Showing posts with label Delhi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delhi. Show all posts

Weekend trips


This happens to be the first post from my phone, for which I am using the blogger app. Working for a tech magazine has its advantages. But more importantly about today's post... weekend trips and one day get aways.

The whole point is to "get away" right? From the madness, the chaos, the mundane routine, the people in your face and space... if you live in Mumbai, or any such eclectic and crowded city you will understand why weekend trips are like the relief a passing cool breeze can give on a sizzling hot summer's day.

So the last weekend, we took off to Atgaon, next to Shahpur, which is on the way to Nasik from Mumbai. We stayed at this rustic, quaint place called The Hidden Village (site link). It's barely a two and a half hour drive if you leave early enough and is located inside the Atgaon Village.

Surrounded by nature and the wilderness, you can go trekking to the near by lake and take a dip. I believe there should be a waterfall if you happen to go there during the monsoons. There is a play side area for children and activities like pool, carrom, a foosball table for older children. All your meals, veg and non-veg are provided by the resort, they're like home-cooked meals, hence really yummy.

What I really liked was the swimming pond, which was in reality a humongous tank pumping in fresh water from a near by well. A super and refreshing concept, if you ask me. There was also an actual pond in the resort with gigantic toads, ducks, millions of tiny fish and snakes. I decided to spend some time sitting by the pond to catch up on my reading and I saw a turtle and the fish ripping a snake apart - definitely a scene out of national geographic. Another first. It was amazingly fascinating.

Other day trips to Gorai happen as often as we can help it. By we, I mean my husband and me. Only recently we discovered Aksa beach and I was surprised by how clean the beach was, compared to other beaches in the city. Other day trips this year have been to Delhi this year due to work, during which I manage to steel a few hours to enjoy yet another facet of the capital city.
@Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon
@Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon
@Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon
The quaint scene from our room @The Hidden Village, Atgaon
@my husband at peace taking in the lake side view near the Hidden Village

A week in Delhi

Dazzling Delhi
Second week of December I was off to Delhi to spend a week of quality time with my sister. My agenda was to enjoy the weather and shop. Sight-seeing was barely even part of the itinerary.

The List: M-Block, Sarojini Nagar, Janpath, Lajpat Nagar and Carol Bagh.

It was an extensive list to begin with and the budget was pretty tight. Inspite of the hurdles I managed to cover most of the above and managed to buy sweaters, stoles, t-shirts, harems pants and lamps for the sister, mother, boyfriend, birthday girl, aunt and myself. My verdict: Sarojini is by far the best place for street shopping.

Other highlights: Steaming Tandoori Momos from QDs melt in your mouth and the best thing is they don't even taste like momos! A must try!

Image courtesy: hinduonnet.com
The All American Diner: My sister took me here for their breakfast buffet. Each of us opted for the slightly steep but totally worth it, unlimited buffet and what a jolly good time we had! What to expect? Egg pies, croissants, breads, muffins, cereals, fruits, juices, it was typically filling, English breakfast.The ambiance as you can see in the picture is flashy and extremely vibrant with an interesting collection of vintage ads and photographs of cars, bikes and an entire wall dedicated to Elvis Presley! True shinning brilliance. Situated in the Habitat Center, the American Diner is an exuberant experience that also empties your pockets.
Official Website

The legendary hot chocolate fudge. Try it!


 Nirula's


 This place is synonymous with hot-chocolate fudge. They were the
 first to bring the yummy dessert to india....Hmmmmmm.
 Got distracted there with the memory of the vanilla ice-cream oozing with rich chocolate, topped with chocolate chips and nuts.......hmmmmmmm!

 Its another thing to enjoy ice-cream in freezing 7 degrees temperature. Its a different kind of ecstasy as the chilling ice-cream goes down your spine and you shiver with delight. A first for me.

 For the entire menu of the restaurant, check the official websites here , here and the wiki.

ps:  The last poll results were quite uncomplicated: Qs: What do you eat when abroad/out of town. 87% people said local cuisine, whereas one person said Indian food, Italian, 5-stars, fruits, Thai and Chinese got no votes. Well done voters! Great choice. Local cuisine should always be examined and savoured!