Of late life has been too much about tennis because of my daughter’s tournaments and too little about anything else. So, when I got a few free days, I accepted the invitation from Brij Bageecha Kukas, Jaipur and spent two nights at their beautiful property. A lot of people wonder why I sometimes like to travel alone. Let me set the record straight, I really truly certainly definitely need that me time once in a while. There is a serious lack of it in my life right now but I know this too shall pass! So, when I got an opportunity to fit a blogging trip around my daughter’s tennis, I went and I am so glad I could look at something called a vacation!

The Villas at the Brij Bageecha

All the rooms at Brij Bageecha are Viilas. It is situated in the Kukas area, a little away from the Jaipur City. I have been to Jaipur a few times recently so I was actually looking forward to the some peace and quiet. I had a huge villa to myself with a splash pool right inside the room! I enjoyed all my time inside the room during the day when the sun was hot outside.

The villas will be a good choice for spending quality time with family as there is a lot of space to stay indoors and enjoy. They are pet friendly too but you need to keep your pet on leash in public areas!

The Pool

The Birj Bageecha has a beautiful swimming pool right by their casual dining restaurant Sangri. I think it is a theme! I would eat so much and then find myself in the pool. I have known swimming since childhood and I like being in a pool if I have free time. I am someone who likes to do laps. I went to the pool many times and did my laps to digest the food, only to eat more later! But sometimes it is nice to sleep a lot, eat a lot and do some exercise to keep things in perspective!

The Food

Here is a snapshot of some of the good food I ate at Sangri, the casual dining restaurant. Chef Manish prepared ker sangri, the local delicacy in front of me. I also enjoyed daal bati churma! But there was pasta and phad thai too! I often washed it with a mug of beer. Nisha, a member of the serving team was often around at lunch.. All the staff, and particularly Nisha, served food with a lot of warmth. We would often end up chatting about this and that but I was there during the week. Weekends may have a more busy vibe! I found the food at the resort to be excellent!

Bangle Making and Other Activates

Shyamlal ji making Lac bangles at Brij Bageecha Jaipur! #rajasthan pic.twitter.com/9o42vIWZed

— Mridula Dwivedi (@mridulablog) September 24, 2023

There are many activities going on at the resort in the evening. When I went, there was pottery making, puppet show and lac bangle making. I had an excellent discussion with Shyamlal ji who is the 5th generation in his family making lac bangles. Part of the discussion is in Hindi but I switch to English when I am doing the commentary. Lac bangles are a good local souvenirs to buy in Rajasthan.

Overall, I had a wonderful time at Brij Bageecha. I went looking for some ‘me time’ and I got it in plenty! I am sure the place will work for people who are looking for quality family time too. For me, there was enough time to unwind, to swim and to enjoy good food! On this trip, I did not wish to venture out but if you wish to go to the city or explore activites outside the resort, they can arrange it as well.

A walkthrough the Villa 12 at Brij Bageecha Jaipur! pic.twitter.com/T4ok5iAyap

— Mridula Dwivedi (@mridulablog) September 24, 2023

It was difficult to capture my villa at the Brij Bageecha in a single photo, so I made a short video of it! And I had it all to myself! It was exactly what I needed. I am back to my hectic tennis filled days, always out in the sun when daughter is playing. But I got the much needed break at Brij Bageecha and I can go on now for a while!

PS. I was invited at Brij Bageecha as a blogger

The post Me Time at Brij Bageecha Kukas Jaipur first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

If you are like me you love looking out of the window of a plane. You also constantly wonder on which side of the plane are the gorgeous views. I was curious about my Delhi Paro Druk Air flight and randomly choose my seat and I was rewarded but let me take the guesswork out for you.

Views on the Delhi Paro Flight

On the Delhi Paro flight the views are on the A side of the window seat. If you like to include the wing of the plane in the shot, once again like me, you will have to pick up a seat at the back of the plane. If you don’t care about the wing, you can choose any seat on the A side. Just be careful about sitting on the wing as sometimes it can completely block the view. I got a fabulous view of Mt. Kanchengunja while going to Paro.

Views on the Paro Delhi Flight

While coming back obviously the views are on the F side of the plane. The Druk Air return flight took Paro Kathmandu Delhi route for me. We remained seated on the plane at Kathmandu, only relevant passengers got down and came in. The captain announced that Mt. Everest would be visible from the flight but I could not figure it out.

Bonus Tip- The Landing at Paro

Other than the mountain views on the Delhi Paro Delhi flight the landing at Paro is also adventurous. The plane starts flying low over the mountains and you can only marvel at the skill of the pilots for navigating it everyday with ease! As you descent you get a first view of the quaint city of Paro along with Paro River. That in itself is breathtaking.

So with the guesswork being taken out of the Delhi Paro Delhi flight I hope you will enjoy the views. You can also check out my posts on Delhi Leh and Delhi Kathmandu Flight for similar information.

PS. If you are looking for a new Mobile for your photography please check it out through my affiliate link on Amazon.

The post Which seat to Choose on Delhi Paro Flight for Best Views first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I love traveling by the metro train in any city where I can. Chhavi and I have been visiting Jaipur frequently for her tennis tournaments. We stay at Ibis Jaipur which is right next to the civil lines metro station. I now regularly use the Jaipur Metro, particularly to go to the old city as I can avoid all the traffic. We also use it frequently to come and go from the Jaipur Railway Station.

Jaipur Metro has One Line

As Jaipur Metro has just one line, it is really easy to use. The line runs from Mansarovar to Badi Choupar. There are 10 stations in all between these two ends. I have used it frequently between Civil Lines and Badi Choupar. Jaipur Metro train has 4 coaches and the wait time usually is around 5 minutes.

Less Crowded

I have used the Jaipur metro all hours, morning, noon, evening and night. If I compare it to Delhi or London Metro, the peak hours in Jaipur Metro are a breeze. All of us have a tendency to stand where the lift or the stairs bring us. I just walk a little away towards the beginning or the end of the train and usually find seats at any time.

Using the Metro Card

I bought the Jaipur Metro Cards the first time I used the train. I still have them. I top them up when the money starts to run low. You can top up the card at any metro station. It is convenient and works for me.

Going to the Old City

The traffic around the old city is usually a nightmare in Jaipur. But the metro takes us right to the heart of the city. Get down at the Choti Choupar for City Palace and Jantar mantar. Get down at the Bari Choupar for Hawa Mahal. From Civil Lines it takes 15 to 20 minutes to reach these areas. And then we enjoy walking around the monuments and the local markets.

Going to the Railway Station

From Civil Lines, Railway Station is just one stop away! I walk up with my luggage to the Railway Station use the lift, board the metro and get down at the Civil Lines Metro Station. From there I can easily walk to the Ibis Hotel. I repeat the same to go back to the Railway Station and take the train home. I love this because I don’t have to deal with a single auto driver in getting around the town for some areas!

Overall

As a tourist I love Jaipur Metro. It takes me to the right places with comfort. It is good for the environment too. When I first used the Jaipur Metro I read that Chandpol was the nearest station to the tourist attractions. That is no longer true. Choti Choupar and Badi Choupar are closer to City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. I have not explored that part of Jaipur that goes from Civil Lines to Mansarovar. One day, I will simply hop on the metro and see what it has to offer!

PS. Jaipur Metro allows photography and if you are looking for additions to your gear please check it out for on Amazon for Cameras.

The post Jaipur Metro: A Guide to the Pink City’s Rapid Transit System first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I took a short break in June at Jaipur. And as if that was not enough, in a fit of madness I booked a table for one at Steam at the Rambagh Palace Jaipur. This was a personal vacation for me, I was traveling solo. Steam is the Mediterranean Restaurant at the Rambagh Palace at Jaipur. It is a railway station themed restaurant with a real train parked right out there! It’s uniqueness appealed to me and I was looking forward to my dinner.

I took an Uber to the palace. The driver asked me if I would go inside the palace or my drop was nearby. I told him I was going inside the palace for a dinner! We waited for security at the gate, they are courteous to the restaurant guests too. As the car went inside I could see the steam engine on the left hand side of the main entrance. We checked with another security guard and he said I could get down there. He escorted me to the entrance and then I took the leisurely walk to the Steam. While I was walking I could see the impressive façade of the Rambagh Palace lit up.

I walked in and announced that I had booked a table for one. They asked in I would like to sit inside the train our on the verandah which I imagined as a platform. There was live music so I sat at the platform! I also feel it would have been difficult for them to accommodate one person inside the train. Comfortably seated, I started to look around.

The restaurant was slowly starting to fill up. Forget about any other women, there was exactly one man eating alone at the restaurant and he seemed to know what he was doing. I am not sure the same could be said for me. I mean I have been to a few places alright but initially I felt a little lost. However that feeling lasted only for a short while.

Then came the menu and I quickly decided on my drink- Negroni, meal- Mediterranean Platter that consisted of Pita Bread and Falafel and Tiramisu. My drink arrived first with masala peanuts. I was trying the Negroni for the first time and I did like it.

I kept looking at the train parked next to me most of the time. The live music was nice too. Slowly, I was getting comfortable. At some point I did a short live on Instagram from the restaurant! Rambagh Palace is managed by Taj Hotels and I do like their hospitality. Aakash was serving me for most of the time that day.

Soon my main course arrived. I liked the food. I have had the same dishes in Jordan, Israel and a few other places around the world and I have to say the stuff at Steam was on par! If I would be honest I have never been too big on food. But I have a mid year resolution, that I am going to collect more experiences than stuff from now on. And I have to say the experience was fabulous. I polished off my food pretty fast!

Then I sat down with my drink and enjoyed the music and atmosphere. It was a mild night for June to sit outside! At some point they were spraying mist from the roof and it was fun to watch. After a while I asked for my dessert and it came in a big jar! I have been craving coffee flavored dessert these days! The Tiramisu was amazing.

When you dine at a palace! #rambagh #jaipur #steam pic.twitter.com/3jYKA1B0n4

— Mridula Dwivedi (@mridulablog) June 19, 2023

Soon, it was time to pay the bill and head back to my hotel! The bill for one was around 3500 rupees, the experience priceless. While I was doing the formalities Aakash told me, “it was a pleasure serving you ma’am!” I thanked him and started walking slowly to the waiting area. I booked my Uber again and hoped the driver would come in.

As I was walking, I admired the beautiful palace and took a few pictures! I saw my taxi entering so I waved and started walking towards it. Then I saw the driver was also taking pictures!

So, we both took some time to take pictures of the beautiful palace and ourselves and then we were on our way! Will I do it again? For sure I will. Table for one is fun in its own way!

The post Table for One at Steam, Rambagh Palace Jaipur first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

It was a beautiful sunny day in February at Fagu in Himachal Pradesh. Chhavi and I had a leisurely breakfast at the Himalayan Shire lawns. All I wanted after that was to sit down and doze off in the sun. These days I perpetually feel tired and that day was no exception.

But Rishabh, who owns the Himalayan Shire proposed a small hike on this beautiful day. Chhavi was instantly hooked. I was hesitant. My hiking days seem to be behind me. These days, I have to remind myself that I was someone who did the Everest Base Camp trek successfully. After a minor internal struggle, I too agreed to go on the hike and I am glad I did.

Chhavi and I got ready with our water bottles and jackets. Both of us were wearing sneakers. We got into Rishabh’s car, he took us to the trail head in no time. It was a beautiful trail full of deodar trees. I like such places and I immediately started feeling in the mood to trek.

As the mountain paths are prone to be, this one also went up, though mildly. I was not sure where we were headed but I enjoyed the trail. The sun was still out. I usually feel the strain while going up as I am not too fit. But I have trekked in the past and I am stubborn. So, I usually manage fine going up hill even though it is tiring.

After walking for about one hour we reached the local temple. I breathed a sigh of relief as I was still in single piece. The atmosphere up there was even more beautiful. In the shadowy regions, the snow was still reluctant to melt.

The narrow staircase leading to the temple were well paved. The temple was wooden, quaint and well maintained. There was no one other than the three of us. The young temple priest came and opened the temple doors for us.

We next strolled to an open meadow and enjoyed the views around. The weather still was really good. The sky was full of cotton candy clouds. After lingering for an hour or so we decided to head back.

Now I walk as slowly going downhill as I do when I am going uphill. While coming down my knees hurt. The trail is broad and I sticked to the main path for after a while Chhavi and Rishabh were no where to be seen. They just ran through.

I maintained a steady tread and my knees surprisingly didn’t hurt that badly. After what felt like ages, I saw Chhavi and Rishabh talking happily waiting for me at the end of the trail. Soon we got inside the car and headed back to the homestay where hot food was waiting for us.

The post A Small Hike with The Himalayan Shire first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

Chhavi and I went to Pokhara on a tennis trip. She was playing in two ITF qualifying tournaments at Pokhara Nepal. So we stayed for about 10 days. Tennis trips are different than vacations. We see the tournament venue more than anything else. She spends some time on court almost everyday and then is the emotional roller-coaster of winning, losing or getting a walkover in the matches. The highs are okay but the lows sometimes can really get low!

Still we said to each-other that we will try a new restaurant for every meal and try to make a bit of a holiday. It was Chhavi’s first time in Nepal where as I was going back to Pokhara alone for the third time.

All my previous trips to Pokhara were of 2 nights and the clouds ruled. I barely got a glimpse of Mt. Machapuchare or Mt. Fishtail. But it all changed when we stayed for around 10 days in Pokhara at November end and December beginning. If the weather favors you, Pokhara puts on its charm and Chhavi and I were smitten.

We stayed at the Trekker’s Inn hotel at Pokhara and this was the view right from our lift lobby! I was so excited to see it right there!

One day I was roaming around the lift lobby before sunrise looking for pictures. An employee walked by and told me to go to the terrace of the hotel and this was the view at sunrise from the terrace of the Trekkers Inn!

On my previous trips all I got was clouds around this beautiful mountain. This time it was cloudy for one and a half days. I didn’t mind it all. In fact I enjoyed the clouds too.

This was the view from the Shanti Stupa of Mt. Fishtail with flowers. I didn’t expect flowers at Pokhara in November one but there they were!

This was the view from the Rangshala where the tennis stadium was. I would go up to the balcony and enjoy both, a good game of tennis and the view from the tennis court. Part of the old airport was visible from the court.

This one is again clicked while going up to the Shanti Stupa and I was playing with the focus of my DSLR. You get fabulous view of Machapuchare from Shanti Stupa!

Another beautiful place to view Mt. Fishtail is from the sleepy town of Sarangkot, a 30 minutes drive from Pokhara. The views are divine! I have been there at Sunrise too on a previous trip.

My previous two short visits to Pokhara gave me no indication that it was such a charming place! This is once again the view from the Shanti Stupa.

However the best views that we got are from the last café before you walk into the premises of the Shanti Stupa. You can’t miss it as it is a multi story structure. I wish I had allocated more time to coffee and snacks with a fabulous view of the lake and the Annapurna range of mountains at Pokhara.

The post The Many Moods of Mt. Fishtail: Witnessing Beauty at Pokhara first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

Chhavi and I traveled to The Himalayan Shire near Fagu at the beginning of February for short non-tennis Holiday! And how we cherish that time spent in the beautiful surroundings of the Himalayan Shire in Himachal Pradesh. It is quite close to Shimla, Kufri and Fagu.

The Journey to the Himalayan Shire

The Himalayan Shire is a 7 room, tastefully done, luxury homestay owned by Rishabh Goel. He was there to greet us when we arrived at the property in the evening. We took the Kalka Shatabdi Express train till Chandigarh and then a taxi to The Himalayan Shire. The Chai and Pakora was a welcome site to us after the long journey. Refreshed we headed to the coolest part of the homestay.

The Attic

Above the second floor common area is the most charming corner of the homestay, you can take the stairs to the attic for the coolest view of the majestic mountains. My joy knew no bounds when they served us evening tea there. Chhavi and I would head up and lounge around to our hearts content at every opportunity. You have to check it out.

Deodar Suite

We stayed at the Deodar Suite at the Himalayan Shire. It is a huge room with a huge bathroom. I loved so many things about our room.

At the top of our list was the electric fireplace. In spite of traveling a good bit I never got to stay in a room with the fireplace! So, this was a first for both Chhavi and me. And we loved it. It was cold out there in February. There was still a bit of snow in the corners that didn’t get direct sunlight.

The electric blanket on the bed was the most used and useful feature! On the cold nights it was a lifesaver. After a while we would switch if off though. So even though the room was huge and the weather cold, we were always warm and cozy!

Chhavi loved the windows of the room, they were huge, they had a fabulous view and she could sit in them! We both loved it actually.

In the bathroom the amenities are kept in large bottles and refilled. When I mentioned this Rishabh, he said they try to reduce the consumption of single use plastic as much as they can. When you are there check out the bathroom tiles, they are gorgeous. Overall, we had a real beautiful room!

The Common Areas

The Himalayan Shire has many common areas to be enjoyed by the guests. TVs are in the common areas only. We don’t have TV at home so wee didn’t miss it at all. The second floor common area has table tennis and pool tables. I had a gala time playing TT with other guests. I can brag that I won all the games I payed!

We had the Sunday breakfast outdoors at the front lawn. The day was warm, perfect for outdoor activities. When Rishabh asked if we would like to go on a small hike later, I was really torn. I love walking but off late my knees give me immense trouble even on a regular day. I said yes to the hike with a lot of hesitation but I am glad I did it. But the details are going to be a separate post in itself.

The Food

The food is cooked fresh and they always ask your choice. We enjoyed all our meals. Chhavi gives a special shout out to pancakes. I really enjoyed breadrolls and parathas!

We had Manchurian and fried rice for one meal which was delicious. Otherwise, we enjoyed Indian meals. Chhavi is also giving a shout out to the Maggi she ate in the evening!

The View

We were sold out on the view from every corner! The view was fabulous was the room, the view was fabulous from the attic and it was still fabulous from the balconies and the front lawn. The property is away from the road, it was a blessing to my frayed city nerves.

Whenever I stay at such places I wonder why do we put up with the Delhi NCR pollution. My lungs always thank me when I visit such pristine places.

Overall Chhavi and I have beautiful memories of the Himalayan Shire. The above picture perfectly sums up over feelings about the trip. It was the last non-tennis travel we did and it did wonders for both of us. We would like to go back to the Himalayan Shire some day again.

PS. I was invited by the Himalayan Shire as a blogger.

The post The Himalayan Shire: Perfect blend of Tranquility and Modernity first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I recently visited Nepal as my daughter, Chhavi, was playing an ITF juniors tennis tournament there. It was a breath of fresh air for me, to be able to combine her tennis with my travels! This was my 4th trip to Nepal and surprisingly I never gave much thought to the views of the Himalayas on this route before! While doing the web check in it occurred to me that there might be view and I went with the A side window seat! And that is where the views are! If you wish to enjoy the views of the Himalayas on a Delhi Kathmandu flight choose the A side window seat. On the Kathmandu Delhi flight the views are on the F side.

Window Seat Wins

I know there is a huge debate on window vs. aisle seats but on this route, quite like the Delhi Leh one, window seat wins. There are no views from an aisle seat. What is surprising for me is that it took me 4 trips to realize that there are views on this route. I blame it on always going through a cloud cover on my previous trips! In fact this was one trip where I got fabulous views both at Kathmandu and Pokhara.

Flying in Summer vs Winter

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A post shared by Mridula Dwivedi (@mridulablog)

I have done two summer trips and two winter trips in Nepal. On three occasions I have spent some time in Pokhara (where we were headed on this trip) but surprisingly this was the first time I got the views! So, that was true for the flights as well, never got the kind of stunning views I got this time in winter from the A side seats and the F side seats.

Kathmandu Delhi Sunset Flight

While coming back I booked an evening flight (5.15 pm) from Kathmandu to Delhi. It was not by design, it was the cheapest flight available for my day of travel. And it was magic. I got the most clear view of the Himalayas at sunset for a long time. I have seen a lot of beautiful things in my life and this was up there too. As I said before, on the Kathmandu Delhi flight the views are on the F side.

I was not getting the window seat initially but I checked again 2 hours before the flight and I was able to change my seats to F side window seat. I got the window at the front of the plane but back of the plane is my favorite as I get to include the wing in the frame. I got the view for what felt like good 45 minutes though I did not time it by the watch.

To conclude Delhi Kathmandu Delhi flights also have incredible views of the Himalayas. It took me some time to realize it as the weather did not cooperate on my previous trips. But the views are there, on the A side on the Delhi Kathmandu flight and on the F side on the Kathmandu Delhi flight. And we have to take our chances to be blessed with the divine view!

The post Which Seat to Choose on a Delhi Kathmandu Flight for Best Views first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I am a big fan of clicking sunsets and city lights. Getting up to a high point does wonders for capturing them. Sometimes, I gain this height by painfully walking up a hill. But it is luxury when you can take a elevator to click the panoramic views of a city. I got that luxury when I went up to the Top of Hanoi Restaurant at the Lotte Hotel in Hanoi! All the credit for taking us to this beautiful spot went to our guide Hoan Lala.

During the day we did a lot of sightseeing within Hanoi and we were running a little behind schedule. And the sunset would not wait for anyone. In the end we just about made it to this beautiful view.

The restaurant offers a 360 degree view of the city and for quite some time I kept running from one corner to another! I also love that time when city lights are on and yet the sky has colors too!

The view was fabulous from every side. I have to admit I remember the view much more than the drink I had. I think I had a beer at this beautiful place but I am not sure.

If I go back to Hanoi again I would love to go to the restaurant with plenty of time, click a few pictures (I know it is not possible though) but have more time to remember the food and drinks too!

I have to make this a habit to go to rooftop restaurants in every city I visit. I have been to one such place in Dubai too. I clearly remember the view but rest of the details I have to dig up!

If I get to experience such a view of the city I consider my trip to be fabulous. The bonus was the evening light because photography at night has its own challenges but rewards too. Which is your favorite view, do let me know in the comments.

In the end here are all my favorite views in one video. It is this pause in my current travel is giving me the time to engage more with the huge amount of travel content I already have!

The post Stunning Views of Hanoi from the Top of Hanoi Restaurant first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

We adopted our daughter, Chhavi in October 2009. The initial part of the tale has already been documented. You can read it here.

My husband Seshadri and I always wanted to adopt, and both of us wanted a girl. If you ask me the reason, we don’t know why. So, we went ahead and simply did it! We both agree that it was the best decision of our life.

It has been 13 years and we would do it all over again! We celebrate her birthday twice, once on July 1, as that is the date on her birth certificate and then on October 9, when she came home. She loves ordering presents twice!

We adopted her through Haryana State Welfare Council and it was surprisingly fast. Through the years I have been asked many questions. I wish to talk about them today!

Q. Why are you so open about adoption?

Polite Asnswer- If I can inspire only one person through my story, I think my task is done.

Not so Polite Answer- Have I done a crime that I need to hide it?

Q. Does your child know she is adopted?

A. Yes from the very beginning in an age appropriate way! We always talked about when Chhavi came and not when she was born. Why did we tell her? Because someone else would have told her anyway!

Q. Why did you adopt?

A. Because we always wanted to, there is nothing more to it than that!

Q. Did you have any doubts?

A. For us the answer is surprisingly no, we had no doubts! We were absolutely sure we wanted to adopt a girl.

Q. Is she invited to birthday parties?

A. Yes she was invited to birthday parties regularly, till all the kids became teens and they stopped having birthday parties.

Q. Did adoption take a lot of time?

A. For us it was surprisingly fast, we put in our application in June 2009 and Chhavi was given to us in foster care on October 9 2009. Her adoption papers took a little more time, but there was never too much hassle involved. We contacted NGOs too but for us the state government was the fastest to act. One NGO responded after 2 years, by that time we already had Chhavi.

Q. What kind of checks to expect?

A. There is a police verification involved, much like passport. We visited the Haryana Welfare Council once and a lady from the adoption agency visited us once after Chhavi came in foster care. It was all reasonably done.

Q. Is it an open or closed adoption?

A. Ours is a closed adoption for the simple reason that nothing is known about her biological parents.

Q. Does she wants to know or asks questions?

A. Yes she does but we have been able to talk about it. I stick to the truth that nothing is really known, so we can keep guessing or that we can move ahead and go places! Most of the days nobody thinks about it. Till now it has never got overly complicated. I hope it remains like that.

Q. We wish to adopt but our parents won’t agree!

A. I really don’t have a good answer to this one, as our parents were okay with it. Once we adopted she quickly became the favorite of everyone in the family.

When we adopted, I remember a colleague saying – “I hope someone told you Mridula- Yashoda ka darza hamesha Devaki se bada hota hai!” I had not heard that, I didn’t need it but it was a nice thing to say. When someone pesters me too much, which happens rarely, I throw this back at them!

The post The Girl with Two Birthdays or My Thoughts on Adoption first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I loved photographing Budapest. I did some research before going which talked about the best vantage points in the city. Initially they were just names to me but I recognized them when I stood there. I was also lucky that I was staying for 7 nights, so I could go back to a few places to get a better shot! But let’s get on with the tips to take beautiful pictures of Budapest. My best tip is to find a vantage point for the panorama shots and there is no shortage of them in the city.

Gellert Hill

Gellert Hill offers sweeping vistas of the Budapest city both at day and night. I went there first during the day and then went back another evening to click the night shots. The top picture of this post, of the Buda Castle has been from the Gellert Hill.

Give yourself time at the top of the Gellert Hill, as you will find beautiful pictures whichever way you look! I love this shot of the Ferris Wheel with St. Stephen’s Basilica in the background along with the city.

Here is another shot of the beautiful Budapest City from the Gellert Hill at Night. As I said, give yourself time to click pictures. There is beauty everywhere. We (my sister Alka and I) came to the hill on the Hop on Hop Off bus but the bus went back quickly. We climbed down the hill using the footpath and reached the main road. We took a tram back to our hotel from there.

Buda Castle

Buda Castle offers beautiful views of the city too. It was closer to my hotel so I decided to catch the sunrise as well, along with some night shots from there.

I got the Chain Bridge along with its roundabout with traffic lights from the Buda Castle Balcony which is closer to the funicular. It is an excellent vantage point to capture the city.

If you do not wish to include the roundabout, you get this beautiful beautiful view of the Chain Bridge. I went in the first week of November so I got the bonus of fall colors in my pictures!

The Chain Bridge and the roundabout look great during the day too. So, all these clicks are from the Buda Castle Balconies above the funicular.

However, you get fabulous view of the sunrise from the balcony near this ‘rider on a horse’ statute in the Buda Castle. This gives another fabulous view of the city.

Here is another picture taken from the same balcony as above. I love how the chimney smoke caught the sunlight giving the illusion of fire!

This is the last one that I share, again taken from the same spot as the above two. Buda Castle offers many opportunities of photographing the city in all its beauty!

St. Stephen’s Basilica

The interiors of St. Stephen’s Basilica are grand, they completely mesmerized me. You can also go up the tower for a nominal fee and get another panoramic view of the city!

It was a pleasure for us to listen to the prayer service going in this grand hall. My pictures do only partial justice to the grandeur of the place!

You will be better off with a wide angle lens to capture the grand interiors. The Basilica has opening times, so do check it out before you go.

Here is a view of a beautiful Budapest street from the top of the tower of the St. Stephen’s Basilica. There is an entry fee to go to the top. There are stairs as well as an elevator. We took the elevator. In my opinion it is totally worth to go to the top.

The top of the Basilica gives a different perspective of the city, so make sure you get to see it. I got this view of Buda Castle only from the tower!

I got the best views of the rooftops from the top of the Basilica as well. The colors come out really well from there.

Next to the elevator are these stunning spiral staircase inside the Basilica. I had to wait a few minutes to get it empty but it was worth the wait.

Photographing Budapest from the Fisherman’s Bastian

The arches of Fisherman’s Bastian provide a beautiful frame to the city. Fisherman’s Bastian is a beautiful spot in itself and gets a lot of tourists.

This is just one example of using the arches to frame the city, there are many such sequences possible, in horizontal frame too. Just observe as you walk around and you will find these places.

I love this particular arch and the view of the Fisherman’s Bastian it provides. I went there during the day and early hours too. During the day it is impossible to get this shot without people. In the early morning I almost had the whole place to myself.

Margret Bridge

I quite like the view of the Parliament House and Buda Castle with Chain Bridge from the Margret Bridge. Initially I was disappointed that there were no colors in the sky but I eventually liked this moody view. I am sure other bridges of the city will provide beautiful vantage points to photograph Budapest.

River Cruise

One of the touristy thing to do in Budapest is to to go on a river cruise on Danube. And that provides an interesting perspective of the city from water, hence some beautiful pictures.

I took this picture of sunset from the evening boat cruise. And I am glad I got to see the city from the water too.

Finally here is a view of the Parliament House from the boat! Loved the show the sky put up for us! I really enjoyed my trip to Budapest and I hope it shows in my pictures.

I did not had time like a local for photographing Budapest but with a little research and by going back to a few places, I really got a lot of memorable pictures! If you have a tip to share, do drop it in the comment box.

The post Photographing Budapest from a Tourist’s Perspective first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

We all feel happier as travel has resumed post the COVID19 pandemic. So, if you are traveling abroad from India you might be looking to apply for a visa. A lot of countries use VFS global as their partner for visa application. Reaching VFS Global using the Delhi Metro is easy.

VFS Global is located within the same premises as the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station. So, you need to reach the Shivaji Stadium Metro stadium in order to reach VFS Global. Exit of the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station following the exit signs and then take the escalators up to the VFS Global. It is that easy to reach.

For the metro if you are on the airport line your task is easy, take the Airport line and get down at the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station.

I use the yellow line as my home base. So I start from HUDA City Center and go to New Delhi Metro Station. I change to the Airport Line (also known as orange line) after exiting New Delhi Metro Station. Shivaji Stadium is the first stop on the Airport Line of you are starting from New Delhi.

If you wish to figure out how to reach Shivaji Stadium from other metro routes I would recommend using the Delhi Metro Official Website and use their ‘plan your journey’ feature. I find it better than the Google Maps public transport feature.

I hope you find this information useful and I wish you the very best for your visa application.

The post How to Reach VFS Global Using Delhi Metro first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I recently stayed at the Novotel Vizag and I could see the Ramakrishna Beach right across the road from my room. The view of the Beach Road from the Novotel Rooftop was incredible too.

However, I could also see how crowded the beach would get in the evening. So, I decided to take a morning walk at the Ramakrishna Beach in Vizag.

In my daily life, I now get up really early almost every day due to my daughter’s tennis practice. But there was a time when I would hate getting up in the morning with some force! Not any longer. I am more resilient about early mornings now. And I was rewarded for my effort. Not only the beach was less crowded, the weather was nicer too.

There was agenda for this walk, I was ready to walk as much or as little as I wanted. And by my standards I remained on the ‘little’ side. My nephew tells me I travel only to click pictures and soon this walk too turned into a solo photowalk! I always knew we consider water sacred but I related it more to river or mountain lakes. But I saw people doing some kind of prayers by the sea too.

A lot of families were around and it is easy to spot who is the designated photographer of the group. I requested one such young girl to click a picture of mine.

I saw these girls on the beach and I wanted to click pictures. I did it from far and I walked a little further. While coming back the girls approached me and asked me to take their pictures and send it to them. None of them had a cell phone on the beach! They adopted me as their unofficial photographer. And we had a great time. As promised I send them the pictures, I hope they liked it.

There was a time when I used to walk with a vengeance and called it a holiday too. It has not happened in a while now. I did a short walk in both the directions and then walked back to the hotel looking for food!

The post The Tranquil Morning Walk at the Ramakrishna Beach, Vizag first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

Delhi Leh flight is known for its jaw dropping scenic views of the Ladakh Range of mountains if you choose the correct window seat. And the correct side to choose is the A side while going to Leh and the F side while coming back to Delhi. There I told you. But you can continue reading the post to learn more about the views while flying into Leh from Delhi. And I have been lucky to do it a few times. Also, keep in mind that the clouds can cover the view completely sometimes and you may see nothing.

Window vs Aisle

This is a classic debate but the aisle seat is clearly going to lose the battle on a Delhi Leh flight as it offers no views and the whole point of flying to Leh is to be able to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. That is possible only from the window seat. I have seen people who are unaware about the views scamper for the vacant window seats once the window seat passengers start going ooh and aah.

A side or F side Window Seat

While going the best views are on the A side window seats and while coming back the best views are on the F side of the plane. It is that simple.

Front of the Plane or Back of the Plane?

I would always choose the back of the plane because I like to include the wing of the plane in my photos and videos. Front of the plane would work too if you like to keep the wings out of the frame. Worst seats would be directly on the wings because then the wings obstruct the view and make it difficult to get a decent picture. One way out of this is to use zoom function to get out the obstructing wings out of the frame.

Sunrise or Sunset Flight

Unfortunately Leh Airport is a small and tricky one. The flights come in the morning and all of them leave by late afternoon. So there are no sunset flights in or out of Leh. You have to try and catch sunrise over the Ladakh Range of Mountains while flying in to Leh. I have been lucky once, in the month of October to catch the sunrise while I took the 5.30 am flight from Delhi. The above video is from that sunrise flight.

Summer Winter or Autumn View

I have also done it through seasons, in winter, summer and autumn. In summer the snow is less, so we get a lot of brown in our picture. Flying into Leh in winter is a pleasure. The mountains are white and there are hardly any tourists. But my best views came in autumn as I caught the sunrise over the mountains!

Flying over Leh is always gorgeous. I hope the information given above will help you in choosing a good seat and enjoying the magnificent views.

The post Which Seat to Choose on a Delhi Leh Flight for Best Views first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

Chhavi and I visited Hyderabad because she was playing a tennis tournament there. My elder Nephew works at Hyderabad, so after the matches we went and stayed with him. He is an avid cyclist and knows a lot of delicious food experiences in all price ranges across the city of Hyderabad. We were a group of three, though not a typical family. And we had loads of fun. I also feel sports tourism or tennis travel is going to be the way forward for me. But back to the food experiences in Hyderabad.

Huber & Holly- The Fantastic Ice Cream Shop

After walking for long at the KBR Park, Chhavi and Dilip went in search if ice cream. I was tagging behind 10 paces behind them as usual. Chhavi entered a shop and decided she wanted to try another one. I was tired, I wanted to sit, but the girl didn’t budge. So out we went in search for another ice cream shop.

And then we stumbled upon Huber & Holly and I am glad Chhavi didn’t settle for the first one. Their ice creams are fabulous. Chhavi took Litchi Charcoal, she gave me a little to taste. We both really liked it.

I went with a kulfi and I have to say I have not had such amazing kulfi in ages. Dilip was watching his calories so he only had black coffee, which he told was excellent again. We are going there again at the first opportunity. The prices are what you would expect with a premium place.

Chutneys for Lunch at Hyderabad

My nephew took us to the Chutneys for a late lunch one day. Chhavi wanted to go to a KFC. That led us to a discussion about chain restaurants vs local ones. We told her we were going to eat a lot of local food. To which she said she didn’t want only chutneys for lunch! We assured her there would be a lot more than chutneys to choose from.

When we went, there was a waiting time to get a table. The waiting area was air conditioned and had many chairs. So it was pleasant to wait but we didn’t wait for long. Dilip went with Guntur Idli and I with Rawa Dosa. Chhavi decided to eat noodles. Our stuff was of course yummy but the noodles were good too. Once again, a great experience thanks to Dilip. Overall the food was delicious and the prices reasonable.

Le Vantage for Dinner

Le Vantage has dining and bar. Dilip and Chhavi would run ahead to such places, only to be stopped by the bouncers, because Chhavi is clearly underage. I would reach 5 steps later and take charge. Once they would see me with them, we were always granted entry to the dining area. This happened to us at two places.

We only went to the dining area and not the bar because Chhavi is underage. The upstairs dining is comfortable. Chhavi ordered nachos, Dilip ordered pita bread and humus and I ordered pasta with beer. We all liked the our dishes. Le Vantage is a good place to sit, relax, chat and eat.

Eat Street

We ate a dinner at Eat Street near Hussain Sagar. It is a food court style place with many options. Chhavi ate spiral potatoes and immediately remembered Biograd because she ate a lot of spiral potatoes there. She also ate momos, and drank a big glass of juice and the chuski. And ask her to eat anything at home and she is not hungry! Dilip as usual ordered a low calorie meal and I ate falafals!

The food is decent but the view of the lake is priceless. The food is reasonably priced.

Kadak House near KBR Park

While we were walking near the KBR Park we stopped at the Kadak House for my evening tea. Dilip is a regular here on his cycling runs and I too liked the place. It is a roadside stall with not space to sit. But it serves good tea in a casual setting.

Nariyal Pani (Tender Coconut Water) by the Roadside

After a long walk on the hot days, nariyal pani is the thing you look out for. It is cheaper in Hyderabad than Delhi NCR. I don’t remember the exact price as Dilip was paying for almost everything.

Tiffin from Online Platforms

We ordered many meals at home too, particularly breakfast. There are a lot of tiffin services in Hyderabad that dish out superb local food. We ordered a lot of South Indian food from Tiffin depot and Varalakshmi Tiffins and both are good. I loved them. Chhavi wanted North Indian food so we went for puri aalo once for her and even that was good.

Raw Mango with Masala

But the best of all was the raw mango (see the top picture) with spices. It is a seasonal thing. It is simply raw mango that is not too tangy smeared with spices that perfectly balance sweet, sour and hot! We bought one plate and walked on for dinner. We walked a long way back to buy another plate but the guy had gone back home by the time we finished our dinner. His stuff was sold out!

We had so much fun trying different food at Hyderabad. I hope my nephew picks his next job close to a beach! And Chhavi has a match there too.

The post Delicious Food Experiences in Hyderabad for Family first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

My daughter has been playing tennis for many years now. But it is only recently we started to travel for matches and one of the stops was Hyderabad. And that is how we caught the beautiful glimpses of Hyderabad. I also feel we will travel a lot for tennis in the coming years, hence the tennis travel series. It helped immensely that my nephew Dilip, previously known as Brat 1 on this blog now works at Hyderabad. After the tournament we had a home to crash and enjoy the place with his expert guidance.

We did not do too much. Though we (Chhavi and I) walked a lot with wrong footwear and we ate a lot of good food! Dilip always wore the right footwear! We are eagerly waiting to go back to play another relevant tournament in Hyderabad so that we can stay back and enjoy again!

The first place we visited was Hussain Sagar Lake on a weekend. It is a beautiful place and that is why it attracts a lot of people particularly on the weekends! We quickly exited out of the boating area as the crowd was too hot to handle. We then went in search of food, which is going to be a separate post. We did find good food and a bit of adventure around it.

The second place we visited was the KBR National Park, on the next day. Dilip did ask us if we would go with casual footwear as we were visiting a park! Now I thought of a park as garden and not a national park! And we paid the price for not wearing shoes! Out feet complained a lot by the end of the day!

Dilip and Chhavi walk with a purpose! It is as if they are preparing to participate in an international walking event! I always lag four or five steps behind in spite of trying my best. And in casual footwear it was even more difficult for me to keep up with them. After half an hour, I reminded Dilip that he needs to trek with Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI) again. Their moto is to enjoy the nature and not run from place A to B. I started sitting on the ample benches provided by the park and enjoying the nature. And there was a lot to enjoy!

The park was full of flowering gulmohar (delonix regia) trees which made for a pretty picture, provided these two would let me pause. If I stopped for a picture I was immediately 10 paces behind!

I have to say the park is really user friendly. A lot of people use it for walking and jogging. There are signposts all around. But much credit to them for providing RO Water all around the park. I can’t even remember how many times we refilled our steel bottle on that hot summer day!

Dilip moved out for work when Chhavi was really small. But these two bonded right from the beginning. It was lovely to see them enjoy some time together again! As our stroll around the park was coming to an end, we went out to look for food again!

When we left from Gurgaon, the weather was atrocious. Hyderabad scored a lot of points for having milder weather and much less pollution than the National Capital Region (NCR). We rally enjoyed the blue skies which remined me of the old movie, ‘Hyderabad Blues’.

We move to bigger cities often in search of better jobs and opportunities! And then we end up selling our soul to being stuck in traffic. The traffic in Hyderabad is increasing but I have to say it is still a lot better! As I said earlier in the post, we are waiting to go back and play a right tournament again. Because that would also mean staying back and exploring the city again!

The post Beautiful Glimpses of Hyderabad- The Tennis Travel Series first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I had the pleasure of staying at the Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun beach for my 50th birthday in May. It was a memorable stay. I was celebrating the occasion solo. I hardly ever take vacations where I just laze around but this was close to one such holiday. And I need to do it more.

I was staying in a suite at the sixth floor with the Ocean (Bay of Bengal) being my live TV. The rocking chair by the bed was my favorite corner of the room! My suite had a large living area too but I liked the view from the bedroom window more! The bed was comfortable leading to good sleep all around.

I could see the hotel swimming pool and the beach right from my room and those are the only two places I visited on my trip! I took many laps in the pool, as I was eating a lot of good food at Novotel Vizag.

As I knew the Ramakrishna Beach was really crowded in the evening, I went there in the morning. The morning weather was nice, the beach is right across road from Novotel Vizag and that is the farthest I ventured on this trip.

So, what did I do for the rest of the time? I ate a lot of good food at the various restaurants within the hotel. I went to the terrace to enjoy the view along the Beach Road. My room had a bath tub, so that was that! I loved the tea and coffee maker in the living room and used it a lot. But I sat on that rocking chair doing nothing for most of the time! Like every other trip, I arrived so tired but I got back home rejuvenated.

PS. The Novotel Visakhapatnam kindly hosted me as a blogger and I paid for my flight!

The post My Wonderful 50th Birthday Stay at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach first appeared on Travel Tales from India and Abroad.

I love rooftops for the incredible photo opportunities they provide! Novotel Vizag has a wonderful rooftop restaurant, Infinity. In addition they have a running track on the top. At sunrise and sunset I would simply go to the rooftop and enjoy the view. I could see the many moods of the Beach Road Vizag and it was such a pleasure.

When I get to see such incredible view I wish to capture a lot of it in a single frame. GoPro comes in handy at such occasions.

The Beach Road looks good from any angle you view it. I so enjoyed watching its various moods during my stay.

The crowd you see was the weekend crowd. The RK Beach is more crowded in the evening. I was happy to stand at the top floor and enjoy the view from a distance.

Looking at the crowd I decided to go to the beach in the morning. The added advantage was the sunrise on the beach.

For a very long time, I was not the morning person. Then my daughter started playing tennis in the morning. Now, I can catch a few sunrises without groaning too much.

Even though the terrace view was superb, the view from my room was beautiful too. I went to Vizag on a short trip. Other than the beach I did not venture out anywhere. But I loved my stay at the Novotel Vizag. I need more vacations like these!

PS. The usual blogging disclosure- my stay at Novotel Vizag was complimentary. I paid for my flights.

Do you remember my post on ‘my relationship with food?’ It is still complicated but it is improving for sure. There were times at Novotel Vizag when I would go in with my old attitude, “let’s get done with it” and then check myself and ask- “what would Phil do?” And I tried to do likewise.

Wondering where should I start? Let me start at the beginning. I went down for lunch to The Square. The breakfast is also served there daily. It is the 24 hour restaurant.

The lunch buffet was lavish. There were many options, but I went with the local ones, rasam, sambar, biryani, curd rice, papad and such! And I liked it a lot. They also have a huge dessert table full of delicious stuff.

Breakfast has a wide variety as well. I would once again stick to idli, dosa, vada and the like. However, for the tea lover in me, the filter coffee at Novotel Vizag was the true find. It was really good.

I met the delicious Biryani again at the Zaffran which serves the regional cuisine. I had soup before and followed it up with some delicious kulfi! All of it was good.

I cannot leave out the melt in your mouth kulfi picture before I move on. Of all the ice creams in the world Kulfi is my absolute favorite and this one was ‘rica‘.

I met the filter coffee again after my lunch while sitting at the bakery Sugarr. For the rest of my stay I was a coffee person, which happened like never before!

My dinners were at the Infinity which is a rooftop restaurant and at the Harbour Vue Bar. Infinity has an amazing view of the city, however I failed to secure a table outside. They are known for their sizzlers.

But I would park myself at the rooftop at every sunrise and sunset and these are the views! Also, if you look near the pool, you can probably see the evening tea service happening by the pool.

The Harbour Vue Bar has a good ambience, nice cocktails and bar food! I had delicious eggs and mushrooms other than the cocktail.

I also loved the door of the bar, it has such beautiful boat decorations. Inside the sea and the boat theme continues.

Here is a picture that will give you an idea of what to expect when you go to the Harbour Vue bar. They also have seating outside.

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And when the mixologist/bartender is in the mood, they set the table on fire too! I had an enjoyable stay at the Novotel Vizag. And I ate a lot of delicious food too. There will be more on the blog about this trip.

PS. The usual blogging disclosure- my stay at Novotel Vizag was complimentary. I paid for my flights.

I recently turned 50, there I said it. For my 40th birthday, I trekked up to the Everest Base Camp, solo. And it feels like yesterday! Where did the decade go? Half of it has been spent on tennis courts after my daughter started playing, be it rain, sunshine or cold! And she is still going strong.

For my birthday I had two choices, take my daughter to her Asian U16 matches in Delhi, or go travel alone. We being a family of travelers, there was no hesitation in anybody’s mind what we would do. My husband took my daughter to her matches and I took a break alone. Hopefully that also answers the question for many people who asked me, “why solo for your birthday?” And believe me a lot of people asked me that. I did the same for my 40th birthday too, but didn’t face as many questions then!

My party started with my school friends as a lot of us are turning 50 this year! Manjaree with whom I started in KG was hosting a party for her 50th birthday which coincided with my 50th birthday!

It was close by at Roseate House at Aero City in Delhi. A bunch of school friends got together and had fun together! It was also convenient to catch my next early morning flight from there.

I continued to Vizag on my birthday, where I was staying at Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach for two nights. I had nothing else planned. The kind folks at Accor hosted me at hotel as a blogger.

So what has changed in these ten years? A lot and nothing. The biggest change is my daughter has started playing out of town tournaments. We went to Jalandhar and next stop would be Hyderabad. So another kind of traveling is about to start, one where we don’t know when to book the return flights or train tickets!

What has not changed at all is my love for travel! I do not see too many vacations happening, but I will surely take a few quality ones!

I still feel slightly dazed at turning 50, I don’t know why. I know this too is just a number. So, here is to looking forward to life in 50s!