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Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Bali

Rice Terraces near Sidemen

Bali – The Perfect Travel Destination With A Baby!

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

We spent two weeks in Bali in the first half of April 2019. The first week, we rented a very comfortable villa in Seminyak, and discovered the more popular, more touristy south of Bali: Seminyak of course, Pura Tanah Lot & Ganggu, Pura Luhur Ulu Watu and the Breaks of Ulu Watu, but also Pura Tirta Empul & Pura Gunung Kawi north of Ubud (we skipped Ubud altogether).

Then we took a speedboat to Gili Air where we stayed 2 days, went to Amed 3 days to scuba dive on the USS Liberty Shipwreck and to discover Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang & Taman Tirta Gangga, and last but not least spent 2 days in Sidemen in the middle of the Rice Terraces. Continue Reading →

Glimpses of Bali: A Selection of 40 Pictures

Popular Swing on the Beach at Sunset in Gili Air

Bali is a popular destination, deservedly! Stunning beaches, evergreen rice terraces, high volcanoes, spiritual and nonesuch temples, colorful markets, overloaded motorbikes, … This on an island incredibly easy to travel, catering for all budget, and offering pleasant experiences for high-end honey-mooners and hardcore backpackers, first-time Asia tourists and experienced travelers, beach-bums and culture-avid discoverers alike. Continue Reading →

Ayutthaya & Chiang Mai – A Few Glimpses Of Thailand’s Grand History

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand offers one of the most remarkable cultural heritages in the world, remains of a grand history and a powerful civilization that shaped Southeast Asia. Two of the places where you can dive into this glorious past are Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai.

Both are highly popular places, and it is at times challenging to escape large crowds of organized tours. It is nonetheless possible to partly do so and have a pleasant experience at both places. Continue Reading →

Thailand’s World Famous Beaches – Discovering Koh Lanta & Railay Beach

Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand

Thailand is famous for its stunning beaches and islands, and most of them are not exactly a hidden secret… It is even partly mass tourism at its worst! Nonetheless, you can still have an enjoyable time there, relaxing after discovering other parts of Thailand or even of Southeast Asia. My personal experience showed both sides: when Koh Lanta was actually a pleasant moment, Railay Beach proved to be one of the worst places I ever visited in my life. Continue Reading →

Bangkok – The Gateway To Thailand

Wat Phra Kaew or Grand Palace, Bangkok

When visiting Thailand, you will most likely arrive and / or leave from Bangkok. I arrived and left the country from this tentacular city of 15 millions. Bangkok definitely deserves a few days, though distances between points of interest, the heavy traffic and hence the high travel times make it challenging for first time visitors to really enjoy the capital of Thailand.

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Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Thailand

A Perfect Place To Splurge A Little

Sunset at the Tew Lay Bar, Railey Beach, Krabi, Thailand

Type Of Travel

This trip to Thailand was definitely different: instead of a backpacking or “flashpacking” type of travel, it was more a mid-range to upper mid-range holiday, with comfortable hotels, convenient transports and lots of nice activities like almost one massage a day or scuba diving.

The budget displayed bellow has hence little to do with the one of a backpacker, but shows that you can splurge for a very reasonable price. Continue Reading →

Sri Lanka – A Selection Of 47 Pictures

Woman picking tea leaves, near Ella

We spent 5 days on the Northern Cultural Triangle (Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya & Dambulla), which was the bear minimum to be able to somehow discover those places. Then followed 3 days to get a glimpse of the Highlands and the Tea Plantations (Kandy, Nuwera Eliya & Ella). Last but not least, we headed south for one and a half day rest on the beach & whale watching in Mirissa and to discover Galle.

Here you find a Selection of 47 Pictures of Sri Lanka…

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Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Sri Lanka

Easy To Travel & Full Of Highlights

Train from Kandy to Nuwera Eliya, Sri Lanka

Train from Kandy to Nuwera Eliya, Sri Lanka

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

Never have we bought a long-haul plane ticket 6 days before departure… But when a window of opportunity of 12 days in February 2016 aroused, the decision was quick. With only 10 days in Sri Lanka, we had to make some bitter choices, as this is not nearly enough for a country that would ideally require 3 weeks or more… Beaches were immediately out of focus, as was soon wildlife watching, because of the lack of time. Continue Reading →