In the Jan. 24th - Feb. 6th, 2008 issue of Filmfare, Sonam talks about travelling: From her first trip alone to her worst trip to the places she wants to explore. Here is the typed article....Scans would be up soon.

MY FIRST TRIP ALONE

-> WHEN I was studying in Singapore, I went to Bintam Batam. We were about 15 of us from college. We had such a great time enjoying the sun, surf, sand and what you have. I loved eating the sea food and noodle dishes like Nasi Goreng. I went on cute buggy rides as well.

A ROMAN HOLIDAY

-> AFTER MANY years, dad took the entire family to holiday in Rome. Mom, me and Rhea, my sister, went berserk shopping at boulevard called Spanish Steps. You get the best Italian designer wear like Prada at throwaway prices. Besides the wonderful architecture and churches, Rome has a sense of timelessness. I even made a wish at a fountain where you throw a coin. That wish was fulfilled! Dad, of course, was totally lost for the first two days. Harsh, my brother, who usually stays back in hotel rooms playing video games, actually came out and enjoyed the wonder of Rome.

I EXPLORED NEW YORK...

-> TRAVEL REALLY makes your mind grow. Back home, you are so cocooned and then you are exposed to a whole new world. In New York, I would watch Broadway plays, movies, shop at vintage designer boutiques. What I like best about New York is that you can sit on a bench and people gaze for hours on end.

EAT STREET, SHOPPER'S STOP

-> IF YOU are in New York, you must go to Le Bilbouquet for the best in French cuisine, Masa is great for Japanese. Another favorite of mine is Devi which has a mix of French and Indian food. Nello is great for Italian. No trip to New York is complete without a visit to Greenwich Village which houses small boutiques as well as designer stuff like Saks, Bloomingdales, Henri Bendels, upmarket department stores like Bergdorf Goodman. There are vintage boutiques like Cherry and Cream Mimis on Bleeckers Street which is again a shopper's haven.

TRAVEL NIGHTMARE

-> IT WAS my 13th birthday and I was with my dad in Los Angeles. I was really looking forward to that night. But by 10 all the shops, clubs etc shut down for some reason. I returned very disappointed to my hotel room, then Sanju (Kapoor) chachu gave me loads of money as a birthday gift. It was the first time in my life I actually recieved money as a gift. So that made up for my disappointment.

ALWAYS CARRY

--> Passport, driver's license
--> Credit cards, travellers cheques
--> Mobile phone, chargers, extra batteries for cell phone
--> iPod
--> Snackbars
--> A man (ha, ha, ha)

DREAM DESTINATIONS

I WANT to explore Japan, Australia, and Russia.