Bali…..On my mind!!

Bali isn’t just a destination! Beaches, adventure, sight-seeing, night life, luxury, nature, modern facilities, traditional art and culture and everything that is required for a perfect getaway, Bali has it all!

Whether on honeymoon or chilling with gang of friends or on a family holiday, whether on a small or super huge budget, whether extremely adventurous or total laid-back, Bali is for one and all!

Exempted Visa for Indians, connectivity with Singapore which was already on our travel chart, abundant luxurious villas at insanely reasonable prices and a mixed group of people with different travel goals; Bali seemed just perfect for our family holiday!

Welcome at Indonesia!

We stayed for four nights in Bali and believe me, it wasn’t enough! Although there is so much to see and do, I strongly recommend you to not go by the to-do-list, instead just let yourself lose and allow Bali to take you! Explore it on-the-go, be more audacious, more spontaneous and more fun!

Each part of Bali offers a different and incomparable experience. Depending on the preference, you can stay at -

• Seminyak/Kuta – Heart of the city with lots of people, restaurants, shops and proximity to party places making it immensely popular with the youth
• Nusa Dua (means two islands)– Serene and calm neighbourhood to relax; plethora of luxury resorts with      private beaches
• Ubud – Cultural hub of Bali with shops selling goods from the region’s artisans; centre of the island for better commute within the city
• Gianyar – Bali Safari Park that offers an unforgettable wild-life experience

I suggest dividing the stay to have the best of both the worlds and a super happy experience. Just pre-book the hotels and a taxi at disposal for your stay (It is extremely reasonable!!) and relish the travel 

experience that Bali has to offer!

This is how it looked for us -
Day 1- On arrival at Denpasar airport, we were embraced by the warm culture, humid weather and deep affection from Wayan (our driver – who my husband Ankit knew from his previous trip to Bali)

After a drive of almost two hours, we reached our hotel - Mara River Safari Lodge at Gianyar, a safari-themed resort located within Bali Safari Park that offers an experience of true natural wild life encounter. I suggest booking directly through their website which typically includes activities like safari journey, animal presentation, Harimau show, elephant show, fire show, Water Park and breakfast with the lions.

With tons to do in one single day, we quickly checked-in our Tembo Family Suite, instantly fascinated by the sight of rhinos and zebras right from our room balcony, savoured our packed Indian snacks, freshened up and headed out for a free interaction and photo opportunity with the animals (which can be a bird, monkey or even a snake!)

Fire and Dance Show

In the evening, we thoroughly enjoyed the open-air fire and dance show followed by Night safari- a phenomenal experience of a night time adventure in the wilderness. With the big cats on the loose and us in caged tram, it was exciting to witness and hand feed animals at a close range.

Too fatigued and too excited for our 8am pick-up the next day, we tucked ourselves early into the bed. 

Breakfast with the lions

Day 2 – It was time for Breakfast with the Lions. And guess who offered the ride…..Elephants!!! It is indeed a breath-taking experience of riding an elephant through the wilds and then be dropped at the restaurant to enjoy the delectable breakfast in the company of lions.

We went for a pre-booked morning Safari (inclusive in the package) - A 25 min guided safari tour in no-noise air-conditioned bus around the park. It was phenomenal to see lions, giraffes, zebras, porcupines, white tigers and many more species of animals roaming in a free habitat. You name it and there it was! I have been to many sanctuaries and forest reserves but this was an experience like never before.Post-safari, we rushed for the numerous shows and activities conducted at the lodge of which animal show (commendable act by birds, mice, cats, orang-utans etc.), tiger show, elephant bathing, giraffe feeding were marvellous. The plus is that one can enjoy the activities even after check-out and spend two days at the price of one.

Animal Sight during Safari

One can even stay somewhere else and pay a visit to Bali Safari Park; but I strongly recommend staying one night at this place to enjoy the activities leisurely. It is an absolute worth of every penny spent. It is unfortunate that it is not well promoted on social media and people miss out on this experience.

Late afternoon, we bid adios to the park and headed to the active Mt. Batur Volcano, last erupted in year 2000. When we reached, sun suddenly hid somewhere and clouds covered most part of the volcano. Although we couldn’t see the crater, we really enjoyed the cool breeze, sight of huge patches of green & black landscape caused by the volcanic eruptions and buffet meal at ‘Grand Puncak Sari’ restaurant that offers majestic view. One can even trek to see the crater and experience the hot steam (must pre-plan as the tour starts at around 2:30am).

Mt Batur Volcano

After taking tons of pictures and offering detailed explanation to the innocent curious questions of my nieces “What is Lava? Why is it hot? Will it reach out to us!” we drove to Ubud.

En-route to Ubud, there are interesting tourist points like hot water spring, coffee plantations (preparation of the world's most expensive Luwak coffee) and rice terraces.  If time permits one can take stops at one/all of these; we however had a packed day and hence enjoyed the views from the car. We reached Ubud by 4pm and got down at the centre of Ubud market to firstly satiate our hunger pangs at Indian Cuisine (one of the many Indian restaurants in this area). To feel the real Bali, we walked around and happened to witness a Balinese wedding ceremony at a temple.

Balinese Temple at Ubud

The traditional village of Ubud is a treasure trove of cultural landmarks, ranging from ancient temples to majestic age-old royal palaces. It is a reservoir of Balinese culture, arts and crafts with eclectic masterpieces that one can observe in local museums/art galleries. With hundreds of shops selling antiques, woodcarvings, crafts, textiles, paintings and jewellery, one can’t stop admiring these Balinese handcrafted items and bringing them home!

Villa Winata

Unfortunately it started to rain heavily and we hurriedly proceeded to Seminyak for check-in at ‘Villa Winata’ that we booked through AirBnb. The duplex villa was a 10 on 10 with proximity to party places, swimming pool, good host and on-call caretaker, fully equipped kitchen, huge bath tubs, music system and what not.

We made our sumptuous dinner of rice, theplas, MTR mutter paneer, Dal Makhani and instantly felt at home. A little tired but too excited for the night-life that Bali had to offer, Ankit and I actually walked to “La Favela” at 1 in the night. As much a thrill it was going there, the inside was pretty cool too! Semi-indoor gardens covered by dense foliage, artificial waterfalls and ponds, alfresco tables, messy walls and roof tops at the bar backed up by cool clubbing tunes and special exotic signature cocktails made it an overall dreamy venue attracting a pretty international crowd. No entry to boys without shoes!!

Day 3 – After a really late night, we slept through the morning and later enjoyed a dip in the swimming pool and hydrated ourselves with coconut water. At Bali, sun keeps playing hide-and-seek as weather transitions from being hot and humid in the afternoon to raining in the evening.  

Although we ended up lazing around, one may visit Tanah lot temple (drive of 1.5hrs from Seminyak), the signature location of Bali on Google. It is a Hindu temple in the middle of the water offering mesmerizing sunset view. Entry inside the temple is restricted for tourists but it is said that it is spectacular to catch the nature painting the portrait of ocean and sky kissing!

On this day to pamper one-self in luxury, dress up and show up at ‘The Rock Bar, Ayana Spa and Resorts’ in Jimbaran. Rock Bar is like a huge extended balcony located just above the water that offers unparalleled views. A glass of wine, best beats in town and dashing waves against your wall at just 14m above the Indian Ocean is miraculous. Reserve a table before-hand.

Since we missed on this one, we went to “Potato Head Beach Club”, another very popular destination for good times!! As mesmerised we were by the interesting pathway that leads to the beach club, walking down their private beach glowing with moonlight was charismatic.

With multiple bars and restaurants, infinity pool overlooking endless water, spectacular sunset, huge seating capacity, wonderful hospitality, lively music and good food, this place definitely lives up to the hype. (Reserve the table, cover charge for entry at peak hours, minimum order for different seats but absolutely worth the money)

Day4 – While in Bali, how could we miss Balinese massage!! With numerous options like traditional body massage, cream bath, hot stone massage, we chose to relax and unwind with these services in the comfort of our villa.

Fly Boarding

After pampering us enough, we headed to Nusa Dua – the up-scale district of Bali with an incredible collection of world-class resorts facing a pristine beachfront. From various water sports organized at Benoa coast (Nusa Dua) like banana boat ride, Sea walker, Parasailing, Scuba diving, Flying fish, Jet Ski and fly boarding, we did Fly boarding that is new, unique and a must try.

Turtle Island

I recommend taking a one-hour tour for Turtle Island. This is an excellent way to watch marine life from a glass-bottom boat, experience the serenity of the sea, feed the fishes, hold turtle in your hand and click photos with birds, snakes, comodo-dragon and even a bat among other Balinese wildlife. Ssshhh… We bargained almost 50% for all activities.

It was almost 7pm when weather transitioned, sky was scattered with a variety of hues ranging from shades of orange and blue but we decided to glance over Nusa Dua beach. To our surprise, we drove by an area which was gated with guard posts, studded with beautiful manicured lawns, decorated with huge stunning sculptures, hosted international-chain hotels and important buildings. It was a world away from much of the rest of Bali.

Ayodya Beach Club and Resort

It was drizzling when we reached the white crescent sandy beach of Mengiat. Intrigued by sea side strip of colourful bean bags, umbrellas and candle-lights in the distance, we walked a little and to what seemed like multiple shacks turned out to be one huge beachfront bar ‘Ayodya Beach Club’.

With LED light decoration all over the garden and the swimming pool, food kiosks, icecream parlours, spotlight photography point at the beach, it was like a fantabulous carnival! Sipping on refreshing drinks and satiating ourselves with wood burn pizza and Mie Goreng (Bali noodles) in utmost comfortable seating, we lost all our fatigue. As we strolled through the property, we discovered that it was a part of 500 room hotel ‘Ayodya Resort’ adorned by gardens, lakes, fountains, statues, restaurants, bars, etc. Ayodya was a complete surprise package!

After gone-too-soon four days at Bali, I must acknowledge the world class hospitality and ever-smiling, super helpful, extremely courteous Balinese people.

To experience the most of Bali in limited time we were constantly on our toes. So, while planning a trip to this heaven I suggest you to keep few free days to sink in its splendour. Spend a day leisurely to just walk by the beach, play with water, click pictures of the waves kissing the shore, lay on the sunbed, indulge in cocktails with little munchies and gaze at stars in the moonlight with no guilt of missing out on something else. Spare some time to absorb Balinese culture, visit Uluwatu temple, relish Kecak Dance, enjoy the gorgeous sunsets and pamper yourself with traditional massages. 

Here is some FIRST-HAND ADVICE -

• Pre-book a taxi for your entire stay as there is no app-based taxi service at Bali
• Art lover, party enthusiast, luxury seeker, wildlife admirer or wanderlust - Choose location of stay according to your interest as travel within Bali can be quite time-consuming
• If you are travelling with family, book your villa through AirBnb; there are plenty of incredible deals
• Carry ready-to-eat food items as there are limited vegetarian options and most villas have fully equipped kitchen
• Rains can be a spoiler, avoid the rainy season from October to March
• Keep your power banks handy as this paradise on earth is a visual delight for all photography enthusiasts and you would want to capture everything
• Some of the clubs have a dress code and beach wear/slippers don’t always make the cut. Some of them don’t allow kids and some have time restrictions. It is better to just call and check before visiting

So pack your bags and rush to Bali…. Unwind, relax, get adventurous, do insane things, admire nature, get some piece of mind, splurge, indulge and outlive!!

Happy Holidays!!
Shruti

Singapore....You Just Happened!

Singapore is a one-stop destination for everything above and beyond. Offering a shopper’s paradise for shopaholics, extensive green parks for nature lovers, a culinary treat for foodies, crazy nightlife for party enthusiasts, ancient monuments for cultural explorers, state-of-the-architecture for architectural maniacs, amusement parks for adrenaline junkies, safaris for wildlife admirers; it’s all happening in Singapore!

Good connectivity from Jaipur, quick visa process and plethora of diverse activities/places on offer, Singapore was just perfect for our family holiday. To add on to the family charm, we found just the perfect AirBnb apartment.

This is how we spent five action packed days in the splendid city of Singapore:

Day 1 – Late afternoon, we visited the beautiful “Gardens by the Bay” which has two huge indoor air conditioned domes - cloud forest and flower dome, the biggest and most wonderful of their kind. 

Super Tree Grove

The sheer grandeur and the rich collection of plants and flowers procured globally are indeed mesmerizing. While inside the garden, one may also enjoy the light and sound show at the super tree grove.

MBS as we walked
by the bridge

We then walked over by the bridge to Marina Bay Sands (MBS-the iconic building of Singapore) and enjoyed another splendid light, sound and water show at the riverfront; and concluded our day (or rather night) at double-storied gigantic 24-hour Casino at MBS.

Entry to the casino is free and has options to bet from as low as 10cents!

Day 2 – Early afternoon, we took a two hour City Tour to glance over the magnificence of Singapore which covers Merlion Park, drive round the Civic District, Suntec, Chinatown and much more...

Inside The Flyer

Late afternoon, we took a flight of Singapore Flyer - Asia’s largest Giant wheel (even taller than London Eye). Taking a ride on this air conditioned wheel is a one-of-a-kind experience treating to a visual 360 degree feast of iconic landmarks and views of the entire island.

Night View of the city:
MBS & Flyer

In the evening, we wandered in Marina Bay shopping area. As the sun set, we went to Sky Observation Deck at 56^th floor-tower 3 of MBS only to be delighted by the lights bringing out the grandeur of buildings, gardens and river in one frame.

The famous roof top Pool of the Hotel MBS is accessible only to hotel guests. However, one can visit the club Ce La Vie on 57^th floor which shares a glass wall with the Infinity pool and offers quite similar view.

After a day well-spent in sightseeing, my husband Ankit and I wanted to chill a little more, so we headed to Clarke Quay, the liveliest nightlife spot of Singapore. It was almost midnight at Thursday and the atmosphere was extremely happening; cool breeze, good live music and people enjoying over food and drinks. Although there were very limited vegetarian eating options, we had a gala time hopping at the numerous clubs, bars, riverside restaurants, cafes stretched over the entire street. 

Clarke Quay is open till 4 am on weekends. If one doesn’t drink or has the company of kids, a 40 min river cruise is an amazing way to get the feel of this place.

Day 3 – After a late night, we started early for Universal Studios. From the rides, shows, parades to interactions with characters, there was so much to do!! For me, the park highlights were Transformers, Mummy Returns, Jurrasic Park-Lost World, Human vs Cyclone roller coasters and Water World Show. However with the normal ticket, most of these attractions had a waiting time of 45-90min. To avoid the queues, one can top-up the ticket with an express pass for additional 50 SGD.

At Universal Studios

It was super crowded during the day but by late evening, most of the people by school, package tours, etc. left. Since all the rides and the park are open till 10pm, we could get the rides easily and thoroughly enjoyed the open air roller coasters and boat rides in the night.

After draining ourselves exploring every tiny bit of the park, we went back to the apartment and ordered dinner from Khansama Tandoori Restaurant. Believe me, nothing precedes the joy of Indian Food home delivered in Singapore at 12:30 in the night.

Day4 – After an exhaustive day, all of us opted to laze around. Early evening, we visited a cousin and happened to see their beautiful condo and Singaporean living style.

On this free day, Shopaholics can indulge in sinful shopping at Mustafa which sells everything from safety pins to TV, Bugis street for reasonable shopping and Orchard road for branded stuff. One should also visit Arab Street and Little India to witness a non-Singaporean ambience.

1-Altitude
 World's highest Alfresco Bar

Alternatively, animal lovers may also explore any one/two of Night Safari, Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park.

We like to experience the specialty when we are in a new city, and hence we went to the strongly reviewed 1-Altitude on 63^rd floor of Raffles Place that offers a 360 degree view of Singapore creating a real on-top-of-the-world feeling. Altitude has a cover charge of 45SGD which includes 2 drinks from their list and is absolute worth the money. This also includes entrance to their electrifying Club called Altimate.

Day 5 –Sentosa Island: To reach here, we opted for Cable Car to have an aerial view of the entire island. Sentosa is huge, colourful, boasts of various attractions, restaurants, hotels, a 24 hour casino at Resort World Sentosa, etc. To roam around the island, one can either take the free mono rail or bus or simply walk around.

Madam Tussauds Wax Museum

Firstly we visited the Madam Tussauds Wax Museum. This was my first time and I was quite pleased by strikingly life-like wax statues of various Indians sharing space with prominent personalities from across the world. We also took plenty of pictures with the gigantic Merlion (Singapore Icon-imagining of a mermaid and a lion). One can buy on-spot ticket and even access its mouth by a lift.

Sea Aquarium

Then, we spent almost two hours at the exorbitant Sea aquarium which is home to more than a lac of marine animals of over 1000 species, each one as fascinating as the next. From sea horses, eels, dolphins, octopus to sharks, it is a marine life experience I will never forget. This is a must-must visit.


4D Adventure Rides seemed quite similar to ones at Universal Studios and may be skipped if on a time-crunch. Adventure lovers may explore thrilling options like Bungee Jumping, Giant Swing, Sky Line and Luge, etc.

Familyyy.... With the Merlion

Unlike Universal, many activities here close by 7pm. So, I highly recommend starting the day early to relish the attractions leisurely. In the evening, we relaxed for a while at Palawan beach, savoring packed food while enjoying a movie by the sea. 

It was almost 8:30 and time for “Wings of Time”: A show of absolute brilliance that must not be missed. It has a live cast and an open air viewing gallery for a show put by featuring pyrotechnic displays, water jets, laser show and flame bursts. I was in awe of its splendour.

After an awesome and eventful day, we returned to the apartment and called for a Pizza Night….Home Delivery…. Dominos… Yummm!

Day 6 –

I was pleasantly surprised as we spent five days totally engrossed in the man-made wonders of Singapore. As we marvelled at the spectacular sights the tiny island nation had to offer, it was time to bid Adios!

In summary, this is the itinerary I suggest exploring the shades of this happening country:

Day1 – Gardens By the Bay; Light, sound, water show at Marina Bay riverfront; Casino

Day 2 – City Tour, Flyer, Sky Observation Deck, Clarke Quay

Day 3 – Universal Studios

Day 4 – Mix of Shopping Spree at Bugis Street, Orchard Road, Mustafa, Arab Street; Night Safari, Zoo, Jurong Bird Park;  Roof top 1-Altitude

Day 5 – Sentosa Island

Here is some FIRST-HAND ADVICE-

• All attractions require long walking, so wear comfortable shoes. Also, If you are travelling with a child,  always carry your passport to take a stroller
• Carry a set of formal clothes during the day as all major clubs have a formal dressing code.
• You will need your passport for entry and exit in casinos. Some clubs might also ask for it, but most would most likely accept on your phone
•  There is a lot to be covered in limited time; keep snacks and food handy as there is no restriction on carrying your own food at any of the attractions
• Carry a bottle with you as there are drinking water dispensers available everywhere
•  Nothing is far in Singapore, but a 5km taxi can fare upto 1000rs. Download the app “grab” or take a taxi from taxi points
• Singapore is very tourist-friendly and hence for tickets of major attractions, it provides options of flexible dates, special rates for senior citizens, kids and infants and cost-effective combo packages. While booking, keep these and time of attractions in consideration
• Singapore Airport is huge and you need to pre-check the terminal of your flight to avoid last minute hassles
• You may pre-book taxis and other tickets from Suresh Travels – A guy from Hyderabad giving personalised services in Singapore

Now all you need to do is go there and have a first-hand experience of the picture perfect city for yourself. Till then, Happy Holidays!!

Shruti

Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..... I Love You!

Hey Guys….. Here is a sneak peak of my fourth “never cease to surprise me” trip to Goa.

“Goa is like a fridge – coz everyone just chills here!!”
Sounds cheesy right… but honestly so true! J

We all agree that Goa is about having fun and being carefree! It is about eating and boozing, singing and dancing to the live music at the sea side shacks, enjoying the reasonable (post-bargaining obviously) water sports, exploring forts, visiting the beautiful churches, roaming around on rented bikes, getting tattooed and clicking pictures, experiencing colourful carnivals, going crazy at Sunburn festival and so much more!! It is the super cool Indian land which should be marketed as “What happens in Goa, stays in Goa”.

Now I will share a little bit of what we were up to (Ssssshhhh……) We stayed at “Palolem Beach” in South Goa–the No.1 beach in India according to trip advisor and the most beautiful beach I have been to.

Palolem Beach

It is lined up with palm trees, cafés, bars and cute huts sitting in a U-shaped cove.  All huts here are very close to the beach, but if you pre-book or are plain lucky, you could find one like ours which opens right on the beach. Unlike hotel rooms, none of these huts have TV making them the perfect retreat from our monotonous lives. 

Sunset at Palolem Beach

Well, I generally plan all my vacations to the tiniest of detail but thanks to my Jiju who took the responsibility of this one, I took the liberty of not making a list, not managing my time, being more adventurous, spontaneous and much more fun!

Palolem is 80kms away from the airport and it is most convenient to take a prepaid taxi from the airport or pre-book from the hotel for approx. Rs.1500. Since I was travelling alone that day and I wanted to experience Goa like never before, I took a local bus from opposite the airport to Margao, then connecting bus to Palolem and then was lucky to get a drop at just 400m from our hut and that too for a total of Rs.70 (Hehe). I must admit that two hour bus ride listening to Goan music, sitting amidst foreign tourists and school kids, those Catholic old ladies wearing gowns, young cool boys with braided and beaded hair; and that walk with my backpack on those narrow lanes transported me to the song by Shaan “Jaane ye raahein abb le jayengi kahan, Tanha Dil Tanha Safar”!

As much as I enjoyed my journey, I fell in love with my destination in an instant. Since Palolem is quite far from basically every other place in Goa and is yet not-so famous among Indian tourists, it gave a foreign vibe, it was less crowded and thus the perfect getaway for some peace. It was rejuvenating to have spent hours and hours hogging over food, sipping chilled drinks, making castles and writing my name on the white powdery sand only to be washed away the waves, watching the sunrise while jogging by the beach feeling that fresh air on my face, reading books laying under the beach umbrella throughout the day and gazing stars contemplating about life while listening to the waves.

Stunning View from the room  as
I started the day with Chocolate Shake 

However apart from this amazing feeling of lazing by the beach, there was plenty to do. We played beach volley ball, did kayaking, spotted dolphins in the Arabian Sea swimming in magnificently streamline bodies, visited the butterfly island 

Boat ride spotting dolphins enroute Butterfly Island

and glanced on Honeymoon Island from our motor boat. Another goodie about Palolem is that most of the shacks offer happy hours (buy 1 get 1 free) at the peak time of 5pm to 10pm and offer such delicious food that it is difficult to rate one over the other…. 

Many say that only North Goa hosts beach parties and high-end clubbing options and South Goa is boring. Well, I disagree! 

Silent Noise Party at Palolem Beach

The silent noise party every Saturday at Palolem is one of its kinds (like seen in Break Up song) and was a life-time experience. It was indeed delightful to listen to people like us playing guitar and singing songs like “Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko” and have candle light dinner by the beach under the blanket of stars.

Just a fifteen minute walk from Palolem is Patnem beach (a must visit), another calm, clean and beautiful beach with lovely shacks offering yummy food. The ones we tried and can vouch for is the Alfredo pasta at Namaste and Roastii (potato pancake) at Home.  

Relaxing in the hammock at Home

From Patnem, we took an auto to Agonda Beach where we took a refreshing dip, enjoyed the beautiful sunset and relished some more food at shacks Om Sai and Omkar.

After spending three fabulous days in South Goa, it was time to continue the madness in North Goa. Since I have been to Goa multiple times (school trip, Christmas eve with parents, another time with siblings) and explored most of the famous beaches like Calangute, Anjuna, Candolim, Vagator etc., this time we went to Aarambol beach; where we did paragliding and I ended up floating in my life jacket after falling down from a jet scooter :P. Since no shack (besides café maître) was appealing enough, we soon headed on our Activas to the famous Titos Lane.  With back-to-back restaurants and clubs like Titos, café mambos, red square, the entire street was bustling with people going bonkers (including us ;)).  After happily killing our feet by the crazy non-stop dancing, we somehow pulled off walking almost the entire stretch of Baga Beach to savour the paneer chilly at Britto’s and masala cashews at StAnthony’s; and believe me, it was all worth it J. When exhausting ourselves to the core, we went back to our apartment at Greenwood Meadows, Candolim and spent the night eating more and laughing off on the worst PJs ever. The following morning wasn’t cool as after four (gone too soon) awesome days, it was time to bid adios to Goa till we meet again!

Time for some free advice! Don’t miss–

1.     Lip-smacking food at these gorgeous shacks- Curlies at Anjuna Beach, Thalassa – the greek restaurant at Vagator Beach and many more…. https://www.holidify.com/blog/beach-shacks-in-goa/

2.       Experience the songs “Dum Maaro Dum” and “Baba Ji ki Booti” coming alive at the party at Shiva Valley, Anjuna Beach and Sweet water lake, Arambol Beach

3.       Revel in the mesmerising view from Aguada Fort, click pictures with friends and create your “Rang De Basanti” moments

4.       Put on your dancing shoes, dress up and show up at Club Cabana at Arpora Hill. If you are a Bollywood fan, don’t miss on the Bollywood night at SinQ, Candolim

5.       Indulge in legal gambling at Goa’s largest luxury floating casino – Deltin Royale

6.       Spare a day to visit the breath taking Dudhsagar falls; pre-book the conveyance, fall in love with the beauty and feel rejuvenated as you dare to swim here

https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g297604-d3187540-Reviews-Dudhsagar_Falls-Goa.html

7.       Shop at flea markets (Shop till you drop, bargain till the shopkeeper flees you away)

8.       Visit the unexplored and unadulterated Monkey Island and turtle beach for utmost peace, pamper yourself and indulge in luxury at Lalit Golf & Spa Resort, Canacona, spare a day to experience adrenaline rush at Goa Jungle adventure. http://goajungle.wixsite.com/goajungle (all in the vicinity of Palolem beach)

PS – I miss you Goa, You’re my happy place! No matter how much I travel and where I travel, I can never get enough of you!

Bye Bye 2016!! And Hello there....2017!!

Yet again it is that time of the year when another one has gone! It is the time to say bye to mediocrity and look forward to another kick-ass year.

Like everyone else, New Year’s Eve is special for me too and thus I happen to clearly remember everything about “when the clock strikes 12” for at least the last ten years; be it camping near the bonfire, house partying, clubbing, or sitting in the blanket, munching moongfalis, playing cards or just watching TV with family.

Make-up pic after missing the event

I thought 2016 would be different than the previous years and yes, it was….From having to miss out on my childhood dream to watch WWE Live and a terrible heartbreak in the same weekend drove pretty much my entire January. So I guess we didn’t really hit off on a good note but now as the year has passed; I don’t have much to complain but only cherish all the memories I made.

2016 will definitely be remembered! So much has happened this year… Be it the start to my entrepreneurial venture, gaining eligibility to be a French teacher or just having the best birthday ever. 

One of my dear friends often says “Umeed se Dugna”, and I guess, 2016 has been so! This year I have followed my passion of writing more, have eaten more; exercised more and mostly lived and loved life a little more.

I have learnt quite some lessons, the most important being that I needed to stop being so hard on myself. Believe me, it is only when I stopped looking for a companion to fulfil my wish-list with, I happened to whole-heartedly pursue my wants, be it dancing my heart out at dance classes, going to cookery workshops, attending literature festival, participating in the theatre festival, running a marathon, or whatever I wanted to…

Dubaiiiiiiiii !!

Oh! 2016…..How I wish I could relive that trip to Dubai and have that vacation to Europe all over again; but then I would remember 2016 only for the good reasons…Now that’s not possible, is it? Hmmm… like all others I had my share of sorrow; be it failures, heartbreaks, or even losing it emotionally once in a while. But let’s focus on the goodies here; after all it is New Year’s Eve!!!! J

When I was a kid, I thought that what I did on 1^st January is going to happen for the rest of the year. I used to get up early, make my bed, go to the temple and study for at least three hours. As I have grown up, my belief has obviously changed. I now see New Year as another chance and more opportunities.  As at 11:30pm- 31^st December 2016, I feel a little low because of fever, but I am definitely excited to welcome 1^st January 2017 with a wide smile, open arms and high hopes for all I know is that it will be a great beginning.

2016.....Full of surprises
2017.... Spare me from the shocks!!

It was (not) just a Marathon !!

It’s just a marathon! I mean one day, you put on a sports outfit, plug in your headphones, run for few kilometres, cross the finish line and voila…..next hour, back to the routine!
Hmm…It wasn’t exactly this way for me. ‘To run a marathon’ was a square box in my check-list! It is a shame that feeling unfit, being unavailable or my agreement with perception of others that I can’t do it, had kept that box un-ticked for quite long!

Well, it was only last month when my brother ran a night marathon; and just then I told myself ‘Had you wanted it so bad, you would have done it too! It’s high time you act, do what you need to do and be where you need to be!”

At 1^st December 2016 when I got to know about Pink City Marathon to be held on 18^th December, I knew I had to take the shot. It was less about the run and more about shutting off my inner demon whose job profile was to make excuses and pull me back! So, I got myself registered, came to terms with my non-athletic stamina and started to practice fifteen days prior to the marathon. I guess I was doing fine with 4kms in 45 min to start with, followed up by 8 km in 80 min in three days and 10kms in 90 min after another three days. I know the speed wasn’t good enough but I was happy with the improvement. It was the 8^th day of practice, that is, a week before the marathon, and my legs froze. I hadn’t climb Mount Everest, but I could feel such pain in my thighs, calves and in every possible nerve of my right leg.

I didn’t even intend to win the marathon, but I definitely needed that completion medal to satiate the yearning to liberate myself. However, given my last timing and two days of rest because of the pain, it seemed little difficult to complete ten kilometres in less than ninety minutes. With three days to the marathon, I walked four kms in fifty minutes, my worst ever timing. Next morning I woke up, stretched my arms a bit, heard a click and felt a jerk in my neck. As I tried to exercise my neck through the day, the pain spread to the shoulder and the arms. I had never had such issues with my body….like never ever. So, all that drama at that time was so disappointing!!

As it happened, another day passed without practice. There could always be another marathon few months later but as I said, it wasn’t just about the marathon anymore! It was about pushing my boundaries of comfort. So, I popped in a painkiller and set myself for another, although slow walk of six kms.

Evening jog at Jawahar Circle

With just a day for the big day and another painkiller inside my system, I set myself to Jawahar Circle and did what I had to do….ten kms in eighty three minutes; which definitely made me feel little calm. I know that with all this preparation and body ache, it reads to be like a full marathon of 42kms, but  honestly that time it meant that much to me….

18^th December….It was D-Day. I reached the starting point at 6:30am and it was still dark. The weather was cold and the air felt magically fresh. The sight of hundreds of people jumping, stretching and prepping up for the run felt like birds chirping while awaiting the sunrise. It was then I realised the serenity that every morning brings with itself.

The song “Chal daud… chal daud” was being played at the start point. As I lined up with other runners with just a few minutes to the flag off, the question by the announcer “Are you reaaaaaady, Jaipurrrrr!!” enthralled me with excitement. The bouncers held hands and made sort of a fence as the announcer started the count-down of 10-9-8------.And as he said one, the hands left loose and people ran as if unleashed from their cages.

I like all others crossed the starting point; all excited and energetic; tuned in to my Wynk music playlist.  And the first song “Ilahi mera jee ayaye aaye, Ilahi mera jee ayaye aaye” had me. As I ran listening to the song, its video flashed in front of my eyes and I was transported to the world of Bunny from “Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani”! It was a surprise how that song shouted in my ears….. “Set yourself free… travel…. be your own companion…. do what you love….”

By when the song finished, my hands were cold as the body was still warming up. I could see me smile as I inhaled the morning bloom and exhaled the cold smoke out of my mouth; which by the way is my favourite part about winters. As I jogged listening to Ilahi song on a loop at the JLN Marg which I actually drive through daily, I happened to observe little things like a small temple at the side of the road, a closed chai ki thadi and so much more that I hadn’t seen before in all these years.

Well, coming to the run!! For the first five kms with dhol walas playing at the side of the road and people cheering “Halla Bol, Halla Bol”; running felt like a celebration. Being cheered and handed out water by volunteers throughout the way was quite helpful too. But alas, then with only half the battle done, I started to lose speed. I walked twenty five steps, then ran again for a kilometre and did this on repeat. I didn’t care about how many people were ahead of me or behind me. All that mattered was giving my best and reaching my target at the earliest. While all my energy was drained, I spotted the big waving cloth “FINISH” and yelled at myself "Run". It might sound overly dramatic, but with few metres to the finish point, I experienced a ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ moment; smiling hard while approaching the target in slow-motion except I was no Hrithik Roshan.

And voila, I was past the threshold. People were applauding…. Woohoo….. 10kms!! Although my time wasn’t great as per marathon standards but I had outdone my personal best… 72 min for 10kms.  As I took my completion medal, I felt elated and liberated.


I did it!!

I tell myself that babe it was just a 10km run, why make such a big deal of it….. But then my heart says that it wasn’t just a couple of hours of my life…. It was a toast to the possibility of overcoming challenges and setting even higher ones. It was about the preparation, it was about the experience and it is about the after!

This was a time that I really needed to be reminded that life is much more than an office desk, a comfortable bed, some dinners and functions. This marathon whispered in my ear that life is about small experiences, observing the tiny little details and being grateful for what we have. We are not just another human being; and you my friend, matter to yourself, your friends, your family and it really doesn’t matter anymore than that.

PS - Feeling motivated…. 21kms… We will meet soon.

Cheers,

Shruti