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Travel

Photos and stories from many of my travels in the past 5 years

Palakkayam Thattu – the second highest viewpoint in Kannur

By Mithun Divakaran
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Jan 20, 2020
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India, Kerala, Travel

Date: 21 December 2019

I had been longing to visit Paithalmala, the highest peak in Kannur, for quite some time. But one of my cousins told me that there is another hilltop destination that is worth visiting. Palakkayam Thattu is 50 kms from Kannur city center and actually along the same route one would take to get to Paithalmala. Elevated at 3500 feet above sea level, I figured that is high enough to get some great shots using my newly acquired drone.

Brown grass Kannur Kerala — We were a group of 8 and we hired a van to take us to Palakkayam Thattu and back

Kannur highway Kerala — We left from our homes at around 7:30am

Palakkayam Thattu is open from 5AM to 9PM so it’s a popular choice to come watch the sunrise and during sunset. But none of us in the group wanted to wake up that early and for me, if the hills got too foggy, then I would not have been to able to capture the height of the hills.

It took us around 40 to 45 minutes to get to the parking area near Palakkayam Thattu. Use this location on Google Maps to find your way to the parking area. The van parked and from there, we had to hire a jeep to take us to the top. Jeeps cost Rs. 700 and can accommodate 7 adults or 8 to 9 children.

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Siem Reap to Bangkok by bus… my experience at the Thailand border

By Mithun Divakaran
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Dec 12, 2019
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Cambodia, Travel

Date: 16 May 2018

Today saw our tour of Cambodia come to an end. This journey began when I met up with my girlfriend in Chiang Mai, Thailand, then flew to Phnom Penh (Cambodia’s capital), then took the bus to Siem Reap, spent a day exploring Angkor Park and today, we depart for Bangkok. But instead of taking a flight, I figured we would cross international borders by road instead.

Giant Ibis bus to Bangkok — We booked the 7:45am bus via Giant Ibis. Tickets costs $32 per person. The bus was hardly full.

Green fields Cambodia — It’s not that flights from Siem Reap to Bangkok are much more expensive. I just never crossed international borders by road before so I thought I’d get to experience something new.

Cambodia public school — I also wanted to see more of Cambodia’s countryside and the way of life out here (pictured is a public school)

Hill Cambodia countryside — But much of what I saw were farmlands

Giant Ibis bus rest stop Cambodia — We would stop once along the highway for a rest stop break

Poipet road Cambodia — Closer to noon, we had reached the border town of Poipet

Happy Mart Cambodia highway — Poipet isn’t big but it is the most developed town I had seen along the way since leaving Siem Reap

Cambodia Thailand border crossing — The bus would drop us here and then pick us up again from the Thailand side. We were all given badges and asked to follow our guide.

Our bus came with a guide who had a look at our passports before getting down from the bus and when I told him I was from India, he was like “oh”. He told me Indians and Chinese often face hurdles with immigration at this border. We were also told we would have to pay 100 baht to Cambodia immigration upon exit.

Poipet departure Cambodia border — That green structure is the Cambodia immigration for departures

It was crowded inside but lines moved fast. The Cambodian immigration officer asked for the 100 baht but did not give a receipt or anything. I still wonder why we had to pay money upon leaving Cambodia… and that too in Thai baht.

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Cambodia: Banteay Kdei – A Citadel of Chambers

By Mithun Divakaran
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Nov 29, 2019
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Cambodia, Travel

Date: 13 May 2018

We were on our home stretch. After starting the day at Angkor Wat, followed by visits to Bayon, Ta Keo and Ta Prohm temples, we were now at the final stop on our tour of Angkor Archeological Park.

Banteay Kdei entrance Siem Reap — With our one day ticket, we visited 5 temple structures… but mind you, there are many more places you can visit if you have the time or you buy the multi-day ticket. See this post for details about the various tickets.

Traditional art Siem Reap Cambodia — We saw some artisans handcrafting some stencil-like art pieces. Quite impressive!

Banteay Kdei shops Siem Reap — You need to walk past these shops and stalls before you get to Banteay Kdei

Banteay Kdei was built in the mid-12th to early 13th century AD during the reign of Jayavarman VII. Lore says Jayavarman VII was accused of wasting money on extravagant temple building projects while ignoring society and other duties… but that shouldn’t be a shocker by now. It’s not like you walk past remains of universities or villages in Angkor park.

Banteay Kdei ruins Siem Reap — Banteay Kdei translates to “A Citadel of Chambers”

Banteay kdei citadel Siem Reap — Banteay Kdei is one long temple

Banteay kdei chambers Siem Reap — You keep walking straight down

Banteay kdei pillar held up Siem Reap — Some pillars are merely held up using wooden logs

Banteay kdei window Siem Reap — Honestly, by now me and my girlfriend were pretty bored and not very keen to spend much time at Banteay Kdei

Banteay Kdei corridor Siem Reap — So we just kept walking through the central corridor until we reached the end

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