A sense of satisfaction in Kodaikanal

It all started when my colleague and I had to travel to Kodaikanal (Kodai) on work. Both of us were in Kodai for a different purpose. I have always travelled alone for a long time now, but this time in the good company of my colleague it was so much fun and so much more exciting.

Our work was limited to a day and half and we had 2 days in hand to explore Kodaikanal. Yes, explore! You may wonder what is there in Kodaikanal to explore? Well, read through and you may know what you would have missed in this extremely lovely town.

So on Day 1, we decide to go trekking to little known places so we sought help of our resort's Holiday Activities Manager. Since it was a little late when we informed him, he arranged for a quick trip to Dolphin's Nose. Now you may think this is an often talked about trekking spot but it wasn't that crowded when we were there and trust me, it made all the difference. So we started the 'so called' soft trek to realise that it was quite difficult. We were panting for breath. The road that led to Dolphin's Nose was narrow with path self-designed by roots of indigenous trees that surrounded the area. There were these small snack shops every 5 minutes that provided some relief with its wooden benches where one could relax and move ahead.

A little snack shop helping breathless trekkers like me :-D

Mist beautifully covering the towering trees

Not so easy to fight your way through these tough roots. Nah!

Skyline or branchline? My favourite picture from the trek

We reached Dolpin's Nose after repeated stops on the way to catch our breath. Dolphin's Nose is this protruding little rock which is settled on the edge of a deep valley. One may bravely go ahead and walk on the little piece of rock and when one looks down, the chills that the view below brings is scary. Scary to an extent that you feel you may just fall and die. I did exactly this, went ahead like a brave girl without my colleague and I was almost going to fall down out of fear. Thank God! I sat down to balance myself, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this article :-P

When the mist vanishes - view of the Dolphin's Nose

Was I scared? Oh YES

After our trek to Dolphin's Nose, we got back to the resort and planned to check out local eateries for lunch that day. So here we were in the buzzing locality of Kodaikanal, the hub where you will find the most awesome restaurants to indulge your taste buds in. And man! we were so hungry after the trek that all we wanted to do is EAT.

Kodai's very own Eat Street - P.T. Road

Our first stop was Abby's. It is usually flocked by kids from the Kodai International School. The lady there prepares some amazing dishes. The mozzarella cheese sticks, pizza and gulab jamun were a pure delight to our growling intestines. There is something that makes Abby's food very special and that is the owner who prepares the food with all her heart. Something we hardly find in city restaurants.

In another 2 hours we had tried all the other eat-outs in that lane, you name it and we were there. Who says only city restaurants can satisfy your hunger pangs? Take a look:

Brother Tibet

Cloud Street

The Tredis Tea Room

After our food-eating spree we returned to the resort quite satisfied with the day. Maybe we did not have an idea what was awaiting us the next day.

My colleague had heard about Elephant Valley in Kodaikanal as a good spot with lesser or no tourists. Our Holiday Activities Manager made arrangements for us to go there the next morning. So here we were, all ready the next morning at 6 am to start our journey to Elephant Valley. It was a pleasant drive to the spot. To brief you'll on Elephant Valley - this is a waterfall which has been name after the Elephants that are spotted in this area. Our driver had mentioned that we be very careful while starting our trek to the waterfalls as there are paths where the water flows and we may have to cross the path by wading through the water. We managed to reach the waterfalls crossing the water and by walking through narrow slushy (due to the rains) path, pushing branches and bushes to make way each time.

As we came closer to the waterfalls we were glad that we made here. It was beautiful. There was a small dam through which water was gushing to the hill from where the water was plunging into the river below. It was an amazing sight. The view from here was breathtaking. We could see the sun shining brightly over the surrounding hill. It was so good, there was no one around, just the three of us.

R-L: My colleague, Vaishnavi and self

Waterfalls at Elephant Valley

This trip was a thorough satisfaction of wanderlust. Had oodles of fun and moments that I will cherish forever. I have not mentioned many of the crazy moments I had here though.

So after reading my experience in Kodaikanal how many of you have planned your trip? Not yet, well you should then. There is so much Kodaikanal has to offer. Plan a trip this year to the wonderful little town of Kodaikanal and have all the fun that I had.

Stayed at Kodai - By The Lake, A Sterling Holidays Resort

Visited in the month of July 2013


The views expressed in the blog are my own and not those of the company I work for.

Wishful mist in Lonavala

They say the way Lonavala is for Mumbai, Yelagiri is for Chennai. Since I have not been to both the destinations, I didn't have a given mindset nor did I have expectations. All I knew was that Lonavala is now commercialised and isn't the way it was before.

A photo shoot took me to Lonavala in July (2 months back). I was put up at my aunt's place in Mumbai as I decided to join the crew from Mumbai and drive up to Lonavala. I wanted good company as I prefer not to travel alone and the crew members were fun so why not.

Ainvayi photography. Out of boredom

I was welcomed in Mumbai with heavy rains and you know how annoying rains can get. I was stuck in traffic and somehow managed to reach my aunt's place.

Started next day morning at 5 for Lonavala. Trust me, Mumbai is a blessing in the wee hours of the morning, no traffic, clear roads, a smooth drive, a dream for any Mumbaiite. So, Aarti (food stylist) joined me on the way. Oh man! It was a pleasure being with her. She was like this big sister, who keeps you entertained and also ensures she gives you valuable tips (I won't tell you what advise she gave me though :-P) on the way. Aarti was talking about how she used to visit Lonavala frequently as her father used to own a hotel there. And she was telling me how beautiful Lonavala is during the rains.

In her words "It is lush green, like a green carpet, mist all around. Bliss."

The other car with the rest of the crew was ahead of us. We stopped on the way at a dhaba kind off place to have kandha poha. Loved it, not more than idli-vada breakfast though :) Met Kunal here, as our cars got together. Kunal was the photographer for the shoot. One of the most humble and suljhahuva person I have met. It was a pleasure working with him.

We started from the place, and as we shifted to a higher altitude I could see the lush green carpet come live out of my imagination and say "Hi! I am going to be with you for a week now." It was such a pretty sight. Mist all around, it either hides in the hills or moves around and spreads its chillness to people. And the mist has a best friend, you know her name, RAINS :) Yes, it was pouring all the time in Lonavala.

Mist + rains = Perfect!

Lonavala, at Nature's best during the monsoons

Lonavala was a magical sight and soon we reached our resort. A nice cosy room was given to me from where I could see the lush greenery around and of course, the incessant rainfall.

Lonavala - Under The Over, A Sterling Holidays Resort

I hate it when it keeps raining all day long as when in a city you get annoyed as you cannot go out. One is always scared of getting drenched or falling sick. But in Lonavala it was a different case, I loved the rains, the moment the rains halted, even for some time, I would pray that it should start raining again. That was the love I developed for this beautiful little town and the rains.

The crew (Kunal, Nikhil and Fayaz) was so encouraging and spontaneous. They would just crackle up on a plain moment and leave me bewildered. They used to crack these funny jokes which would leave me laughing all day. Our day would start with breakfast, discussion on requirements for the shoot, a little prep, going to the market to purchase requirements and then standing all day to get a perfect shot. In fact there was a day when we were a little relaxed so we decided to go for sight-seeing.

Kunal was like, "Sight-seeing in Lonavala? During the rains? No ways. You will just see mist all around, you can't even take pictures." And I was like, "Kunal let's go I want to see Lonavala, it'll be fun". So all of us started from the resort and the first stop was a viewing point which was filled with thick mist as soon as we stepped out of the car. It was this place from where we could see waterfalls trickling on the opposite mountain. It was cold and pleasant. Felt like standing there the whole day and looking at Nature's beauty that surrounded me, however, we had to leave as the mist was getting thicker.

Can you see the waterfall trickling down the mountain? And all the mist around. It was magical!

We then went ahead to Bushi Dam. In fact we thought of going to Tiger Point first. But, oh man! The mist was thicker as we reached a higher altitude, that after a point I couldn't even see Kunal who was standing next to me. And hola! It started pouring madly. Thank goodness that we were carrying umbrellas, which in the breeze and the rain that accompanied, was almost flying. So suddenly we see a lady, clad in a saree, appear from in between the road and the side path, in the mist. She yelled and drew Kunal's attention and said in a rather loud tone, "Sir aapko bhutta chahiye?", Kunal said no. She persisted and said "Sir yahaan Hookah bhi milta hain, chahiye kya?" Rofl, Nikhil and I couldn't control and burst out laughing. You wouldn't believe, the lady kept calling Kunal and finally we had to oblige and buy bhuttas from her as Kunal couldn't stand her yelling, plus it was still raining hard and we needed shelter.

On the way to Tiger Point. Nothing but mist!

As the rains stopped, we moved and came down to Bushi Dam. The driver suggested us to go for a walk up to Bushi Dam as he said there wasn't any parking around. We started walking towards Bushi Dam. I don't know how Bushi Dam was, but now it is certainly a mess. Dirty! That's all I can say. I could only see a groups of young boys playing the fool and some horny couples. I was reluctant to go any further so we got back.

After getting back to the resort, we started off on our shoot the next day. I loved what I was doing. The shoot was going on well. This was the first time ever that I visited a resort's kitchen so frequently. I was not a guest at the resort. I was a part of the staff so I was treated that way. I made friends with the staff. I would often go to the Holiday Activities area in the resort as this was a lovely place to sip chai. You can just sit at this place (which was on the terrace) and face the flyover, from where one could see a picture-book-like Lonavala. Rain droplets dripping from the roof, hot chai steam in the air and misty mountains around. I wished I could stay there forever.

View from the top of the resort

On the whole, the trip was filled with WOW! moments and a few tension moments. The wow ones beating the tension ones. It was my very first photo shoot experience and I thank my seniors for giving me this opportunity. It was a learning curve for me. I came back home with a lot of learnings and pleasant memories of Lonavala and my time well spent here.

General tip: Always carry an umbrella when here during winters.

Souvenir tip: On route to Bushi Dam there is a small makeshift place which sells amazing vases and crockery items. A must-buy with awesomely low prices.

Foodie tip: Don't forget to visit the chikki factory from where chikkis across all Maganlal outlets are supplied in Lonavala. Not-to-miss Ms. Cooper's fudge... hmmm... yummmmm.... just don't miss this, the almond fudge is the best.


The views expressed in the blog are my own and not those of the company I work for. 

Karwar - Boundless Beauty

Have you ever travelled and discovered Goa beyond 90 km? No. I think you should, otherwise you are missing something, you are missing Mother Nature at her beautiful best. Yes, Karwar is beauty abound.

I took off from Goa, for Karwar, driving on the NH17 highway, reached Karwar - Emerald Bay, A Sterling Holidays Resort. Checked-in to my room and wow! I didn't believe in the destination, not before I walked up to the balcony and........ I stood there, right there, mesmerized!

View from the balcony

Since it was 7 pm by the time I settled down, I thought of ordering food in the room and relaxing. Believe me, the silence that surrounds you in the evening in Karwar is remarkable. It's the perfect silence that you need to relax. And yes, the resort manager did ask me to join him for the morning walk as morning is the best time to feel Karwar and drench your soul.

Come morning and I was up at 5.30 am (thanks to the front office staff for the wake up call). Up before sunrise, after a long time, it was a great feeling. Went walking with the resort manager, and as I took to the right of the resort, I saw this huge road up ahead. And, on its left was the Sadashivgad Fort and its remains.

Road to the bridge, from where you can see the confluence of the Kali River meeting the Arabian Sea

As we walked further, I was left speechless, oh man! I had never seen anything as beautiful as a morning spent just standing on that bridge. Water all around. It was truly magical. The sun was set to rise. And I, couldn't have asked for more.

A breath-taking view of the Arabian Sea

The first few glimpses of the pretty water bodies that surrounded me that morning

The sun rising slowly

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” — Aristotle

Woah! The sun has risen

Trucks loaded with goods pass through the highway

Fishermen set out to get their day's catch

Our walk ended at the Tagore beach, yes, this is the very beach where the world renowned Tagore Saheb penned his first play, Prakritir Parishad.

As I got back to the resort I was thoroughly satisfied, satisfied of having been here. It was a wonderful experience.

The day ahead was fun-filled at the resort, had fun hanging around the resort, watching TV in my room, visiting the Holiday Activities Centre and eating at the restaurant. 

My trip ended on a light note, on Valentine's celebrations at the resort. Here are some amazing glimpses of the evening spent well at the resort. 

The place is all set and filled, a romantic evening

The awesome team that made it all possible

Well, I created amazing memories at Karwar that will always be with me for the rest of my life. Even as I am framing these sentences, I feel nostalgic. Wanna go back, Karwar please call me soon.

Till then...

Loads of love,

Husena. 

With open arms: A travelogue on Goa

Hello buddies!

So this is my first blog... hmmm... lil excited. This is going to be fun. Read on.

And it all started with Valentine's Day. V Day? What does that have to do with me travelling? That too when my boyfriend is far away in another state.

Well, you guessed it right... working for a travel organisation is sure fun ;) You get to travel to the best destinations. And by best I really mean 'The Best'.....

OK so work took me to Goa. Reached Goa on the 10th of February 2013, and oh my, I must admit that the moment I saw the aircraft nearing Goa my heart was jumping with joy.

Actually, to tell you all the truth... Goa as a fun holiday destination was always at the top of my mind, however, whenever I made a plan with my girlies, it always flopped :(

So here I was, nearing Goa (...psst, the steward very politely told me I wasn't supposed to click pictures and I smiled and said sorry, however, I continued and took 1-2 pictures more :P typical Indian you see)





The aircraft soon landed and my first step out of the aircraft, on Goan land, was pure bliss. The airport there is a defence airport, hence, photography is banned and you see a few defence aircrafts lined up by the runway.

As I walked out, I saw the driver waiting for me. A very sweet person. Showed me through Goa, enroute to Club Estadia, our resort in Goa. Thank god this isn't Tamil Nadu and people here speak Hindi, I was able to interact with the driver.



This was a dock on the way where I halted to take some pictures. There was a church here as well (Don't seem to remember the name though... I guess it was called Chiklipanjaar, that's what the driver said)




We passed backwaters, churches and some foreigners on bikes. Soon we were on a bridge in the image below, over the Mandovi River, famous for it's cruises that begin by the evening.



After about half an hour we reached Goa - Club Estadia, A Sterling Holidays Resort, located in the quiet location of Alto Porvorim.

Goa - Club Estadia

I reached the resort at around 6 p.m. and hence I had all plans of visiting the destination in the evening as that is what Goa is all about. And also because I had to leave for Karwar (90 kms from Goa), midday the next day. So I started off to see the real Goa.

My first stop was at Fort Aguada. In the dark, all I could see was a beautiful fort with lights and a hotel built within, which I later realised was Taj - Fort Aguada. A brilliantly located property. Since the main fort was closed, I climbed up the portion which was open, that faced the sea. Oh man! All you could hear is sea waves dashing up the shore. It was pitch dark and so I was unable to click pictures :(

My next stop was Sinquerim beach. Beach shacks. Loud music. Live band. This was so amazing. I missed my friends so much. Wish they were there.

I then passed through the shopping area which had quite a lot of restaurants lined up.

Truly, there is so much of love and merriment in the Goan air. All you could see is tourists around.

Before heading back to the resort I stopped at Baga beach, sat in one of the shacks.

Me at one of the beaches in Goa

I headed back to the resort, with the Holiday Activities person Raja and the driver (Thanks to both of them that I got to see Goa... a lil bit though)

Had an amazing dinner specially made by Chef Pradip and before hitting the bed I informed the front office to wake me early in the morning as I wanted to see sunrise at Dona Paula.

Woke up the next morning at 5 and by 5.30 I was out of the resort.Very quick for a person like me who takes an hour to get ready. But as it was early in the morning and no one would see me, I didn't bother :P

Dona Paula was so deserted in the morning, all you could find is 1-2 lone joggers and a few dogs. But the views from here were mind blowing. The sea was vast. Ships around. Fresh air. It was all too good (though I was a little scared of the dogs :D)

Before sunrise

Living in the city and getting up after sunrise everyday had somehow made me forget the beauty of the rising sun, which I experienced here. It was soul drenching.

I had to leave for Villagio at 12 p.m. that day, our other resort in Goa. So I bid adieu to the team at Club Estadia for taking good care of me and I started.

Villagio is about an hour's drive from Club Estadia, it is located in Betalbatim, a silent locale in Goa where one will find all the biggie hotels.

Reached Villagio and had a fulfilling meal there with the resort manager. Chef Sydney prepared a lovely dessert for me. Picture below.



Had a chat with the staff around and at 4 pm I left for Karwar.

On my way I was thinking that someone has rightly quoted "One who does not travel, does not learn and does not experience life's wonders".

More on my Karwar trip in my next blog. Hoping that you liked my first travel article.


Love,
Husena.