Travel

Stay at Palace hotel - cheap in winters. And could also get one night free. Fort Worden state park. Drive in movie.

Next time: Take a car! Don’t stay near Mission Beach. Clubs in Gaslamp Quarter close at 2. Don’t: Sea World - expensive. Avoid.

Half Moon Bay Beach. Haight-Ashbury - also known as postcard city. Nob Hill. Keep in mind: Take a thick jacket because SF is fucking windy - I learnt this the hard way in end of May 2019. Also, take something to cover ears and/or woolen cap. Short drive away Big Sur is a rugged stretch of California’s central coast between Carmel and San Simeon– high rocky cliffs with beautiful views, kind of a hippy town. Hearst Castle – near San Simeon but it is a stop just to see the enormous castle built for William Randolph Hearst. Monterey & Carmel-by-the-Sea – converted canning facilities into Cannery Row with food, shops, aquarium and from here you can drive to Carmel by the Sea which is the cutest little seaside town! Maybe Chinatown. The Presidio. Coit Tower.

Best itinerary here. Getting around: Car, only for Mahé. Public buses seem to be aplenty. Only in Mahé and Praslin and not late at night. From Mahé, the fast ferry to Praslin takes about an hour and costs around €100 return, or Mahé to La Digue (via Praslin) takes 90 minutes and costs around €125 return. Motorcycles are not allowed for tourists. It’s a good idea to make Mahe the last stop of your island hopping journey. After landing at the airport you should take advantage of the free shuttle bus to the port of Victoria. From there you can go by ferry (Cat Cocos) to Praslin and La Digue (traveltime: 60 minutes). Taxi. To do: Hikes: Coast path from Beau Vallon to the secluded beach at Anse Major (two hours return). The steep climb up to Morne Blanc with amazing views over Morne Seychellois National Park (two hours return). Botanic Gardens (100 rupees/£6), Natural History museum (15 rupees/£1) and Hindu temple in the capital Victoria. Mahé: Home to the Takamaka rum distillery which runs tours and tastings. Victoria, capital: market, botanical garden. Beau Vallon beach (most popular). Road trip from Beau Vallon to the western coast continued through the world famous Morne Seychelles National Park. Anse Major (secluded). Bel Ombre? Praslin: Day trips to Curieuse Island, Saint Pierre and La Digue. Vallee de Mai (nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site). Beaches: Anse Lazio (seems good), Anse Georgette. Others: Anse Intendance, Petite Anse (Baie Lazare), Anse Takamaka Beach, Anse Forbans, Beau Vallon and Anse Major. Grand’ Anse: also known as bohemian backwater of Seychelles and is on the western side of Praslin. Some sort of area? La Digue- seems to be good for a day trip from Praslin, no point in staying there. Beaches: Anse Source d’Argent (best), Anse Marron, Petite Anse, Grand Anse and Anse Cocos. Bikes readily available to explore. Car-free. Day trips to Coco Island, Sister or Felicité Island. But there might not be time. Others: Can bring up to two litres of wine and two litres of spirits per person from outside (duty-free). On arrival visa. 360 USD. Mahé. Praslin. La Digue.

Buy Water. Packed sushi and sandwiches. Juices are an easier way to consume fruits than raw. Salads, for maintaining veggie intake. Don’t buy Raw cheese. (It’s too difficult to eat a lot of raw cheese. I’ve tried it a couple of times and it doesn’t work.) Yogurt, at least big packs. (Perishes quickly.)

Visas (for Indian citizens like me): Colombia: Not needed. Argentina: Apply in Washington DC. Most probably go for an interview. Free though. Chile: Apply online, but appear for interview or collect visa (SF, Miami, NYC, etc.). Pay only once visa is approved. Brazil: Apply online, but need to visit embassy to collect visa. Official website, SF consulate where I need to apply. There are some agencies too, but they charge more than visa fees as additional service fees. Peru: No need to apply for visa since I am on L1. (Proof: 1, 2 and Trip Advisor.) Only requirement is that visa should be valid for 6+ months. Ecuador No visa needed. Unofficial proof here. Health insurance that will cover any health issues during their visit to Ecuador. Venezuela: Visa required. Submit in person. Puerto Rico: None needed, as it is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Costa Rica: Not needed. Belize: Not needed. Bolivia: 1 says need to apply earlier for free, 2 says can get on arrival, only at major airports, for some money. This supports the latter. Paraguay: Apply in person for $160. More details: ...

Krabi Islands. Phi Phi Island. 2? Directly go to Phuket, and travel to other islands from there on ship. Don’t go to Bangkok.

Apply earlier. 400 USD. Cappadocia. Istanbul.

West Vancouver - a bit far, so might want to stay there. VanDusen Botanical Garden. Stanley Park (one more time) and English Bay nearby. If sunny and no better things to do, can chill out again at Granville Island. Don’t: Capilano Suspension Bridge - expensive. Grouse Mountain - expensive.

Royal Museum. Miniature Museum. Fisherman’s Wharf.