Browsing Articles Written by

Shilpa

A PR professional and a travel enthusiast professionally and personally respectively. Loves to interact with people from different walks of life to know and understand more about life. Enjoys happiness which comes from little things in life. It could be cooking a meal or fitting into a decade old denim.

Our travelogue for BALI (Part 1)

Travel January 23, 2020

Golden Rules for Bali:

  • One thing I like about Bali is that it’s a Visa free country so no issues of getting all documents in place to apply for a Visa. One just has to carry flight tickets and currency but I would suggest you to carry hotel reservations as well.

  • For currency, I took dollars with myself from India as you get a good rate for Indonesian rupiah in exchange of dollars. Central Kuta gives the best rate. There are multiple outlets in Bali.

  • If you are not taking a packaged tour, it’s important to book the right transport service. I booked my car from Sanura Tours & Travels. We explored a number of places with them. The efficient drivers came on time, the cars were clean, the drivers were friendly, spoke English, and even clicked our beautiful family pictures. Not to forget, they coordinated with us on WhatsApp too and told us about local attractions as well.

  • Whether you are travelling with kids or as a couple, Bali Zoo is must in your itinerary. Night at the Zoo was about fun with elephants, snakes, deers, kangaroos, lions, sunbears and tigers in their nocturnal habitat- from feeding the lions, tigers, elephants and deers to touching and playing with the deers & kangaroos who loved us too. Taking a Python snake on us was another adventure and experience altogether! Breakfast with Orangutans was also once in a lifetime experience!

  • Bali Swing is also a must visit if you wanna be captured at a high. Bali Swing houses numerous jungle swings ranging from 10m, to 78m above the ground and everyone has ample options to choose from a total of 18 swings. A spectacular view which overlooks the river, tropical greenery and waterfalls is a given whichever swing(s) you choose along with its own thrill and adventure. So whether you are on a solo trip or are a couple, a family or are accompanied with friends, this is a must visit.

  • Devil’s Tear was one of the highlights of our trip. A must must visit! Waves come in force and what we see is epic. A rainbow formed in the midst of water. Wow! What a sight. One can just sit there for hours and watch the amazing sight. Me and my family were simply awestruck with the sight. Though, one must be careful going too close to the waves. This was a part of our Nusa Lembongan trip which we booked through Sunrise Fast Cruise Bali.

  • Once our dates were decided, we thought of checking out the flight which works well according to our itinerary. We checked tariffs and reviews of various flights and zeroed down on Malindo Air. I had taken Malindo Air to Malaysia earlier and loved my experience and had no second thoughts about this one. We were booked on Malindo flight OD 206 which had to fly out from Delhi at 10:05 PM IST and reach Bali Denpasar Airport at 12:15 PM (Indonesia time) with a three hour stop over at Kuala Lumpur. We were happy to see that the flight was on time and after a smooth check-in at the Malindo Air counter, collecting boarding pass, immigration and security check, me and my family were relaxed. With services like extra legroom, inflight entertainment, baggage allowance and meals on board, the flights are just perfect! Regional selections in entertainment section is just what an Indian traveler would love. Another highlight was the meal. I have hated having cold meals in almost every flight whether domestic or international but Malindo was a pleasant surprise. The meals were hot and yum! Such a pleasure!

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Chhindwara: A city spreading its wings with developing its people and celebrating the local produce- Corn

Travel January 6, 2020

One of my best memories while growing up is having bhutta from the street vendor. Our bhutta in the dining concept changed to corn chaat as well as corn on the cob. Little did I know that the crop ‘corn’ has 300 variations and types which are coded with numbers. ‘9126’ is grown on heavy soil and has disease resistance power, 9198 is grown on heavy/ medium soil while 9141 is grown on medium soil. What we eat as bhutta or corn on the cob is 2212…Isn’t this so interesting!

Yes, that’s what I discovered at the recently concluded Corn Festival 2019 held at Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Honestly, when I got an invitation from Chhindwara District Administration, CM Kamal Nath Ji & MP Government, I wasn’t sure if I should go. Chhindwara is known to be a Tier 3 city and being in a metro we have a perception of how a Tier 3 city looks like. I did my research and said yes to the invitation which I am till date glad about.

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SRL Diagnostics: A step towards good health

Lifestyle July 24, 2019

Aren’t we all guilty of neglecting our health because of our busy schedule? Whether you are a working professional trying to balance personal and professional life or a housewife ensuring your husband and child eat healthily, we sometimes tend to ignore our own health in the midst of making everything around us perfect.

If I look at myself, i am absolutely guilty of ignoring my health owing to my busy schedule.

I manage a full-time Corporate Communications job plus an active blog. Untimely meals, skipping breakfast, not eating a balanced diet, no exercise does have its own impact on health. In May 2019 itself, I had to travel twice, one domestic for my blog and an international vacation with family. Even work-wise, it was super hectic with a new campaign launch and a big store launch completing a milestone.

I had been feeling fatigued and that’s when my mother suggested me to get a health check-up done. I assured her that I am fit and fine but you know how mothers are, they would want the best for their kids.  So I booked my appointment with SRL Diagnostics and took the Vitamin and Mineral test.

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Celebrating Ramadan at the city of Nizams with Novotel Hyderabad Airport!

Travel May 23, 2019

I love the vivid culture India has where one gets to learn about different religions as well as their festivities. I have enjoyed the splendour of Christmas as much as I enjoy Diwali so when I got an invitation for a Ramadan Food Walk from Novotel Hyderabad Airport we could not say ‘NO’. After a 2 hour flight we landed in Hyderabad, the City of Nizams from where in a few minutes we entered the plush and beautiful hotel. A look around and I was captivated with the serene surroundings filled with greenery and nature.

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Our royal time at Gaj Kesri Bikaner, a perfect blend of modernity and tradition

Travel May 6, 2019

Well, if I think of Rajasthan, the first few things which come to my mind are Jaipur, havelis, forts, history…and this time my Rajasthan trip was about all these things except Jaipur. Yes, it was a trip to Bikaner. It was time to visit Gaj Kesri, Bikaner. I did a little research on the property and its website said “Gaj Kesri is a small elegant hotel in the outskirts of Bikaner with easy access to the city and its chief attraction”. The gallery showcased the best of pictures combined with modernity and tradition and I instantly said yes to visit the place.

Always ready to explore the unexplored, we caught an early morning flight (ATR) to Bikaner. It’s the only flight operated between Delhi and Bikaner. I was quite amazed to see the cozy Bikaner airport operated by Indian Air Force where the luggage does not come on a conveyer belt but it’s transported manually. Due to security reasons, photography is not permitted and I controlled my urge to take pictures.

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The magic of fashion at Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week AW ’19 (#LMIFWAW19)!

Fashion April 18, 2019

Fashion Week is a great time! You see Fashion everywhere-whether it’s on the ramp or off the ramp.

It’s time to give you a download of our favourite designers from recently concluded #LMIFWAW19. Fashion Design Council of India presented Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week AW’19 in association with Liva at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi from March 13 to 17, 2019.  In the article, I am going to talk about the leading designers and their creative outbursts.

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Lemon Tree Premier Jaipur, perfect pampering in the Pink City!

Travel March 5, 2019

Let me tell you about my third trip to Jaipur, actually first with parents! My first trip to Jaipur was with friends which was after college when we had started working and saved our meagre salary for a trip to the touristy city, my second trip was for my Corporate Communications job and now I am in Jaipur again which is a trip with parents. When parents travel, they want everything to be comfortable and cozy that too at a central location. It wouldn’t have been ok if I had booked a secluded place for our little getaway! At times I become melodramatic! 😉

So we chose Lemon Tree Premier Jaipur to be our abode. Located at Bani Park, Jaipur, the property is known for plush and spacious interiors taking the zing up a notch. The hotel is a short distance away from Collectorate Circle and MI Road in addition to being be easily accessible from the railway station (2.5 kms). Since ours was road travel, it was a smooth drive for us as the hotel is 3 kms from Ajmer-Delhi National Highway. The hotel is also in close proximity to major tourist attractions like Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, City Palace and the walled city of Jaipur. Hence, we were sorted whether we wanted to go for shopping or visiting tourist attractions.

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Alila Fort Bishangarh, not a getaway but an experience!

Travel February 19, 2019

It was Nidhi’s birthday recently on 19th Jan and we as family thought of celebrating her birthday as a getaway! While growing up her birthday used to be during exams and we were mostly confined at home. Now that we are pass through those grilling school and college days, it’s time to look at bigger celebrations. Afterall we work day and night, why not cherish those special moments!

Surprisingly, what we got was not only a getaway but an experience in itself! You would have got a glimpse of our experience on our Instagram stories and posts too, but now is the time to tell you every bit of our experience!

We started at 9 AM from Delhi by road to reach Alila Fort Bishangarh, a luxurious 22 acre heritage fort-hotel. Opened in July 2017, Alila Fort Bishangarh is the only warrior fort that has been converted into heritage resort. With 10 years of restoration, the fort retains the fantastic combination of the rugged, untouched inhabited parts of the old fort. It is a magnificent property which boasts of carefully reconstructed royal residential areas, recreating the truly authentic flavour of Shahpura’s royalty. The navigation was simple and the highway led us to Bishangarh village and then to the gates leading us to the majestic property. We were welcomed at the Haveli tent- a massive space which welcomes its guests under a tent with fountains on the sides. It’s such an amazing feeling that you get! There is no front office and one relaxes at the comfortable Haveli tent where welcome drinks in the form of shikanji/tea are served along with gur (jaggery). Then comes the twist in the tale. A jeep comes and takes you up to Pehla Darwaza and into the fort. An ancient era is what we were reminded of when we looked around after coming out of the lift.

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A surprise Birthday Bash at the hottest destination in town: Unplugged Courtyard Gurgaon!

Lifestyle February 4, 2019

Birthdays are always special for everyone! After all, it is the day you came in the beautiful world and were held in the arms of your loved ones. The excitement of a birthday starts from the birthday month itself. I was born 2 days before the New Year and often used to joke that if I was born 2 days later it would have been a Grand celebration as it’s the New Year time.

The style of celebrating birthdays has differed as we grew up. Early school days used to be chilling at the school canteen with friends over Chowmein, Chole Kulcha, Burgers and Cold Drink. High school used to be about chilling at the latest QSR’s be it McDonald’s, Pizza Hut or Domino’s. As we entered college it used to be party time at our favourite café or longe and the same trend continued in my early professional stints too!

However, our preferences change as we grow older and now I prefer to be in the company of loved ones who would wish the best for me. As the time passes you make friends from school, college and earlier organizations with whom you have spent a beautiful time. You want to meet up with them and bond over the nostalgic years where you have had the most fun time with you but the busy lifestyle which we all lead these days makes it almost impossible.

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