Heiwa Heaven, a name which stands for peace and paradise, and that’s what I was promised for one of the weekend getaways! So without much ado, I packed my stuff on a Friday night and retired for the night to start the exciting ride on a fresh Saturday morning.
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.
A travel enthusiast like me would jump with joy even on mention of a weekend getaway! So recently when I was asked for a weekend escapade to a luxury resort at Jaipur, I could not resist!
Heiwa Heaven, a name which stands for peace and paradise, and that’s what I was promised for one of the weekend getaways! So without much ado, I packed my stuff on a Friday night and retired for the night to start the exciting ride on a fresh Saturday morning. This time I also had the perfect companion with me! My Coolpad Mega 2.5D which wasn’t only reliable on a long travel for its long battery life but even had a great camera for selfies and other photos. Remember, Team ChicLifeByte introduced the device to its subscribers some time back. In case you missed reading the post, you can read it here!
I am sure you know that Team ChicLifeByte was in Mcleodganj staying in the beautiful suite of the luxury property Pride Surya Mountain Resort. In case you missed on the first part, you can read it here.
As I woke up the next morning, I saw a beautiful view of Mcleodganj from the room’s window. This is not what we can see from any of the Delhi homes or hotels…neither such a big window…nor such a breathtaking view! Both hot water and breakfast was for a limited no. of hours so without wasting much time…we took a quick shower and headed for the first meal of the day.
I am sure you are aware of Team ChicLifeByte’s travelogue to Palampur-Dharamshala and Mcleodganj! And if you would like to know our adventures in Mcleodganj, you are at the right place. Oh! Did you miss details of our Palampur-Dharamshala trip? You could catch it here and here.
After the sightseeing on the way from Dharamshala, we entered the beautiful luxury property Pride Surya Mountain Resort. Even in the rainy weather, we could spot the hotel easily. Afterall, Surya a 23 yrs old property has been the only option of a luxury stay. They tied up with Pride about 20 months back. Pride boasts of quality and goodwill while Surya is about retaining the customer through its specialised services. Surya takes special care of its customers through knowing about their likes and dislikes…also the perfect hospitality and friendly atmosphere to the families who come to visit the city. Though families dominate the most visited section here, it’s the Israel groups as well who look forward to the hospitality of Pride Surya.
I am sure you are aware of Team ChicLifeByte’s travelogue to Palampur-Dharamshala and McLeodganj! In case you missed our first post of Palampur where we stayed at the beautiful Glade Homestay, you can read it here. Continuing from where we left you on the last blogpost, we were on an amazing road trip from Palampur to Dharamshala and before we tell you about the awesome place where we stayed, I would like to tell you about the scenic on our way. Our first halt at Dharamshala was Dhauladhar Nature Park (zoo) which is known for the wildlife that lives here. Honestly, we were able to see much more than what we could see at Jim Corbett last year 😉 Yes, we could spot a lot of animals and birds including leopard, emu, black bear and barking deer. The whole tour took about 45 minutes to an hour and then we left to see other spots. While in transit, we saw a momos stall and made out driver stop to know how momos taste in Himachal! Momos here were served with the chilli sauce as well as tomato ketchup! The amazing momos were enjoyed with Banta and then tea! Post which it was time for another religious spot – Chamunda Devi temple. To my pleasant surprise, I saw goats in a temple which is built alongside a beautiful lake with Lord Shiva’s statue.
How many times do we want to cut down from the hustle bustle of the city life and go to a quaint place away from the tension of daily life!
This summers, to take respite from the summer heat as well as the hustle-bustle; I planned to visit Dharamshala-McLeodganj. While doing my research for booking my travel and stay, I bounced upon a place called Palampur, a green hill station in Kangra Valley in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, surrounded by tea gardens and pine forests before they merge with the Dhauladhar ranges. Further research indicated, Palampur is the tea capital of northwest India but tea is just one aspect that makes Palampur a special interest place. Abundance of water and proximity to the mountains has endowed it with mild climate…..this description was enough for me to decide my route! Yes, before I head to the popular hill stations thronged by tourists worldwide known as Dharamshala-McLeodganj, I decided to stop by at Palampur.
Mumbai is all about sea, sand, beaches, drives, food, Bollywood and has been on the travel hitlist for the maximum times…though, for work but work hours are limited to the day time and we have the evening is free to explore the land (most of the times) . From eating at Bademiya to shopping at Colaba to taking a trip to Chowpatty to meeting our bollywood friends…the land of dreams has given the brightest memories to me. From brand launches to fashion weeks, I have loved each minute I have stayed there… Juhu Beach, Marine Drive, Ferry Ride, Gateway of India…the list is endless.
Summers are about leaving home and exploring the world…and that’s when I started thinking of ideal summer destinations. Since I didn’t want something too hectic I thought of exploring Singapore, a small yet beautiful island country, well-known for cleanliness and safety. Afterall, Singapore is a perfect blend of culture, cuisines, arts and architecture.
For us travel enthusiasts, it is easy to book flights but where we get stuck is the accommodation that we are choosing. This is what I personally got stuck with while I was planning my trip to Goa and what played genie in the process was Cleartrip. A click on Hotels in Goa is all I had to do and it was not just the hotel names that popped out, it was along with prices, stars, hotel area and rating…isn’t that wonderful? The infinite variety of accommodation from Guest Houses to luxurious hotels was what I wanted. With a brief description and filters, it did make my search easy and hassle free. Gone are the days when we used to call up our friendly travel agents for booking our flights and accommodation for a vacation or work trip…Now everything is a click away.
It was a real sunny day when I decided to wear my spun kurta in blue & pink with white ribbons to walk through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi. We boarded the metro from INA and after 7-8 stops, reached Chawri Bazar and took a rickshaw ride full of the hustle bustle and the food making activities on the way which were happening- kulfi, tikki, fruit chaat, garam dudh in kulhad & fruit chaat. It was amazing to see the food flavours of Old Delhi. I just kept gazing till we reached the Police Chowk and went to Gali Gulliyan there to reach our destination HAVELI DHARAMPURA amidst the small shops stocking necessities & the lane full of people. We were greeted by Vidyun Goel, daughter of Vijay Goel, the restorer of Haveli Dharampura who ensured that our experience was wonderful.