Browse Tag

aerial photography

Cambodia: Arriving in Phnom Penh

By Mithun Divakaran
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Jan 14, 2019
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Cambodia, Travel

Date: 10 May, 2018

Yeah, I know. I’m late to get started on this trip series. Let’s just say 2018 was busy work-wise… and this blogger was a bit lazy, “personal-wise”. This journey didn’t begin in Cambodia. It began in Chiang Mai (Thailand) where I met up with my girlfriend, who was attending a work conference there. After spending a few days showing her the sights in my favourite city in Thailand, attending a Thai cooking class, doing the Golden Triangle tour (my second time), we went to Bangkok and then took an Air Asia flight from Don Mueang airport early in the morning.

Don Muang airport check-in — Don Mueang airport was sooooooo noisy, mostly because of the hordes of Mainland Chinese (package) tourists! Especially those flying to the smaller Chinese cities

Our flight to Phnom Penh was an Air Asia flight. We checked in using the self-service machines and managed to check-in our bags slightly quicker than those who hadn’t checked-in online.

Tip: This is my first time flying out of Don Mueang airport and didn’t know it would be this crowded this early in the morning. So best to check-in on online before arriving at the airport.

Don Muang airport immigration — Don Mueang was Bangkok’s old international airport. When Suvarnabhumi opened in 2006, Don Mueang got used mostly for domestic flights and then later became a hub for budget airlines like Air Asia, Nok Air and more. You have many international flights to & from Don Mueang nowadays.

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Flying into Kannur International Airport for the first time

By Mithun Divakaran
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Dec 21, 2018
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India, Kerala, Travel

December 18, 2018

As a native of Kannur district in north Kerala, I have been anticipating the opening of Kannur’s first international airport for a while now. It was a long time coming (as is the case of every large infrastructure project in India).

Kannur airport’s inauguration was held on December 9 and I decided to fly home from Bengaluru just to experience my “first flight home”. Currently, only Go Air has started flight operations from Bangalore airport (airport code: BLR) to Kannur airport (CNN). IndiGo launches their flights from Bangalore to Kannur on 25 January, 2019. SpiceJet has announced they intend to fly to Kannur but as of this writing, no date has been announced for commencement of services.

Since trains were all full due to year-end holidays, I checked for flights and got an airfare for Rs. 2154, which included a Rs. 200 fee that I paid to pick a window seat of my choice. (Window seat is a must for me on daytime flights)

I wanted to see just how much it would cost to fly solo from Bangalore to Kannur (all inclusive) so I told my dad not to come pick me up from Kannur airport in our car. Of course, the problem with Bengaluru is that the city’s airport (Kempegowda International Airport handles both domestic and international flights) is located so far from the city — making the taxi ride to the airport an expense by itself. Not to mention how long it takes. I had to leave home by 5am and since I couldn’t grab the airport bus at this time, I just hailed an Uber. Opting for Uber Pool, there was only one other passenger, and so the ride cost me Rs. 465 and took 40 minutes from where I am currently staying.

Bangalore airport early morning — This is the first time I was catching a domestic flight from this airport. Didn’t know it gets this busy so early in the morning.

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Philippines: Aerial view of Mount Mayon; arriving at Coron

By Mithun Divakaran
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Dec 01, 2013
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Philippines, Travel

Date: 30th May, 2013

Today was my last day in Legazpi. I had to head to the airport for my 12:40pm flight to Manila.

Backyard Legazpi coconut trees — Woke up to a view of the backyard not too different from what it’s like back home at my village

After breakfast, I checked my e-mails, packed my bags, said my goodbyes, and hired a cycle taxi to take me to Legazpi airport (I could take it easy as I had the time). Legazpi airport, like most regional airports isn’t very big and they weren’t even beginning the check-in procedures 1.5 hours before the scheduled flight time.

Legazpi airport Mayon volcano background — From the departures lounge I got to see Mt. Mayon… cloud-free

Magayon volcano smoke Legazpi Philippines — Still smoking

Legazpi airport runway Mayon mountain — At the time of check-in, I specifically asked for a window seat on the right-hand side of the plane, so that I could see Mt. Mayon at take off

Flight take off Legazpi — To head to Manila, the plane takes off…

Legazpi aerial view — And then turns around

Mount Mayon volcano full view from sky — Truly the world’s most symmetrical volcano

Magayon volcano full view from sky — I guess seeing it from an airplane is obviously the only way one can see Mount Magayon in its entirety

Here’s a video I shot:

Mount Mayon aerial view from plane — Goodbye epic mountain I had a tough time photographing without the clouds

I landed in Manila at 1:45pm and I had to then make my way to the next gate for my connecting flight to Busuanga Airport (Busuanga is the main airport serving Coron island). I had lunch from the airport itself as my flight would only depart at 3:15pm.

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