https://bkpk.me Piggy-back ride with A&Z Sun, 26 Jun 2022 18:39:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 https://bkpk.me/traveling-to-india-during-covid-19-restrictions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=traveling-to-india-during-covid-19-restrictions https://bkpk.me/traveling-to-india-during-covid-19-restrictions/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2020 06:17:46 +0000 Ashray https://bkpk.me/?p=22001
  Mid-2022 Update Since earlier this year, you do not need a PCR test to fly to India if you’ve been vaccinated in certain countries. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare maintains an updated list of bilateral agreements on their website. If the country you were vaccinated in is ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/traveling-to-india-during-covid-19-restrictions/feed/ 6 https://bkpk.me/fun-facts-and-observations-about-seoul-korea/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fun-facts-and-observations-about-seoul-korea https://bkpk.me/fun-facts-and-observations-about-seoul-korea/#comments Thu, 03 May 2018 11:20:11 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=21577
Every now and then we crave traveling to a place that feels completely different than where we happen to be. After spending a solid amount of time in Europe, we decided to take advantage of the specific visa rules that apply to Indian passport holders “transiting” via Korea to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/fun-facts-and-observations-about-seoul-korea/feed/ 6 https://bkpk.me/penang-multicultural-food/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=penang-multicultural-food https://bkpk.me/penang-multicultural-food/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2018 18:01:58 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=21431
Penang is the most food-obsessed place we have ever been to! Folks eat out all the time. Food is ubiquitous, quick, convenient and affordable. Most of the meals served around Penang are prepared by street vendors in so-called “hawker stalls”. Like Ashray would say comparing street food with graffiti “these ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/penang-multicultural-food/feed/ 7 https://bkpk.me/lok-lok-the-ultimate-late-night-street-food-in-penang/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lok-lok-the-ultimate-late-night-street-food-in-penang https://bkpk.me/lok-lok-the-ultimate-late-night-street-food-in-penang/#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2018 15:16:39 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=21168
Lok Lok is not exclusively sold in the late hours of the night. But it is certainly after dark, following the closing hours of most other restaurants and street stalls, that this specialty of Penang shines bright!     Georgetown, the colorful capital of the Malaysian island of Penang, is ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/lok-lok-the-ultimate-late-night-street-food-in-penang/feed/ 4 https://bkpk.me/winter-on-the-silk-road/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=winter-on-the-silk-road https://bkpk.me/winter-on-the-silk-road/#comments Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:26:26 +0000 Anita Faria https://bkpk.me/?p=21013
When I was in China working as an English teacher, I decided to cycle around Iran. I finished my contract at the end of November, so I thought I might as well travel to Iran by land. The problem was, I’d be traveling in winter. I’m Portuguese so I knew ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/winter-on-the-silk-road/feed/ 6 https://bkpk.me/tour-dmz-korean-demilitarized-zone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tour-dmz-korean-demilitarized-zone https://bkpk.me/tour-dmz-korean-demilitarized-zone/#comments Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:58:09 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=20700
Visiting the Demilitarized Zone (aka DMZ) between North and South Korea was quite a bizarre experience. Yet it was one of those bizarre experiences that I would certainly recommend to anyone traveling to Seoul and at all interested in local affairs. The so-called demilitarized zone happens to have more than ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/tour-dmz-korean-demilitarized-zone/feed/ 6 https://bkpk.me/authentic-hanok-seoul-raon-guesthouse/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=authentic-hanok-seoul-raon-guesthouse https://bkpk.me/authentic-hanok-seoul-raon-guesthouse/#comments Fri, 08 Dec 2017 10:29:32 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=20693
If it’s true that first impressions tend to last, my idea of Seoul would be one of futuristic looking cityscapes, locals adorned with modern accessories and an efficiency that only well planned contemporary cities manage to achieve. That is one of the obvious sides of Seoul, no doubt about that. ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/authentic-hanok-seoul-raon-guesthouse/feed/ 1 https://bkpk.me/authentic-korean-cooking-class-in-seoul/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=authentic-korean-cooking-class-in-seoul https://bkpk.me/authentic-korean-cooking-class-in-seoul/#comments Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:53:55 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=20664
It’s only been a few weeks since our trip to Korea came to an end, and we’ve already cooked bibimbap (비빔밥) at home at least 5 times! If exploring the food culture of the country was one of the highlights of our trip around Korea, taking a cooking class in ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/authentic-korean-cooking-class-in-seoul/feed/ 4 https://bkpk.me/south-korea-visa-for-indians/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=south-korea-visa-for-indians https://bkpk.me/south-korea-visa-for-indians/#comments Sun, 22 Oct 2017 10:26:57 +0000 Ashray https://bkpk.me/?p=20584
Indian passport holders ordinarily need a visa to visit South Korea (except Jeju island). You can apply for a visa at the nearest South Korean consulate and receive a 90 day visa fairly quickly. Most nationalities, even those that need a visa to visit South Korea, do not need one ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/south-korea-visa-for-indians/feed/ 117 https://bkpk.me/love-letter-to-travelers-diarrhea/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=love-letter-to-travelers-diarrhea https://bkpk.me/love-letter-to-travelers-diarrhea/#comments Tue, 03 Oct 2017 12:30:06 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=20477
On a fine day back in 2011 I thought my life was coming to an end. That was the day when I almost shat myself to death in Doha’s airport. Back then, we were living in Dubai and had decided to take a small trip to Indonesia. On our last ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/love-letter-to-travelers-diarrhea/feed/ 7 https://bkpk.me/things-in-common-india-mexico/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=things-in-common-india-mexico https://bkpk.me/things-in-common-india-mexico/#comments Wed, 09 Aug 2017 23:11:36 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=20305
If India and Mexico made love, they could give birth to something beautiful! No doubt the newborn would dress colorfully and adorn its everyday things with vibrant tones. It would be saucy, spicy and topped with heaps of cilantro. Chances are it would also care a great deal about religion. ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/things-in-common-india-mexico/feed/ 17 https://bkpk.me/cartoon-afternoon-in-incredible-india/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cartoon-afternoon-in-incredible-india https://bkpk.me/cartoon-afternoon-in-incredible-india/#comments Thu, 11 May 2017 14:04:43 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=20086
No matter how many countries we keep on visiting, rare are the places that can manage to have the same impact on me as India does. On the same day, or even in the same hour or at the exact very minute, India will make sure you experience a rollercoaster ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/cartoon-afternoon-in-incredible-india/feed/ 4 https://bkpk.me/tips-for-bargaining-like-a-pro-in-goa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tips-for-bargaining-like-a-pro-in-goa https://bkpk.me/tips-for-bargaining-like-a-pro-in-goa/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2017 14:38:39 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=19710
If you’ve read Backpack ME before, you know that Ashray is Indian and that I am Portuguese. But there is at least one thing in which I am [stereotypically] more Indian than him: I love a good bargain! Not only I like negotiating a transaction until I reach a price ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/tips-for-bargaining-like-a-pro-in-goa/feed/ 5 https://bkpk.me/traditional-japanese-experiences-in-osaka/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=traditional-japanese-experiences-in-osaka https://bkpk.me/traditional-japanese-experiences-in-osaka/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2017 11:54:07 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=19636
Osaka is Japan’s third largest city. This vast metropolis is known to be quite commercially oriented. Traditionally, locals even used to greet each other using the word “mōkarimakka?”, which translates into “are you making money?” While Osaka is known as a business centre, the city and surrounding areas have been ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/traditional-japanese-experiences-in-osaka/feed/ 6 https://bkpk.me/cooking-nyona-food-in-penang/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cooking-nyona-food-in-penang https://bkpk.me/cooking-nyona-food-in-penang/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2016 09:47:27 +0000 Zara https://bkpk.me/?p=19374
After spending a couple of days in Penang, I couldn’t help but think: what took us so long to come here? For most of our traveling years, Penang wasn’t even on our radar. And, now, I could easily think of even living there for a while! If Malaysia is known ... more »]]> https://bkpk.me/cooking-nyona-food-in-penang/feed/ 2