Showing posts with label travel blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel blog. Show all posts

Sunday, 22 September 2019

A Summer in Paradise

Hello Chicos & Chicas,

I won't deny I had fallen in a rut all this while procrastinating, going through everyone else's social media posts and not working on my own content. All these days I just couldn't find the motivation to get myself out of bed and do something productive during whatever time I would get during weekends. Today I finally took control and thought of sharing with you, all about my mini vacation I took a few months back in May to Ajman. Now this staycation has to be one of the most unique experiences I have had as it involved staying in a caravan. Situated 8km away from the Ajman China Mall, Caravana Al Zohra features caravan accommodation alongside the Ajman Beach. 

Getting there

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Caravana from Dubai is taking a bus to Ajman from Al Ghurair bus station which would cost you around 20 AED. You can get down on the way to Ajman China Mall or any other nearest landmark and take a cab to reach the destination. We made a blunder by getting down at the last stop, getting back to Caravana took us around 25 minutes from there. Also, the resort location is not correctly mapped on Goggle and there is another hotel by the same name which might create a lot of confusion as it did in our case. 

My Experience at Caravana Al Zohra

The moment I arrived I was completely awestruck by the spectacular view of caravans lined up alongside the beach. The reception was a small compound, a little farther away from the camping site. I had a little problem communicating to the receptionist earlier while trying to locate the hotel as he was Arabic and couldn't understand English. After registering my Emirates id, they took a security deposit of 500 AED which is redeemable during check out. 

The Caravan I was staying at had a small room for couple & another cozy room with 4 bunker beds & could accommodate 6 people easily. Other than the tiny bedrooms, it had a fully equipped kitchen, a living area with television, a dining table and a washroom. The aforesaid list of amenities are more than one can ask for living in a van. Outside the van you get your own front yard which leads you to the private beach. There was a cute siting arrangement just adjacent to our caravan with a bamboo sunroof where you can chill with your friends over bonfire & sheesha. For an additional charge you can also get some additional services like Jacuzzi and barbecue. 

I spent the early morning hours at the beach soaking up some sun and the rest of the day lazying inside the caravan. I have to admit, staying in Caravana wouldn't be the best idea during summers as it was too hot to go outside after 10am in the morning. I would rather visit Caravana during cooler months, to make the most of private beach. We cooked our own meals for lunch, the front desk was generous enough in helping us with groceries from a nearby shop. At night we did manage to order from Zomato, there were quite a few restaurants delivering to caravan. However, getting to the hotel was an issue with the delivery person, even they couldn't track down the caravan successfully through Google Maps.

Evenings were rather cool, watching the sunset was my favorite part of the day. At night, fairy lights lit the entire area, making it look like a live image from Pinterest. Also, there are various  adventurous activities to do like, horse riding, paragliding, cycling, fishing etc at close proximity from the caravans.

Living in Caravan is the ultimate way to bond with your family and friends and I would highly recommend you all to experience the same but during cooler months of course. You can book your stay online here, the room rate ranges between 700 to 1200 AED depending upon availability and the size of caravan you are opting for.


Surreal!!

Friday, 9 March 2018

Escape To The Hills With Mayfair Gangtok (Part 2)

Hello Chicas,

In my last post I talked about my visit to Darjeeling, if you haven't checked it out yet, you can read it here. Our stay in Darjeeling was a pleasant one as we didn't really occupy ourselves doing touristy things but spend our time lazing around in the resort and revisiting some of our favorite cafes where we enjoyed the sunset over some croissant and coffee. After spending a couple of  days at the Mayfair Resort Darjeeling, we left the property with a heavy heart for Gangtok on the third day of our trip.


Last breakfast at the Mayfair Resort, Darjeeling

Reaching Gangtok


 We took a private cab to Gangtok which cost us INR 2400. The distance from Darjeeling to Gangtok is approximately 98 kilometers and it takes around 4 hours to reach Gangtok. On our way to Sikkim from Darjeeling, River Teesta added beauty to the journey. We stopped by the River Teesta View point also popularly known as Lover's pointIt's a famous tourist spot where travelers stop by to enjoy the lovely view of the river from the mountains. The emerald green water gushing downwards with mighty force kept me occupied halfway through the journey.


At the River Teesta viewpoint

Mud house with colorful windows


My experience at the Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino Gangtok


After a journey of 4 hours we finally reached our destination, Mayfair Spa Resort and Casino, Gangtok. The property is located approximately 10 kms away from the main Gangtok city and is spread across an area of 49 acres. A huge fountain in the form of a rotating globe was the first thing we saw on entering the resort. I was completely in awe of the magnificent villas and the colorful walls of the lobby which has rare and historical photos of Sikkim. We were welcomed to the hotel by the staff who served us tea after which we were allotted a room in the forest villa for Day 1 of our stay. 

An elevator and a brief golf cart ride later we reached the fern villa. As the name suggests, the villa was surrounded with trees and it almost felt like we were living in a forest. Our room was extremely spacious with a gorgeous balcony where we had our morning tea. We had our breakfast and lunch at a cute animal themed cafe next to our villa called "The Jungle CafĂ©" which served mouth-watering local Sikkimese delicacies. For dinner we opted for Orchid, a grand dining area with magnificent bell shaped chandeliers. We had a larger than life dining experience at the Orchid. The restaurant was huge and had an array of buffets ranging from Chinese to Indian and Continental.

On day 2 of our stay at Mayfair Gangtok, we were allotted the Grand Villa, one of the best suites available at the resort. These Villas were located in an extremely private and exclusive part of the resort and consists of a grand bedroom, a plush stately living room and a large sun deck. The entire living area was tastefully decorated, I could spend my entire day just staring at the beautiful vintage interiors. The deck had a stunning private rock garden and an artificial waterfall that flowed into the temperature controlled dip pool. One of the major attractions at the resort is the swanky Mahjong Casino attached to it. The Casino was huge and I was mesmerized by the beyond beautiful paintings which adorned the walls. Casino Mahjong is the first full-fledged live onshore casino to be opened in India. It is open 24/7 and serves delectable food and beverages. 

 Wonderful ambiance, attentive service and world class amenities are some of the factors which made our stay at the Mayfair Spa Resort & Casino a blissful one. The staffs at the resort were extremely friendly, polite and helped us out in every possible way with a smile.

The hotel provided a special sort of tranquility far from the hustle bustle of the city of Gangtok. The most cherished moment I would remember from my stay at the resort would be the early morning coffee time in the balcony of our room with the spectacular view of Rumtek Monastery in the hills. Such a charming retreat indeed.

Just a wee bit excited after entering the property
Soaking in the grandeur of the place 

Thursday, 25 January 2018

Escape To The Hills With Mayfair Resort Darjeeling (Part 1)

Hello Chicas,

If you follow me on Instagram you must be knowing about my recent escape to the hills along with my travel bud Jyotika. If I had to choose between mountains and beaches, it will always be mountains for me. Mountains just feel so much closer to heaven to me. A couple of months back I was invited by the Mayfair Resorts to review their property in Darjeeling and Gangtok. I was super excited about the trip although it was going to be my 5th visit. That's the thing about Darjeeling, every time you visit this place it feels new and its something which I always connect to, probably because of the good old memories of the trips I have had with my family here in childhood. This time I decide to avoid doing the touristy things and soak in the beauty of picturesque hills. In this post I'll be talking about my trip to Darjeeling and my experience at the Mayfair Darjeeling Hotel; the Gangtok travel post shall be up next week.

Reaching Darjeeling

Commonly known as the "Queen of Hills", Darjeeling is a small hill station situated in West Bengal, around 620 kms from Calcutta and is particularly famous throughout the world for its production of tea. You can either catch a flight to Bagdogra, the nearest airport to Darjeeling or take a train to New Jalapaiguri station and get a taxi or a shared jeep if you're travelling on a budget. You can also catch the toy train  which leaves NJP station in the morning (around 9 am) and takes about 7 hours to reach Darjeeling.  

Our flight was scheduled at 1 pm however it got delayed for a couple of hours due to some technical emergency. We made the most out of the spare hours in the airport by capturing my airport look. I wore a pair of snap button track pants with plaid bomber jacket which kept me cozy without having to compromise on my style quotient. After almost an hour we landed at the Bagdogra airport and booked a taxi for INR 1600 to Darjeeling. There are a plenty of taxis available outside the airport, you just have to haggle hard to strike a good deal. Our journey from Bagdogra to Darjeeling was a pleasant one. The road was wide and smooth, with beautiful tea gardens and forests on both sides as long as we were on the plains. However, once we started to climb up the hill, the road became narrow, meandering and treacherous. The journey from Bagdogra airport to Darjeeling is approximately 80 kilometers and took us around 3.5 hours to reach our final destination.









My experience at the Mayfair Resort Darjeeling

The Mayfair hotel Darjeeling is a wonderful heritage property which used to be the summerhouse of Maharaja of Nazargunj. Located right opposite to the Governor house this beautiful property has 44 rooms, cottages and family suites offering wonderful view of the mountains and the lovely garden. Being one of the premier properties of Darjeeling, Mayfair offers all the modern amenities that you can expect.  

We arrived at the hotel around 7 pm and were greeted by the staff with a sachet after which they served us Darjeeling tea. The property from the outside looked magnificent and was done in bright red and yellow colors. The resort landscape had a mix of a small temple and a vibrant garden with statues and gnomes. The Victorian clocks and antique mirrors exuded old world charm. The interiors of the resort has been done in beautiful yellow and red walls full of photo frames which took us back to the era when it was constructed. We were allotted a Deluxe room which had a wonderful view of the mountains. The room was quite spacious and had beautiful paintings and antique mirrors, the walls were done in red and yellow colors with a dash of floral furnishing which gave a vintage vibe. The furniture and decor was modern, well maintained and yet blended in perfectly with the heritage tag. The best part was the fireplace which kept us warm in the freezing weather. The staffs were very attentive and looked after all our requirements efficiently. I have to say that their room service was impeccable, a perfect blend of warm hospitality and prompt action.

We had our meals at Magnolia which served Indian, continental and Oriental food. I personally loved the breakfast and lunch buffet which has so many options to choose from. There’s a small gym across from the restaurant and a game room next to that. The hotel also has a huge library where we spent our evenings reading about the tea estates by the fire place. 


The serene environment, beautiful interior, delicious cuisine and warm hospitality are few of the things I loved about the Mayfair hotel and I would highly recommend you all to pay a visit to this marvelous property. The charges for the Deluxe room is INR 10,000 approximately.





Light & Shadow play outside our Deluxe Suite

Thursday, 21 September 2017

Mini Staycation at Raichak on Ganges

Hello Chicas,


I had been yearning for a vacation for the longest time and one fine day I was surprised to receive an invite to review the property Raichak on Ganges. I was super excited to travel after so long and that too, along with my travel bud Jyotika. Raichak on Ganges is a first of its kind development in Eastern India, and was the first in Eastern India to make it to the league of small luxury hotels of the world. It is a 100-acre project being developed by Ambuja Realty. Opened in 1997 as a landmark in West Bengal, today it proudly stands as a piece of art amidst 65 acres of landscaped greenery against the backdrop of the river Ganga and a stroke of the blue skyline beyond.


The property comprises of the Ffort Raichak luxury hotel, a boutique resort called Ganga Kutir and the Anaya destination spa, along with numerous country homes that dot its landscape. The hotel also treasures some memorabilia of the British period, which include a clock, a grand piano, perfume bottles and swords. You can also visit the port city of Haldia situated on the other side of the river Hooghly.

Getting there

Raichak on Ganges is situated just 50 kilometers to the south of this bustling city and is a quick 90 minutes drive from Kolkata. We booked a car to reach the resort and the two way journey cost around INR 3500. As there is no direct route by train to reach Raichak, I feel that renting a car is the safest option. The ideal time of visiting Raichak is during the period between October and March, when the temperature drops down and becomes pleasant.

Day 1 at Ganga Kutir

We were greeted by the staffs with refreshing watermelon welcome drinks and headed towards the Ganga Kutir which boasts of a perfect hybrid of traditional elegance and modern luxury. The resort consists of tastefully done up rooms, a library, as well as a pool whose edge melds into the waters of the river. We stayed at one of the Deluxe rooms which was very spacious and gave a spectacular view of the pool overlooking the river. After taking a tour along this part of the property, we headed off for a quick dip at the pool which was followed by breakfast by the pool area. After freshening up, I dressed up in a comfortable maxi for lunch at Reflection. I was mighty impressed by the buffet spread, they had a special Bengali theme buffet and I really enjoyed the fish curry. Post lunch we clicked some pictures at the garden area. The maxi turned out to be a savior as the weather was quite humid. After a stroll in the garden area we headed out to explore the Ffort area.

Day 2 at Anaya 

We spent our second day at the Anaya Kutir where we got our own duplex. The interiors of the villa has been done in blue and white which exuded Santorini vibes. The ground floor has a living area and a small kitchen while the first floor comprises of the bedroom and the bathroom. I felt the bedroom was too compact with a very little scope for movement inside the room. However, the living area was pretty spacious and it straightaway opened to the courtyard with a huge swimming pool. The Anaya Spa building has the look of a rammed earth construction on the outside. Two types of facades clad its exteriors; red brick and a central dome like structure that is clad in shimmery white mosaic. Day 2 was again super relaxing, spent most of the time lazing around at the villa and spoilt myself with a luxurious spa session at the Anaya Spa by L'occitane. You can read more about my experience at Anaya Spa here. For our meals, we headed to the Reflection at Ffort. Again the a la carte menu was quite impressive with a vast option of different cuisines. We tried a few North Indian dishes and my favorite pick was butter chicken. A special mention goes to the walnut brownie served with salted toffee sauce which was truly heavenly. However, I feel they should work on their breakfast menu. Although there were many Indian options for the breakfast, the English breakfast menu was very limited and not up to the mark.


Things to do at Raichak on Ganges
  • Pari- A river cruise to catch the first rays of the Sun. Pari has a 50 people capacity on the Lower Deck in the Air-condition boardroom. The Upper Deck naturally is open-air and can accommodate 60 people comfortably. It is the perfect set sail experience on one of the most beautiful rivers in the world.
  • River Side Walk- Immerse into the serenity of the Ganges by walking along the pathway, designed exclusively to provide with the best experience of the river.
  • Cycling- Bring back childhood memories as you ride around the beautiful resort, soaking in nature and modernity alike.
  • Paddle Boating- Steer your way through the beautiful waterway at The Ffort Raichak with paddle boats. Another way to revive your childhood memories with your friends and family.
  • Gymming- For all those who like to work out while travelling the Magna Charta Gym offers state of the art equipment to sweat it out.
Raichak on Ganges is a perfect getaway to escape the hustle and bustle of the city life and enjoy amidst the nature. If I had to choose among the two resorts I stayed at, I would pick Ganga Kutir as represents a perfect blend of traditional aesthetics with modern luxury.
Picture Courtesy: Jyotika Baijal

Ganga Kutir

Tired but always ready to pose!:P

Deluxe Room in Ganga Kutir