Get Lost

Well when you have a baby, you are the one who adjusts the schedule, not them! And so we missed out on some adventures & places to keep the trip relaxed and more fun rather than succumbing to FOMO (Fear of missing out, in case you haven't heard the term!). Below are some of the spots we decided to skip because of Viraaj's age, but are worth a visit if you plan Dubai ! Snow World or Ski Dubai Ski Dubai (Photo from Google) This is an indoor snow theme park situated within the Mall of Emirates. The tickets can be booked online for AED 225 per person (this ticket cost includes the winter wear & boots provided there). The minimum entry age for kids however is 3 years. This is a full day attraction with activities like snow sledging, skiing, snowman building, mountain rides& sessions with Penguins. Desert Safari: Dune Bashing (Photo from Google) This is one of the few things we missed out on as Viraaj was very small & we weren’t sure abou...

Every summer or winter vacations, my Mom & Dad would plan a trip to some place new & thankfully it wasn’t a pilgrimage (surprised right?!). They took us to almost all the hill stations of North India (Kullu, Manali, Simla, Nainital, Massouri, Kashmir & few more I guess), to the famous cities of Western India- Mumbai & Goa (yes I am the loser who went Goa with parents 😑). However the concept of travel with my parents was very different from what we have now! I still recall the year we traveled to Goa, we booked a seat with 30 others in a tour bus that 1 da­­y took us to all the beaches of North Goa & the next day to all churches of South Goa. No shacks visited, no water activities done & did not spend even 30 mins on any of the beaches! It is funny how we completed almost the entire Mumbai in just 2 days by Mumbai Darshan Bus (which is still running btw), with a tour guide & his typical lame jokes calling out local sewage as swimming pool of Madhuri Di...

Well as they say..  You have to get lost before you find yourself!!   and it really took me quite a long time to understand the true meaning of this. Hello guys, I am Swati Vishnoi from Mumbai, India. I have two professions: A Banker & a Mom ! I have been travelling a lot since my childhood & my future posts would tell you what built my interest in Travel over the years. I am neither a full time blogger nor my photos will give you a feel of paradise on earth because I am always carrying a diaper & a sipper bag instead of a DSLR. In short expect a Reality Check & useful tips to travel instead of photo shopped heavenly views. I try to explore new places every year (trust me its not easy when you have to travel with a  naughty 3 yr & lazy 30 yr old baggage). Still  here I am  writing this blog hoping that I would motivate parents like us sitting at home, thinking it’s too much of a hassle to travel with a kid ! So read on, ...

The Abra Ride We left for the local souks by the metro and got down at Al Ghubaiba station to experience the ride of Abra (small wooden boat). You can either get down at Palm Deira, which is the nearest station to Souks.  The souks are a different world altogether. This place is very different from the commercial Dubai. The souks still have a raw, colourful & traditional market feel to them which is what makes them a must visit place. The market is full of small souvenir shops selling magnets, glass lanterns, chandeliers and porcelain artwork to decorate your home. I bought some cute magnets & a salt & pepper set (which btw am using as a show piece). The Spice Souk as the name suggests is the hub of various spices all over the world. We bought some saffron &Methi Dana (useful to treat diabetes) for our parents from here. Also this place was a treat for my husband as he finally got to capture some colours in his DSLR! Spices @The Spice Souk ...

The last day of our trip we started by dipping ourselves at the Kite Jumeirah Beach. The Mall of Emirates (MoE) metro station is the nearest to this beach from where you can take a cab to the beach. Being an Indian I really appreciated the cleanliness of this beach (also it gave the feel of a typical foreign beach with pristine blue water to my kid’s delight & foreigners in bikinis to my husband’s :P). It is recommended that you visit here either early morning or evening because it gets very hot during the day.  Earlier lots of kids used to fly Kites here, hence the name. However lately  this has reduced and the beach is now famous for food trucks & Iron Man training. Viraaj at Food Truck

Jumeirah Beach Hotel by the side of Burj Al Arab Royal lunch at Jumeirah beach Hotel Exploring the Medinnath IbnBatuta Mall We started our third day quite lazily and went for a royal lunch at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. This wave shaped hotel, truly compliments its neighboring sail shaped 7 star hotel Burj Al Arab (also the 3 rd  tallest hotel of the world). Mind you, the Arab Sheikhs don’t do anything which is small. Their Dubai mall is the largest mall of the world, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building of the world, The Ain Dubai eye that is under construction will soon be the largest ferry wheel of the world! (Ït seems the Sheikh suffer from some sort of complex ;)) Jokes apart, it is truly marvelous, how with human efforts & the best o the technologies, the Sheikh of Dubai has been able to transform this arid desert into one of the busiest & the most beautiful cities of the world. The above photo of the Jumeirah Beach hotel is from Google just to gi...

Ride to the Palm- The Crescent Road  The Pub Night The palm is an artificial island shaped in a form of a palm tree (some creative naming!!) with crescent on its top. The Palm Jumeirah is home to many luxurious hotels, Residential Villas & Entertainment centers. The promenade at The Palm is breathtaking. Go here if you want to witness the luxurious lives of the Sheikhs! The branches of the Palm have  beautiful bungalows owned by famous celebs like Tom Cruise & Shah Rukh Khan. Also the famous 5 star hotel- the Atlantis is located at the tip of the palm. If your are a health conscious traveler, this is the place for your morning jogs ! The best and cheapest way to enjoy the Palm is to board the Palm Monorail. This monorail runs along the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah connecting the Gateway Station at the entry point to the Atlantis at the far end. The monorail & Dubai Metro are connected by a tram service. You can also hire a cab to go around this place ...

Entrance to Dubai Mall from the Metro Side After the dolphin show we boarded the Metro from Healthcare City Metro station to Dubai Mall station. These two metro stations are on 2 separate lines & hence you need to change trains at Burjuman Station. Dubai Mall is the largest mall in the world & also known as the home of DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival). DSF starts from 25th Dec & lasts for a month. If you are a shopping buff, this is the time & place for you. During the first 3 days of DSF you might get stuff at a huge discount of upto 90% off !!(Yeah you heard me right) The entire city celebrates the spirit of this Shopping festival with various concerts, contests, lucky draws, multi cuisine food shows & fireworks at various malls happening every weekend for this 1 month. Dubai mall is so huge that you cannot cover the entire thing in 1 day (Also after a point & lot of walk you feel that your 1 week of cardio is done!). Dubai mall has a wonderful fish a...

I got my kiddo's passport done when he was one. I have attached the basic List of documents required for a baby’s passport below for your reference below. We went to Dubai during March & it was a good season to go to. The summers in Dubai start around May & it is unbearably hot till October. Dec-Jan are the best months to visit as you also get to experience the famous DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival) then. Dubai turned out to be a perfect example of a Cosmos city where you get a chance to see people from around the globe. I was really worried how I would manage with Viraaj as he was still on semi solid food & on the peak stage of the phase when kids throw tantrums while eating (though that phase is still not over even after 2 yrs!). So we chose a place where we had friends and trust me they made our Dubai trip a wonderful vacation. So my first tip to the parents with young toddlers would be to choose your destination wisely. Choose a place where travel time is...

The beautiful view of Dubai City from Burj Khalifa Top Burj Khalifa- the tallest building of the world is in the campus of Dubai Mall.  Burj Khalifa has more than 160 floors in total which accommodate various corporate offices, luxury hotels & some private residential apartments.You can just walk down from the food court to the entrance of Burj Khalifa. Our friends had pre-booked the tickets for the top (the observatory on the 124th Floor) and we were able to witness both the mesmeric sunset and the glittery night view of the city. Darling enjoying himself at the Observation Deck of Burj Khalifa. Tips for Burj: 1)       Choose the 5 p.m. slot, however reach the place around 4:30 p.m. as there is a long queue & it takes around 45 mins to board the super fast elevator to the top. 2)       Carry a light jacket as it gets cold up there. 3)       There is one cafe which is ...