Mumbaiii

Some pictures from my recent Bombay trip:

The Bagel Shop - took me ages to find it...nice picturesque place !

The grand architecture of CST !
(DAY)
(NIGHT)

A church I saw on one of my long taxi rides.

Parsi buildings :)

Couldn't believe this was Bombay !

Praha

Browsing through a new online magazine - Dabble, I stopped at this article about Prague. Very well written and loads of pictures and information. Do take a look:

The city is divided into 5 districts and each district is explored in detail in the magazine. I am yearning to pack and bags and take off just now ! Go read the magazine to experience a walk through the city.

Vacation time

I am off for a week to Kerala :) :) :) This is a birthday gift my mom gave me this year. I am the least excited about my birthday. I hate to celebrate it alone. Alone in a different sense altogether. But I suppose I'll have fun, as it's an art workshop I'm going for.

And I painted my toes a bright blue to go with the spirit of the vacation ! I love the color !

See u in a week !

Jodhana Heritage Resorts

Every blogger I follow seems to be traveling to Rajasthan ! I think it is a sign that I must go soon. My last travel post was also on Rajashtan, and so is this. I came across this lovely site - Jodhana Heritage Resorts and they have resorts all over Rajashtan. I chose a few affordable ones and here they are:

Bal Samand Garden Retreat - Jodhpur


Seems like a lovely place to unwind and relax.
Winter package: Rs. 9,599 for a double room with breakfast for 2 nights and 3 days.

Sardar Samand Lake Palace
55 kms from Jodhpur

wow, just look at the location !

I think I'll go here just for the location. Can u imagine the view from the lake facing room :)
Winter package: same as above + one meal

Connaught House, Abu


A simple and quaint cottage, I would definitely keep this as a option if I visited Abu. The Winter package is cheap at Rs. 7699 for a double room with b'fast for 2 nights/3 days

Maharani Bagh
Between Jodhpur and Udaipur

Again, a pretty, outdoorsy place...bagh = garden, so that's obvious.
Winter Package: same as Connaught House.

The chain has many other resorts but with higher rates. Do check out their website for more details and options.
Ah, I need a break NOW !

A tent by the lake in Rajasthan

I was just reading up on the Jaipur Literary Fest when I chanced upon this link and I have already added this to my imaginary travel wish-list.

The place is just gorgeous ! Set atop an unused dam, The Chhatra Sagar is a beautiful site that offers more than just a view. It offers birdwatching trails, as there are about 200 species of birds that are found in and around the camp. The accommodation is simple yet comfortable water-facing tents.

Take a look at the pictures:

"The tent"

Just look at the luxurious bathrooms in a tent !!

Decorations in progress

Bonfire in the evenings !

Just look at the view...breathtaking !

Now I didn't say it would be cheap, did I? Double occupancy would cost you 19,800, inclusive of all meals, tours and activities !
All pictures are from their website. Do visit Chhatra Sagar for more details.

Christmas Getaway

To a land of sun and sand...and waves and water sports.

We made a quick trip to Revdanda, Kashid and Alibagh for Christmas. The weather was perfect, not too sunny and slightly cold in the mornings. Visiting a beach after almost 6 months, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The surprise factor of S joining us, was what made the trip "prefect".

This is the sight that greeted me, and I couldn't have been happier.

Awww..the cutest lil puppy, playful and naughty !


We were staying at this guesthouse in Revdanda, about 12 kms from Kashid and this was the view early morning. It felt more like a hill station than a beach vacation !

Slowly, the sun started to rise while we drove to the beach. Spot the moon saying its last goodbyes.

A bullock cart makes its way through the foggy path.

Here comes the sun !

My usual, lone tree shot !

It must have been really cold at night :)

The beach, finally !

Ahh....happy feet :)

Happy feet: part 2, taking a break for food !

It was a great 2 day trip. The water sports were scary but exciting. I even rode a horse on the beach (wasn't as much fun as it looks like in the movies) and ate some delicious Malvani food.

Dublin

I was just browsing the National Geographic site, one of my favorite pass-times, and was deciding which city to check out next. I randomly picked Dublin.

Here are some of the pictures that stood out:

Old Library, Trinity College: Wow, I would love to spend hours here !

European cities are so charming ! The Liffey River divides the city into two parts.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, where Jonathan Swift's grave lies.

I must get back to work..so check out National Geographic for more.

Travel much ?

Ever visited a coffee plantation? I really want to... even a tea plantation would do !
Ok Ok..I just wanna travel.

Picture from the NY Times

Isn't it beautiful !

Marrakesh

I have always wanted to visit Morocco. The rich culture, history and cuisine is truly intriguing. Once again, I found myself dreaming, thanks to this article of the NYT, which I read through one of the blogs I follow.

Armchair traveling, that's what I'll do, atleast for a few more years, before I embark on my "round-the-world" trips.

Currently, 1 Morocco Dirham = just about 6 Rupees :) I like that !

I am now browsing the website of one of the very famous hotels in Marrakesh - La Mamounia. Built in 1923, it is a fine example of Moroccan tradition and grandeur. It underwent a three-year restoration process. Do visit the website to view some exquisite pictures and to get a list of unique materials used to make this beauty.

A picture of one of the rooms (via Conde Nast)

The Lobby (via Concierge)

The indoor pool..wow ! (via Concierge)

Another room, grand with such a rich feel (via Elle Decor)

(via Fromtherightbank)

What lovely pictures, right ! There are so many more on the hotel's website, don't miss it ! This is one of the most expensive hotels in Morocco, so even if I cant stay here, I could always drop in for a tour or simply a meal !

Talking about meals, while I'm there, I wouldn't mind joining a cooking class (just 40 Euros) - Souk Cuisine and even the week long culinary event sounds like great fun !

Another stay option would surely be the Peacock Pavilions run by blogger - Maryam of My Marrakesh, affordable compared to La Mamounia (starts at 150 Euros) and sure to be loads of fun interacting with Maryam and her family. Read her blog, it is awesome !

Catch some sights of Marrakesh HERE.

I can't wait to get there now !