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Must Do’s at Karwar

Karwar is an idyllic island getaway situated 20kms south of the Goa–Karnataka border. It is often known as Queen of Konkan for its scenic beauty. The place is all the more famous, due to the confluence of the Arabian Sea and River Kali, and as per FengShui, such places are assumed to be peaceful. Famous poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote many of his famous poetries near Devbagh beach. 24 Hrs are not enough to get all from this place, but let me pen down things, which you should not miss, while you are here. The best time to be here is between Oct to May.
Stay at Devbagh Beach Resort
It is one of the beautiful properties by jungle lodges, where-in you can experience beaches and get lost in the wilderness at the same time. The place is complete in itself and gives you a soulful experience. I will definitely recommend at least one night stay in the cottages amidst jungle facing sea.

Stroll at Fishermen’s village

Adjacent to Devbagh Resort is the Fishermen’s village, you can take a morning stroll in the village and going through their daily lifestyle, knowing their culture so closely, watching the fishing sessions and quick conversations with them in itself is an enriching experience.

Sea-food at Ocean Deck
If you are sea-food lover, this is indeed the place for you. For all foodies, this is another recommendation from my side. Situated barely at a distance of 100 Kms from Dabolim airport, the place is heaven for sea foodies. Sitting in the midst of back-waters and enjoying your food is a unique experience. What makes this place more unique is its owner, who is very hospitable. You can read more about the ocean deck. For dessert, try out the local Gadbad ice-cream – a combination of local ice cream with nuts and fruits.

Go for Water Sports & Dolphin Spotting
Devbagh being the secluded beach offers an array of water sports. One should go for snorkeling and scuba to experience the beautiful underwater flora and fauna. Devbagh beach resort provides trained professional instructors to make this smooth for you. Apart from this  regular sports like Kayaking, Banana boat ride, parasailing, water-scooter, Speed boat ride, watching dolphins, fishing are a few of the options you can indulge yourself in.


Soak yourself in sand and sun.
Karwar is a land of beaches where you can soak yourself in the sun and can relax watching the waves clearing the sand from your feet and taking all your worries. You can build sandcastles, combine the shore for seashells, and play endless beach volleyball games on the beaches of Devbagh, and Karwar Beach. Karwar beach is popularly known as Tagore beach and is surrounded by beautiful coconut groves. Devbagh beach can be reached via ferries and is popular amongst scuba divers as it has rich underwater flora & fauna along the coastline.


Sadashivgad Fort
Sadashivgad Fort is situated in the Sadashivgad Village of Karwar. Located on a 200 ft high hillock, the fort is surrounded by deep and dense forest areas, and lies along the bank of river Kali.


Bird Sighting at Mangrove Backwaters
If you are a bird lover, then you can take a morning stroll at the mangrove thickest and can sight rare birds. White-bellied Sea Eagle, white-breasted Kingfisher, hornbill, spotted owl are the few amongst many. During winters, flocks of migratory birds can be seen around.

Other Attractions
Other places include the museum, KotShiveshwar, Durga Devi temple, Nagnath temple, The islands of Kumaragarh, Oyster-rock, Anjudeep and Sanyasi that lie off the Karwar coast and can mesmerize you with their scenic beauty.
I would like to thank Dandeli Tourism for giving me an altogether soulful experience in the lap of nature. It is worth a try. Folks!! Pack your bags and get on vacations to Devbagh. www.facebook.com/traveldandeli.

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Ghoomophiro Blog Staycation

Hotel T.A.P. Gold Crest, Bangalore

Located at a mere distance of 35 Kms approx from airport, and away from city traffic and pollution, TAP gold crest is decent choice for business travelers. It is located on Minerva circle and hence has easy access to Kormangala. Major Tourist destinations around the place includes Cubbon Park (03 km), Lokmanya Tilak Park, Lalbagh Gardens (01 km), M G Road (03 km), Bull Temple, Freedom Park, Bangalore Palace and the MG Road, the city centre of Bangalore.

Food, Amenities and Services – The rooms in the hotel are comfortable and decent to unwind yourself after a hectic day.  All the rooms are neat and clean with attached bathroom that have quality toiletries and shower. Rooms have basic amenities and decent décor. The other facilities include free internet access, newspaper, satellite television and in-room safe, tea coffee maker etc. Highlight of the hotel is 24 hours check in service, that makes stay more comfortable and hassle free for business travelers. Hotel offers business centre which can be used for meetings and conferences. Staff is simple and available 24*7.

Entrance Gate
Hotel Lobby

Facilities like travel desk, which helps your travel across the city and currency exchange is also present along with laundry and dry cleaning service. Iron board can be provided on request.  An oval shaped Atrium is maintained with pool table and billiards table, where-in guests can relax and make them comfortable. In house restaurant is available, which serves quality and healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Buffet spread is value for money and food quality is decent. Staff is courteous and quick to respond to the requests. My locker was not working; they change it immediately when asked for. Overall it gives you a good deal in the low budget. It is a budget hotel with value for money.

Well Maintained Bed Room
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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

Courtyard By Marriott, Ahmedabad

Courtyard by Marriot is located at RamdevNagar cross roads, which is like 20Kms from airport. The places of attraction near the hotel are Gandhi Ashram at an approximate distance of 10kms, Kankaria Lake (12kms), Sidi Saiyad Masjid at an approachable distance of 8kms .

Food, Amenities and Services – I stayed at deluxe room which has carpet flooring and is centrally air conditioned. Room has queen bed, rollaway beds permitted, cribs, pillow top mattress, duvet and chic furniture like chair and desk with ergonomic chair for comfort. Alarm clock, safe , & electrical outlet, iron & ironing board, complimentary bottled water, coffee/tea maker, facility of voice mail, speaker phone, and television with remote control, premium movie channels, cable/satellite & iPod dock are the additional benefits. Bathroom has marble base with shower, hair dryer, robe and slippers, and mirror High speed wired & wireless internet is provided to help the guests.O2 Spa helps to unwind and relax after  hectic day and offers several treatments. I tried their body scrub, which was rejuvenating. Hotel also boasts of having outdoor swimming pool, hot tub and sauna for a relaxing vacation. Gymnasium is also available for fitness freaks. Meeting rooms and conference halls with all audio visual equipment are available. Weddings, receptions can be planned with the help of in house expert who can help starting from deciding the budget to execute the event. Staff is cooperative and cordial. Place is clean and hassle-free. Hotel offers various dining options keeping to woo its guests. Momo Cafe is an in house coffee shop that serves buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner,Sunday brunches and alacarte’. Buffet spread is vast. Shakahari is a fine vegetarian restaurant that offers Avadhi and Hyderabadi dinner. Java+ is an all-night café for party folks.

Buffet Spread at MOMO Cafe.

Hotel promises luxurious and relaxed stayJ

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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

Grand Bhagwati, Ahmedabad

Grand Bhagwati hotel is at the heart of the city. The premises are well connected to important locales and famous landmarks. I stayed at the hotel during the business visit. It took me around 20 min to drive from the airport to reach here. Apparently it is 12 km from the railway station and 1Km from Lad society bus stand. Nearby places include Gandhi Ashram, Akshardham Temple and Kankaria Lake.
Food, Amenities, and Services – I stayed in the deluxe room. The hotel offers spacious and gracefully designed Rooms with all modern facilities like LCD, electric kettle, refrigerated mini-bar, free bottled water, locker safe, etc. Bathrooms are neat and clean with lavish fixtures. Guests can pen down their notes by using executive desks kept in all rooms. Free Wi-Fi enables guests to be online always. The office staff is humble, courteous and ensures to give personal attention to guests.

The hotel provides services like Travel desk, laundry, florist, valet parking, money exchange, luggage storage etc. Overall neatness and cleanliness is maintained across the hotel. The Grand Ballroom is a perfect place for Weddings, exhibitions, receptions, anniversaries due to its beautiful ambiance. Ambiance and MEMORIES are the other two halls designed to organize special ceremonies and conferences, whereas CHANCELLOR’S Room is suitable for intimate get-togethers. The hotel also offers services like wedding planning or event planning to its guests.

The Hotel boasts from the luxurious fine dining restaurant to the young age coffee shop, to the most happening open-air restaurant with its unique A La Carte, each with its own style & identity, to satiate its visitors’ craving. Be it café piano which is 24- hour coffee shop to have chit chat over coffee or Mr & Mrs Somani, which serves traditional Indian cuisine.

Overall, the blend of impeccable facilities to give you a luxurious and privileged stay

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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

Radisson Blue, Ahmedabad

Radisson Hotel is located near Panchvati crossroads. I happen to stay at this place during my business visit to Ahmedabad. The main places of tourist interest in the proximity are Sanskar Kendra Museum (1 km), Sardar Patel Stadium, Manek Chowk, Jama Masjid Mosque, Swaminarayan Temple, Hathi Singh Temple ,Sidi Bashir Mosque, Shaking Minarets, Gandhi Ashram, & Naginawadi, all at an approx distance of 4-5Kms. Iskon Mall is accessible at an approx distance of 5kms, which is the shopping hub of the city and guests can enjoy shopping.

Food, Amenities and Services – I stayed in superior room, which has pastel colored walls, dim lighting, and contemporary décor. Hotel room has all major amenities that include central air-conditioning, LCD TV with satellite channels, mini bar, tea/coffee maker, and electronic safe.  Hotel offers spa to retreat the guests with various massages and treatments. Fitness centre has state-of art equipment where-in guests can do their work-out sessions. Highlight is free wi-fi across property. Office staff is co-operative and ever smiling. The bouquet of services that make the stay more luxurious includes 24 hours room service, concierge, doctor on call, currency exchange, sightseeing tours, valet parking and much more. Business facilities of the hotel include boardroom which is an ideal venue for meetings, business class lounge which is also a great venue for meetings offering all day refreshments and a small meeting room. Antara and Raag are also great meeting rooms. Timpani, is an all-day multi-cuisine fine dining restaurant serves scrumptious breakfast and dinner buffets and alacarte’ delicacies. The Great Kabab Factory serves creative Kababs, rare gravy dishes, an array of Indian breads, seasonal vegetables and scrumptious desserts for amazing dinner. An interior are contemporary with chic style and adds to the experience. Indeed a splendid luxurious property both for vacationers and corporate travelers.

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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

Royal Orchid Central, Bangalore

Royal Orchid Hotel, situated on Dickenson Road is a 4 star property lying in the garden city of Bangalore. It is at a distance of around 36 Kms from airport and 7 kms from railway station. Major tourist attractions like Madivala Lake, Lalbagh Lake, Cubbon Park, Ulsoor Lake, Coles Park, Richards Park (5 km approx.) and Freedom Park are just few minutes away.

Food, Amenities and Services – I happen to stay here, during one of my personal visits to the city. I took superior room which was decently spacious and amenities like hair dryer, Wi-Fi (surcharge), safe deposit locker, mini bar and lady travel kit are available, flat-screen TV, a DVD player and a minibar, cookies are also included.  Bathrooms are lavishly designed with latest toiletries and bathrobes etc. For organising formal and informal events, the hotel offers four well-equipped multi-functional halls- Pinewood, Mapleleaf, Redwood and Orange County .The hotel also has a spa and fitness centre with all modern facilities, so that travelers can have work-out sessions. Ambience of lobby is refreshing, and rejuvenating. Office staff is courteous a co-operative and available 24*7 for their guests. The hotel offers a boutique of facilities for the convenience of guests, which include foreign exchange, travel assistance, valet parking, laundry service, and fitness centre. Hotel offers variety of dining options. Pinxx, a lively 24-hour Coffee Shop, offers an all-day dining menu. Buffet breakfast here serves variety of options for food buffs. The award-winning Paparazzi Restaurant boasts a spectacular view of the city and serves international cuisine. It is a rooftop restaurant on 10th floor. The ambiance is amazing and its one of the best places for a candlelight dinner. Desserts particularly are nice. Overall, I had a peaceful and relaxing stay at the hotel.

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Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Staycation

The Gateway Hotel Ummed , Ahmedabad

Located on the banks of Sabarmati River, hotel Ummed is one of the Taj Gateways property and it lives upto it. Situated mere 1Km from the airport and 8 kms from the railway station, it is in the proximity of places like Central Business District (9 kms), Gandhi Nagar (12 kms), Jama Masjid (9.0 kms), Shaking Minarets (8.8 kms), Sidi Saiyad Masjid (7.9 kms) and Gandhi Ashram (7.7 kms) where vacationers can go and explore the city.

Food, Amenities and Services – Ummed is a refreshing property with its splendid interiors and stylish décor. I stayed in Garden View Room. The spacious air-conditioned room is equipped with a satellite TV, tea/coffee making facilities, personal safe. flat-screen TV and DVD player. Bathrooms are neat and clean with modern fixatures, bathrobs, slippers etc. Executive desk is available for guests to work in all rooms. . Array of modern facilities like multi-cuisine restaurant, fully equipped fitness club, high-speed internet access, secretarial services, rejuvenating swimming pool, doctor-on-call & many such hi-end comforts are been offered.  The staff is very polite and courteous and is available 24*7 for all services.  I was touched by their exemplary service levels with great pre-preps. Travel desk is available, which helps guests in their Ahmedabad city tours. Banquet halls, Board rooms are available with modern facilities for conferences. The dining options in the hotel include GADMenu, a 24 hour multi cuisine restaurant serving scrumptious Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines. It offers buffet breakfast and dinner and a-la-carte lunch. Spread has multiple options for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Narmada Menu, a delectable Indian Cuisine restaurant serves Indian cuisines with live classical music. The hotel offers lavish, cordial, cosy and luxurious stay with its warm services to both vacationers and business travelers and always on top.

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Himalayas North India Rejoice Travel Trends

5 To Do’s at Pangong Lake

Remember the last scene from 3 Idiots movie, when Kareena approaches Aamir in bridal dress and confesses her love to him. That epic shot is from Pangong Lake. The famous lake is 160 km from Leh, and is 14,256 feet above sea level. Nearest airport to reach to the place is Leh airport, from where either you can drive or bike ride to this beautiful lake which makes you speechless and gives you timeless experience. The ride to the lake in itself is scenic as one gets to pass through famous Changla Pass and other small villages. The countryside makes you feel nostalgic and reminds you of childhood paintings. Apparently, it is just the 40% of the lake that lies in India and rest lies in China. The crystal clear blue lake sprawls over an area of 100 kilometers across the borders of two countries in India and China. This is the reason; you may also see the patrolling by the defense personals. It is opened for tourists from May to September, as it is frozen during winters and routes to the lakes are usually closed. During the trip to Leh-Ladakh, one should keep at least 1 night/2 days for the place. Penning down few must to-do’s that one should plan while at Pangong.
Bird Watching at lake
Pangong is bird watcher’s paradise. Though due to salty water, you may not spot much aquatic flora and fauna, but surely you may find migratory birds as the lake is breeding ground for many. Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks are the most common, though.

Stroll at the lake
The serenity and tranquility at the lake will let you spend time with yourself. Evening and mornings are the best times when you can go for a quick stroll around the lake or maybe sitting on the banks to soak yourself in the sun. The clear and crystal water will try to lure you, but you are not allowed to take a dip in the lake, so resist yourself and enjoy just being at the bank.

One night stay with Locals in Home Stays
There are several homestays near the lake. You can pick and choose any of them and enjoy their lifestyle by spending one night with them. Panoramic view from them is usually beautiful, as most of them are near the banks. Cooking rice, chopping vegetables, talking to them in sign language, enjoying with their pets and trying to accommodate with locals is super fun. These homestays are budgeted accommodations and are almost close to Ladakh traditions. Usual price range from 3000 to 3500 inclusive of all meals. It gets really cold in the night, but fortunately good homestays like the camp watermark and eco huts provide you with warm water and other amenities to make the life easy.

Capturing Pangong with your lens
You can never get over capturing Pangong’s beauty with your lens. The place is beautiful especially when the sun shines at its peak. One can identify the three different shades of blue in the water. The landscape is beautiful. The place is indeed picturesque.

Eating Momos at 3-Idiots Point
Momos and Chowmein are famous at these small joints that have come up post 3 Idiots movie. Their Momos are different from what usually eat. You may find spinach momos, which are exceptionally good, and it is advised to have your food at these places, as once it gets dark and you enter homestays, you are left with very less options to eat.

Pangong Lake is the must visit place, on your trip to Leh-Ladakh.

Are you ready to book your tickets to the land of gods this vacation?

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Adventure Himalayas Rejuvenate

Travel just to have spectacular view of snow ranges

About the Place:
Narkanda is a town and a nagar panchayat in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an altitude of 2708 meters on the Hindustan-Tibet Road (NH 22) in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is about 65 km from Shimla and surrounded by the Shivalik Ranges that span a large part of Himachal Pradesh.
It is a skiing resort in winter. It connects Shimla with Rampur and a detour also goes to Thanedhar, the prime apple belt of Himachal Pradesh where Satyananda Stokes started the apple culture. It is home to Apple Jam factory & Apple trading centre.
Good Time to Travel:
The best time to visit Narkanda depends on your reason for visiting. Peak skiing season is usually between January and February, when the slopes are well-covered with snow. If skiing’s not quite your interest, Narkanda’s equally beautiful the rest of the year too.
Autumn – between September and November – is an especially lovely time of the year, when the woods around Narkanda are a riot of gold, orange and red

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Corporate Outings Ghoomophiro Blog Hotel Reviews Relax Staycation

Wonder La Resort, Bengaluru

Wonder La

Wonder La Resort, Bengaluru is located at Mysore road around 70Kms from the airport. I happen to stay at this place during my business visit to Bengaluru. Some of the major places of interest located close to the hotel are Kothi Anjaneya Swamy Temple (Approx. 3km) and Nelligudde Kere.

Food, Amenities, and Services – Highlight of the resort is the huge amusement park attached to the resort, which is surrounded by lush greenery. I stayed in the deluxe room which came with all modern facilities. The room is spacious, comfortable and cozy. Basic room amenities include air conditioning, hairdryer, iron, minibar, newspaper, refrigerator, safe, telephone, tea/coffee maker, bedside lamp, channel music, cookie tray, LCD TV electronic safe and express laundry service among others. Bathrooms are neat and clean with modern facilities bathrooms, bathrobe, slippers, shower, etc. Wifi is complimentary across the property. The resort offers Swimming with regulated temperature and is the highlight of the place. The well-equipped gym is present for fitness enthusiasts to keep them fit. In order to unwind, guests can use recreational room that has a pool table, foosball, etc. Services include 24-hour front desk and room service,  ATM/cash machine, parking, travel desk, wheelchair access, 24-hour security, and bus parking. The resort has 4 banquet halls including one at the open terrace to conduct formal and informal celebrations. All are well-equipped air-conditioned rooms with state of art facilities. Woods & Red Ice retro bar are the two available dining options for guests at the resort. Woods is a thematic multicuisine restaurant where-in guests can satiate themselves with Indian, Chinese and continental dishes. The buffet spread is vast to pick and choose. The “Red Ice” a swish resto “o-bar” where I enjoyed sipping my drink with quick munchies. The resort truly gives a break from the hustling schedule.

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