Tag Pages For: public transport

Sauraha - Safari - 23
NOVEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 3 nights in Lumbini (Buddha’s birth place). We now head to Sauraha for a Safari in Chitwan National Park … ABOUT: Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 and granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of 953 km2 (368 sq mi) and is located in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal. In altitude it ranges from about 100 m (330 ft) in the river valleys to 815 m (2,674 ft) in the Churia Hills. Chitwan National Park is one of Nepal’s most popular tourist destinations. There are two main entrances: Sauraha in the east […]

Sauraha – Nepal – Living Ideas

OCTOBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 5 nights in Pokhara. We now head for Lumbini … ABOUT: Lumbinī is locate 260 kms west of Kathmandu and 165 kms southwest of Pokhara. It is a Buddhist pilgrimage site. It is the place where Buddha was born. Lumbini was made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. Lumbini is 4.8 km (3 mi) in length and 1.6 km (1.0 mi) in width. The holy site of Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic zone in which only monasteries can be built, no shops, no hotels, no restaurants. It is separated […]

Lumbini – Nepal – Living Ideas

OCTOBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 7 nights in Kathmandu. We now head for Pokhara … ABOUT: Pokhara is located 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of Kathmandu. It is Nepal’s second largest city in terms of population and the largest in terms of area. It spans 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from north to south and 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) from east to west but, unlike the capital Kathmandu, it still has much green space. The Annapurna Range (with three out of the ten highest mountains in the world: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, and Manaslu) is within 24–56 kms. Pokhara is […]

Pokhara – Nepal – Living Ideas

OCTOBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent a month in Georgia. We ended up in Tbilisi to catch a flight from there to Nepal … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee (or the ‘NPR’). I will refer to them as N$s. At the time of writing, the wholesale exchange rates were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 N$115 N$127 N$147 Over time, these exchange rates will change. Please check the current rates. GETTING THERE: There are no direct flights from Georgia to Nepal. TBILISI: Getting to Tbilisi International Airport is easy and cheap. Public buses (#37 or #137) leave […]

Kathmandu – Nepal – Information

SEPTEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 3 nights in Kutaisi, Georgia. KUTAISA (QUICK NOTES): I won’t provide a full write-up of Kutaisi because, to be brutally honest, I didn’t do much. That said, Kutaisi offers many good day trip options: Gelati Monastery, Prometheus Cave, Okatse Canyon, Martvili Canyon, and Imereti to name a few. You can also take multi-day tours from Kutaisi north into Svaneti National Park. GETTING THERE: I started in Akhaltsikhe. I walked to the Central Bus Station and caught the 10:30am bus to Kutaisi. My suitcase went under the back seat. I was not charged extra […]

Mtskheta – Georgia – Living Ideas

SEPTEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 3 nights in Gyumri, Armenia.  We now go to our first stop in Georgia: Akhaltsikhe. PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Georgia is the Lari (or the ‘GEL’). I will refer to them as G$s. At the time of writing: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 G$2.96 G$3.28 G$3.69 Over time, these exchange rates will change. Please check the current rates. GETTING THERE: Minibuses are the most common form of transport in this part of the World. The problem with these minibuses is that most don’t have any luggage space. If you have a big backpack or […]

Akhaltsikhe – Georgia – Living Ideas

SEPTEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 3 nights in the capital city: Yerevan.  We are on our way to Georgia. Our next (and final) stop in Armenia is Gyumri … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Armenia is the Dram (or the ‘AMD’). I will refer to them as A$s. At the time of writing: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 A$475 A$525 A$595 Over time, these exchange rates will change. Please check the current rates. GETTING THERE: You can catch an inter-city minibus from either the Central or the Sasuntsi David Bus Stations. Most leave from Central. The price is A$1,500. The journey […]

Gyumri – Armenia – Journey

SEPTEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 3 nights in Goris which is said to be ‘one of the top 10 nicest towns in Armenia’.  Goris made my mind up – I am leaving Armenia and going to Georgia. To get to Georgia I have to go through the length of Armenia and connect in (the capital city) Yerevan. I decided to have a quick look at Yerevan on the way … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Armenia is the Dram (or the ‘AMD’). I will refer to them as A$s. At the time of writing: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 A$475 A$530 […]

Yerevan – Armenia – Journey

SEPTEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent 6 nights in the Health Spa town of Jermuk. Being a popular Health Spa town, Jermuk is relatively expensive for Armenia. It is time for us to try out a less touristic, more remote town: Goris. The internet says that Goris is one of the ‘top 10 nicest towns in Armenia’ … so, let’s have a look … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Armenia is the Dram (or the ‘AMD’). I will refer to them as A$s. At the time of writing: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 A$475 A$530 A$585 Over time, these exchange rates will […]

Goris – Armenia – Living Ideas

SEPTEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: We have just spent a week on a road trip in Transylvania, Romania. We ended up in Bucharest. It is time for us to move on to an Armenian Health Spa Resort … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Armenia is the Dram (or the ‘AMD’). I will refer to them as A$s. At the time of writing: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 A$475 A$520 A$570 Over time, these exchange rates will change. Please check the current rates. GETTING THERE: There are direct flights from Romania to Armenia. TAROM FLIGHT: I booked a one-way ticket from Bucharest to Yerevan on […]

Jermuk – Armenia – Health Spa