Anyah Mroz

Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Traveling to the Andaman Islands

We flew from the New Delhi airport to Port Blair with Air India. Apparently, Air India is among the very few airlines serving Port Blair, although this is expected to change soon with the opening of a new international airport. Upon our early morning arrival at the Port Blair airport, we found the plane to be completely full, and we appeared to be the only non-Indians onboard. The flight itself was quite interesting and turned out to be an experience of its own. It seemed like a significant portion of the passengers had either never flown before or simply disregarded the rules. For example, there were individuals standing up during takeoff and landing, walking around the plane despite the cabin crew’s instructions to remain seated. I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the cabin crew as they made sincere efforts to manage the situation, facing significant challenges along the way.

After landing, we walked a few meters to reach the bus that would take us to the terminal building. If you’ve flown before, you probably know that ordinarily, you’re not allowed to walk right underneath the wing of the plane. Well, that wasn’t the case here. Everyone just walked right under the engine, and no one seemed to find that strange. The bus picking us up was a very old, red vehicle. Inside the bus, I found it quite interesting how all the men gave away their seats to women. Well, except for me, maybe because I am not Indian.

Visa and permit

Before heading to the Andaman Islands, I had numerous questions for which I couldn’t find answers anywhere. For instance, I was uncertain about whether I could enter Port Blair on an E-visa. Even after reaching out to the Indian embassy in Norway, I couldn’t obtain a clear response, and they recommended getting a full visa just to be safe. After conducting thorough research, I discovered that as long as you visit another city in India first, which permits entry with an E-visa, you can safely travel to the Andaman Islands. This is due to having already received the Indian stamp in your passport, and your subsequent journey to the Andaman Islands is considered a domestic flight. That was indeed the case, although, based on my understanding, you can now also arrive directly at Port Blair with an E-visa. However, it’s unclear whether the same rules apply if you arrive by a cruise ship. Additionally, there is no longer a need for a permit to enter the Andaman Islands, except for Sentinel Island, which remains restricted. As for the Nicobar Islands, based on my last knowledge update, Indian tourists require a permit to visit, while foreign tourists generally cannot obtain a permit to enter these islands. However, it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest travel regulations and entry requirements, as they may have changed since my last update.

Upon entering the arrival hall, we were promptly singled out from the crowd and asked to show our passports, likely because it was quite apparent that we were non-Indians. Additionally, we received information about the rules and norms of the Andaman Islands. To our relief, our luggage arrived quickly in the arrival hall, providing us with plenty of time to reach the jetty. Initially concerned about making it in time for the ferry, we found that the entire process of exiting the airport was remarkably efficient.

After retrieving our luggage, we stepped outside the airport. Unfortunately, we were not greeted by the best weather due to the recent cyclone. However, it was very warm and extremely humid. Our intention was to approach a taxi driver directly to take us to the jetty, but, of course, there were many people approaching us, offering taxi services. Initially, they quoted 10 USD, then 8 USD. When we expressed our preference for using rupees instead of dollars, the price dropped to 300 rupees (approximately 4 USD). While unsure if it was a good price, we considered it reasonable for a 20-minute drive, especially considering that the Andaman Islands are generally considered more expensive than mainland India. I will provide more details about the prices in the Andaman Islands in a later post.
After the scam episode in New Delhi, we remained very alert but eventually agreed to follow one of the persistent individuals. Similar to the situation in New Delhi, this person was not the taxi driver himself, and he did not accompany us for the ride; instead, he directed us to the taxi driver who took us to the jetty. The taxi itself was unlike any car I had seen before; seatbelts were non-existent, and the floor of the car was orange. It appeared to be an old British model from the 60s, black in colour with intriguing flower-patterned seats. I couldn’t help but wonder how this car was still running. Despite its appearance, the most crucial aspect was that we did not fall victim to a scam.

The ride to the jetty lasted around 15-20 minutes. I found it quite amusing that we were still in India because it didn’t remind me of India at all! The nature was strikingly different and tropical, with palm trees dotting the landscape and rainforests visible from every side of the road. The only reminders of India were the cows and goats wandering on the roads, the constant car honking, and women dressed in saris. Everything else, including the architecture, was remarkably distinct. The roads felt rather scary; it seemed like we were on the verge of a collision numerous times. The experience was probably even more nerve-wracking for us since we were not accustomed to driving on the left side of the road.

When we finally reached the jetty port, the gate was still closed. We were informed that the gate would open at 10:30, so we had about 10 minutes to wait. Our driver left, leaving us outside in front of the gate, alone in the rain with a goat. Shortly after, another rickshaw with Indian tourists arrived, and the gate opened. The security guard instructed us to walk straight until we reached a large building housing the ferry terminal.

Upon arriving outside the ferry terminal, we were greeted by two armed men who directed us to enter the terminal for security control. Similar to the airport experience in New Delhi, men and women had to go through separate security controls. The procedure for men resembled that of any other country, but for women, it was a bit different. Women were required to enter a small cabin, stand on an elevated box, and undergo a frisking. Whenever I stepped on this elevated box (given my height of 181 cm), half of me would stick out from the cabin, causing laughter from the security officers.

After the security control, we reached the waiting area where numerous people were already waiting. I have no clue where those people came from and when they arrived because, as mentioned earlier, the gate was closed when we got there. It was not the most pleasant waiting area I have been to. Hopefully, someone will invest in this area for the sake of tourism. There is even a sign saying “no spitting,” and I couldn’t believe that such a sign was necessary. However, the worst aspect of this ferry terminal was the bathrooms. Never have I ever seen anything like that! Most of the toilets were (very disgusting) squat toilets. Although I knew that there are typically both types of toilets, I searched for a “regular” one. I did find one, but guess what! The entire toilet was covered with thick layers of spiderwebs. I would, therefore, strongly recommend using the restroom before entering the ferry terminal or boarding the ferry.

Getting to Neil Island from Port Blair with Makruzz

Our first destination was Neil Island, and we planned to spend three nights there. To secure tickets for our preferred ferry ride, we purchased them online a month in advance when the ticket sales opened. We opted for the “luxury” seats with Makruzz. To be completely honest, the seating choice didn’t make a significant difference because both areas were quite similar. The distinctions between the three available zones on the ferry are as follows: The luxury zone is upstairs with fewer seats, resulting in fewer people, while the economy zone is downstairs with more passengers. Some individuals mentioned a preference for the luxury zone due to its perceived quieter ambiance compared to the more crowded lower deck, but I found both areas to be relatively noisy. The third zone is a VIP room with around six seats, but it might not be practical unless you are traveling with a group of six people and seek some privacy.

We were provided with breakfast (a sandwich) and water as part of the ferry service. I’m uncertain if the economy class also includes this provision, but there was food available for purchase downstairs, such as samosas. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ferry—it matched, if not exceeded, the standards of short-distance ferries in Norway! The seats were quite comfortable, and TVs played Bollywood music videos. As for luggage, the staff took care of it before we boarded the ferry and returned it to us upon arrival on Neil Island. The ferry ride had some waves, but fortunately, it wasn’t turbulent enough to cause motion sickness. Additionally, the bathrooms on the ferry were surprisingly decent, unlike those at the terminal. I would advise waiting until you get on the ferry rather than using the restrooms at the terminal.

From the jetty port on Neil Island, we opted for a taxi to reach our hotel. With numerous rickshaws and taxis readily available by the jetty, finding transportation was not an issue. Being the only non-Indians made it even more convenient, as most rickshaw and taxi drivers approached us instantly. The journey to our hotel lasted about 10 minutes. Given Neil Island’s small size, I believe this is the maximum distance to most hotels.

In the next post, I’ll provide more details about our hotel and share insights about Neil Island in general!

New Delhi: One day in Delhi

After a crazy beginning of our stay in New Delhi (see previous post), we finally arrived at our hotel. The hotel did not look to bad from the outside, we thought. The neighbourhood itself, on the other hand, was not very pleasant. The time at this point was was around 9 am and we were looking very much forward to go straight to bed and sleep for 3-4 hours before doing some sightseeing. The check in time was at 1 pm, but we were hoping for an early check-in to take a shower and get some sleep. Of course, the receptionist told us our room was not ready, but shortly after, he told us that we could get an early check-in for a fee. Fine, we thought, it was not extremely expensive and we just wanted to get some sleep. We got to the room, and shortly noticed that the room we were assigned was of a much worse category than we had paid for. We paid twice as much just to get a better looking room, but in the end we were assigned a room of the worst category. However, we still wanted the early check in, so I had no intentions on going back to argue with the receptionist, although, I did not understand why we had to pay for an early check-in if we were downgraded.

Everything would be OK if the room would not have been completely disgusting. It was probably the dirtiest room I have ever slept in. I tried to hang some clothes in the closet but the hangers were so sticky that I decided to keep everything on top of my suitcase. The bed was also very hard and not comfortable at all. Luckily, we were so tired that in the end we did actually fall asleep for around 3 hours. At that point we were very happy that we still had not booked the same hotel for the way back, or another hotel in the same area: Mahipalpur. We only chose to stay in Mahipalpur because of the short distance to the airport, but we quickly understood that we should definitely stay somewhere far away from here on the way back.

After the 3 hours of sleep, as tired as we were, we still decided to go sightseeing. Of course, we decided not to do all the things that we had planned. Besides, it was already getting late so we did not have the time for it. My friend from Delhi gave me some advice on what to do on a one day trip in New Delhi, so we tried to stick to some of it. We decided to go to Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardam temple, India gate and Khan’s Market. Luckily, there was WiFi in the hotel so we could order an Uber to the first landmark without being scammed again.

Watching New Delhi through the window, I started to realise I had a completely different picture of India in my head. Nothing looked like the India that I was so in love with. I started wondering whether I had a completely false memory of India or whether Mumbai was just a much prettier and cleaner city. I actually think it is the last thing, although I can imagine that New Delhi also have some nicer looking areas. In every direction I looked, I saw dirt, people everywhere, homeless elderly sleeping on the pavements and cows wandering around, not to mention all the excessive honking! Everything was so unorganised and chaotic. The cow part is just to give a better image of how it looked, but personally I have nothing against this, because I think the cows make the country more exotic (in a positive way!). Another thing is that I remember India as being very colorful, however, because of the extreme amount of smog, this was not the case. The city looked rather sad and grey.

Qutub Minar

The first landmark we visited was Qutub Minar. We were lucky that there were not too many people at this time of the day and week. This Unesco landmark had many interesting monuments and should definitely be on the bucket list for everyone visiting Delhi. Of course, there were plenty of people wanting to take selfies with us; I assume it is because we were the only non-Indian tourists there and because we looked like giants compared to everyone else. I can imagine that some people might find this a bit overwhelming, but I personally found it quite cute, especially when young children would approach me to tell me compliments like “you look like a barbie doll!”. Ok, maybe looking like a barbie doll is not always seen as a compliment, but I still found it cute and I choose to believe that they meant well.

Humayun’s Tomb

The next landmark we visited was the Humayun’s Tomb. This was exactly how I imagined the Taj Mahal to look (until I later visited Taj Mahal and realised I was wrong!). I was positively surprised by the beautiful architecture and by how big the area was. If we would have had more time, we could have walked around the area for hours, but because our time was limited, we unfortunately had to go through everything as quickly as possible.

Akshardam Temple

The last landmark that we decided to visit was the Akshardam temple. We initially had planned to visit some other places too, but the time did not allow us to do so, and the Akshardam temple is open longer than most other landmarks. We took a rickshaw to the Akshardam temple, but we quickly found out that we were not allowed inside with our phones and cameras and had to deposit them. Once we saw the never ending line to the storage room, we simply gave up and decided that taking a photo from the outside would be sufficient for us. It would have taken us way too much time, and we were already extremely tired and hungry and dreamt of going back to the (disgusting) hotel room. The Akshardam Temple was beautiful from the outside, and I am pretty sure it is even more beautiful from the inside. I will definitely visit the Akshardam temple on my next visit to New Delhi when I will have more time.

India gate

We decided to take the rickshaw to the Khan Market and have something to eat there because we still hadn’t had any food since we left from our hotel. We wanted to eat somewhere nice, and not in Mahipalpur where our lovely hotel was located (no need for food poisoning on the first day of our trip!), so I imagined the Khan market to be the perfect place to do so. On the way to the Khan Market we stopped at the India Gate for some photos. The india gate is located in a park and is definitely a place worth to stop for some photos.

Khan Market

We arrived at the Khan Market and walked around a bit looking for the best restaurant before finally choosing one. This is more of a upscale “market” with some fancy restaurants and clothing stores. Most of the restaurants here were either Western or Fusion style, which was not really what we were looking for. This was our first day in India so we obviously wanted to eat something local. We managed to find a North Indian restaurant, called Punjab Grill and I must admit it was one of the better Indian meals that I have ever had. The restaurant was very nice with outdoor seating, great staff and most importantly: amazing food.

After the dinner, we took a rickshaw back to our wonderful hotel. The rickshaw driver asked us to pay 5-6 times more than what we paid to get there, but luckily, our bargaining skills had improved during this one and only day. I am sure we still overpaid a lot.

We went back to the hotel and slept until 3 am, because we had a plane to catch to the Andaman islands! Another sleepless night, but at least we had something good ahead of us and an amazing week on the beach to look forward to. As horrible as the hotel was, we were actually quite happy to be back in the room and sleep after a very chaotic and tiering day in the bustling city of New Delhi.

(More pictures to be added)

New Delhi: Arriving in New Delhi and Delhi Airport Scam

Our journey to New Delhi via Helsinki with Finnair proved to be a disappointing flight experience. As a first-time passenger with Finnair, I was thoroughly let down by the limited legroom and overall lack of space onboard. Adding to the discomfort was a box obstructing my seat, making it impossible to find even a bit of legroom (being 181 cm tall, this made the trip quite miserable). While I managed to switch seats momentarily and catch a brief 5-minute nap, I was abruptly awakened by a cabin crew member requesting that I give up my seat for someone whose entertainment system was not working. Needless to say, this journey was exhausting and far from what we had anticipated, considering our limited time in Delhi and our aspirations for sightseeing. However, it could have been worse, as smog had disrupted flights to Delhi for the past few days, and we were fortunate to have made it there at all.

Upon arrival at the airport and going through passport control, the experience was a far cry from my previous visit to India (when I visited Mumbai). The entire airport clearance process was drawn-out, with most passport counters closed, as it appeared that half of the officials responsible for passport control were actually sleeping! Those who were awake took frequent breaks, suddenly stretching their legs and arms or engaging in jovial conversations with their colleagues.

Exiting the airport, we hoped for smoother proceedings from that point onward. However, we encountered an unexpected turn of events. Since I did not have an Indian SIM card, and there was no available Wi-Fi for foreign nationals at the airport, we decided to take a regular pre-paid taxi.

delhi tourism, tourists in in delhi, touting in delhi, indira gandhi airport, danish woman, rape, danish woman rape case, congolese national attack, african attack, national crime records bureau, delhi rape, delhi crime, new daily railway station rape, indian express delhi, delhi, delhi news, Delhi Police Prepaid Taxi — Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/foreigners-complain-tourists-touting-airport-crime-delhi-police-hardlook-2849673/

Approaching the pre-paid taxi stand, someone quickly offered their assistance. I inquired if the taxi was pre-paid, and the person assured me it was. They then provided the price, which we knew was excessively high, but due to our exhaustion, we decided not to engage in an argument. Another person approached us during that time, but the individual we were already speaking to said something in Hindi to them, and they left. We followed our designated person to the car, and it was clear that something was amiss because we had yet to “prepay” them, and there was another person, a driver, already in the car. We provided the name of the hotel and the area it was located in, and then we set off. However, the car suddenly stopped, and the person expressed uncertainty about the hotel’s location. They asked for the hotel’s phone number, and I provided the number from the voucher. Supposedly, they called the hotel and mentioned our names. The person then informed me that there was a booking mistake and suggested they would be willing to take us to another hotel. They handed me their phone to speak to the “receptionist.” The so-called receptionist claimed that I had made a mistake and that the booking was actually for another date. Initially, I began to question if I had indeed made an error (unfortunately, I have made such mistakes numerous times in the past). However, I quickly checked my voucher, which clearly stated that my booking was indeed for that day. Looking at the person’s phone, I realized that the dialed number did not match the hotel’s number. In fact, it belonged to someone in the person’s contacts! I became extremely angry and demanded that the person drive us to the correct hotel. He claimed to have no idea where that hotel was since he only knew the locations of the most expensive 5-star hotels. As we were only staying in Delhi for one night, we had chosen a more affordable option near the airport, and I was aware that there were many hotels in that area. However, the person initially assured us that he knew the hotel and we had even provided him with the exact address. Fortunately, I had downloaded offline Google Maps of the entire New Delhi, so I informed him that I would guide him to the hotel. We drove for about 5 minutes, but it was a one-way road, and the person refused to turn around, claiming it would take too much time. Fortunately, I had guided us to a point where we were within a short walking distance of the hotel, and it took us approximately 5 minutes to reach it on foot. However, he dropped us off in the middle of the busy main road, on the side without a sidewalk or crosswalk, making the walk to the hotel quite challenging. We had to navigate through the chaotic Indian traffic, carrying our heavy bags and suitcases. Despite the challenges we encountered, we managed to safely reach our hotel, where we chose not to dwell on the less-than-ideal conditions, such as sticky surfaces and cleanliness issues. Instead, we focused on our relief and happiness of finally reaching our hotel.

It is important to be aware of Delhi airport scammers when visiting Delhi. In fact, I was fully conscious of this issue, but I suppose I was too tired to anticipate becoming a victim at that particular moment. If you decide to take a pre-paid taxi, ensure that you go directly to the counter and avoid engaging with anyone in front of it, as they are likely not affiliated with the prepaid taxi company. From that day onwards, we remained vigilant throughout our time in India.

India and the Andaman Islands

India has always held a special place in my heart, with its rich culture, diverse society, and vibrant traditions. The aromatic flavors of Indian cuisine, the captivating melodies of Indian music, and the vibrant colors of Bollywood movies have further deepened my fascination with this extraordinary country. India is truly unlike any other place I have visited, and its vibrant and lively tapestry continues to inspire and amaze me.

Having fallen in love with India before even setting foot in the country, my previous visit to Mumbai left a lasting impression and sparked a strong desire to return. This time, my attention was captivated by the enchanting Andaman Islands, an archipelago that took center stage as the main attraction of my trip. Additionally, we embarked on the Golden Triangle journey, exploring the wonders of Agra, Delhi, and Jaipur, while dedicating the majority of our time to basking in the beauty of the pristine beaches of the Andaman Islands.

Located closer to Burma and Thailand than mainland India, the Andaman (and the Nicobar) Islands have been on my bucket list since I was a young teenager. It always surprises me that only a few people I’ve spoken to are familiar with these islands, except when I mention North Sentinel Island, known for the tragic incident involving an American missionary. Learning that most parts of the Andaman Islands were now open to foreign tourists made it my number one priority.

Planning the trip to the Andaman Islands proved more challenging than expected due to its status as a relatively new tourist destination, especially for non-Indian travelers, and the limited information available online. In my upcoming posts, I will provide detailed explanations and answers to the questions I had before embarking on this adventure.

As mentioned earlier, we also decided to explore the Golden Triangle during our trip. Flying into New Delhi from Europe, we spent our first day exploring the vibrant city. On our way back from the Andaman Islands, we allocated two days to Jaipur and one day to Agra, where I finally had the opportunity to witness the majestic Taj Mahal. Though our itinerary was packed, I am grateful that we were able to experience so much in a short time.

In my upcoming posts, I will share detailed accounts of each place we visited, complemented by YouTube videos capturing the essence of our journey. Meanwhile, you can enjoy my first video showcasing the beauty of the Andaman Islands. Despite some negative reviews I encountered, claiming that the beaches were not appealing and the islands were boring, I believe this video serves as compelling evidence to the contrary.

Christmas in Sopot, Poland

Every year, we try to pick a new place to celebrate Christmas. This time, however, we decided to celebrate in Sopot, Poland. We had travelled a lot in the past 2 months, so we thought we could go somewhere closer by for Christmas. Besides, both my parents are from Poland, so I do feel a strong connection to the country. We did, however, not go to the city from where my parents are. My parents are from a city called Szczecin (where I will be going in 1 week!), but we decided to go to Sopot, which is one of our favorite places to be in Poland.

Sheraton Sopot Hotel

We went to Poland only for 4 days, and left in the morning on the 24th. From the airport in Gdansk, it took us around 25 minutes to get to the Sheraton hotel where we were staying. We have stayed at the Sheraton many times before, but never during Christmas. Sopot is a beach city, so we usually go there during the summer. Usually, however, we either stay at the Grand Sofitel next door or rent an apartment, but we picked the Sheraton this time because of the Christmas gala buffet organised at the hotel. We had around 1 hour to get ready from the time we arrived at the hotel until we went for the dinner. We put on our nicest dresses and proceeded to the ball room.

Gala buffet

We bought a Christmas package which included breakfast and gala buffet for to days at the hotel. The gala buffet was inside three big rooms. It was all very beautifully made. One room would only be for food. I really enjoyed the fact that everyone made an effort to dress up. All the girls looked beautiful in their glittery dresses, whereas the men were obviously all wearing suits. The first evening was very crowded, but the second evening was rather empty. I don’t know if it is because there were more outside guests coming for Christmas eve, or if people simply did not show up for the second day because they had eaten too much food the day before. Regardless, the hotel was still fully booked.

The food was really amazing on both of the days. Every dish was prepared to perfection. According to the Polish tradition, one should not eat meat on Christmas eve, however, there was no lack of meat dishes for those who preferred that over vegetarian dishes or seafood. There was everything you could imagine, from traditional Polish Christmas dishes (e.g. pierogi, barszcz), to duck in orange sauce, steaks, fish prepared in several ways, all kinds of cheeses, cakes… anything you could think of (except from Asian food). And the best part of it was the free flow of sparkling wine (and of course other drinks). Everything was included in the price (270 PLN for the Christmas eve buffet 210PLN for the 1st day of Christmas).

Now to the negatives. To be honest, I do not like to write anything negative about such events because I think that everyone’s preference is different. However, I celebrated Christmas in many countries and at many hotels, and one of the things that I missed the most was some entertainment. The only entertainment here was Santa Claus who arrived with presents for the kids, but I missed something like live music, or a choir singing Christmas carols. Because this was missing, it was all about eating yourself full and nothing more. I know that eating is a very big thing in Poland, especially during Christmas (just the fact that there has to be 12 dishes!), but to me it was a bit too much about food. This was especially the fact on day 2, when we started with a late breakfast, and shortly after, the dinner buffet opened. However, for someone who enjoys that, it would be heaven.

Spatif

The trip to Sopot would not be complete without a night out. There were not many options, however, the only place open during Christmas was a place called Spatif. Spatif is a very interesting place. It is in fact a very ugly place, with very old antique like furniture, but at the same time it is a place in which you can often spot some Polish celebrities. I must admit that I do not even know how they look, but my mom spots them every time. Another interesting fact about this place is that you have to walk up some very steep stairs and ring the door bell in order to get in. I guess they have some sort of selection, but at the same time I have seen the biggest variety of people in there. There is definitely no need to dress up here, but don’t let me discourage you, if you want to dress up, you certainly can (Polish women love to dress up).

Daytrip to Gdansk

If you go to Sopot, you should go for a daytrip to Gdansk. If you stay in Gdansk, you should go for a daytrip or an evening to Sopot! These two cities go hand in hand. Getting around the city by uber is really not that expensive, so there is no excuse in not visiting one or the other (there is also a much cheaper train going!). Gdansk is a beautiful city, and during Christmas, the city looked stunning with all the Christmas lights and other decorations. I get amazed by this city everything I come here. The Christmas market was outstanding; there were lots stalls selling food and christmas things. We were walking around the beautiful streets for hours. Now that I think of it, I think Gdansk might actually be a better option during Christmas time because it has many more options during that time of the year. There is lots of dining options, and as already mentioned, the city (the old town) in itself is just beautiful. Sopot is to many people more fun during the summer, but I personally love Sopot at any time of the year.

Hotel Sopot

We decided to stay at the Hotel Sopot on our last night. We wanted to check out this hotel for the future, and the rates were very low for that one night. The hotel has an outdoor pool which of course we did not use, and a nice restaurant inside the hotel. The hotel was actually very nice, I really enjoyed the modern wooden style. It is a bit far from the city centre, but it has a great location in the forest right in front of the beach. The only downside with this hotel is that the rooms are slightly too small, especially when comparing it to the hotel room we had at the Sheraton. We did not get to spend much time here, because we left for the airport at 4 am the next morning, but I m very glad we stayed here and got to se the place. It was indeed a very nice hotel and I think it might be a good option for the future if the prices won’t be too high.

Would I recommend celebrating Christmas in Sopot?

I think it all depends on what you are looking for. If you enjoy dressing up and looking your best, eating lots of good food and spending most of the time at the hotel, then this is the place to be. Except from that, there is not much to do in Sopot during Christmas. Of course, you can always spend a night out at the Spatif nightclub, go for a daytrip to Gdansk, or go for a long walk at the Sopot pier, so I am not implying that you will be bored, but it all depends on what you are looking for. If you would like some snow for Christmas then this is also not the right place, because of the mild weather. But overall, we had a great Christmas time in Poland, with some really amazing food. Will we celebrate Christmas here again? I do not think so, as we prefer going to warmer places for Christmas, but never say never!

Merry Christmas!

I would like to wish all the readers of my blog a Merry Christmas! Usually I would take some the time to explain a bit about the traditions of a typical Polish Christmas and explain the food that is usually served, for example, that there should be no less than 12 dishes and that no meat is allowed (only fish). However, I haven’t really been celebrating Christmas in a traditional way for the past couple of years, so I will keep that for another time.

As you might have noticed, my parents and I are not really a traditional Polish family, not only because I was born in Norway, but also because we have all dedicated our lives to traveling. Therefore, since the past couple of years, we have had other plans for Christmas. Last year, for instance, I went to Oman together with my mom and my aunt, where we really had an amazing Christmas time! I will write about that trip and Oman in general on a later occasion, because that really is one of my favorite countries.

This year, however, my mom and I are going to Poland for 3 days to celebrate Christmas. Again, we are not going to do it in a traditional way, so we will not be visiting family members (who by the way live in a different part of Poland). Instead, we will be staying at the Sheraton Hotel in a place called Sopot. We have stayed at the Sheraton hotel plenty times, and we go to Sopot regularly. However, we usually go there during the summer time, because in the end it is a beach town! We have never celebrated Christmas there, so we are looking extremely much forward to the Christmas gala and the buffet at the hotel. The menu looks very promising! Now let’s just hope there will be some fun people to meet!

I will of course blog about this 3-day Christmas trip and keep you all updated! Once again, I wish you a merry Christmas and I hope you will all have a wonderful holiday! I am off to the airport!

Miami: South Beach and Wynwood

We decided to stay the last two days of our stay in a party hotel in South Beach. We chose the Mondrian Hotel, because we wanted to party, but at the same time stay somewhere more classy. We have had a lot of good experience with the Mondrian Hotels in general (especially the one in Doha!), and both my mom and I are huge fans of the work of Marcel Wanders who designed this hotel. You can definitely tell that this is not a brand new hotel anymore, but it is a completely different story than the other party hotels in Miami. We had an amazing 2 days here!

The Mondrian Hotel is not located on the beach; it is located on the opposite side of Ocean Drive. The fact that it does not have a pool is indeed a downside, but the fact that the pool overlooks the lagoon and the star Island with all the celebrity mansions really makes up for it!

We had a 1 bedroom suite, which was pretty spacious and just right for 3 people. The room had some very interesting interior thanks to Marcel Wanders. For example, one of the things was the chandelier-shower! The only downside was that our room had no balcony, but regardless of that, we had an amazing view of South Beach from the big windows.

Pool Parties

After staying 3 days at the very empty Bal Harbour, we were starting to be a bit nervous about the amount of people that would meet us at the Mondrian. I had a bet with my mom’s friend about the place going to be packed. Luckily, I won. The place was indeed completely packed and we were lucky that we even found available sun loungers. The reason for this huge difference was most likely because it was weekend, and of course because it is South Beach! After talking to some people at the parties, we also found out that many of the people attending were not even hotel guests but outside guests who regularly come to party at the Mondrian hotel during the weekends. The party was really good. The DJ’s did an excellent job, and the atmosphere here by the pool overlooking Star Island while drinking a glass of champagne was just splendid. I also really enjoyed looking at all the very good looking people here! You could really tell that the people coming here find it really important to take good care of themselves and are extremely into fashion.

South Beach

I guess it is time to write a bit about South Beach in general. South Beach or SoBe, has a a little bit of everything. In general, I like South beach very much, as long as I stay far away from Ocean Drive! South Beach really does have a lot of great shopping, amazing restaurants, and bars for everyone’s taste. I can really recommend a place called Papi Steak for dinner or a drink at the bar. It is definitely not cheap, but it is a really cool spot which is hard to just randomly find when walking outside on the street; so you won’t really find it unless your intention is to actually go there. You will get what I mean if you decide to go there. Another place I really like is the bar at the “W South Beach” for some nice cocktails.

The more often I come to South Beach, the more I fall in love with this place, and I start realising that I could actually see myself spending more time here, maybe even relocating to here for a while?

The Setai

The Setai is one of my mom’s favorite hotels, so we had to come here for a drink. It really is a beautiful place, and I recommend coming here if you enjoy classy bars and restaurants, at least for a drink. The whole place is very elegant and mystic, with a Japanese touch, and the cocktails really are special!

Wynwood

We asked a couple of guys at the pool party for some advice where to go during the evening. Apparently, there was nothing to do at the Mondrian during night. One of the guys told us to check out the Wynwood neighbourhood. To be honest, I had heard much about Wynwood, but I never thought I would actually like it too much from what I had heard. I completely changed my mind once we got there. It is an extremely cool artistic and hipster-style neighbourhood, with a great nightlife, street musicians, foodtrucks, and an overall great atmosphere. Here, you can find great nightclubs such as Proyecto Tulum, which is an outdoor club, and there are plenty of bars blasting Latino music. We also really enjoyed the Wynwood Marketplace, where there was a huge dance floor and people dancing Reggaeton, Salsa and other Latin-American dances and having fun. It was a pretty cool sight. There were also plenty of food trucks selling Latin American food. I still cannot forget those tacos! Wynwood, however, is the complete opposite of the luxury South Beach or Miami Beach in general.

Miami: Bal Harbour

After a week in Miami Beach and the Grand Beach hotel, we left for Bal Harbour, which is another neighbourhood in Miami, located north of Miami Beach. We stayed there for the next 3 days.

Quarzo Boutique Hotel

We decided to book a hotel called Quarzo Boutique Hotel. It is a nice little, modern boutique hotel right on the other side of the Ritz Carlton. We chose this hotel, because it has studios and apartments only, which would allow us to cook at home most the the time. However, after staying in the very spacious Grand Beach hotel for a week, we were not really looking forward to staying in a smaller room with two double beds next to each other. Therefore, on our arrival, my mom’s friend paid for a room upgrade to surprise us, and we were assigned a huge (over 100m2), very luxury 2 bedroom suite! The hotel itself was very small, and it was not located directly on the beach so it had no beach view. The pool was also very small, but the luxury suite really made our stay exceptional.

The Beach

As already mentioned, the Quarzo hotel is not located directly on the beach, but there is a private pathway to the beach under the bridge, and it only takes like 3 minutes to get to the beach. There are free sun loungers on the beach for the hotel guests, which was a huge plus, especially since there is no resort fee in this hotel! In fact, it is the same beach as the one of Ritz Carlton. I am not sure if it was because of the weather, but the beach in Bal Harbour was not as nice as on the Mid beach, where the Grand Beach Hotel is located. I also think that the sand looked a bit darker on this side. On the other side of the bridge, there is another beach, a public beach and park called the Halouver Park. The beach over there is quite nice indeed, because there are no buildings, only nature, and the sand looks much whiter. There is also a foodtruck festival organised once a week at the Halouver Park, but unfortunately we missed it.

Ritz Carlton Bal Harbour

Unfortunately, there was not much to do in the area except from the Bal Harbour Shops. Therefore, during the day, we went to the Ritz Carlton, which shares its beach with the one of our hotel. We always ordered enough food and drinks to use the pool and the pool area of the hotel. It is indeed a very nice hotel, but as already mentioned, I prefer the beach at Mid Beach.

Bal Harbour Shops

The Bal Harbour Shops is a very exclusive shopping mall, but I can imagine it to be a nice window shopping experience for many and a great place to spot celebrities. The cars parked outside the mall were some of the most luxurious cars you could possibly imagine. There are also lots of beautiful tropical plants and ponds with turtles in the the middle of the mall, so the whole mall is indeed an experience in itself. There are also some very nice restaurants at the mall, which usually were completely packed. We tried the Japanese restaurant: Makoto, and the food was really delicious. It was expensive, but I guess that did not come as a surprise.

Besides the Bal Harbour shops, there is not much to do in the area. There were a couple of restaurants, but none of them looked too inviting. There were also not too many people present and everything looked very empty. I am not sure if that is always the case in this neighbourhood or if it was caused by the low season.

St. Regis Bal Harbour

Another beautiful hotel in Bal Harbour is the St. Regis. This hotel really is a high-end luxury hotel: a completely different class than other hotels that I have seen in Miami so far. Outside the hotel, you could see cars such as brand new Maseratis and Rolls Royce convertibles! The golden walls in the hallway really make an impression. We came here one evening to listen to live music and to have some drinks at the bar. It was all fine, but again, there was very little people and the whole place was almost completely empty. It is a shame that such a beautiful place can be completely lacking people. Again, I think this might be due to the low season, but I found it strange either way. I guess most people prefer the tacky Ocean Drive after all.

Is this neighbourhood worth visiting?

I would say yes if you can afford to go shopping at the Bal Harbour shops and stay at either the Ritz Carlton or St. Regis, and if you prefer to stay far away from people and all the craziness. Just be aware of that this is a very quiet neighbourhood with not much else to do. Of course, you can always take an Uber or a taxi everywhere, but personally I prefer the “Mid Beach” where the Grand Beach Miami is located. That neighbourhood is also quiet, but it is much closer to South beach (only like a 10 minutes drive away), so it is not as isolated as Bal Harbour. Regardless, I am happy that we got to explore this neighbourhood and that we have seen this part of Miami too.

Miami: My Birthday Celebration at the Versace Mansion

When I was booking my trip, I took everything into consideration, the dates of the course I was attending (there were multiple dates available), the weather in all the cities I would visit, the price of the flight tickets etc. But I also specifically planned everything in a way to make sure I would be there for my birthday, and I also knew that if I planned my birthday celebration at the end of my trip; there would be a higher chance that my mom would fly in to celebrate with me. And she did! In addition, a very good friend of my mom who lives in the US, and who she hadn’t seen for 25 years joined us as well!

My birthday Celebration started with a Champagne brunch on the balcony overlooking the beautiful beach. Our room was on the second highest floor of the hotel so the view was just mesmerising! There was no time to go to the pool or beach today, and we were just relaxing on the balcony for a couple of hours while making ourselves ready for the lunch.

When I booked the trip, I had already decided that my birthday would be celebrated at the Versace Mansion! I made a reservation for lunch a long time in advance to ascertain that we would get a table. It was on a Saturday, and I imagined the restaurant to be packed, and it sure was! Last time we were in Miami, we took pictures of the villa from the outside only, but we did not inside. I guess we were afraid that it would be very expensive. This time, however, both my mom and I specifically wanted to come here because we had just finished watching “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”, and we wanted to step inside this beautiful villa and see it for ourselves. The villa, which is located on Ocean Drive, was even more beautiful than it was portrayed on the show! It is definitely one of a kind. It was like nothing I had seen before. I wish I could have been able to describe how beautiful every little detail in this villa was! Every wall was beautifully painted and decorated. It is a place that really has to be experienced. We initially asked for a table outside, however, we were told that the outside seating during lunch is only for hotel guests. In the end, we were very happy with our table inside. The room in which we were seated was very beautiful. Besides, we went outside to take some pictures and then we realised how extremely hot it would have been to sit outside!

You may wonder why we decided to have lunch here instead of dinner. There are many reasons for that. First, it was much cheaper. A three course meal costed us 30 dollars per person! For dinner, however, you would have to pay the same price price just for the main course. The portions are probably bigger for dinner, but you probably already know my opinion about American sized portions anyway. Second, we wanted to see the villa during daytime, especially the outside area where the pool is located. Third, we wanted to walk around Ocean Drive after lunch, take a walk on the beach and have some drinks here and there before returning to the hotel. Therefore, the lunch option was just perfect. In fact, I think it was one of the cheapest meals we had in Miami! Especially for what we got. I had an octopus carpaccio as a starter, lobster spaghetti (which I had to pay a little extra for, but it still did not become too expensive), and I had a sorbet for dessert. In addition, I got a very beautiful (and extremely tasty!) cake for my birthday with the Versace logo on it.

We had an overall amazing experience. I can also add that I have read some of the reviews on TripAdvisor of this restaurant, and I was really surprised about the large amount of negative comments! The service was really good, the restaurant was extremely beautiful with a history, the food was good, the lunch was reasonably priced… what more can you wish for? Yes there is an 18 % service charge added to the bill, but so is there everywhere else in Miami Beach!

After the Versace Villa, we went for a long walk on Ocean Drive. Our plan was to try some different bars on Ocean Drive for drinks. Well, that did not happen. I thought I would like Ocean Drive better this time than I did last time I was here, but I once again realised that this is simply not a place for me. And definitely not for my mom and her friend! Ocean drive is just too wild and crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I love partying, but maybe not that type of partying. To me it is way too tacky. We tried walking into several bars, but none of the bars/restaurants we entered did even sell wine, only those gigantic cocktails! And I must admit that walking through Ocean Drive was pretty overwhelming.

We walked through the street until we got to a more quieter part of Ocean Drive, and finally sat down for a drink in a nicer looking restaurant. The name of the place was Salt Kitchen and Lounge. We stayed here for 3 glasses of prosecco each (including one round that was on the house!) and we really enjoyed our time here. The waiters gave us some good advice about where to go next, and we ended up taking an uber from here to a rooftop bar called Juvia.

What can I say about Juvia? Wow, another beautiful place and it has great views of South Beach. If you love rooftop bars as much as I do, then this is the place to go! Everyone was dressed really nicely, the DJ playing was great, and this was the complete opposite of the tacky Ocean Drive, but pricewise it was the same (if not cheaper!). We stayed for a drink or two, and I had another birthday dessert here. After a while, we decided to head back home. It was already midnight when we returned to our hotel, so it had been a very long day, but also an amazing birthday celebration!

Miami: Miami Beach

Thursday morning, I was finally on my way to the beautiful Miami Beach. My last visit to this city was during my graduation trip in 2016. I liked it so much, that I decided that I had to come come back here soon. And here I was. What I love the most about Miami are the Caribbean like beaches with the beautiful turquoise water! But Miami is not only about the beaches. Miami is a city known for its diverse culture, and it is both modern and tropical. It makes you feel like you are in a Latin-American country, because the number one language spoken here is Spanish; there are lots of Cuban influences and Latino music is played on every corner! Basically, Miami is all about the mix of the Latino and American culture, and who does not like latino vibes?

I thought it would be a great idea to meet my mom here, because she loves Miami beach just as much as I do. Miami was the last city on my trip, but also the city in which I was going stay for the longest amount of days. I also found it a great idea to celebrate my birthday here.

My mom had already arrived in Miami the night before and she was already waiting for me at an airport hotel. I was looking very much forward to seeing her and telling her everything about my trip. My relationship with my mom is very special because she truly is my best friend, so I was very happy to see her.

I would now finally stay in nicer hotels; no more Airbnbs and cheap hotels, and it was time for something more luxury. I took an uber to my mom’s hotel. She was staying at the Pullman hotel, close to the airport. Before heading over to our hotel, we decided to do some grocery shopping. There was a Publix Supermarket nearby the hotel where we did grocery shopping for the next couple of days. We already knew that Miami is an extremely expensive city from our last stay, and we wanted to avoid going out for both lunch and dinner everyday. Therefore, we tried to always bring a small lunch with us to the beach.

Weather

We were extremely lucky with the weather. The weather forecast showed bad weather for our entire stay. As already mentioned, Miami has a tropical climate, so the weather can vary. In addition, it was both the rainy season and the hurricane season during our stay. However, I think it only rained ones or twice, and it was only for a maximum of a couple of hours.

Grand Beach Miami Hotel

We booked three hotels in Miami, because we were going to stay in Miami for 10 whole days and we wanted to explore several different neighbourhoods. The first hotel was the Grand Beach Hotel. We have stayed here before, and it is by far our most favorite hotel in Miami. We are very happy with it in terms of the price, the private beach, the interior, the size of the rooms and the fact that it has a balcony (which is not that common in Miami beach)! We also really like the Fontainebleau, which is located in the same neighbourhood, but for a room with a balcony, the prices are much higher. To us it was also important to have a very spacious room, because my mom’s friend was going to join us from the third day of our stay, so we were going to be 3 people staying in one room. Not only are the rooms spacious, but there is a wall separating the two sleeping areas, and there are two bathrooms! Therefore, this hotel is very convenient for a 3-people trip.

As already mentioned, the beach in Miami is amazing. We received a room upgrade, because of my birthday, so we had an amazing view of both the beach and the lagoon on the other side where all the luxury mansions are located. We could not stop starring at the view, so we ended up staying at the balcony quite a lot. I think the color of the water was even more beautiful than I had remembered. The private beach at the Grand Beach Miami is also perfect with comfortable sun loungers included in the resort fee. The hotel also has two pools: the main pool on the main deck and the sunset pool located on the 7th floor (or so) overlooking the lagoon. The sunset pool is supposedly open 24/7, so it is a great spot for a private party. The main pool, however, was our favorite. It is beautifully located in a garden of palm trees, with lots hammocks and just a few metres from the beach. This scenery really makes you feel like you are in a tropical paradise. By the pool, there is a also a bar and a restaurant where you can order snacks to eat by the pool.

Nearby hotels

As already mentioned, another hotel in the same neighbourhood is the famous Fontainbleu. I have stayed in that hotel before and I love the vibe in this hotel. Therefore, we had to come back there for lunch and some wine. The beach bar at Fontainebleau was just as fun as I remembered. It is always crowded, and there is a DJ playing together with either a saxophonist or a violin player. It is a party hotel, but then not “as bad as” many of the other typical party hotels in Miami, because in the end it is a high-class hotel. It is also where Miami’s best nightclub LIV is located!

Calle Espagnola

Regarding restaurants, there are many great restaurants to choose from in Miami beach, although most of them are overpriced. One of the days, we decided to have dinner in South beach at the Calle Espagnola. This is the cutest street that I have seen in Miami so far. It is full of restaurants and the whole street is lighten up. It has a Spanish feel to it, which might explain why it is called Calle Espagnola. Or the other way around. We ended up going to an Italian restaurant. The atmosphere here was very charming, but the prices were indeed high, and the portions were way too big for us. I know I have been complaining a lot about the portions in the USA, but they really are too big. I do not like to leave food behind, and I hate feeling completely full after eating. I am also not a fan of doggy bags, and it is not like you always are going straight home afterwards, or that you have a microwave waiting for you at the hotel. Besides, the food looks so much better when the portions are smaller!

To get a better picture of the whole Miami experience, check out my Miami highlight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODU3MzMxMzIzNTQ3MDQz?igshid=73engjfsltos&story_media_id=2150488332647624062

I will dedicate my whole next post to my birthday celebration which mainly took place at the Versace Mansion and Rodeo Drive!