Plan For A Trip

Dubai is one of the world's most fascinating travel destinations, where futuristic skyscrapers stand alongside traditional souks, luxury experiences blend with cultural heritage, and desert adventures begin just minutes from the city skyline.

Having lived in Dubai and explored its attractions over the years, I've discovered that the city offers much more than luxury shopping malls and record-breaking buildings. From sunrise views at the world's tallest tower to peaceful evenings by the Dubai Creek, there is something for every type of traveler.

Whether you're planning your first trip, a family holiday, a romantic getaway, or a short stopover, this Dubai travel guide covers everything you need to know before visiting, including the best attractions, travel costs, transportation options, local tips, and a practical 5-day itinerary.

The city is clean, safe, modern, and easy to navigate, making it an excellent destination for first-time international travelers.

The ideal time to visit Dubai is between November and March when temperatures are pleasant and suitable for outdoor activities.

The Dubai Metro is the easiest and most affordable way to reach many major attractions.

Key stations include:

No visit to Dubai is complete without visiting Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Visitor Tips:

Located next to Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall is far more than a shopping center.

Highlights include:

One of Dubai's most photographed landmarks, the Museum of the Future offers immersive experiences focused on technology, innovation, sustainability, and space exploration.

Dubai Frame provides one of the most unique perspectives in the city, allowing visitors to see both Old Dubai and New Dubai from a single viewpoint.

Located on Palm Jumeirah, this observation deck offers spectacular views of the iconic palm-shaped island and Dubai skyline.

Dubai Marina is one of the city's most vibrant waterfront districts.

Things to do:

Perfect for relaxing while enjoying views of the iconic Burj Al Arab.

For travelers interested in Dubai's heritage, this area offers:

Dubai Creek showcases Dubai's trading history.

Don't miss:

Experience A desert safari remains one of Dubai's most memorable experiences.

Personal Tip: Sunset desert safaris provide the best photography opportunities and a more comfortable experience.

Families traveling with children should consider:

Traveling on a budget? Consider:

Approximate Travel Costs Activity Estimated Cost (AED) Metro Day Pass 20–40 Burj Khalifa 169+ Museum of the Future 149 Desert Safari 120–350 Dubai Frame 50 Abra Ride 1–2 Local Meal 20–50 Mid-Range Restaurant 80–200

Dubai can suit every budget. Luxury experiences are available, but affordable accommodation, transportation, and dining options are also easy to find.

A minimum of 4 to 5 days allows you to experience the city's major attractions comfortably.

Dubai is considered one of the safest destinations for solo travelers, including women.

Alcohol is available in licensed hotels, restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Yes, especially if you want hotel deals and plan to spend most of your time enjoying indoor attractions.

Dubai continues to evolve, adding new attractions and experiences every year while preserving its rich cultural heritage. Whether you're admiring the skyline from Burj Khalifa, exploring traditional souks along Dubai Creek, or watching the sun set over the Arabian Desert, the city offers unforgettable experiences for every traveler.

For first-time visitors, the key is to balance modern Dubai with Old Dubai, luxury attractions with cultural experiences, and iconic landmarks with lesser-known local gems. Do that, and you'll leave with a much deeper appreciation of what makes Dubai one of the most unique destinations in the world.

It's 2019 and we have completed our 2nd international trip of the year. This time, we traveled to Azerbaijan.

For those, who are not much aware of Azerbaijan, it is a beautiful country by the Caspian Sea that lies on the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia and one of the lesser-known. Azerbaijan is often referred to as "The Land of Fire", and also well known for having 9 out of the 11 climates around the world.

Let's check out our ultimate 7-day Azerbaijan itinerary. It includes sightseeing, major tourist attractions, the best food joints, the most exciting things to do and more. In case, if you feel anything is missing in this itinerary, please write in the comment box for the travelers to read.

We planned this trip with friends. On 10th August 2019, we arrived in Baku, which is the capital city of Azerbaijan and our tour guide was already there waiting for us. Since I had already prepared the travel itinerary, so the role of the guide was just to take us to places we wanted to visit. 😉

We started our first day's voyage by exploring Baku, the Land of Magic Carpets.

Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and Little Venice

Carpet Museum in Baku

Our first place was the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. The carpet museum was huge but not up to our expectations because we have seen much better handmade carpets in India. The carpet museum stores a rich collection of artifacts and carpets (Azerbaijan's most valuable heritage).

After the Carpet Museum, we explored the Little Venice of the city. But we couldn't get a chance to ride on a boat because there was a huge line for the ticket. And no one available at the ticket counter. So, we had to leave.

Tickets for Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum
For adults: 7 Manat
For pupils and students: 3 AZN

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Friday - 10:00 am - 06:00 pm
Saturday to Sunday - 10:00 am - 08:00 pm
Closed: Monday

Heydar Aliyev Center

Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku

On the 2nd day (11th August 2019), we visited the Heydar Aliyev Center, which is one of the most impressive buildings in Baku. The architecture of this building is magnificent inside out. The center has a conference hall (auditorium), a gallery hall and a museum. You can find many artifacts of Azerbaijan architecture, crafts, traditions, and much more.

The iconic Heydar Aliyev Center was designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and is famous for its distinctive flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles. She was the first female architect to win the Museum’s Design of the Year Award for designing the Center.

It is a must-visit place in Baku. Even if you don't have time to visit the center, you must at least view it from the garden outside. There are giant colorful snails and rabbit sculptures all over the grass. There's plenty of space for kids to run and play outside. Make sure you carry water and snacks with you. As there is no shade outside, it will be quite uncomfortable on a hot sunny day. It's a great place for photography, especially with the I Love Baku sign.

Tickets for Heydar Aliyev Museum
For adults: 15 Manat
Children under 6: Free

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Friday - 11:00 am - 07:00 pm
Saturday to Sunday - 11:00 am - 06:00 pm
Closed: Monday

We spent almost half of our day in the Heydar Aliyev Museum and then planned to visit Ateshgah and Yanar Dag on the same day.

Ateshgah - Fire Temple

Fire Temple in Ateshgah

We heard a lot about Ateshgah before visiting Baku. It's a temple of fire-worshippers. The Ateshgah often called the "Fire Temple of Baku" is a castle-like religious temple that was used as a Hindu, Sikh, and Zoroastrian place of worship. But it was turned into a museum in 1975. There's nothing much to explore but it's worth visiting the place for once.

Yanar Dag - Fire Mountain

Fire Mountain, Yanar Dag, Azerbaijan

Yanar Dag is the mysterious "fire mountain" in Azerbaijan. This natural gas fire blazes continuously alongside the edge of the hill. The locals state that this fire never goes out. The fire keeps on burning even with rain and snow.

Tickets for Yanar Dag - Fire Mountain
For adults: 3 Manat
Children under 6: Free

Opening Hours
7 Days a week - 09:00 am - 06:00 pm

Nizami Street and Old Baku City

Nizami Street is a large pedestrian and shopping street in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan. We all headed to roam into the famous Nizami Street where we enjoyed a nice walk, gossiping around and taking pictures.

I would recommend to not miss walking around Nizami Street and trying their food outlets. And in terms of food, I would say that you must have "Doner Kabab" from Doner House.

Gobustan (Qobustan) National Park

Gobustan National Park in Azerbaijan

On the 3rd day (12 August 2019), we started our tour from the Gobustan National Park. It is a hilly mountain site featuring an outstanding collection of more than 6,000 rock engravings and petroglyphs. The mountains display mesmerizing images of prehistoric life in the Caucasus. The reserve also features the remains of inhabited caves, settlements, and burials.

After completing the park tour, we saw two local women making Qutab for the tourists. (Qutab is an ancient Azerbaijani cuisine.) It is made from thinly rolled dough filled with some green leaves as stuffing. Although we were not very hungry, we tried and it was very delicious. 😋

Mud Volcanoes

Mud Volcano in Gobustan

The Gobustan tour is not completed yet. Apart from rock art engravings, Gobustan will amaze you with mud volcanoes. These mud volcanoes are supposed to have healing qualities. The location is off-road, so it is recommended to hire a tour guide. A guide will arrange the tour to see Gobustan’s petroglyphs and mud volcanoes on the same day. We also did the same.

Most of the world's mud volcanoes are located in Azerbaijan. This bubbly oozing mud is cold with no lava, so it's completely safe to get up close. Scientifically, methane and carbon dioxide gases released from deep within the Earth causing Gobustan's mud volcanoes to keep bubbling, releasing a slow drizzle of wet mud. We had fun covering our hands and faces in the mud. After washing out the mud, it left our skin feeling soft and smooth. I would recommend you to not miss this fun part. 😄

After the Gobustan tour, we headed back to Baku and went to Maharani restaurant for dinner. The aroma of the restaurant was good and the food was delicious.

An Evening in Baku

Fairmont Flame Towers in Baku

Later we went for a walk at Baku Boulevard which is also known as Denizkenari Milli Park. This park runs parallel to Baku's seafront, located on the shore of the Caspian Sea. It is an amazing place to admire the sunrise and sunset. And the view of Baku Flame Towers from seafront near Milli Park is also stunning. The towers can be seen from almost anywhere in the city, but the night is when they truly come alive. I liked walking in the city and admiring the beauty more than anything else in Baku.

After heading back to our hotel in Baku, we took some rest and later that night, we went to The 15th Restaurant and Terrace located on the 15th floor in our hotel to have Shisha. It was an elegant furnishing terrace with live music. We were confused between so many Shisha flavors available in their menu. The waiter helped us by offering their special Shisha. I don't remember the name but it was the best Shisha we have ever had. It was a perfect way to end the day.

Our 4th day (13 Aug 2019) was planned to visit Gabala, a city in northern Azerbaijan. This city is quite famous for its beautiful lake and cable car ride. We checked out of the hotel in Baku and headed to Gabala where we had already booked the hotel, White Boutique in Gabala for one night. We decided to cover some of the famous tourist places in Gabala before hotel check-in. We stopped at some viewpoints on our way and spent our road trip by playing multiple rounds of Dumb Charades. Oh, I forgot to mention this before... we had been playing Dumb Charades all the time in the car. It was the best and my favorite part of the trip.

Tufandag Ski Resort

Tufandag Cable Car Ride

Our first main tourist destination was the Tufandag Ski Resort Complex in Gabala (Qabala) for the cable car ride. It took us around 4 hours from Baku to reach there. We reached late in the afternoon and didn't have proper lunch, so we put our hands on some snacks in the complex first and then purchased the tickets. I don't remember the ticket price now.

It was a great experience riding a cable car that climbs 1660 m high up to the mountain. It was so amazing that I could imagine the view in winter when there will be snow. It's a paradise for locals. It's a must-visit place for all nature lovers and adventure seekers.

Nohur Lake

Nohur Lake

Our next destination was Nohur Lake in Gabala (Qabala). It's a very beautiful lake surrounded by mountains, located 700 m above sea level. I love those places where you can just go and relax and escape from the noise of the city. It was such a nice place.

We hired a boat to ride on the lake and enjoyed the surrounding landscape. It was fun. We also had the street corn which was made similar to the one we have in India, which we call Bhutta.

After the Lake, we headed towards the White Boutique hotel to check-in. Thankfully, we had informed at the hotel about our late check-in, so we had time. On our way to the hotel, we stopped at a restaurant, Raja Indian and Azerbaijani Cuisine for dinner. The food was amazing with their special drink Ayran. Ayran is more like Masala Chaas (Spiced Buttermilk) in India. Later that night, we checked-in to the hotel that features a huge garden, which we liked the most.

We woke up quite early the next day to see the hotel surroundings. It looked lovely with the sunrays scattered on the mountains surrounding the hotel.

It was our 5th day (14th August 2019) in Azerbaijan and we had it all planned. We were going to explore the beautiful Yeddi Gozal Waterfall in Gabala and then Goygol lake in Ganja.

Yeddi Gozel Waterfall

The Yeddi Gozel Waterfall is a beautiful natural landscape surrounded by nature in Gabala (Qabala). Some people say that it is hyped but I feel, it all depends on the season you are visiting this place. For us, it was a good time to enjoy nature and the waterfall view in Yeddi Gozel Waterfall. To reach there, our guide stopped at a place where we had to hire another guide because you need an off-road vehicle to reach there. Once there, it was quite a long walk to climb the stairs to reach the waterfall. When we reached, it was so nice to feel the cold breeze coming out of the waterfall and there was a small place to sit and eat as well. We tried Azerbaijan's local tea, which was appetizing.

Please note: There are some steep and slippery stairs that you need to climb to reach the waterfall. So, I will not recommend ladies wearing heels. Put on something with a great grip.

Goygol Lake

Goygol Lake

After visiting the waterfall, we went to the Goygol Lake. The name Goygol means Blue Lake in Azerbaijani language. The. It is a lake with pure mountain water that was created due to an earthquake a long time ago. When we reached the entrance of the lake, it was around 10 minutes walk downhill to the Lake. We took some nice pictures going down the hill. It is one of the most beautiful and cleanest lakes in the world. We clearly saw the underwater life as the water in Blue Lake is very clear and it was beautiful.

Maralgol Lake

Maralgol Lake

We still had time to visit another lake, so our guide recommended visiting Maralgol Lake which is connected with Goygol ("Blue Lake") via Akhsu River. The lake is surrounded by mountains and dense forests. It is also considered as one of the most beautiful and picture-perfect places in Azerbaijan.

You can skip the Nohur Lake for once but definitely not the Goygol Lake and Maralgol Lake.

We were too tired and hungry. So, we decided to have dinner at the same restaurant, Raja Indian and Azerbaijani Cuisine. 😋

There was not much left in our itinerary for the remaining days, except a few.

For the 6th day (15th August 2019), we had already booked a resort in Sheki - Sheki Olimpiya Hotel and Resort. So, we checked out from Gabala and visited some places on the way to Sheki.

Gabala Shooting Club

We went to the Gabala Shooting Club first where we enjoyed shooting. It was a nice experience. There were many shooting options like shooting with pistols, rifles, and archery. We opted for the indoor rifle shooting. Though there was waiting time, we enjoyed when we got our turn.

Our next destination was food, lol. We had an amazing lunch at Delhi Karachi Darbar restaurant.

After lunch, we went to a local shop on our way from Gabala to Sheki to buy some local fruit jams and sweets. We bought the White Cherry Jam and Mixed Fruit Jam. We can say it was yum because we were having it every day in our breakfast in the hotels/resorts we stayed in.

After buying Azerbaijan's local sweets and jams, our guide took us to a lake. I don't remember the name of the lake with a waterfall. I personally didn't like it much. So, there's nothing much to talk about that.

Palace of Sheki Khans

Sheki Khans' Palace (Source: Wikipedia)

Finally, we entered the Sheki and went to visit the famous Khan's Palace. But it was our bad that the palace entry was temporarily closed for tourism. Our tour guide told us that a branch of the old tree (dated 1530) with a diameter of about 50 centimeters fell on the territory of the palace a few days back and some tourists got injured. So, we just took some pictures from the outside and headed to check-in at Sheki Olimpiya Hotel and Resort.

We reached the resort late at night so we couldn't really see how it looked like. The next morning, we woke up early to walk through the resort and it was so beautiful that we ended up taking too many photos. There was no other place to visit in our itinerary so we decided to stay in the resort and just explore the resort. It was huge with a lot of greenery and a kid's play area.

We checked out after spending some quality time with our group in the resort and headed back to Baku. On our way, we again went to the same restaurant, Delhi Karachi Darbar for lunch. We checked-in late at the Soffia hotel in Baku that we booked for one night only we had to catch an early morning flight on 17th.

When it was night and we went to explore the Baku city. It was a nice time out there. We found a nice restaurant for dinner i.e. Maharaja Restaurant. After dinner, we just walked around the city and went back to the hotel.

On 17th Aug 2019, we traveled back to Dubai with lots of happy memories.

Most of us know nothing about this Caucasus country, Armenia. In case you too are clueless about it, Armenia is a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia between Europe and Asia. The charming blend of East and West is very apparent here.

Our trip to Armenia started from 15th June to 19th June 2018. We booked our flight via flydubai and spent five amazing days in this beautiful country. Our itineraries were all planned and we had already booked our staycations as well.

We left Dubai on 14th June (night) from Terminal 1 and reached the Zvartnots International Airport in Armenia on 15th June. We had visa on arrival that costs us AMD 3200.

We were six (three married couples) and therefore hired two taxies from the airport to reach our hotel in Yerevan. Our hotel was around 13km away from the airport and we paid AMD 6000 for each taxi.

We checked in at the Bass Boutique Hotel in Yerevan. Although it's a 4* hotel, there's no need to spend so much amount to stay in Yerevan. The hotel was good but not worth the price. We could have booked a cheap hotel or guest house or apartment instead.

After checking in, we slept for a few hours so that we won't feel tired later that day. We woke up around 8 am and had breakfast in the hotel where we found that there are not much food items to select from. And the food was just ok ok.

After having breakfast, we all got ready by 11 am and went to search for a tour guide. Near the Republic Square in Yerevan, we found a tour guide with his bus, Ofelya Tour Bus (We do not prefer this Bus Tour as our experience was not good with them) at around 12 pm. We discussed our tour requirements with the guy and finalized our tour for the day. He took us to many places which are mentioned below:

Ararat (Charents) Arch

Our FIRST DAY in Armenia began with an amazing view of Mount Ararat from the Arch of Charents. It is one of the best places to see Mt. Ararat. This arch is located literally on the roadway. The monument was built in honor of one of Armenia's most famous poets, Yeghisheh Charents. He often used to visit these places and admire the amazing scenery. The Arch of Charents is one of the most popular places to admire the incredible view and take photos.

(Time spent: 1 hour)

Garni Temple (Souvenirs)

Our next destination was Garni Temple which is located in the village of Garni in Kotayk Province, Armenia. It is one of the oldest sights in Armenia that survived the destruction of pagan temples following Armenia's conversion to Christianity in the 4th century. It remains a mystery why the temple survived.

Outside the temple, there is a small market selling local produce and souvenirs. We bought some souvenirs there. You can bargain for a lower price as we did. 😃

The ticket price to the Garni Temple - AMD 1500.
(Time spent: 1 hours)

Geghard Monastery 

Our next stop was the Monastery of Geghard (means a spear in Armenian). Its location makes it an interesting attraction of Armenia. A beautiful landscape of Geghard is framed with towering cliffs. Geghard Monastery is the unique creation of Armenian architecture, carved out of the adjacent mountain. It's one of the most scenic monasteries in Armenia.

We also bought some sweet bread (Gata) from the stalls outside the Monastery. Everyone seems to be selling the same bread but it is not true. We bought from 2 different stalls and the taste was completely different from each other. You can also taste before buying one.

(Time spent: 1 hours)

Khor Virap Monastery

Our last attraction for the day was Khor Virap Monastery. Khor Virap offers a magnificent view of Mount Ararat, one of the most famous Armenian sights. Khor Virap is tied with the life of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Gregory was the first person to bring Christianity to Armenia due to which he was prisoned there for 13 years.

Hire a tour guide and he will tell you the whole story behind the Monastery of Khor Virap. We captured the beautiful scenic views of the biblical Mt. Ararat. The holy Mount Ararat is located in Turkey now.

(We were there till 7:30 pm)

The tour bus then dropped us at Republic square from where we went in search of Mozaic Sky Restaurant, the highest restaurant in Yerevan. It is located on the 17th floor of the Elite Plaza Business. Everything we ordered was delicious. Whether it was an Eggplant Roll (Veg.) or a Stewed Lamb With Dried Lavash. The chocolate shake was also yummy. 😋

This is how our 1st day was properly utilized by visiting so many attractions in one day. It seems like a hectic day, though it was not at all. We had fun.

Our SECOND DAY tour started with the same guide at 12 pm to visit the following places:

Hovhannavank Monastery

The Hovhannavank monastery is located in the village of Ohanavan in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia. It has rich stone decoration and many engravings.

The church is cross-shaped and there are two-story sacristies in each of the four corners of the church. The dome has an umbrella-shaped roof, which is unique to the Armenian churches.

The Hovhannavank monastery is not colossal but is as unique as other Armenian monasteries. We didn't spend much time there but didn't miss a single place to take photos. haha! 😆😆😆

Armenian Alphabet Monument

The Armenian Alphabet Monument is dedicated to the founder of Armenia's alphabet, Mesrop Mashtots. An Armenian architect created the carved Armenian letters near Mashtots' final resting place in 2005.

We didn't really understand the letters, therefore, asked the guide to find the initial letter of our first names. We took photos with our initial letters and that's it. There was nothing more to do there.

Amberd Fortress and Vahramashen Church

Now our final destination for the day was the 7th-century Amberd Fortress and Vahramashen Church (also known as The Church of Amberd), located above sea level, on the Slopes of Mount Aragats.


On the route to Amberd, there are legends about this mountain route where magnetic or supernatural forces are believed to work. The car without a driver climbs up the mountain itself. All against all laws of physics! It was really amazing for us to experience this mystery. Besides, when our tour guide kept a water bottle on the road, it started to miraculously climb the mountain itself. It was unbelievable and interesting at the same time.

It was already 3 pm when we reached there and we spent around 2 hours enjoying a lot of photography sessions. 😜

After visiting Amberd, we returned to the Republic Square in Yerevan where we had some food at Tavern Yerevan restaurant. It was around 7:30 pm but still daylight. So, we had more time to explore the city for the day.

Lovers' Park

So, we went to visit the Lovers' Park that was near our hotel. It's a small and very cozy park, located on Baghramyan Avenue. The park is the most beloved place of young couples. It is a park with some sculptures, mini-waterfalls, and a small artificial lake with a romantic atmosphere.

After taking some quality photos in the park, we headed back to our hotel.

Next day, we had breakfast in the hotel and then checked out of the hotel. For our THIRD DAY, we had already booked two cottages in the Noy Land resort, located on the bank of Lake Sevan. The same tour guide dropped us to Sevan from Yerevan.

(We do not recommend the Ofelya Tour Bus service in Armenia. Our experience was awful with the guide. he charged us more than what it should be, just because we didn't want to continue with him in Sevan.)

Now, we didn't want to make our day tiring, so decided to stay at our resort for the whole day. Another reason to stay in Noy Land was its location. It is one of the top-rated locations in Sevan.


It was so calm and peaceful that we couldn't resist its beauty.

We had lunch after setting down in our cottages and then explored the resort. We booked a boat ride for the evening. The weather was awesome and it started raining as well. We enjoyed a lot there.

At around 7:30 pm, we went for the boat ride in the lake. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. The ride was around 30 min long where the lake offered the stunning sunset views. We took a lot of photos and videos around the lake.

After enjoying our boat ride, we spent some time had dinner in the Noy Land Resort.

On our FOURTH DAY, we hired another tour guide who turned out to be the best guide we could have ever found in Armenia. His name is Grigor Badalyan and he has his own tour agency. He was our personal tour guide.

Just shoot us an email at planforatrip@gmail.com if you would like to hire him as your tour guide while in Armenia or Georgia. You can also fill out the contact form for more information here: Contact Us

We have not planned much for our fourth day but the guide was really helpful taking us to the places that were not even in our itinerary.

Hayravank Monastery

Devil’s bridge

Together with our friends, we flew to Thailand from Dubai on 8th Sep 2016. Since we had already bought a tour package of Bangkok and Pattaya, our trip became easy and stress-free.

This trip was so amazing that I didn't want it to end. I am so glad that I have been there.

When arrived at Bangkok airport, we checked-in and bought sim cards first. And since we've already got a holiday package, the van was already out there waiting for us to transfer from Bangkok Airport to our booked Hotel Mac Boutique (3***) in Sukhumvit where we put our luggage and took some rest first. After an hour of rest, we went to explore the city.

We also bought some souvenirs on the first day of our trip.

We explored the local areas and malls in Sukhumvit and Nana via Metro. You can purchase the token from the token machine at the metro station. Or you can also purchase it directly from a person at one of the kiosks at the metro station.

We enjoyed the street food, window shopping and captured those memories in our cameras. And the most amazing experience was taking a tuk-tuk ride. It seems to be everyone's favorite way of getting around Bangkok. (A tuk-tuk is essentially a rickshaw with a small engine fitted in.)

The very next morning, our taxi driver dropped us from Bangkok to Pattaya as per the itinerary prepared by our travel agency.

Pattaya is most commonly known for its beaches in Thailand. In Pattaya, we stayed at Pattaya Loft which is also a 3*** hotel.




Our actual trip started there. And below are the places we visited on our trip to Thailand.

Coral Island in Pattaya

Coral Island is a paradise with crystal clear water and fine white sand in Pattaya. It's a perfect place for water sports lovers.

Parasailing

We decided to start with parasailing. Everyone in our group seems to be very excited but I am so afraid of heights that I just dropped my plan to go for parasailing. But my husband never fails to make me overcome my fears. He succeeded again. And our guide was too stubborn that I couldn't argue with him while he was forcing me to go for it. So yeah, he was also responsible for me to say yes to go parasailing for the first time in my life. But my heart started pounding when I realized that only one can go at a time. I let my husband go first before my turn as it makes me more comfortable to see him doing something I am afraid to do. He is my mentor after-all. :D

I saw him enjoying the parasailing and that motivated me. Finally, it was my turn. I stepped onto the ship deck and was tied to the parachute. It usually starts going up slowly but due to my lightweight, I just went up in a fraction of a second. Then I suddenly realized that the view was so breathtaking that I forgot about my fear. It was an amazing experience. We all loved it.

Parasailing is a must try activity for those who want to experience flying even if they are afraid of heights. You're definitely going to love this.

Underwater Sea Walk

After parasailing, now it was the time for Underwater Sea Walk.

The guide explained to us about the gear and essentials. The way he told us that there's nothing better than this underwater sea walk, we expected a lot. There was a big metal helmet-kind-of-mask put on top of our head to help us getting oxygen supply. The operators were very quick in doing their job where they ended up ignoring people's discomfort or questions.

But when we entered the water, we experienced that the water was not clear, rather it was so dirty that even pictures have come out bad. We came out with ear pain and headache after the underwater sea walk.

Underwater sea walk in Coral Island in Pattaya was worst. Try it on your own risk. haha!

Banana Boat Ride

After such a horrible experience, we relaxed on the beach and resumed our activities with banana boat riding. It was fun. The goal of banana boat driver was to make it thrill at the end of the ride by throwing us into the water. It was full of adventure.

Jet Ski Ride

The final sports activity was jet ski riding. We had a good time enjoying the jet ski ride. The guide was also helpful and it was a great experience for all of us.

We had fun on the island with some photo shoots and swimming around... Ah! let me tell you that I was not a swimmer at that time so I just watched my friends swimming while trying to learn swimming. But no success...haha! :-D :-D

Then it was lunchtime that was also included in our package of the day. After lunch, we went back to our hotel. We were so exhausted that we decided to get some rest before exploring the Pattaya streets. At night, we spent some quality time walking down the streets of Pattaya including the Walking Street.

Walking Street

The nightlife in Pattaya is totally happening. Many visitors come here to enjoy the nightlife in which Walking Street is counted as one of the top famous Pattaya nightlife. Being the most exciting street in the world, there is so much to see and do on the Walking Street. The street with neon lights and music from the different genre, food vendors, and street events makes it the biggest spot in Thailand.

We had our next day booked for Alcazar show and Art in Paradise.

Art in Paradise

We started our afternoon with a trip to Art in Paradise which is a 3D Art Museum. It is the first and only one illusion art museum with 3D illusion paintings. We became part of the artworks and had fun posing for photos.

If you want to make your photos great, find a cool angle to make 3D paintings alive. Try to visit on weekdays to avoid the crowd on weekends.

Alcazar Show

Alcazar is globally famous for the best transvestite cabaret show in Pattaya. Luckily, it was also included in our tour package. We enjoyed the Alcazar cabaret evening show and really impressed by their marvelous combination of music, dance, and costume.

Alcazar show features a small team of male and ladyboy artists who give dazzling and fantastic performances with great music, amazing sets, and stunning costumes to entertain the audience. A trip to Pattaya is incomplete without seeing the spectacular Alcazar Show.

Alcazar cabaret is a must visit show. Don't miss it ever!

Next day, after having the breakfast, our tour guide transferred us from Pattaya to Bangkok. We stayed in the same hotel, Mac Boutique Suites, Sukhumvit.

Our tour package for that day included full day Safari World with Marine Park & lunch in Bangkok.

Marine Park

At Marine Park, we enjoyed all the exciting shows. Orang Utan Boxing show is the world famous and funniest show. Sea Lion show was also great. Dolphin show captivated us with the Dolphin's effortless mastery of the most difficult tricks. Other shows included Cowboy Stunt show, Spy War, and Bird show.

Then we had lunch. It was an Indian food buffet as per our package. After having lunch, we headed towards the Safari park.


We booked a taxi and started our day with the famous Floating Market in Bangkok i.e. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. We must tell you that there are many floating markets in Bangkok but Damnoen Saduak is the most popular one. And a trip to Bangkok is not complete without a visit to the floating market. So, don't miss it while traveling to Bangkok.

We hopped on a floating boat and enjoyed the scenery & the peaceful way of life on both sides of the river bank. It was an amazing experience as we had never been to a floating market before. Located around 30-40 minutes from Bangkok in Ratchaburi province, its a beautiful market with lots of colorful fruits & vegetables and refreshing drinks.

We enjoyed the sight and took some photos. It is a very attractive place for tourists to see this old style and traditional way of selling & buying goods.

(Best time to get there is as early as possible in the morning so as to avoid a lot of the crowds.)

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of The Emerald Buddha)

Then we went to check out the wats (temples) out there as a trip to Bangkok is not complete without a visit to the wats as well. Bangkok has a lot of beautiful temples. We started with a visit to the Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of The Emerald Buddha), located within the grounds of the Grand Palace. It is known as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand.

(The Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha are open daily but close by mid-afternoon, so get there early.)

Wat Pho (Temple of Reclining Buddha)

Our next visit was Wat Pho, one of the oldest and largest temples in Bangkok. It is also known as the Temple of Reclining Buddha. Wat Pho is famous for the huge gold leaf covered Reclining Buddha statue which is the largest in Thailand measuring more than 150 feet in length. The feet and the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.

Apart from the Reclining Buddha, the whole Wat Pho compound is full of artwork and Buddha statues. This temple is also a training center for traditional Thai massage.

The temple is located next to the Grand Palace and behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew).

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

From Wat Pho, we took a boat to cross the Chao Phraya river (costs only 3 Baht one way) to visit Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). (The entry fee is 50 Baht.) Wat Arun in Bangkok is surrounded by beautiful gardens with trees and statues.

The highlight of visiting Wat Arun is climbing the vertical staircase to the top level. The climb is very steep, so be careful and hold on tight to the ropes while climbing. And don’t forget to put decent clothes on – no shorts, tank tops etc are allowed. You can also hire a tuk-tuk to take you around for the day to see the temples.

We didn't climb as we were supposed to reach the airport before night. So, we just roamed around and returned to our taxi to reach the airport on time.

It was a remarkable trip. And I wonder why people say that they don't like Bangkok. It's an amazing city. You just need to mix yourself with it and then you will start feeling home.