Travel a Little More with your Little Ones

Orange. Orange; Apple. Orange;Apple;Banana. Orange;Apple;Banana;Pear.

I am sure the above string of words must have transported you back to your childhood days. We all know THE GREAT MEMORY GAME. Then there was ATLAS.

These games hold special importance in my life since they remind me of the trips I made with my family as a child. And it is not just me, my mom too always rejoices when she reminisces about those trips.

It was a wonderful idea because these were not any silly games but great learning experiences.

My dear mother, who must be sneezing as I write this, always makes sure to express how we as kids added a different dimension to the trip. And I agree with her.

The fact is that when a couple goes for a vacation, the nature of activities is very different. It is usually like another honeymoon. They make impromptu plans; some work, some don’t. However, when one has kids in the rear seat they have to be a little cautious, a little more planned and a little more organised. Now that’s not bad news! Believe me; with the little ones the trip takes a whole new shape. 

A Glimpse of Goa

A pint of Kingfisher Premium, freshly fried fish and chips and the picturesque beach ahead; if there is one place that comes to our minds after reading this its Goa. I am sure half of you have already started imagining yourselves there. 

There is something about this former Portuguese province that puts one to ease. It is extremely chilled out and for once you feel that you are altogether in a different country. 

This was luckily my second visit to Goa in a year. Ok my husband and I do love Goa but a leisure trip to this easy breezy city was not on our minds till my dear husband announced that he has SERIOUS WORK in Goa (Yes people go to Goa for work also!).  Now a little weekend holiday after work in GOA could not hurt anyone haha. So we jumped at the opportunity and landed in Goa. 

Unlike our last trip, this time we stayed in Panjim (capital of Goa) and explored a different part of the city besides the regular beach madness. We behaved more like travellers than tourists. While my husband was at work I took a stroll to the Dona Paula Jetty in Panjim, took a local bus to Miramar Beach and enjoyed a coffee all by myself. We boarded the ferry with our rented two-wheeler to reach the other side, just like the locals. We dug our fingers in Goan fish curry and rice and binged our way till our tummies yelled. A walk for a few minutes and we were ready for a portion of fish fingers. We visited Old Goa, captured the Holy Places and lifelong memories in our minds.

So here are a few pictures giving you a little glimpse of our Goa trip. Hope you like them and they make you want to visit the city.

Vrindavan: Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple

My husband had a friend’s bachelor party to attend over the weekend. It was the perfect opportunity for me to visit my parents, since he had to cross my zone.

Now my family already had plans of a day trip to Vrindavan on Sunday. Since I had not visited Vrindavan in a long-long time I decided to go with the flow. I mean I decided to tag along with my family for the day trip.

The Tamarind Hotel, Goa

the entrance

 My first trip to Goa (technically the second, I first visited Goa when I was just 8 and so I do not count it :p) was made all the more special because of the hotel we stayed at. It is called "The Tamarind" and is located opposite St. Michael’s Church near Anjuna beach. 

The Rishikesh Story

waiting to take the boat to the other side of the river

Who says growing old is bad when the celebrations that come with it leave you with memories to be cherished for life. This is exactly what happened at one of my husband’s friend’s birthday this year. Though his birthday was falling on a Monday, it was decided to make a quick camping trip to Rishikesh on the weekend before.

creating happy travellers

image source:google

a holiday or a vacation to me is not just about the place you visit. it is an overall experience that starts from planning the trip (deciding the dates, choosing the destination, the mode of transport and the accommodation) continues through the journey you make, carries on while enjoying quality time with the loved ones and ends finally once you reach back home. when i read about the "creating happy travellers" contest on indiblogger, i knew just the right place on this planet to create that sort of an experience;dehradun.

mumbai masala

After sharing the train journey experience, a friend suggested me to share the mumbai story, hence this post. we all know mumbai is not just one of the country's metropolitan cities but also the financial hub. it is the city that never sleeps. the strong presence of bollywood is just one element that adds character to this surreal city. the local people and the local food add more depth to the city. marathi conversations can be heard everywhere in the background. the local people have a  unique dialect(note to people from north: i know  you think they are rude, but the truth is it is just way their  language is spoken). as the indian cinema has continued to showcase, it is a city of dreams where people come to achieve and attain new heights. so besides the local population you will find a huge number of people drifting in from various regions of the country for better opportunities.with the sea as its companion, mumbai has a unique feel to it (i cannot compare delhi and mumbai because the comparison won't lead us anywhere. they are distinct and special in their very own ways).

the chuk chuk experience

Me and my husband had been planning a trip to jalgaon and mumbai for three months now. To the former for work reasons and the latter for leisure. However, we did not get the flight tickets booked in advance since the plan was still cooking on low flame then.

Only three days prior to making the actual journey the trip was confirmed. Our train tickets were done in tatkaal. I was making a train journey after ages, not that I always fly but since the recent trips have been up north, road journeys have always been preferred.