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Staycation

Review – Taj Palace, Delhi

Located in the Diplomatic enclave which is the heart of Delhi’s government and commercial precinct, Taj Hotel is spread across six acres of land. This luxury hotel is the ideal choice for travelers who wish to soak up the city’s history or businessmen hoping to spend a luxurious time.

Entrance: At first glance, we were mesmerized by the grand look of the hotel. It was no doubt very posh and the interiors were modern but what else can you expect from a five-star hotel? Upon entrance, we were greeted nicely by the staff and the lobby design was incredible.

Rooms:

The room was air-conditioned with an LED and a mini-bar. There was also an electric kettle. The bathroom was a real beauty with modern amenities and a bathtub along with a shower. The hairdryer was also present which shows how much they cared for our comfort. The room itself was very spacious and as luxurious as it could get. With beautiful interiors and walls with textured art, the room was a mixture of modern style with Indian art. With Indian coloured palette and motifs, we experienced swoon-worthy comfort in the huge comfy bed.  There was a lot of space to move around and a fully stocked desk for any of our needs.

Tourist spots nearby:

The hotel is just a fifteen-minute drive away from the airport and 3.5 km away from Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is 6.4 km away from Jantar Mantar and India Gate as well. This makes it the perfect spot for stay for tourists. The location is one of the pros of living in the hotel since the views from the window are also charming. We were in the room with the garden view.

Dining:

There were three dining options. Masala Art was the restaurant serving delicious North Indian food and Orient express offered European cuisines. We alternated our lunch and dinner among the two and were impressed by the taste and quality of the food. Considering that it was a five-star hotel, of course, it was a bit expensive but the food was yummy with ample proportions. There was another option for Chinese food at Spicy Duck and it was equally good.  Additionally, there was a tea lounge at the lobby that also served finger food. And at last, a blue bar for alcoholic beverages.  The interiors of all the restaurants were fine and the service was extraordinary. There was also poolside private dining if you’re spending time with your partner.

 

Special Highlights:

The Jiva Grande Spa is something we have to specially mention because it was a mighty experience. With an assortment of massage therapies, relaxing facials and scrubs, we felt incredibly pampered and fresh. The hotel really focuses on your health as well as comfort. And the spa was the best in the city. There was also a salt sauna room.

With the gym room, swimming pool, golf clubs, there were plenty of things to entertain ourselves with. And the staff was always helpful and courteous. The personal butler service that Taj has going on really made us feel like VIPs

Address:  Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi, India

Overall verdict:

The marvelous hospitality and luxury that Taj offers are one of a kind. They go above and beyond to make you feel at home and it is a wonderfully memorable experience. This is a fine establishment with all the qualities that you want in a hotel. So the next time you are in Delhi, you know where to go.

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Foodie

Explore the Fresh Buns at Papa BunsReview: Papa Buns

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon for us, and team #desiswag decided to explore Papa Buns at Satyaniketan. The place has been on our mind since the launch of book Supercouples happened there.

Location: Shop 286, Satya Niketan

Ambiance: Place is a cute bun bakery with proper lighting and some nice bun quotes written everywhere.

Food: Highlight of the place is the freshly baked buns served directly from the oven. You should not miss ordering Bun Chocolate, which is the chocolate filled bun. Another highlight is bun chow. You have several variations in the same for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Beverages are good to taste. And the menu has sufficient items for you to satiate your tummy and palette.
Meal For Two: ₹ 250
Verdict: If you are near south campus and would want to try experimenting, this is a must go place!!
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Techie Travel Accessories

Lifestraw portable water bottle- A handy water filter for bag-packer

As we were packing our bags for our treks to Tungnath, like always, we were worried about emergency water, and then I was introduced to Lifestraw portable water bottles, which are on-the-go portable filters. We were surprised to experience their efficiency as the filter was able to remove water-borne bacteria by 99.9% from the waters of lakes, rivers or streams, that passed during our travel, thereby making the water safe to drink and since then it has become one of the must-have especially during our hiking and trekking trips. To test the quality of water filtered by Lifestraw, we used water from the pond, mud water, river water and ice, which later melted. Though water tasted little different due to various sources, but yes, it was clean enough.

About the Product

The LifeStraw Go Bottle is simply an ordinary LifeStraw purifier integrated into a screw-top water bottle.The LifeStraw is fitted to the lid and can easily be removed and even used as a standalone filtering straw without using the water bottle at all.

  • Brand: Lifestraw
  • Colour: Blue
  • Includes: One bottle with filter
  • Material: Tritan, food grade plastic
  • Filter cleans up to 1000L of water, down to 0.2 microns
  • Features carabiner for convenience
  • No chemicals used
  • Quantity: 650ml
  • Price-1295 INR

The bottle doesn’t store filtered water. Instead, it filters the water as we drink water, which passes through the filter. Apparently, it requires the force of suction to clean the water.It uses the simplest filtration technology, where-in water is passed through several layers of extremely fine membranes. This filtration helps it to remove the virus, parasites by 99.9%. However, it is unable to filter sea water due to high dissolved salt content. It is made of BPA-free plastic known as Tritan which is being known for its ruggedness and hence bottle offers long term durability, especially in harsh climates. Due to its filtration process, the bottle does require replacement of filter, but it has the capacity to filter 1000L of water. In fact, a bottle does whatever is being promised at this reasonable price.

Life-straw Portable Water Bottle is well recommended as you are ready to bag-pack for wilderness, hiking, trekking or on road trips. This is a quality survivor tool, especially at the places where finding drinking water is a challenge. Kudos to the team, who came up with this innovation and brought the breakthrough in water filtration, which if tapped properly can help millions to drink quality water.

Add the 1Life-straw water bottle to your traveler’s kit today and contribute towards conservation of nature by avoiding littering around of plastic water bottles.

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Beaches Hotel Reviews Rejuvenate Staycation

Luxury Vacation at Taj Exotica at Goa

Taj Exotica is located at Benaulim in South Goa. Popular sightseeing places close to the hotel are Varca beach(6 km) and Colva beach(5 km).  It is like 45 min drive from Dabolim airport. For me, it is one of the best properties in Goa, which is truly luxurious due to its exotic location, grand architecture and a sun drenched atrium. Once inside, you wouldn’t like to move out due to the ample number of activities place can keep you indulged in

Food, Amenities and Services – Taj Exotica has around 140 air-conditioned guestrooms with personal balconies or patios. The room category can be sea-view/garden –view or pool view. We took sea-view room. Bathrooms are spacious with separate bathtubs, showers, designer toiletries, bathrobes and makeup/shaving mirrors. Basic amenities like tea/coffee makers, color television and complimentary bottled water in addition to complimentary newspapers and desks. Interiors of rooms are neutral and exotic. Housekeeping is available round the clock. You can spend the sunny afternoon by lazing around the beach or by playing golf or rejuvenating yourself at Jiva spa or playing indoor games or reading a book on the hammock.

Taj Exotica has event space as well consisting of ballroom, banquet facilities and conference/meeting rooms. The hotel offers a complimentary airport shuttle which is available on request. Additional hotel amenities comprise a library, a coffee shop, and a concierge desk. Special arrangements can be done for birthdays and anniversaries on payment. The experience at the Taj becomes all the more special with the variety of cuisines place has to offer. Guests can enjoy fresh seafood at the beachfront Lobster Shack while Mediterranean cuisine is served at Miguel Arcanjo. Traditional Goan dishes are offered at Allegria. For a nightcap, Adega Cameons Bar serves a variety of drinks. In case, you would want to go ahead with traditional Indian food in Goa, Eugenia should be a good choice.At Eugenia, guests can explore multiple cuisines from Indian to south-east Asian. Buffet breakfast is served at Eugenia and the spread is quite large. An overall property gives an amazing and luxurious ambience to unwind and relax.

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Adventure Central India Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews National Parks Relax Staycation Travel Trends wildlife

Forsyth Lodge- Experiential Lodge to get lost in Satpura Reserve, Madhya Pradesh

Forsyth Lodge, is a 2 hrs drive from Bhopal airport. It is just 10 min away from Madhai gate of Satpura tiger reserve, Madhya Pradesh.

Accommodation: There are 12 luxury cottages overlooking 44acres of land. Each cottage is well spacious, well maintained with best of fixtures. Rooms are comforting; with few of them have machan terraces. As you enter the room, you are welcomed by a beautiful message that talks about wilderness. Interiors are very artistic and remind you “welcome to jungle”. Their walls are made from packed straw, mud and cow dung (as is the local building style) and painted with wild animals and flowers, giving them a whimsical touch. Cottages have private balconies, wherein you can sip your morning coffee, read your favorite book overlooking the great jungle. Air conditioning, Fan, Mosquito net, Extra beds Terrace Bathrobes, Toiletries , Hairdryer etc are available. The highlight of the cottages are their Eco-friendliness. Every small thing kept there is well thought. Everything here is recycled, even the fixtures in washroom are such that, water can be recycled. Basic amenities like swimming pool, spa is available.


Meals: Meals (included in the room rate) are served in various locations around the lodge. Under trees, by the pool, on sofa’d torchlit terraces or in dining rooms. There are Western and Indian offerings at each meal with detailed menu laid out.
Breakfast was equally delicious and plentiful: fruit and fresh-pressed pomegranate juice, followed by eggs cooked to order, grilled tomato, bacon, mushroom ragout and multigrain toast. Out on an early safari? Then it’s a packed breakfast in the middle of the tiger reserve for you.
Afternoon tea, with its fresh-baked cookies and cakes, is nice, but it’s dinner when Forsyth pulls out all the stops: cocktails and nibbles around a roaring bonfire, followed by dinner under the stars, either on a terrace in the main lodge or out in the bush with oil lamps hung from the trees (the bar was set up on a bullock cart!). You start with a soup and then move on to succulent meat curries and fragrant vegetarian dishes served with Indian bread.
#theForsythExperience – Yes, this is what one would call #theForsythExperience, when you are greeted by wonderful hosts Rishi and his team, who work reluctantly to ensure the best experience for each guest, by their constant efforts. It seems these guys are on a mission to bring you close to wildlife. There are multiple activities, which team involves you in. The itinerary planned is power packed, and the day starts with the wake-up call at 6 AM, to go for a walk inside the Satpura Tiger Reserve. These jungle walks are accompanied by great naturalists David Raju and Surya, who let you discover the vast array of species inside the jungle. The highlight of this walk is spotted dears and breakfast in the midst of the jungle. Other excursions being organized by lodge includes Canoeing, wherein you can watch birds involved in soaking in sunlight, as you paddle the canoe nearest to them and watch the sunrise in beautiful Deneva river. One can also enjoy Jeep safari and enjoy the drive with sloth bears, spotted deer, gaurs, bisons and other wild animals in their natural surroundings. I was lucky to get hold of the mother bear with her two cubs in action. The place is a paradise for the bird watcher. Evenings are made beautiful with bonfires and bullock cart dinner experience, where you can enjoy your dinner under the sky in amazingly romantic ambiance. This dinner is usually followed by star gazing, where you are taken to the stories of greeks and Romans. 2 days are little short to complete the experience as there is a lot more to explore with eminent naturalists. Btw, not to miss is the handsome dog there, who is just adorable. It is indeed a recommended place, if you are looking for a getaway away from the city with limited access to the network, and want to get lost in the wilderness. It is the place, from where you would surely not like to come back. It is indeed bewitching and at times gives you the feeling that whole property belongs to you.


P.S-> During Monsoons, Lodge is closed for renovations.
Thank you Forsyth Lodge for the amazing experience. You can reach out to them at Facebook,Instagram,twitter.

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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

Lemon Tree, Electronics City; Bangalore

Located in the heart of Bengaluru’s electronics industrial park on Hosur Main Road, the hotel is in proximity to all major IT giants like Wipro, HP etc making it more suitable for business travelers. Well connected by the new elevated expressway, the hotel is a short 15-minute drive from Koramangala; 40 minutes from M.G. Road; and 30 minutes from Old Airport Road and is approx 63 Kms from the airport.

Food, Amenities and Services – During one of my official visit, I stayed at superior room which is quite spacious with all modern amenities like LCD, tea/coffee making amenities, refrigerated mini-bar, free bottled water, locker safe etc. Room features warm shades of red and abstract prints and offer ‘close to home’ comfort with cozy orthopedic mattresses. Bathrooms are lavishly designed with bathtubs to give you a relaxing experience. Rooms also have a workstation and comfortable chair, and free Wi-Fi which can help you work on your business trip. The hotel also has a spa and fitness center with all modern facilities, so that travelers can have work-out sessions. The ambiance of the lobby is refreshing, contemporary and stylish. The office staff is courteous and is always smiling. They can pamper you to the hilt. Hotel offers variety of dining options. Citrus Café, which is a 24×7 multi-cuisine coffee shop, offers an all-day dining menu including Indian, European, and American and pan-Asian cuisine. Buffet breakfast here serves an array of food items to start your day. Chefs and waiters in this café are very warm and always taking your feedback to make sure everything is in place. Walnut brownie with ice cream is must try. Slounge gives an altogether different experience to the guests where they can play games like chess, pool, PlayStation etc along with sipping drinks and getting cosy and chilled out at the same time. The Republic of Noodles serves pan Asiatic food. Overall, lemon tree hotel is a good choice for both leisure and business travelers

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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

The Metropole Hotel, Ahemdabad

Located close to the banks of the ancient Sabarmati river and about 5 kms distance from the Ahmedabad International airport, the hotel is a centrally located and has easy access to the business and shopping districts of the city. Tourist attraction near the hotel includes, Gandhi Ashram, Bhadra Fort, Teen Darwaza and Jhulta Minar

Food, Amenities and Services – I stayed in the hotel on one of my business trips in executive rooms where-in rooms are very spacious and comfortable. Amenities like LCD, tea/coffee making amenities, refrigerated mini-bar, free bottled water, locker safe etc are available. Rooms have wooden flooring. Highlight of hotel is the themes that rooms on different floors feature, which attracts visitors for its contemporary interiors. Bathrooms are neat and clean with usual toiletries. Rooms also have a workstation and comfortable chair, and free Wi-Fi which provide conducive environment for business travelers. Fitness centre is available for work-out sessions. Hotel staff is courteous and provides facilities like Currency Exchange, Doctor on Call, Laundry and Dry Cleaning services, Airport Transfers, Valet Parking & Travel Services. Moment you enter lobby attracts you for its beautiful interiors. There’s a spacious conference hall in the hotel for meetings and presentations, and a huge banquet hall for business get-togethers. Venice, 24/7 and Valentine are the three dining options available for guests. Venice, is beautiful dining place that serves multi-cuisine dishes. Ambience is stylish. 24/7 lounge is 24*7 coffee shop where guests can nibble snacks across the day. Burgers, and Pizzas are interestingly presented. Buffet breakfast is scrumptious with variety of options available. Valentine is must go if you have sweet tooth. Psalteries, cupcakes and desserts served here can definitely rekindle your love for desserts.

Overall, it is a preferred choice of vacationers, business travelers due to its strategic location.

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