The long and winding roads

When you happen to be visiting a place like Ladakh, The best way to experience what it truly is, is by driving around. Sitting in the car, looking out the window, listening to good music and just taking in the sights was my favorite thing to do there! 

Every few kilometers the scenery would change. It would go from lush green fields, to rocky boulders to the most beautiful snow capped mountains! Everything just looked so fresh and new and calm. Ladakh is all about the peace and calm. 

Like i said a million times before, Ladakh is one of the most serene places on Earth and if you get a chance to visit, don't even thing about turning it down! 

This is my last post on Ladakh but lots more coming your way! 

Semma Sapad - Food In Chennai

Vanakam again!

Today the discussion will be about something we all love dearly, FOOD. Chennai's food, is a mixture of food from all over INDIA.But it is mainly known for its South Indian dishes.

 

Idly and Sambhar, varieties of Dosas are most favourite and prefered tiffins in and around Chennai. Murukkus are also the most loved quick bites in Chennai, it is made in all shapes and sizes and with a divrsity of tastes...

Next Post will  be up soon...
                                SAM

Shop Till You Drop - In Goa

Truth be told, I didn't have time THIS trip to do much (or any) shopping in Goa.

If I haven't told you before, however, this wasn't my first trip to the GREAT city, and I do remember some of my shopping haunts from last time.

Visit any public beach, and on the sand, you will find TONS of shops selling various trinkets, cool tops, shoes, funky pajamas and other such items. All of these items will already be super reasonable priced, but you can STILL further bargain with the shopkeepers to further lower the price. After all, there is no better feeling that bargain shopping.

While you can pretty much hang out at any beach and buy stuff, there are a few markets where there will be a LOT OF STUFF available:

1. Calangute Market Square

2. Baga Market

3. Arjuna Flea Market

4. Ingo's Saturday Night Baazar

As always, DON'T FORGET TO BARGAIN! And of course, have fun buying the CRAZIEST things.

This will be my last post on Goa (I could go on and on) but we will Unicorns will be switching to a new topic from tomorrow. 

Stay Tuned!

Dip in the Waterfall

My favourite spot in Bali is the Tegenungan Waterfall.

It was so peaceful, the greenery along with the beautiful sound of the water falling took it to a whole new level for me.

It is located at the Tegenungan Kemenuh village, in Gianyar, North from the capital Denpasar and close to the artist village of Ubud.

If you zoom into the picture I've taken, you can see many people around the waterfall.

We were one of those people & we swam in the water.

It was icy cold, but it was the good kinda cold for me anyways. 

My brother & I goofed off in the cool water for a while after I convinced him to get into the water in the first place as he's an extremely fussy child when it comes to forcing him to do things he doesn't think he'll like.

It was quite a walk down to the waterfall via some pretty steep steps but it was definitely worth the descent.

And thus this post wraps up my experience(s) in Bali.

I wish I could sign off with the usual, "More on Bali? Stay tuned." but this is my last entry on Bali.

There will be more posts up soon, so until then.

Watch This Space.

Hotels by the beach?

The first time I went to Bali, I stayed at the Sheraton which overlooked the Kuta Beach.

The only condition I had for the hotel was to have a beach close by & luckily enough, it did!

The hotel is simple & very accessible to the Boardwalk mall as well.

The breakfast buffet is the best I've ever eaten, quite possibly in the world too.

The rooms were clean with free access to WiFi & a balcony which overlooked the sea & the mall as well.

I loved my stay at the Sheraton Resort, Bali.

If anyone wants to whisk me away for a holiday, this is the hotel I would love to stay at again!

The second time I went to Bali, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt, Bali which had a beach on the resort plot itself. It was a beautifully structured resort but when I compare it to my stay at the Sheraton, Seminyak isn't as accessible when you compare it to Kuta.

The breakfast spread was decent but nothing beats the Starwood experience for me.

Hope this was a well informed blog post on where I stayed.

More on Bali? Stay tuned.

Shopping by the Beachwalk!

I'm what you call a shopaholic, so for everyone out there reading this...

Bali is the place for you!

There are stores everywhere, in every nook & corner plus a wide range of variety from side shops by the beach to the epitome of luxury shops in all the malls & it helps that it's super cheap when you compare it to India, hehe.

I can go on & on about what all I bought but wouldn't it be better if you experienced it yourself?

More on Bali? Watch this space.

RMYC (Royal Madras Yatch Club)

Hello there!
So, today I'm going to tell y'all about my favourite place in Chennai. The RMYC is my favourite and most often place I've visited. It is the abbreviation for ROYAL MADRAS YATCH CLUB, this is a place for all those who want to venture into the oceans, to be sailors. It encourages people to take up sport sailing. RMYC is a place full of enthusiasm and the place where sailors love to hang out and bond over the seas...
 TO KNOW MORE,VISIT
 http://www.rmyc.in/

Hang in there to know more about, NAMMA CHENNAI!
                                 SAM

                        

The Emerald Palms Resort, Goa

I stayed in two of the most awesome resorts during my tip to Goa, visited one more purely for dinner, but the one I loved the most was the Emerald Palms Resort. 

A converted Portuguese Villa, plus a few extensions to house more people, it's half part ancient architecture, half more modern but designed to look vintage, this resort is such a GREAT interpretation of modern and ancient Goa combined. 

A few great things about this resort include:

1. The Goan Shacks (with CHEAP food) right outside the gate

2. It's not THAT expensive to live in

3. The rooms and the entire resort is very old-timey and BEAUTIFUL

4. It's only 1 KM away from Varca Beach, one of the busiest and most commercial beaches in Goa. 

5. It's REALLY family friendly, with a pool, a family play zone, games every night and AMAZING food in house as well.

I hope you do stay here, if you ever visit Goa! It is SUCH a lovely resort.

Thukpa and momos!

 Thukpa is probably not the most appealing of foods to look at but it is basically a chicken/beef broth with egg noodles. No, it doesn't sound like much but you'll find yourself craving more and more once you've had a taste! 

It's the perfect food to eat in Ladakh on a cold day (almost everyday). It's almost like a food-hug! It makes you feel all warm and cozy! It's flavored mostly with garlic, ginger and the meat of choice. You can find it any any local restaurant in Ladakh! 

Another must have dish would be the Momos! Hands down the best momos I've ever eaten! Cooked to perfection in any of the local restaurants in Ladakh and its also the perfect snack while you're walking around town! 

If you do happen to travel to Ladakh, try the two together! You wont be disappointed!

Surreal Sunsets

"I've never met a sunset I didn't like."

The picture above is what I took my last night in Bali, the first time I went there before I jumped into the pool. It over looks the Kuta Beach by the Sheraton Hotel.

 I absolutely adore sunsets because of all the colours we can see in the sky & makes me just wanna stay in that moment forever just so that I can take it all in.

It made me feel at peace & that's what Bali can give a person, the complete relaxation package.

There was so much I did on that trip but for some reason, this sunset on my last day is what I can remember vividly today.

More on Bali? Stay tuned.

Santa Monica Pier

 At the end of Route 66 a.k.a the mother road of America lies Santa Monica Pier

The world-famous Santa Monica Pier offers a variety of entertainment, dining and shopping experiences, thrill rides of Pacific Park and an interactive aquarium. As you stroll the Pier you can enjoy lively street performers — from musicians to artists. 

 

 My favourite spot on the pier is at the end of the boardwalk, I was lucky enough to experience a beautiful sunset as I ate the BEST meal at a Mexican restaurant at the very end of the pier-

Mariasol

 

Its a tourist stop for sure and a place to hangout with your friends or family with lots to do, you can take a walk underneath the pier or go surfing!

more on the city of angels coming soon!

Goa With Two Little Monkeys - My Favourite Memories

It is EXTREMELY hard to co-ordinate a family vacation. I mean, one that is out of our home town.

Every summer, all my aunts and uncles from out of town come home, to the great Chennai City, have fun, eat all the food there can possibly be and ALWAYS plan to plan a holiday together, but *BADUM TSS* it NEVER works out.

Well, that was when the adults were doing it.

Sometimes, adults underestimate just HOW MUCH kids are dying for a vacation and to just NOT GO to school (or college) and so this time, my brother and I took it upon ourselves to actually co-ordinate the whole thing. We planned the dates, got it confirmed by both sets of parents, spoke about the living arrangements and how the money would work etc and then gave the parents the part of actually spending the money on their credit cards.

So, in November, my family and I packed out bags and hopped onto a flight (that we almost missed because #traffic) and went on OUR FIRST EXTENDED FAMILY VACATION IN YEARS.

With my mom's (aforementioned) sister, her husband and their two kids, aged two and seven, I HAD A BLAST.

My favourite memory in Goa is with my youngest sister. Being two years old, she will proudly tell you that this is ALMOST THREE, can talk for hours and hours without taking a breath, already loves Snapchat filters, knows her way around a phone, and thinks she's the Queen Of Everything. 

We once took this long walk from out hotel rooms to the beach (about ten minutes if you, an adult, were walking) but about twenty with a toddler holding your hand, and THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT with such fervor would made you laugh: (including, but not limited to)

1. The Merits and Demerits of the Two Pools in the Resort
2. The Theme For Her THIRD Birthday Party
3. This Funny Thing Her Older Brother Had Done
4. Her Birthday Cake, and how ONLY she can cut it and everyone else could only eat a DOT
5. Her Many School Friends

While I yelled "STEP" "STEP" "STEP" for her to look down and not fall.

I truly love my little sister and I can't wait until she comes to Chennai in December.

VI AI PI-The Best Grub In Bali

VIAIPI - with a central location and a quirky name that more than hints at celebrity status, Vi Ai Pi is a favourite on Bali’s most popular one-way street. Located right beside the memorial, with brightly coloured surf shops beneath, Vi Ai Pi is hard to miss on your way down Jalan Legian. It occupies the second and third levels of a block, and is a quick hop up a main entrance between two shops.

I had the 3 delectable dishes you see above.

Started off with the sinful looking Pepperoni Pizza & it could quite possibly be the best meat I've eaten to date, so fresh & cooked to perfection.

Talking about it now is kinda making me salivate, not good for me but it was year ago when I landed in Bali & that was the first thing I ate!

The 2nd dish is a Spaghetti Bolognese which is pretty basic all over the world, but in Bali?

Man oh MAN, best Spaghetti I've ever laid my eyes on.

The last dish was a local favourite which is Nasi Goreng which is basically Indonesian fried rice with prawn crackers & soy sauce. The flavours all go together so well & overall a very balanced dish. I totally get why people rave about it in Indonesia, it's quite similar to our Sambhar Rice in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

There you have it, the best meal I had in Bali.

More on Bali? Watch this space.

Smack your Goan Lips - Food in Goa

What's the best part about holidays (after the 1) shopping and 2) the company)?

WELL, OBVIOUSLY, THE FOOD!
If there's one vacation rule I have, it's to NEVER compromise on the food (or think about the calories) because if anything, it will be the ONE thing you regret.

Goa, like all cities, has the expensive 5-7 star restaurants, but if you're Young and Hungry like almost all of us are, there's no better place to EAT YOUR HEART OUT than shacks in Goa!

Though they may be visually unappealing, the various meals I had in shacks were ON PAR with the meal I had at Taj Exotica. I AM NOT JOKING. You will get all the food (and the drinks) that you've ever wanted at 1/10th the price.

I can't give you my favourite restaurant, because in the three days I as there, I managed to try three shacks, and they were all awesome, which only leaves me wondering what the COUNTLESS other's food might taste like.

So, my only advice for food in Goa is:

1) Be Adventurous and

2) EAT LIKE THE GOANS IN CHEAP SHACKS

For more on Goa, come back tomorrow!

Gorgeous Goa - A Land of Water and More Water

Every time you go on vacation, I BET you discover a new favourite spot that you can't help but keep going back to.

For me, it was (and usually always is) the pool!

When I was five years old, I was in a little pool back home in Chennai and I saw two other kids my age having a swimming lesson. I was so intrigued (as the story my mother tells me) that I imitated what they were doing, and the next day, she enrolled me in the same classes as well, and the water and I have been inseparable since. 

The Pool at the resort I recently stayed at in Goa (though SUPER COLD) was EXTREMELY FUN! With small goal like nets on two sides, and a slide (it's been removed in the picture below) it was a LOT of fun with my toddler cousins and the rest of my family.

While there are more commercial (touristy) things to do in Goa, I would SERIOUSLY recommend just chilling out and having fun with the people you travelled with,

Other Items that on my Favourite Spot List:

1. The Bed (with its SUPER COMFY COMFORTER)

2. The BEAUTIFUL Beach

3. The Shacks with the DELICIOUS cheap food and drinks.