Good Bye 2014, Welcome 2015

Yet another great year has passed by and I had made some unforgettable experiences. Hoping that I will continue to travel this year as well.

Here I present some of my travel statistics and highlights of 2014.

Travel statistics of 2014

Number of days on road – 177
Countries traveled – 7
Distance traveled – 46,000+ km
Flights taken – 23
Train journeys – 4
Road journeys – 50+
Ferries taken – 2
New beers tasted – Lost the count
Days I felt homesick – 1
Average spend per day – 120 USD (food & beverages + accommodation + entrance fees + local transport – airfare – visa charges)

Favorites of 2014

Country – Sri Lanka
City – Downtown Singapore
Street – Orchard Road, Singapore
Nature Spot – Marakolliya Beach, Sri Lanka
Food – Banh Uot (Vietnamese food)
Beer – Saigon Lager Beer by SABECO (same as last year)
Airlines – Thai Airways
Airport – Changi International Airport, Singapore
Hotel – Shinta Mani, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Restaurant – Blu Kouzina, Singapore
Restaurant(Indian food) – The Song of India, Singapore

Highlights of 2014

• Celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) in Vietnam
• Eating live oysters with wasabi in Can Tho
• Boat woman in Mekong recognize me after a year
• Motorbiking in the less known parts of Vietnam
• Traffic police seize the rented motobike in Rach Gia
• Had to pay 2,000,000 VND to the owner of moto to get it back legally
• Staying in Bawa Suite in Jetwing Lagoon, Negombo
• Hilton Colombo invites me for a dinner in their hotel
• Meeting Kumar Sangakarra at his restaurant Ministry of Crab
• Amazing Chinese food at Tsing Tao and Loon Tao in Colombo
• Staying at Colombo Courtyard – a Carbon Neutral Hotel
• Feeling Buddhist serenity at Mahavihara in Anuradhapura
• Climbing Sigiriya rock for the second time in extreme heat
• Playing with my favorite animal at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
• Scary bus ride in the curvy hills of central Sri Lanka
• Two nights at iconic St.Andrew’s Hotel in Nuwara Eliya
• Drastic climate change when moving from Nuwara Eliya (5°C) to Waskaduwa (35°C)
• Watching the Seenigama Perihera and crazy hippies dancing in this parade
• Walking on the walls of Galle Fort and staying within the iconic fort area
• Great food and stay at Amaloh and Lantern Boutique Hotels
• Kayaking in the calm water and coral watching at Polhena Beach, Matara
• Walking to the south most point of Sri Lanka, its called Dondra Head
• Meeting an old friend in Tangalle and he takes me out for a local party
• Escaping a land slide just in seconds, on way from Phuentsholing to Thimphu
• Watching traditional archery in Thimphu
• Masked monk dances at Trashi Chhoe Dzong
• Invited to stay at Terma Linca – owned by one member of country’s Royal Family
• Climbing the Taktsang Goemba solo for the second time
• Meeting a person who actually came to Bhutan, following Romancing The Planet
• Hitchhiking from Chuzom to Phuentsholing in a tour operators bus
• Detained for one hour by immigration department in Singapore
• Meeting a best friend forever in a Singapore hostel
• Wonderfull Light & Sound show at Marina Bay Sands Shoppers
• 5-course Indian food at The Song of India, the chef Mr.Mural is an amazing personality
• Getting lost, in the streets of Singapore during Halloween (no map or smartphone)
• Great Greek food and wines at Blu Kouzina restaurant in Singapore
• Visiting Cloud Forest at Gardens By The Bay, it was surreal
• Learning about local things in Singapore from lifestyle blogger Chevonne Cheng
• Langkawi – one of the most beautiful island of the world
• Just 30 minute flight from Langkawi to Penang
• Exploring Ernest Zacharevic’s street art in Penang
• Dinner buffet at a revolving restaurant that actually rotates 360°
• Visiting the historic city of Malacca
• Walking Jonker Street at night is an amazing experience
• Eating Peranakan food like Pie Tee and Asam Laksa
• Lunch and dinner at a Gurudwara in Malacca (it’s a special experience)
• Stay at Eastern Heritage Guesthouse, you know what I mean if you stayed there
• Street food at Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur
• Invited for a dinner by Chef Cristia of Doors Music+Tapas
• Tag team with a Pakistani friend to beat a New Zealander and South African in billiards
• Sunrise at Angkor Wat for second time (done it in 2013 also)
• Shinta Mani – it’s the best hotel I have ever stayed
• Making amazing friends with locals in Siem Reap
• Donating to the poor and unfortunates in Cambodia
• Stunned by the calmness and serenity of Chiang Mai
• Tom Yum soup on the street of Chiang Mai
• Flight to Phu Quoc, the flight was very old

Bucket List for 2015
I have not made any bucket list for 2015, as I was not able to achieve them in 2014. So, it’s pretty useless.