Russia - Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Vyborg

Russia was never on my go to list as a holiday destination from Mumbai. I was always intimidated by the Kremlin and used to feel the cities are full of thugs. However this presumption was proved completely wrong upon visiting this enchanted, beautiful, serene, mesmerising country which is full of surprises. Agree language is a barrier, like barely anyone speaks English, but hey, there is Google translator with offline language mode. I planned a trip to visit three places within a span of ten days. Visiting in month of November had it’s perks. It’s off season and the weather although quite chilly is bearable (Around 4-5 degrees during the day).  

I started off my trip by entering Moscow from Mumbai with one friend. We had taken Flydubai flights which proved to be very economical and hence allowed us to spend lavishly on good hotels and the usual expenses there within our planned budget. The visa procedure done from Mumbai was fairly easy, hardly any documentation required. Once we landed we booked a cab for our hotel which was in the heart of Moscow city. As mentioned language is a barrier, so the Uber driver could not understand us, however once we went in the arrival zone he recognized us with his phone in hand showing the booking. I stayed at Ibis Hotel near Paveletskaya (Russian: Павелецкая) metro station in Moscow which was quite central.

Moscow is so beautiful. The architecture influenced from Byzantine empire is truly marvellous and unbelievable. The Kremlin Complex is definitely one of the places to see before you die. Surrounded by red square on the outside along with the famous Basilica, no denying this is one of the most visited spots in the city. The Soviet Union memorials are also historically quite interesting including the famous KGB headquarters. We took a walking tour of Soviet Union history on the first day. We booked this one through the Hop on Hop off bus. The reason we approached this bus was not necessarily to get a tour of Moscow, but mainly because we were struggling to understand what to do at Kremlin booking office. Even with translator, was not able to understand how to get a tour of Kremlin with an English speaking guide.  Finally we managed to get one after doing a lot of calls. These guys are a rare species in Moscow!

The Kremlin was such a huge complex, knowing the power it holds one feels overwhelmed on entering. Our guide was superb and very informative. She explained us the main blocks of the complex with important historical facts. In Russia you will hear a lot about Ivan the terrible and it’s a very common name too! She also showed us where Putin sits when he wants to address the nation. The Orthodox Church was one hell of a building in the complex. In Russia people still follow orthodox religion although some have converted to Christianity now. 

Now being with a local guide has its set of advantages. 

After the tour was over she took us to a canteen in the gem store at the red square where we got to experience Russian cuisine at its best. Borscht soup is a must try which is made from beetroot. There was buckwheat with sourcream and yes offcourse the famous Herring and Caviar. It didn't suit my taste palette however it was worth trying. There were some other croquettes which were also pretty good. This was a really local experience.

The night spots are also very good to roam around. Using metro is the best  way, however be ready, the map of metro is not in English in the stations or even the signs. So having one with English in the mobile is very important and you have to keep referring whenever signs show up and its best to memorise the stops because it’s very easy to lose the station because of names in Russian language.  The supermarkets are superb, apart from branded stuff there is a lot of local savouries you get which are so good. Also people in Moscow although do not speak English are quite helpful and try their best to help in directions. 

We went to a couple of pubs in the three nights we spent in Moscow. They love old school heavy metal which is good to our ears and something familiar. The local brewed beers are pretty good and of course the famous vodka had in ice water in the freezing temperature gives the chill of a lifetime. I preferred going for Jack Daniel shots most of the time.  The entire atmosphere in the night is quite soothing. Because of the freezing temperature lot of people prefer having hot coffee as well, so there are a good number of small local coffee shops. I tried Burger Shack once for dinner and wow the burgers were so juicy and delicious.

Moscow to St. Petersburg is best recommended by flight which we had already booked. It’s very convenient and saves lot of time. St. Petersburg is totally different from Moscow. It gives the feeling of being in Venice. It’s truly a golden city in the night and very happening. I believe lot of European tourists also visit this city for a good number of days as there is so much to do in and around the city. We had around 5 days planned for this city with an excursion to Vyborg. Roaming around this city is much easier compared to Moscow. There are sign boards in English and here the culture is more modernised. Metro again is very well organised. Doing a hop on hop off bus tour is essential as there are too many places to see within the city itself and the bus helps you decide which places to see as per one’s preferences. There are boat tours all day along the canals in the city and also take you to the breath taking view of the Peter Paul fortress and of course the bridges.  

The winter palace is the most popular tourist attraction and yes it is totally worth spending a day here. An entire day! It houses the world famous Hermitage Museum which has even Egyptian and Greek artefacts. There is English audio guide available inside the museum which is not mentioned outside at the ticket gates. We did a mistake and hired a guide who basically took us through the main artefacts, however with a help of a map and audio guide it’s very easy to do this on your own. There is usually a huge line to enter the museum so recommended to come in the morning here. The museum is divided into hallways and rooms as per artefacts and paintings of cultural origin. It’s as vast as the Titanic!  The palace square is also very picturesque and I believe a lot of films and ads are shot here. When I had visited this place in November 2015 an unfortunate incident had happened with an airline from Saint Petersburg which had crashed on its way to Egypt. Hope their souls rest in peace. There was a memorial setup at the centre of Palace square and lot of people were visiting.

Other places to visit are the famous Peterhof and Pushkin Palace which is on the outskirts of the city, we skipped it as they were not operational due to some renovation. The Peter and Paul fortress which is basically an island adjoining the city is a marvel. The tall church can be seen from far away and the entire fortress is a wonderful place to explore. There is a souvenir shop located near the church which is very good to buy local stuff as they don’t over charge. The church from inside is pretty much gold and the tombs of Saint Peter and his daughter Lady Catherine are placed here with the family reign.  

Another must visit place especially for guys and weapons aficionados is the armoury which is also called the Russian museum of warfare. This is a long walk from the Peter and Paul fortress. So better take tram or metro. The exterior of this building holds all the tanks and artillery used during the world war. The building comprises of weapons dated back to a century old and the warfare used. The care takers in the building are retired military personnel so they are quite excited to answer or show you around when asked something. Guns, snipers, AK47, vehicles, armours, uniforms and even nuclear warfare is on display here.  

Apart from these there is the Church of Savior on blood, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral which are a must to visit. The most happening place in the night is Nevsky Project which has everything from shopping to restaurants and pubs. On of my usual hangout in the nights was Rock Star Café which was near Winter Palace. I think I went there about three or four times during my stay, as it had a wonderful vibe and music was again pure heavy metal and rock classics. The chairs had all names of famous rock star encrypted behind. 

As mentioned earlier I had a day trip planned to small town called Vyborg which is just 40kms from Finland border. There are trains every hour from Saint Petersburg which take about two and a half hours to reach this beautiful town. It is a very small town which has an enchanted castle surrounded by water on all sides. Truly beautiful. The culture here is a mix of Finland, Sweden and Russian History. This town was part of Finland before then eventually became part of Russia.

Something totally unexpected happened as soon as we were entering the Vyborg town from the train station, we were held by the local police authorities. I can fairly assume, they are not used to brown skin tourists. They asked us for passport, visa, return tickets and so on. We had to verify so many details which we didn’t have to face at immigration also.  There was a custom officer who was called specially to interrogate us. They were unsure about us, since Finland border is so near that one can cross without documentation and that is true. Alas! We were let go and as soon as I stepped outside a taxi guy approached us shouting Finland, we said no as didn’t have any intentions to go there without visa. Now as we started exploring the little town we realised, we were constantly being followed by two guys. At first, we thought they were local tourists but soon we realised they are not just following us, they are keeping an eye on us. Once we were back at the station those two guys also came and we saw them shaking hands with the interrogator. So yes we were officially spied upon! This gave a feeling of being a secret agent, however felt badly as this should not happen to anyone during holidays.

The last night at St. Petersburg, I again went to Rock Star Cafe and enjoyed my time there truly and then just strolled around Nevsky Prospect for the last time. Russia is very well known for home brand chocolates and honey, so this should be added to the shopping cart apart from usual souvenirs. The particular chocolate brand I loved was written as Poccur, now I am not sure how it's pronounced in Russian. But it's easily available everywhere.    

From Saint Peterburg there was a domestic flight to the international airport of Moscow and then our return flight for Mumbai was booked the same day. It started snowing in Moscow. What a way to end the trip! Russia truly a beautiful country with warm people. Saint Petersburg will always remain one of my favourite cities in the world. 

Hungary – Budapest and Eger (With a dash of Vienna)

 

Continuing my trip from Czech Republic, I arrived in Budapest early morning by an overnight train from Prague. As soon as I, along with my two friends walked out of train station there was Metro bang opposite. Budapest was at first, a let down from Prague. It felt like; we have come from a fairyland to a common concretized urban jungle. However it was a very bad presumption which changed soon drastically. The weather in Budapest was cold but not very chilly during the month of April.

We stayed at MarcoPolo Hostel which also offered individual rooms and more or less operated like a typical hostel. It was an average place however situated in a prime area.

Once settled, we started walking towards our pre-booked walking tour, now we asked for directions at the reception and they said its twenty minutes walking basically to the next metro station. My friend recommended let’s go by metro only then I insisted lets go walking, lets experience our first walk in Budapest. As soon as we started walking, it started raining; we didn’t reach in twenty minutes and took about forty instead. The tour left without us and this was informed to us by some other tour guides there, however we had the contact details of the person who was organising the tour. So we immediately called and got the chance to join the tour, they had not gone much ahead. The tour covered quite a few places in the city and also the tour guide was superb, she also shared the history of the country, gave us some important facts and yes even told us how Buda and Pest are connected by bridges and what the importance of each of them is.  

The streets were quite lively even during morning times; we walked by the Danube river which flows all the way from Austria. Also lot of squares are connecting places. Buda being hilly area and Pest is plain grounds. The advantage is all bridges have a pedestrian cross way and are not limited to vehicles. The tour ended in the famous parliament building.  We liked the tour guide so once it was over; we asked her if she can give us a private tour of Budapest Castle obviously at an extra charge.  It worked out pretty well and we decided to meet in early evening.  She told us that she will also give us all required info for the rest of our stay and yes she was pretty sweet and helpful. I found Hungarian people quite heartwarming and friendly.

We moved to a place for lunch and realised Hungarian food is pretty awesome. It’s spicy and has great aromatic flavours. It perfectly meets the Indian Taste Palette. The goulash was out of the world. Along with the food, a good glass of Hungarian Beer called Soproni. Dreher is also quite popular. My favourite Czech Beer Pilsner Urquell was also easily available here. There were abundant choices of restaurants serving multicuisine, however Hungarian is a must try especially chicken paprika with a good wine. Hungary is also to an extent known for its wines and there is an excellent region of Eger town which is popular among tourists for wine tasting and buying. We had Eger planned for the last day of our trip which was quite overwhelming. 

The Budapest castle tour was really spectacular. Now the advantage here was there was a local with us so she gave us all the info we needed for our trip here. Even in metro we bought a group train pass as per her recommendation and it proved to be really economical.  The fisherman’s bastion in the castle area was spectacular to take pictures. Overall we enjoyed the tour and she gave us good tips to enjoy the rest of the three days.

The streets were so well lit with people skating around, bicycling and even running. What we realised that lot of people here commute by bicycles and there are paths made almost on all streets for ease of crossing. Then we hung out at the most popular street called Váci Street which is full of cafes and restaurants along with ample options for shopping. The pathways are embraced by street musicians who make the venue very lively during the evenings.

The second day we woke up late and decided to hire bicycles for roaming around the city. As mentioned earlier the two parts of the city are very well connected by bridges which have pedestrian’s crossovers as well. Hiring a bike was super easy. And there was a choice of drop off point as per your convenience which is superb. We took the bikes and headed to the parliament building. Now the unique thing about Budapest is that there is a nice quiet island in between the two parts of the city which is very well connected by one of the bridges. We could easily navigate this route and found our way to Margaret Island. It was just wow! The island was so beautiful full of parks, a small zoo, jogging track along the river Danube and breath-taking views of the city. It was a perfect hang out spot. No vehicles allowed on the internal of the islands, so you can imagine the peace and serenity. Acres of lush green lands with easily navigable pathways. It meets the vims and fancies of many.

After covering the island, we went through the side pathways across the river, cycling around the town. We then headed to the Citadella which was located on the hill in Buda. We parked our bikes on the foot of the hill and climbed upwards. The climb upwards is a bit tiresome but definitely worth the view. The hill overlooks the city and hence offers picturesque views of the parliament building, the river and Pest region. On the top of the hill is located the Liberty statue also called as Freedom Memorial. It’s a must visit as it has a lot of historical significance and again the views are breathtaking. We then headed down and returned the bikes. Once done with this there is a really good option of experiencing hot baths in Budapest in plenty of places. The thermal baths are very popular and the weather is superb for it.

This evening we headed to Heroes square which is also one hell of a site in Budapest. In the night it looks glorious. It is the home to the seven chieftains of Magyars (Hungarians), the oldest seven tribes. Later we went for dinner at nearby lively street. We were waiting at a bus stop and got approached by a lady. She asked us do we need help. So I was going to tell her that no and then she just blurted it out openly ‘Do you guys need sex?!!!’ We were stunned and right away said no politely. Then she did help us with some directions for finding a dinner place.

The next day we did a grave mistake. We happen to knew that Vienna in Austria is just three hours from Budapest by train. So we decided to skip roaming more around Budapest and headed to Vienna by 7 am train. We reached right on time and bought a Euro Rail Pass for entire day. We came out of the train station and took a ring rail tour which covers most of the important places in one circle with self-audio guide. It was quite educating, however covering these places on our own was tiresome. One day was too less to cover even half of them. It was a pathetic decision to do this while we could have been enjoying Budapest even more. In the evening, we visited the Schonbroon Palace which was a couple of metro stations away from city centre. It was humongous and I wish we had more time to explore, however we had a return journey ahead.

We were dead tired by the time we reached back Budapest. The next day we had to get up early again as we had a day trip planned for a small wine town called Eger. Budapest is known for partying and also the ruin pubs. This night we visited Szimpla Kert and wow it was spectacular. It was divided into lot of huge rooms and was so crowded. All of Budapest along with tourists was here. It was super lively with good music and very multicultural. A good place to know locals and enjoy good beer.

 

Next early morning we headed to Eger. This was also a good two hour journey from Budapest. But this was worth a visit. The town was quite different when compared with Cesky Krumlov in Czech although it has the same kind of premises. The wine town has a lane of wine cellars where they allow you to taste as many wines and the ones you want to buy; you can buy in plastic decanters. It saves the packaging cost which leads you to buying amazing wines at very economical rates. Then we had a lavish breakfast at one of the restaurants in front of a cellar. They all were very eager to serve and had good options. I tried citric beer which surprisingly went well with breakfast at such time of the day! The small town is a good stroll, it is known for homemade ice cream varieties. There is a medieval castle also this town has with where a small entry fee has to be paid. Then after a long day, headed back to Budapest.  Last night around was as usual very happening. People drinking on the streets, cafes all lit up, a pure party place for sure.

We had an early morning flight and return transfer to the airport was pre-booked.  We were flabbergasted by the way this city is always. So happening, so alive, always people are partying, Margret island was full of fitness enthusiasts during day time on a weekday. I started wondering when do these people work? No wonder Matt Damon after his shoot of Martian said, if he had a choice, he would settle in Budapest.

Alas our fast paced enchanting trip of two beautiful countries in Eastern Europe came to an end.  

Czech Republic – Prague and Český Krumlov

After a lot of discussions and planning, I decided to visit two countries in Central Europe which were Czech and Hungary. This was my first international trip from Mumbai with two close friends. We had booked it via Travel Agent (Extremely bad idea, refer to other post) It was in mid-April in 2015, climate in Czech was fairly cold. Average temperature during the day was 1˚C and it would go to minus after day end. Walking in the evening or night time took lot of time to get used to the temperature. The flight started from Mumbai via Lufthansa which had a halt in Frankfurt and then Prague. The flight experience was good in spite of congested seats. Frankfurt airport was superb, well organized and our immigration check went smooth as everything was prepaid and booked seamlessly.  As soon as we landed in Prague, we felt the cold chill in the air. We had a pick up arranged from the airport since this was the first time in Europe. The welcome tour person was pretty polite however the driver was not welcoming (Like where did these people come from!).

In about twenty minutes, we reached the city centre and boy, the route was superb. Amazing landscapes outside and in the city, the architecture was mind blowing. We saw the famous Saint Charles Bridge which was crowded even during 3 pm. Also we saw a parade of vintage cars. Our hotel (Beseda) was located in a good locality close from Wenceslas Square. As soon as we arrived, we thought let’s head out for lunch first, then settle in the room. There was an Indian butler in the hotel who was trying to guide us however he we found him not that credible. The common perception about Indians is that we look always for cheap options but it’s not true in all cases. We wanted to live this five day journey like a local. Nearby there was a restaurant which looked pretty good to try, but we decided we’ll walk a bit and explore. After walking a couple of blocks found a crowded restaurant filled with travellers. It had a nice vibe to it. 

That was the first time I tasted the Pilsner Urquell beer. That’s it; I decided that I will have this beer all the time during the trip. Food was good; there was a Dim Sum version of Prague which was with stuffed meat. After having a good meal decided to head back to the hotel for settling and rest. That evening we walked and first visited the St. Charles Bridge. It was walking distance from where we were staying, being on a water body, it was chillier. The narrow cobble streets make your feet more swollen and the chill adds to the pain. But it was quite crowded; we saw lot of tourists here. The bridge had lot of painters and musicians. 

Although people here don’t speak English, they are fond of English Metal. We saw a small garbage truck passing by and they were listening to AC DC. We came across a local small boutique café where it became essential to sip on a cup of cappuccino along with the famous Trdelník. It was so good and perfectly suited the hot coffee. After this we decided to take the metro and visit old town square. Metro is damn good, very well organised across the entire city.

The famous old town square was really picturesque. It was like visiting a medieval shopping fair. There were small shops of food, souvenirs, clothing, artefacts, ornaments and restaurants surrounding the area. The old town square has a nice lively vibe to it; however the shops close pretty early because of the chilly weather. There are lot of party places around and we realised that even walking at 1 in the night is pretty safe.

The next two days, we were exploring Prague. Visited most of the squares, Prague castle, the funicular ride which offers fantastic views, John Lennon Wall which is quite hidden but very sacred. The street food is pretty awesome from fried cheese to hot dogs, a good option for all kinds of food lovers.  Prague can be described as one of those cities which have beautiful medieval looking buildings, narrow streets and amazing well connected public transport. Now since we were doing all this on our own, we were confused where Prague Castle was. We visited the place however we didn’t realize it was actually the castle.

Then on the third day we had a plan for day trip to Cesky Krumlov. Our travel agent had informed us that the trains are quite regular and there is one every hour. However it was misleading information due to which we got real late and reached the place by evening instead of noon.  The entire journey takes about four to five hours with a transfer from Cesky Bujevick. On reaching Krumlov at about 4 pm, we found this place to be a fairy tale town. A Castle in between surrounded by river, town square and small narrow lanes. It is a sight which you can never forget.  Now we reached the castle garden and looked like as we are in a Game of Thrones set. Just breathless, it was so beautiful.

We had a plan for another day excursion from Prague to Terezin which was a Nazi Concentration Camp. However we decided to chuck that and stay in Krumlov as a tour was definitely needed of the castle. We didn’t have a place to stay, so went to some hotels at the town square and found they were really expensive as per our budget. One of the hotel staff was very kind and recommended a traveller’s hostel. Now most of the hostels have a shared dormitory and we were unsure, however on visiting one called Traveller's Hostel, found they have individual rooms also and they fitted our budget well. There was a nice bar also downstairs. We finally made the decision to stay back and I called the travel agent to reschedule our next day’s tour on the last day. She said she will try to reach her supplier and get it done. It was all BS. Lesson learnt - travel agents only give big talks. They have no control and just act as middlemen for these kinds of transactions, hence better to book yourself.

We had an early dinner and were quite tired, so decided to head back to the room.  From our hostel we could see the castle in dark with some flashlights. It was freaky however later we found out they have night tours as well in the castle. After sometime we decided to head to a bar for a couple of beers. We walked a bit and found a proper local one called Guerilla Bar. It was a place full of locals and as soon as we entered we got those cunning looks from everyone. Where have these outcasts come from? Still it didn’t stop us.  We sat on one of the tables and ordered the beer. It was an amazing experience. Felt like Clint Eastwood in the old movies where in western town bars, he was never welcome and treated like an outlaw. It became a long night but worth it. 

The next morning we had an early breakfast and went for a free walking tour. The guide was really good (it was called Wiseman Tours) which started from middle of the town square. We were the first ones waiting. He took us through the streets and told us about the history, significance of the castle and went on to take us inside the castle. The castle will always be one of my favourite fortresses as it was very similar to what we have always been seeing in legendary movies.

They have three lovely bears in the castle area and we got a chance to peak at them. The castle has a tower which is mesmerising as you can see the entire town from there. We fell into some cash trouble, as we bought a whole lot of souvenirs and later realised the cards do not work in the ATM. So we were counting each penny all the way up to the train station. We had return train tickets luckily, so we could reach Prague. During the journey back we experienced snowfall.

The last night in Prague we went to Harley’s Bar which was very happening and had good old rock music playing out loud. The bar tenders were super friendly and we blew our heads out drinking that night. It was a never ending session. The next day, we roamed around the streets and went to Prague Castle again knowing now that is the exact location. We kept our bags in the hotel and checked out. This is a relatively bad idea, after roaming all day you should come back to a place for rest however we had an overnight train for our remaining trip to Budapest in Hungary, so we decided to just sit in the hotel reception and wait it out. It became quite tiring. But overall Prague was superb, weather was chilly, food was good especially Gelatos, bars and pubs are lively. A good place to party all night long.

Why NOT to book via travel agent?

A couple of years back from now, I decided to finally travel abroad for a holiday. To be honest I started very late (First overseas trip at age of 27), however in a span of the next two years covered a hell lotta more destinations.

The first trip was to Czech Republic and Hungary. Why these two countries? 

I was very sure that I wanted to enter the European domain, however passport being a virgin. lead to doubts about getting a guaranteed visa. Fear of a reject visa lead to approaching travel agents and seeking advice. SWITZERLAND is the homeland for Indian Tourists and their consulate is usually very fair in giving visa to even first time goers provided the papers are in order.

Accompanied by a couple of friends, a Swiss destination was not the thing on our minds, since we are all brainwashed from childhood that it is a country more suitable for couples. After a few consultation rounds, got to know even Czech Republic is quite fair for giving visas to first time goers. So there it is, plan got finalised for Czech. Now going all the way to Europe, who does just one country especially when with Schengen visa, it’s so easy to trespass the neighbouring countries! So let’s do two to three countries in 10 days or why not even more.

MIND THIS! It’s the worst idea to cover even two countries in this usual span of ten days, ideally stick to one country, this we realised only after the trip fiasco. Don’t think oh the flight is expensive, so let’s cover more. That’s the usual mind-set and it leads to nothing but chaos, trust me!  Nevertheless we decided to do Hungary along with Czech Republic as it is adjacent and decided if time permits why not visit Vienna in Austria (BAD PLAN!). So we fixed this itinerary with a travel agent who took care of all our booking, hotels, inclusions, tours and so on. Referred us to a visa agent and we began the process. The paper work seemed to be never-ending for Schengen visa especially since it was the first time. But we managed to complete all in a week’s time and initiated the process. Got the VISA in one week and hell yeah, the trip is on!

We did Prague and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic followed by Budapest and Eger in Hungary and finally Vienna in Austria in a total of 10 days. Although the trip was awesome, we realised booking via travel agents is not a good idea. As they give limited choices of hotel, where once you visit, you feel ripped off for the amount you paid. Also they don’t focus much on an itinerary and give you inaccurate info, for instance we reached Cesky Krumlov (fairy-tale town) very late because our travel agent gave us misguiding travel time information. Also we decided to stay back there, we had a day tour already booked next day and wanted to postpone it or cancel it. This was prepaid. However even after calling the travel agent repeatedly they didn’t help us and said their supplier is not responding, so what was paid could not be recovered obviously for them it was a pure profit.

Also we were charged for a hotel room and made to stay at a hostel in Budapest. It was not bad however was definitely not worth the price we paid.

Looking at these things I strongly felt the need of booking an international trip always on my own from the next time and so did I. We have too much fear and also sometimes we worry unnecessarily. On doing just a basic research on web and designing your own itinerary will always lead to a more fulfilling trip.  So I decided for sure that any future trips will be completely devised and planned on our own and never to involve any third party except of course visa.