Author: STM

MalaysiaLeave a comment

Beaches, Highlands, Theme Parks: Malaysia

STM

Langkawi | Sabah | Selangor | Genting | Kuala Lumpur | Putrajaya I have been to Malaysia place twice, both officially with the company where I was working. My first trip was more fulfilling and relaxed than my second one. I was able to see and explore more of culture and sightseeing in my first trip. Malaysia is divided into two parts: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. And fortunately, I could visit both these parts. And the more I traveled, the more I started loving this place. A few places that I have been: Langkawi/Kedah Also known as Jewel of Kedah, is one of … Continue reading Beaches, Highlands, Theme Parks: Malaysia

Delhi, IndiaLeave a comment

Day Trip from Delhi, India

STM

Pratapgarh Farms | Chowki Dhani It is always difficult to decide a place for a day trip from Delhi, especially when you have small kids. One needs to consider a lot of factors before zeroing in on a picnic place. There are a lot of questions that pop up – is it a baby-friendly spot? Can I take food inside? Can we carry baby bags? How much time will it take to reach the place, etc.? etc. Have listed two such places which are baby/kids friendly. And the best part is, this place is for everyone. There is something for … Continue reading Day Trip from Delhi, India

Hongkong, MacauLeave a comment

Fun and Frolic – Hongkong & Macau

STM

Hongkong | Macau It was our 1st anniversary, and we were excited to make it a memorable one. After a lot of discussion/exploration on the destination, we zeroed to Hong Kong and Macau. This is a place where anyone and everyone can enjoy – be it a kid, couple, family, or senior citizen. It has something to offer for everyone. We had booked a package for 5N6D in early December from Delhi. It is a best time to visit here, the entire country is in a festive mood. All the buildings, streets, markets, and malls were decorated with lights and Christmas trees. We were mesmerized by tall … Continue reading Fun and Frolic – Hongkong & Macau

Mauritius1 Comment

Dream Destination: Mauritius

STM

Tourists Points: Beach | 7 Colour Earth | Volcano | Crocodile Park Adventure Sports: Under Sea Walk | Underwater Submarine Scooter | Parasailing | Banana Boat | Quad Biking It was my first offsite trip. I still remember, almost 2 decades ago, going to Mauritius. It was considered a luxurious place, and only rich people used to go. Actually, at that time, travelling abroad was a big thing. Not everyone could afford it. It was a fad in TV serials as well; they used to have a couple of episodes showcasing Mauritius as a couple went on a Honeymoon or a … Continue reading Dream Destination: Mauritius

Bhutan4 Comments

The Last Shangrila – Bhutan

STM

Thimphu | Paro Bhutan, The Last Shangrila, is the only country that follows Buddhism. It has sincerely preserved its culture, heritage. There is almost zero influence of outside world, neighboring countries, western culture so to say. It wouldn’t be wrong to call this country as a Third World. We celebrated our 7th anniversary in this magnificent country. It was a 4N 5D travel package, and after a lot of research, we finalized our itinerary as follows based on the kind of things we wanted to do. We kept our itinerary simple so that we can both relax and do sightseeing, … Continue reading The Last Shangrila – Bhutan

India, Uttarakhand1 Comment

Uttrakhand, The Lake District: Nainital, Naukuchaital, Sattal, Bhimtal

STM

Nanital | Naukuchaital | Sattal | Bhimtal Nainital, known as the “Lake District of Uttarakhand”, is one of the most popular hill stations in India, especially for Northern India – it serves as a weekend gateway tourist destination. I always wanted to visit this place for two reasons: one, it is a beautiful place, and second, it is near to Delhi. Generally, people tend to visit those places that are far away and ignore the places that are nearby, thinking they can travel to these places anytime. And nearby places always get ignored as taken-for-granted destinations. We went there in … Continue reading Uttrakhand, The Lake District: Nainital, Naukuchaital, Sattal, Bhimtal

India, Uttarakhand2 Comments

Adventure Capital of India: Rishikesh

STM

The trip to Rishikesh was one of my best adventures and cherished trips. Not only was it well arranged/planned, but it was also my last trip as a bachelorette (before getting married) with friends. We were a group of 5 mad people (3 girls & 2 guys). We started our journey early in the morning, at around 6 am, in our own vehicle from Delhi to avoid city traffic. When I look back now, it is very easy to plan things when one is single, with family. A lot of factors have to be considered while traveling, especially with kids. It … Continue reading Adventure Capital of India: Rishikesh

India, Rajasthan7 Comments

Ancient Historial Town, Neemrana, Rajasthan, India

STM

Neemrana is the place where I wanted to go from the day I heard about Flying Fox Adventure. It was the major attraction for me to visit this place. So I was after my husband’s life to go there over a weekend….. We went in Mar, which is not a good season to travel as the day gets quite hot. Luckily, the weather was pleasant during our visit to this place. We preferred to drive down in our own car and stayed here for 1 night, 2 days. It was a 3-hour drive. We reached the hotel at around 1 … Continue reading Ancient Historial Town, Neemrana, Rajasthan, India

India, MaharashtraLeave a comment

Hills, Beaches, Mountain Pass: Gateways from Mumbai

STM

Mahabaleshwar | Matheran | Lonawala | Alibaug | Malshej Ghat When I was in school, I always had some inclination toward official conferences and tours. I always used to think “wow – it’s so much fun in travelling/conferences”. My fantasy soon became a hard reality, and I got to know the fact that all these conferences are super hectic. Luckily I got a chance to roam around during all my conference places in the free time. Mahabaleshwar Mahabaleshwar is a small hill station in the Western Ghats range and is among the popular gateway destinations from Mumbai. The hill station … Continue reading Hills, Beaches, Mountain Pass: Gateways from Mumbai

Haryana, IndiaLeave a comment

Exploring Haryana, India

STM

Gurgaon | Kurukshetra | Karnal Haryana is a state in the Northern part of India. It surrounds the capital, Delhi, from three sides, forming the northern, southern, and western borders of Delhi. Hence, the state is very scattered. The state has its own charm and has a couple of tourist spots. Gurgaon Gurgaon is located at the southern border of Delhi.  It is mainly known as an industrial and financial hub due to many companies having their headquarters. It has many big malls and several good restaurants for partying. The major tourist attraction is – Kingdom of Dreams, which is … Continue reading Exploring Haryana, India

India, Rajasthan5 Comments

Sariska National Park, Rajasthan, India

STM

We all friends were discussing a one-day trip to some place where everyone could spend some time with each other and also get a break from their regular routine.  After a lot of discussions, somebody suggested – “let’s go to Sariska – it’s a place nearby & we can come back in a day” Bingo – everyone agreed instantly. On the day of our picnic, we all started early(to avoid traffic jams) in our cars and met at a decided point (as people were coming from different parts of the city), from where we further started our journey together. It … Continue reading Sariska National Park, Rajasthan, India

India, Uttar PradeshLeave a comment

Agra: City Of Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh, India

STM

Agra || Fatehpur- Sikri Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, is one of the most popular places people visit from all corners of the world. It would not be wrong to say that Agra is a synonym for the Taj Mahal. The city is famous because of this spectacular monument, the Taj Mahal – the 7th Wonder of the World. I have seen this place many times. And I must say it is not on the list of places where I would like to go again and again. A one-time visit is good enough for me. But I end up … Continue reading Agra: City Of Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh, India

India, MaharashtraLeave a comment

Holy Place – Ashtavinayak, Maharashtra, India

STM

Ashtavinayak – literally means 8 Ganesha in Sanskrit. It is another very popular/well-known gateway (for youngsters)/religious place in the state of Maharashtra. The trip refers to visiting 8 distinct idols of Ganesha, which are situated around Pune. Lord Ganesha is worshiped for unity, prosperity, and learning and removes any obstacle. The pilgrimage is important because all the murtis were completely formed by nature and were not created by humans. We visited this place immediately after our marriage as there was an obligation that had to be fulfilled. Earlier, I was really upset as I generally do not like visiting temples. But I … Continue reading Holy Place – Ashtavinayak, Maharashtra, India

India, MaharashtraLeave a comment

Hidden Village – Shahpur, Maharashtra, India

STM

Nature’s Place – Hidden Village is a place to relax for people like us who live in urban cities and need desperate breaks from their regular city life. Quite a place to relax and refresh one’s mind by getting closer to nature. Hidden Village, the name says it all, is actually hidden from the world, the lesser visited/known weekend gateway from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Went to this serene, beautiful place last month. It is approximately an hour’s drive from Mumbai. After almost reaching this place, as per the GPS “destination on your right,” we couldn’t actually see this place; it was … Continue reading Hidden Village – Shahpur, Maharashtra, India

Delhi, IndiaLeave a comment

Delhi: The Capital City of India

STM

Monuments | Temples | Museums and Galleries | Wildlife | Markets Delhi – the capital of our country, is full of life- a lively place with a lot of tourist attractions and amazing food joints…the list is endless. The image of the city is dampened by some serious issues with respect to women’s safety. ..etc., but every city/country in this world has both negatives & positives, and Delhi is no different. The city has its own charisma & culture. Living in the capital city for such a long time, I would highlight good things about the city. There are lots … Continue reading Delhi: The Capital City of India

India, UttarakhandLeave a comment

Queen of the Hills: Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India

STM

Sahastradhara | Mussoorie Mussoorie is among the most famous hill stations in the state of Uttarakhand in India. It falls under Dehradun (capital of Uttrakhand) District, which is located approx 35 Km away from Delhi – the distance is approx 290 Km. Other famous hill stations of Uttarakhand are – Nainital, Kanatal, Dhanaulti, Lansdowne, Sattal, Almora, Kasauni, Bhimtal & Ranikhet. We traveled to Mussorie a couple of years back in 2011 from Delhi on a short vacation of 1N2D We hired a cab from Delhi and started our journey on a Saturday morning. On the way, we stopped for a … Continue reading Queen of the Hills: Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India

India, MaharashtraLeave a comment

‘God of Beaches’- Ganpatipule, Maharashtra, India

STM

It was my wish for quite some time to visit lord Ganpati’s temple in Ganpatipule. Although I usually don’t like visiting temples, somehow, I had some kind of inclination to visit this place. Finally, my wish came true this year in March when we were in Mumbai to attend a family function.  And from there, planned our short trip to Ganpatipule. Ganpatipule falls in Ratnagiri district on the western side of Maharashtra and is also referred to as coastal ‘Konkan.’ Konkan in Maharashtra is nothing but a coastal belt, so all districts situated on this belt are commonly referred to … Continue reading ‘God of Beaches’- Ganpatipule, Maharashtra, India

India, MaharashtraLeave a comment

House of God – Harihareshwar, Maharashtra, India

STM

Harihareshwar is also referred to as the “House of God or Dev Bhoomi.” It is situated in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is a very popular weekend gateway for people from Mumbai, Pune…and other parts of Maharashtra. This Konkan place is best known for its temples and beaches. I have been traveling to this place every year since my marriage as it is a resident of our “kul-dev” Shiva. It is said that Shiv ji, along with Vishnu ji, Brahma Ji & Parvatii Ji, appeared here and blessed this place as their home. On a few visits, we stay … Continue reading House of God – Harihareshwar, Maharashtra, India

India, Jammu-KashmirLeave a comment

“Heaven” on Planet Earth – Kashmir, India

STM

Srinagar | Gulmarg | Pahalgam Kashmir…….Yes, it is very rightly said….it is a heaven on Earth. The state is blessed with exquisite natural beauty – snow-clad mountaintops, exotic orchids, lush green pastures, forests….& much more than you can think of… It was our 3rd anniversary & we chose Kashmir for the celebration. The decision could not have been better… We went in Dec, and it was a really chilly winter in Kashmir. I must say one should visit Kashmir during winter (which is considered a not-so-friendly season for travelers). In Dec, you would see more foreign tourists than Indians. This … Continue reading “Heaven” on Planet Earth – Kashmir, India

Assam, India, Meghalaya2 Comments

7th Sister & The Only Brother – Assam and Meghalaya, India

STM

7 Sisters and their only Brother – States of North East, as it is very popularly said. 7 Sisters – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura; 1 Brother – Sikkim is a very popular phrase used to define North East state of our country – India. North Eastern states have a very unique architecture and style that not only attracts you but also makes you feel proud of your rich heritage and culture. I think this part of India is still unexplored & preserves its pristine & rustic culture for amateur tourists to explore.We traveled to  – two … Continue reading 7th Sister & The Only Brother – Assam and Meghalaya, India