I wish I was above the number game but I do count the countries that I have visited till date! The number is low, just sixteen excluding India. I say it is low because I actually want to visit well, everywhere!
I was strangely fascinated by foreign lands from an early age. When The Great Gambler was released and I got to see ‘doo lafzon ki hai‘ song, since then I wanted to visit Venice. And yet if anyone would have asked me, “what do you want to become when you grow up” at that age being a traveler was nowhere on the agenda! The first time I went abroad was in 1999 for an academic conference to Singapore.
Of the 16 countries that I have visited there are some clear favorites. I often thought of doing a post on my five best destinations. Today I opened the list (yes I have an excel file, there I said it) and tried to pick up my five favorites but then I gave up after a while. For someone like me, who has every place on her list, picking up favorites was not working. So, I decided to do a series of posts on each destination, instead of picking up favorites. I am doing it in batches of five in chronological order! So beware, i have warned you!
1. Singapore
When I went to Singapore it was the first time I took a flight as well. I still remember the feeling of the plane zooming through the runway before takeoff. I had never experienced anything like that, it gave me such a rush. However I try now, I never get that feeling again before a takeoff.
I remember taking a metro in Singapore, the platform was crowded like anything. Having experienced only India I was very nervous about the crowd. I was with a family friend and she looked quite unconcerned. When i boarded the train, to my utter amazement everyone tiptoed around me with courtsey. I wonder if we’ll ever reach at that stage of civilization in India?
As my purpose was to attend an academic conference, I did not see much in the city apart from malls and Suntech City. But Singapore will always remain special as it was the first country I ever visited.
2. Greece
I visited Greece in 2001 once again to attend an academic conference. I only went to Athens and roamed around a little. This was the first trip abroad where I was completely on my own! If you click on the link above you can read the story in more detail, here is a short excerpt though-
“500 meter ahead, another gentleman asked, “Are you alright?” Now his question got me really anxious, I wondered if I had torn my dress or what? I asked back, “Why do you ask?” He says, “You are frowning.” And before I could realize what was happening, he held my shoulders, and kissed both my cheeks (now I am from India, where apart from my family and a few very close friends, no one would dare to do such a thing). I stood stunned looking and feeling like a complete fool. He brought me back from my stupor and asked, “Can I buy you a drink?” I recollected my wits and said no. It took me some time to reassure him that I really was fine. I walked in a dazed state for a while,”
Oh to be young and foolish and to weigh 12 kds less! One of my biggest regrets is that too few pictures survive from these trips!
3. Holland
I visited Amsterdam and Groningen in Holland in 2002. I was appearing for a post doc interview in Groningen! I had half a day free in Amsterdam while going back to India. It was in Holland I realized that in summer the sun was not setting even at 9.00 pm, there was twilight till 11.00 pm! And then I managed to stumble upon the red light district in Amsterdam without any intentions of ever going there! I mustered all my courage and managed to walk through it in the end, after seeing what a tourist attraction it was. If parents with prams could take a stroll, so could I!
4. Italy
I went to Modena, Italy in 2003 to attend an academic conference! So you see my early travels were more for work! Thank god that I started blogging too! And guess what, Venice is quite close to Modena so I actually visited Venice, my childhood dream destination. I still remember the train pulling into the main station, Venezia Mestre, and all I could see was water around me. Everyone in the coach simply stood up by their windows! I only spent a few hours in Venice but I did go there! In 2017 I transited through Rome and visited the Colosseum.
5. UK
Then came a long gap of 4 years when I struggled with some jobs that I didn’t like one bit. But in 2007 things changed and I went to Oxford for work again! Since then I have been to UK 4 more times, making it 5 in all. UK is my most visited country till date but Thailand is in close competition with total of trips being 4 and I am still counting. So, I have been abroad more than 16 times but visiting the same country again and again unfortunately doesn’t increase the number of countries visited. Since I had started blogging in 2005, I have written a lot about UK on my blog. I have visited London, Lancaster, Windermere and Grasmere, Blackpool and Edinburgh till date. I have thoroughly enjoyed all my trips to UK. I love the fact that it is a walking friendly country. I love Oxford a little more than every other place that I have visited.
So, do you count the number of countries you have visited? If you do, will you share that number with me? I will be back with the next five countries I have visited in a post later. I will also try to dig out the print pictures from the first four trips and post them sometime.
Hey Mridula very interesting list of countries close to your heart.Coincidently my first trip abroad was also Singapore when I sneaked past my office without taking leaves,packed my bags,took a flight and landed in Singapore where my then bf(and now husband) was studying.I was mostly on my own because he didn’t had leaves.I sadly didn’t like Singapore so much,I found it very man-made.Though it was my first country,and I was excited taking a taxi here and there,when I look,I don’t think I’d land dere again unless I am on work.My hubby’s fav country is Singapore.Guess what! Opposites attract 😉
Ankita 😀 have you written all these stories? Do write if you have not.
..But even then Singapore remains special because he proposed me there on a hot air balloon 🙂 So filmy actually.Your incident in Greece must have been shocking to you isn’t it?You must visit Turkey,though it’s my fav country,there are morons everywhere who flirt…and It happened everyday.Not the kiss but the wooing and the singing and trying to get their way out..but we were clever enough that they failed :P.Venice was my first time last year,I loved the way train goes through water,I could relate so much to your feelings..The number of countries doesn’t matter.It’s the experience after all 🙂
Ankita now that proposal sounds incredible!
..You must visit Phuket/Pattaya then in Thailand when off work,because dats where the activity of kinky types are.We landed there not knowing the fact for the first time,and out of curiosity watched some shows..but yes! areas which are shopping district turns out to be red light in the night 🙂
Ankita I am way too timid 😀
I have visited only one country. And one day I started traveling with a wish to travel – 29 States and 7 Union Territories and continuing till date.. Next post maybe you can write – How many States and Union Territories you have visited till date. 🙂
Tushar I have already done that post- https://traveltalesfromindia.in/2012/01/how-many-states-and-union-territories-in-india-i-have-visited/
Yes I do too 🙂 You’ve inspired me to do a similar write-up too 🙂 thank you so much…
Archana do write! Will wait to read it.
Ha ha such a fun post … Red light districts, kisses by strangers… I am tempted to ask the most stupid of questions that comes to mind from movies” What was a girl like you doing in places like those “… but since I have read the complete post… I will not ask….. but traveling is such fun.. and remembering those good old days is even more fun…. 🙂
Prasad I was stuck that how much I used to travel because of work and how little it has become of late 🙁
Your memories kept me glued to the screen…. it was way too fast finished. What experiences. I never counted the countries I visited. My first job I took was with the railway because of my travel bug. It allowed me to travel for almost nothing around Europe. I was bitten by the bug at early age though I only could read about it then. Even my first essay was about travel: Fritjof Nansens expedition. And like you, I never thought of travel as a career, although I wanted to nothing else but 🙂
Fida may we both travel more 😀
I have seen 2 countries from across the border only.. Does that count?
Now you have given me an idea as to how to increase my country count Shrinidhi.
Nice Post…. Wish you many more Foreign Travels in the coming up years!
Thank you so much Sreedhar.
Interesting experiences, Mridula. The one in Greece must have shaken you up :). 16 is such a good number. Am just at 5. 🙁
Niranjan may your count increase soon!
Loved your post. Quite a description of places. Read your Athens post. hehe… Interesting 🙂
Thank you Ravish, how I wish I would go back!
Good interesting encounters 😀
A good read. 🙂
Thank you Indrani.
Such interesting memories and stories! Amazing that you started traveling not too long ago and have still managed to travel as much and chronicle it all. That’s my regret that I haven’t written about so many of experiences.
Chaitali, I started blogging in 2005, I feel ancient 😀
Hi Globetrotter…Good that you have seen so many places. People like me will only see posts on net and sigh! 🙁 I wish I could see the world.
Shilpi it will start happening just wait and see.
I do count but then I dont have MANY to count 🙂 all the best always and may you visit many may more 🙂
Bikram’s
Thank you so much Bikram.
That’s a fun post. Fond memories, eh! 😀
Here’s wishing you lots of travel and loads of fun. May that excel sheet run to pages. 🙂
Next five…:)
Next five will be announced next week Divya. 😀 And thank you for the wishes, amen.
Nice post! Yes, I do count the countries I’ve visited. But like you my numbers are much lower than they should be because of many return visits to: Australia, Kenya and USA. If not for those I might have made it to more countries. But still nice to return to places you love.
Thank you for sharing your fav countries, I have not been to any of those 🙁
I started counting after seeing your post. The number exactly matches yours!! Though I must admit that I have visited most of them on my Official trips.
Aravind that must be one good job! 😀
Interesting first experiences!
I haven’t stepped out of India so far so 16 is a great number for me! You are one in lakhs who is so lucky to see the world!
Thank you so much Sindu, I hope the luck continues.
Loved going through your personal favourites from the 16 countries you’ve been to. I have been to 10 countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Greece, Malaysia, Fiji, Australia, Pakistan, Bahrain and of course India. My intention is usually to see the country in as much depth as possible. Last year I took off to explore India and Bahrain in detail fr a good 6 months with my partner. From North to West to South…what beautiful memories we have!
I wish I could take time off like that! 6 months sounds such a bliss!
This post has helped me realize that I really need to stop being a couch potato, and start travelling the length and breadth of the globe. Out of all the mentioned places, I fancy going to Italy sometime soon. I have always seen pictures of how beautiful this place is and after reading this blog post, I am doubly convinced!