It was six months ago on this day when Deepa and I left home to travel around the world with our kids. It has been all that we had imagined and hoped for, and much more.
I have started realizing how much I have started forgetting.. the small details, names, restaurants, etc. And so this is my attempt to remember all the places that we have stayed at, the places that we called home even if just for a few days, and our brief experiences at each of them.
Maybe someone somewhere will benefit from this, but it is more for us to remember these places and cherish the memories for a long time to come.
We still have 6 more months to go, 6 more months of exciting adventures. I will keep sharing our experiences as we go along. But for now the picture above is something that I’m most excited about.. our first experience staying overnight on a sailboat.
Sydney, Australia. Apartment on Airbnb.
By the time we started looking for a place to stay in Sydney, pretty much everything was already booked. Sydney over the new year is the absolutely peak time. We settled for an apartment in Paddington. Not the best neighbourhood considering the distance from the city center, but still a trendy and safe residential area. The apartment itself is small for the four of us, but all of that was more than made up by how awesome our host, Syl, was. More about that here.
Our rating: 7 of 10.
Topi Topi, NSW, Australia. House on Airbnb.
It is not the best location considering it is quite a drive from the beach. The house itself is nice with a big backyard and early morning and dusk time sightings of wallabies in the garden.
Our rating: 6 of 10.
Huskisson (Jervis Bay), NSW, Australia. Huskisson Bed & Breakfast.
One of the nicest B&Bs. Nice people, great breakfast, homely atmosphere. And Huskisson has a great beach for kids. Loved it.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Tilba Tilba, NSW, Australia. Two Story Bed & Breakfast. Booked on Booking.com.
We could have avoided this small and sleepy village. Nothing special about it and nothing special about the B&B.
Our rating: 5 of 10.
Pambula Beach, NSW, Australia. House on Airbnb.
We wish we had planned to stay here longer. A nice shallow beach near the mouth of Pambula River is a short walk away. The host was thoughtful to bring us fresh milk, juice, bread and wine. And the house was full of toys and books. Kids had a great time and so did we.
Our rating: 9 of 10.
Metung, Victoria, Australia. Metung Waters. Booked on Hotels.com.
It is a dull, lifeless service apartment. Not recommended.
Our rating: 3 of 10.
Wilsons Promontory, Victoria, Australia. Buln Buln Cabins. Booked on Hotels.com.
If you are not one of those lucky ones who booked a year in advance and got a site or a cabin on the camping grounds within the national park, the Buln Buln cabins is the next best option. Cabins are nice and clean, and the gardens are great.
Our rating: 8 of 10.
Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. House on Airbnb.
The house decor was not for our liking. And neither was the location any good.
Our rating: 3 of 10.
Rye (Mornington), Victoria, Australia. House on Airbnb.
Nice, clean and spacious house, but the location is not great. It wasn’t close to the beach nor to the city center.
Our rating: 6 of 10.
Christchurch, New Zealand. Merivale Manor. Booked on Booking.com.
This is a motel but has a feel of a nice B&B; gave a warm and comfortable feeling. People are nice and location is great.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. YHA Lake Tekapo.
Oh this was the best. Fantastic hostel. Friendly people. Breathtaking views. Super clean and well equipped kitchen.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Lake Hawea, New Zealand. House on Airbnb
Fabulous house on an apricot orchard. Warm and genuinely good people. Vicki is amazing and so are her grand children. Read all about it here.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Milford Sound, New Zealand. Milford Sound Lodge.
This is your only option to stay in Milford Sound, and you MUST stay in Milford Sound. The location can’t be any better but the lodge could be. Particularly, the communal kitchen could have be more clean and better equipped for the number of people at the lodge.
Our rating: 8 of 10.
Queenstown, New Zealand. The Glebe. Booked on Booking.com.
It is a regular decent service apartment at a good location. Nothing great, but not bad either.
Our rating: 7 of 10.
http://www.theglebe.co.nz/
Dunedin, New Zealand. House on Airbnb.
Amazing views all around. This is the most beautifully designed house we have stayed in over the last 6 months. It is the home of Amanda Shanley, a ceramic designer. You should visit Dunedin just to stay in this house. More about it here.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Rotorua, New Zealand. House on Airbnb.
We booked this house at the last minute after having to cancel a campervan trip. The host is nice, but the house itself is very ordinary. Super compact shower area.
Our rating: 5 of 10.
Tokyo, Japan. Apartment on Airbnb.
Whenever we are back in Tokyo, we are sure to book this same apartment in Sendagaya again. It is in a quiet residential area and yet just a short walk away from Shinjuku and Shibuya. There are 5 train and subway stations nearby. And it is quite spacious by Tokyo standards. Plus the hosts, Anton and Yoshi, are really nice people.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Hakone, Japan. Kijitei Hoeiso. Booked on Booking.com.
It was our first time staying in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, and our first time in an onsen. Amazing experience. A full course Kaiseki dinner after a long bath in the onsen was a bliss.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Osaka, Japan. Cross Hotel. Booked on Japanican.com.
Great location but super compact rooms. We had to have an unpleasant conversation with the staff to have us move from a smoking room to a non-smoking one.
Our rating: 7 of 10.
Osaka, Japan. Cabana Capsule Hotel. Booked on Booking.com.
You have to stay at this capsule hotel whenever you visit Osaka. You just have to. The capsules were just the right size. Super clean. And it is not just about the capsules; the entire experience right from checking-in to taking a bath to checking-out is absolutely amazing and unique. I stayed here while Deepa and kids stayed at the Cross Hotel.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Miyajima, Japan. Mikuniya Guesthouse. Booked on Booking.com.
This guesthouse is run by a father-son duo. Really nice people. They introduce Thing1 to the world of Japanese calligraphy. The guesthouse is basic but a traditional accommodation where rooms have tatami mat floors, and you do your futon beds yourself. The small communal kitchen and the common toilets were super clean.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Kyoto, Japan. Apartment on Airbnb.
This is one of the only two times when an airbnb place turned out to be a disappointment. This apartment was beyond super compact, even by the Japanese standards. It is advertised on airbnb for 7 people, but it’s just not appropriate for more than 2 people. It was right next to Yasaka Shrine in Gion, and it was way too touristy and busy than what we had imagined.
Our rating: 1 of 10.
Takamatsu, Japan. JR Hotel Clement Takamatsu. Booked on Japanican.com.
This hotel is a perfect base to explore the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. It is right besides the train station and the ferry terminal and has good restaurants.
Our rating: 7 of 10.
Naoshima Island, Japan. Benesse House.
We visited Naoshima just so that we could stay in a place designed by Tadao Ando. It was only later that we got to know that we would be there during the Setouchi Triennale 2016. It was a treat experiencing the brutal beauty of concrete, steel and wood. It was one of those times when we are particularly thankful to be fortunate to travel and see and experience such places.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Okayama, Japan. Hotel ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama. Booked on Booking.com.
It is right next to the train station and perfect for one night stopover. But nothing great otherwise.
Our rating: 6 of 10.
Hida Takayama, Japan. Hotel Associa Takayama. Booked on Japanican.com.
This one was not really for us. This is a hotel serving big groups of tourists, and away from the town center.
Our rating: 5 of 10.
Tokyo, Japan. Apartment on Airbnb.
This is the second instance when an airbnb apartment disappointed us. This was a last minute booking. We cancelled the Kanazawa plan, and instead decided to go back and spend more time in Tokyo. We love Tokyo. But this time, the apartment that we got was a pretty lame one. It was in Harajuku but the location just didn’t appeal to us. The apartment was tiny, and to make it even bad, there was construction work going on in the building and the host had not bothered to inform us about it.
Our rating: 2 of 10.
Moscow, Russia. Apartment on Airbnb.
This is a great apartment. There is a metro station right opposite to our building. And Red Square is a 10 minutes walk. Very spacious, high ceilings. And the best thing was that there were tons of toys — cars and superheroes and lego. Everything that the kids wanted. The host spoke no English but were still very helpful to coordinate the delivery of shipment from India. More about the apartment here.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Saint Petersburg, Russia. Soul Kitchen Hostel.
Amazing hostel. Very safe and perfect for families. Helpful staff and friendly fellow travelers. We went out with them , made very good friends. You can read about our experience here.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Prague, Czech Republic. Apartment on Airbnb.
The apartment is near the astronomical clock in the old town square. It is a good spacious apartment in an old building. But it gets very noisy in the night with all the pub-crawler crowd.
Our rating: 8 of 10.
Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. Hotel Bellevue. Booked on Booking.com.
A pretty hotel in a picturesque town.
Our rating: 8 of 10.
Gutau, Austria. Ferienwohnung Kagerer. Booked on Booking.com.
This was a nice farm in northern Austria. It had lama, goat, chicken, rabbits, and a dog. Nice people too, and even though they spoke no English they tried to communicate and make the stay comfortable. It was a quiet (except for the goats — that the kids loved) and peaceful place but didn’t have much to do around, and that was nice in a way. Good downtime.
Our rating: 8 of 10.
Rauris, Austria. Voglbachhof.
This farm is my favorite. It is located right besides the Hohe Tauern National Park in the Austrian Alps. Hiking along the mountains huts (alms) in Raurisertal was very special. The hosts, Elisabeth and Alois, are genuinely good people. Elisabeth baked sachertorte (the best that I have had) for my birthday, and we cooked Indian dinner for them. This is a real farm and the kids had to do the daily farm chores. The most fun one for them was to comb the ponies.
Our rating: 10 of 10.
Vienna, Austria. Apartment on Airbnb.
Right opposite the Naschmarket, our apartment was a good place to explore Vienna. And our favorite cafe, Café Sperl is just around the corner. The historic center is a 10 minutes walk. The apartment was pretty good and spacious. It was our host, Marvin’s, first home, and so it was stocked with all the essentials. It was Sunday when we checked-out and the post office was closed. Marvin was kind enough to post 15 post cards for us.
Our rating: 9 of 10.
Rome, Italy. Apartment on Airbnb.
The apartment is right next to Pantheon. Great location. But otherwise the apartment is alright. Gemma is a great host. She knew that we are with kids and so she had stocked fresh milk and cookies when we checked-in, and she helped us with arranging the airport transfers.
Our rating: 7 of 10.
Split, Croatia. Apartment on Airbnb.
The best beach in Split, which also happens to be the only sandy beach in Split, is just 2 minutes walk. Else the apartment was fine, but nothing special.
Our rating: 7 of 10.
Jelsa (Hvar Island), Croatia. Apartment on Airbnb.
We are right now in Jelsa on the Hvar Island, and we love our apartment here. We are right above the best restaurants in town, Pelago. And this means Deepa and I can do long dinners.. 3 hours, 4 hours sipping plavac, macchiato, and prošek, and sharing stories with the restaurant owners, Ivo and Maria, while the kids can go upstairs and get some screen time. Everyone happy. But Jelsa is not the best town to stay on the Hvar Island. I think it is much better to be in Hvar town. We had thought Hvar town is just for the 20’s crowd, but it has something to offer for everyone.
Our rating: 8 of 10.
Oh and apart from all these wonderful places, we have been most fortunate to stay with a number of our friends at their homes in many cities around the world. Those are the best of the memories.
It’s been 4 months and 24 days since we left home. My school friend asked me if we were homesick? I can only say for myself. Deepa and Thing 1 and Thing 2 will have a different take on this.
No. I’m not homesick. I don’t get homesick. At least not yet. I do miss my friends. I do miss my family. But that’s different from being homesick. I am not longing to go back home. Not just yet.
Now, that’s not to say it’s always all fun. In fact, I find it stressful, very stressful at times to travel as a family. I know it’s a privilege, and I know I’m extremely fortunate to be able to travel for so long, but hey, I can be honest. Have you stayed so long together without taking any break from each other? 24/7. Always together. There is no office to escape to, no school for the kids to get a break from us and us from them, no nannies to look after the kids for a while, no boys night out, no girls night out. And in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, there is really no one else for any meaningful adult conversation. It’s just us. Always talking to each other.
Lunches and dinners are the toughest times of the day. It is difficult for the little ones to adapt their taste buds to different cuisines, and I of course make it even more difficult by having them eat healthy. How I wish that ice creams were the healthiest food on earth, full of protein and vitamins.
Play times are fun, but try doing that every minute of every hour. Tell me if that doesn’t drain you. I wish they can entertain themselves all the time, but hey, they don’t have facebook or whatsapp to turn to.
The classic is when Thing 1 and Thing 2 have a fight and they drag me into it, and in a minute I become the reason why they had the fight. Duh!
Oh well, it’s not always like this. It’s just the water in St Petersburg that is distorting both the reality and perception for us. Prague I’m sure will be a different story. Stay tuned! 🙂
Today is our last day in Australia. It’s been over a month that we have been away from home. It is all coming along pretty well. But we are still figuring out things. Things like…
how best to be together all the time, and still give each other some space.how to start the day early.how to eat healthy.the right balance between being digitally connected vs switching off.the songs that we all love to listen to.the right daypack.how to pack and unpack and pack and unpack and pack and unpack.how to add protein to our diet.how to get the kids to eat well.planning our travel in Europe.how to slow down.how to be patient with kids.how to match kids’ energy after a long day.android (the cost that we are paying for using project fi).applying enough sunscreen and how to avoid a tan.drinking water.home schooling. Where to even start from?what to write on our blog. A daily log or just interesting experiences?good educational (iPad) apps for kids.how to consistently correct less and connect more with kids.the right gears for all weather.remembering to write postcards.cooking vs eating out.dealing with motion sickness.
We are finding our rhythm, our pace. Just about there.. And then there will be more things to figure out.
The first thing we did upon landing in Sao Paulo last year was look for an outlet for TIM, a Brazilian telecom company. I had spent a few hours beforehand reading about the local telecom companies and had narrowed it down on TIM. Unfortunately they didn’t have any outlet at the airport. After checking in at our hotel, we did find one in a mall about 20 minutes away. Of the 10 young people at that shop, there was none that spoke any English. And neither Deepa nor I spoke any Portuguese (sadly, learning a few words on Duolingo doesn’t count). As we would then do throughout Brazil, we started conversing using Google Translate. While some of it was lost in translation, we did manage to eventually buy and activate the SIM card and talk about football and local politics.
Such is the urge to remain connected. Google Maps, Gmail, Whatsapp, Facebook.. Oh and btw, if you are heavy on data, forget about doing international roaming with an Indian phone number. Matrix is no good either.
So as we travel around the world we will have to keep looking for local SIM cards. OR. We get on to Project Fi.
Google’s Project Fi is a network of networks. You move seamlessly between cellular network to wifi. They have a simple plan. $20 per month, and then $10 per GB for data. And you never pay for unused data.
But that’s not what excites me. The killer feature for me is that you pay one rate for data around the world. In 120+ countries, you pay just $10 per GB for data. The one drawback is that you get 3G data speeds instead of LTE outside of the US. I can live with that.
So yes, you can count on me to like your facebook posts through the year.
Planning holidays way in advance or well in time was never our thing. Maybe we didn't want to commit much in advance or we were just plain lazy. The only time we planned our travel in advance was when we went to Brazil during the FIFA World Cup in 2014. That was purely because the football match tickets went on sale way early. So, it is natural that I am nervous that we have already planned our first 141 days.
The break-up so far is 36–36–43–26.
After Russia, its going to be Europe for 100 days. We are yet to plan Europe, but we will surely be chasing good weather. So where are you joining us?
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