Stunning New Zealand

Anyone planning a trip to this lovely island country? If not, then start planning one - it's STUNNING.
Next post on where to go, hotels to stay in and what to do in the beautiful islands of NZ.

For now, I hope the photos convince you.

Welcome to Paradise - The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa

I forgot to mention 'in Gulmarg'. You know I raved about this place in my previous blog post? And I know it sounds cliched but it's all TRUE.

So our friends suggested this hotel (they should have mentioned 'resort' before) in Gulmarg and I was a bit hesitant in the beginning about hotels in Kashmir, in general. Let alone being worried about the security issues, I was now worried about the supply of running hot water in this quaint little hotel, that I didn't know too much about.

The thing is when your expectations are really low, that's when your experiences are THE BEST! This is exactly what happened with me & hubs.

We were completely blown away by the beauty of The Khyber Resort. Words and pictures WILL NOT do justice to this property and hopefully when you do plan a trip to Gulmarg, you will know what I mean.

This exquisite property is a gem of a resort, with outstanding service, rich Kashmiri interiors and a staff too amicable to be true.

Whilst it is a luxury resort, it has this particular warmth about it that one can find ONLY at home and that's the most charming thing about the resort. The staff and surroundings make you feel absolutely at home, just with quality service at every step.

The resort has lovely rooms (with and without  balconies) rich silk textiles and walnut wood interiors, and the view from every room is spectacular, almost out of a fairy tale. Especially if it's snowing that day and yes, it is quite romantic!

The Khyber resort also offers specialty restaurants, a cigar and sheesha lounge, a mini theatre, children's club, heated swimming pool and a lovely luxurious health club and spa.

This 85 - room resort attracts many ski and trekking enthusiasts and is very close to the world's highest ski life - The Gulmarg Gondola.

The Khyber resort can surely help you with the airport pick up and drop off from Srinagar and you can hire a chauffeur driven car for sightseeing around Srinagar, then to the Gondola and around the little hillside town of Gulmarg.

Tips:

• Travel to Gulmarg between December and March, it is gorgeous!
• Take the breakfast and dinner inclusive package at The Khyber.
• Stay in Gulmarg for a good 5 to 6 nights to experience the beauty.
• Stay only at The Khyber Himalayan Resort (You will thank me).

https://www.facebook.com/KhyberHotels
www.khyberhotels.com

Travel to Gulmarg in Feb - Number one location for Ski Enthusiasts

One has to travel to Gulmarg in February because of it's beautiful snow covered roads and mountains and the scenic view of white tipped Himalayas as the backdrop. We witnessed snowfall and it was absolutely heavenly.

Gulmarg takes about 90 minutes to reach from the main city of Srinagar, with the breaks in between and an exchange point for cars at Tanmarg. And the road towards Gulmarg, from Tanmarg, is nothing less than a Desert Safari, especially when it's snowing. It's bumpy but whole lots of fun and the white tall trees look like something out of a fairy tale.

The best months to visit Gulmarg is from December to February to witness snowfall and during the months of March/ April, one can see a bit of snow around but hardly any snowfall.

There's lots to do in Gulmarg, from skiing, going crazy on the snow bikes and snow mobiles or walking at the peak of Phase 1. We couldn't do Phase 2 because of the heavy fog around and snowfall but were absolutely impressed by Phase 1 with small little cafes right on top serving food and drinks. Although all you can think of, in that cold, is Kahwah or a cup of steaming hot coffee! The only way to get to Phase 1 & 2 is through the Gondola and here is the website of the Gulmarg Gondola.

"One of the main attractions in Gulmarg is the Gulmarg Gondola, the Highest Cable Car in the world. The 1st phase of the Gondola takes tourists to the height of 8530 ft to Kongdori Station and the second stage of the Gondola goes up to the height of 12293 ft".


There are skiing classes and guides if you are a newcomer to the sport and don't worry, everyone's lovely and helpful to make sure your trip back down from Phase 1 is as memorable and safe as possible. (We came back down on the snow bikes, skidding on the ice!)

After the Gondola ride, 8530 ft high at the Kongdori Statio

The restaurant at Phase 1

Vegetarian & Gain Food (LOVE IT!)

At the beginning of the Gondola ride

Tanmarg

I said it was a bumpy ride, eh?

 Get the right gears - photos taken from The North Face

The Northface is the way to go when planning a trip to Kashmir from Dec to Feb.

For those concerned on safety issues, here is an article from The Guardian on how Kashmir is back on the tourist map for travelers and is surely a number one location for professional and amateur skiers

Next Post on where to stay in Gulmarg - my favorite bit!

Don't be hesitant of Kashmir

The less I write the better. That's right, the valley of Kashmir is not just a region of Jammu & Kashmir but it's a beautiful paradise, an uncut diamond and a hidden gem. 

It's beautifully situated somewhere in the Himalayas with clear blue skies, tall trees and snow covered mountains. It's got picture perfect nature, deep forests, gorgeous hilltops, colorful houses with walnut wood interiors, house boats and uber rich embroidery and handicrafts. Oh yes, and don't forget the wholesome dry fruits and rich brilliant shawls and Pashminas. [You guessed it, I went overboard with my shopping!]

Kashmiri food in rich in various spices and full of color with main dishes of mutton (red meat), chicken, spinach and lotus stem. The most popular drink is Kahwah, which is their aromatic herbal green tea preparation with ingredients of green tea leaves, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and crushed almonds. It is usually served with either sugar or honey.

The people are extremely warm, helpful and friendly. The political situation in Kashmir is what makes it a hesitant travel destination for many travelers but I will surely recommend everyone to visit it once, primarily Gulmarg, to see how its beauty takes over all the past disturbances.  

Yes, skip the city, look past the armed forces and visit Srinagar only in the day but surely stay a couple of days in Gulmarg - get adventurous with snowmobiles/ skiing and let the sheer nature and it's simple beauty completely engulf you.

I have finally found my much loved destination and more coming up on where to stay, THE Khyber Resort, things to do and best months to visit.

How to dress in Rome, Italy

Rome in Aug/ Sept is HOT! Venice is a bit rainy and humid, cool in the nights BUT ROME IS SUNNY. Even though I wanted to dress up light, I realized you got to be stylish at the same time. So here are a few suggestions that I have put together on what to carry/ wear when planning a trip to Rome.

1. Slim Fitted Jeans  - I love straight fits and since it's a holiday, even the colors can be light! View it here
2. Carry a few light tops,they go with jeans or shorts, floral is perfect for summers! View it here
3. & 4. I absolutely love Diesel and love their light denims, I love the shorts and the dress (in case you go somewhere fancy, you may need a dress), taken these from SS 13 Diesel collection here

5. You'll need a few camisoles for sure, you can keep it simple yet stylish! View it here
6. Another airy top, although this one's a bit dressy. You never know where you may be heading in the evenings, casual yet chic. View it here
7. Other than Khaki & neutral shades of shorts, why not go for a something colorful and funky? I love these turquoise shorts and I think they look uber - cool. View them here
8. I love linens and I love the length of these shorts. Again, whites go with anything and everything, surely to add them in for any travel! View it here 
9. I'm a fan of Boat shoes and I think they go with Jeans or shorts and they are super comfy, there's lots to walk in Rome! Surely need them. View it here 
10. You can't just be carry closed shoes, you need those strappy sandals that go so well with dresses/ jeans/ shorts/ skirts and I love these yellow ones, they come in different colors - View it here


Now after all this planning, you surely cant go wrong with those accessories. Keep it simple and take stuff that goes with everything! Bags that can be carried on the arm, shoulder or can be a sling when required!

Check out the Coach Jewelry collection here 
Check out the Coach Handbag collection here

Things to do in Bangkok in 2 days

Sorry for the late post, however it's a crazy time at work and we barely have any family time for ourselves this festive season!

So here are a list of things that one should do in Bangkok, especially if it is a super short trip like ours.

Go to one of the malls like MBK Mall for cheap shopping. Everyone says MBK is not great but we got a lot of T-shirts and track pants and pajamas for Yoga and Work outs - there are a few house hold things here and there, although if you are looking for a few-times wear clothes, then MBK is a shopping paradise.

Floating Market is a must simply because the whole concept of shopping in a floating market is quite an amusing one - however, for me, the more amusing thing was how 'brown'/ polluted the water was and yet, there seemed to be hundreds of people wanting to visit it. The hawkers/ stall owners actually live there. Also, it closes by afternoon, so the best time to go there is in the morning or early afternoon and remember to BARGAIN BARGAIN BARGAIN! (BTW we saw a chameleon, fully grown, half a meter away from our boat and were amazed and a bit frightened too!)

Go for an Elephant ride, there is a National park right next to the floating market. I love Elephants, although I was nervous and excited to sit right in the middle of two, by myself.

Go to one of the amazing beautiful serene Buddha temples - we went to Wat Pho (The Reclining Buddha Temple), one of the largest Buddha temples in Bangkok.

Enjoy the nightlife in Bangkok - try the go-go bars and clubs and all 'fun' that's a one - time watch, only in Bangkok. I don't find it the best simply because I have seen and there is better, although there seems to be much hype around it.

Also, we had hired a driver, rather than using the Tuk Tuk everywhere from this agency called Bangkok Beyond and we had a very humble down to earth driver, who knew Bangkok very well, English speaking and the most amusing part about him was his name - Mr. No and we being Indians, everything ended with a 'know?'.

Do share with me your experiences in Bangkok, lots of lovely Thai food and simply RELAX & ENJOY - that's what Far East is all about.

Wat Pho - The reclining Buddha temple

Wat Pho

Mr No

Floating Market

Floating Market  - the houses!

in a TUK TUK - We had to let go of Mr No

The Beauty of Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia, like many other tourist attractions in Barelona, is a must visit for anyone! A huge Roman Catholic church, designed by Antoni Gaudi, Sagrada Familia is quite an extraordinary structure, extremely beautiful and full of powerful and positive energies.

A bit Gothic in design, the detailing of each and every aspect of the church, from the roof to the doors to the inside structure, is just brilliant - one can only wonder what was going on behind the master mind's brains to design something so delicate and yet so strong, to make it last for generations to come

Don't forget to buy your tickets much in advance as there's a long queue at the entrance!

Here is a string concept of the design - it defies the law of gravity - where the strings are the pillars.

Working area of Gaudi, his last days were spent here - it's still kept intact after so many

 years!

Some pictures of the entrance and the inside structure - the detailing is jaw - dropping!