainous interior and a sandy coastline flanked by aquamarine waters and the requisite coral reef. The best part is.. with all these islands, you can sometimes feel that you are on an island of your own! That's like Lost, minus being lost, ofcourse.

The Visayas are one place which fulfill the cliche dreams of a sun kissed beach and nature's paradise. Now, what's the fun if we don't fulfill some cliche needs? The beaches are white and palm fringed, the locals fish in the turquoise waters, and what excites me is the fact that you can island hop from there, as it's supposed to be really easy to hire a boat or a raft and find your own little island.

To compensate for the museum knowledge.. or lack of it, I do know about Vigan. It's one of the only towns to escape the World War II bombings and is like a part of Spain in Philippines. Plus five.

Kitesurfing..Kayaking.. I haven't forgotten them. What's left to say? The adrenalin rush is something to be experienced, and not talked about.

See you in Manila, fellas :)

Leh

I think it's every 20-something-from-India's dream to visit that place. A lot of us do fulfill that dream, but I'm afraid we aren't one of them. Firstly, it's a part of our homeland, and that's what makes it a million times more cooler than any other reason.

Leh's a beautiful amalgamation of natural beauty and a melting pot of various verticals of cultural heritage. It has a royal lining to it, as it was the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh. It was one of the important stopovers in the trade route between Tibet and India.. Yes, the famous Silk Route! :) Leh has a heavy Buddhist influence, and there are atleast three very famous Buddhist temples. I love Buddhist temples. They are peaceful, have a certain calm about them.. and isn't that what we crave for? Some peace? Far from the crazy city life? Also, I follow a certain sect of Buddhism, and it has a magnetic force attached to it, in my opinion. So, I really want to visit them and absorb the peace the temples exude.

Pangong Tso! I SO want to visit this high altitude lake with deep blue waters, surrounded by mountain peaks. It's like a piece of heaven right here on earth. This place is so damn gorgeous looking, just in the photographs itself.. I wonder how gorgeous it would be in reality. Just look at the vast expanse of the never ending serene waters. Geeee! I can't help but grin at this beautiful picture. Also, there's white water rafting somewhere. I want to gather the courage and experience the thrill of something that wonderful.

Obviously I also want to see the War Museum of the Indian Army. The weaponry, the Siachen battlefield display.. I want to see all of that and feel proud of being an Indian!

Also, I learnt about a fun Donkey Sanctuary! A fitting tribute to the most abused yet the most hard working animals on the planet.