All posts tagged: india

Interesting sights and experiences in Mussorie: Queen of the hills

Published by Anita

In this second part, Mukta Chakravorty comes back with her top 5 experiences of her trip to Mussorie with the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove and Spa. Here are a few of her recommended things to do if you’re planning a trip to this beautiful and serene hill station. Indulge in breakfast by a stream. Imagine sitting in the middle of the water, dipping your feet in cool, crystal clear water, sipping on a cup of tea while you’re served piping hot breakfast. Pure bliss is one way to describe it. We got treated to a one-of-a-kind experience put together by Chef Sunil Kumar and team of the JW Marriott, Mussorie. The stream was just a short trek down from the famous Himalayan Adventure Institute. Tables were set amidst the gushing waters while a sumptuous treat was laid out in front of us. Now, I wouldn’t mind waking up to this kind of a breakfast everyday! Experience mountain roads… on a bike. The long winding roads make it ideal for biking and since I had …

Magic in the Mountains: On the Walnut Trail with the JW Marriott, Mussoorie

Published by Anita

Editor’s note: Mussoorie is a hill station in the Dehradun district in Uttarakhand, situated around 290 kms north of New Delhi. It’s often called the Queen of the Hills, as it is situated in the foothills of the Garhwal-Himalayan ranges. The adjoining town of Landour, which includes a military cantonment, is considered a part of ‘greater Mussoorie’. Fellow travel blog, foodie and writer Mukta Chakravorty recently took off to the salubrious climes of Mussoorie, where she enjoyed the hospitality of the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove and Spa. In Part 1 she writes about rediscovering her love of the hills and appreciating the gracious hospitality of people who live in these parts. It is always the same with mountains. Once you have lived with them for any length of time, you belong to them – Ruskin Bond, Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas The majesty of the mountains never fails to amaze me. I spent the initial years of my childhood in Dehradun, when it still hadn’t become a capital city. From the …

Six reasons why you should travel in the monsoons

Published by Anita

I’m sure there are more, but let’s start with six. In fact, while many tourists shy away from travelling because it’s raining, true travellers will tell you that a place can be enjoyed despite the rain. It’s a mindset that you need to avoid a destination when it rains. Unless, it happens to be a big city. In which case I would say avoid it like plague. You don’t want to deal with clogged roads, drainage overflowing, traffic jams and all the associated issues that the rains bring to our very well planned cities. The view from a tea garden in Pozhuthana, Wayanad Anyway, this is about the monsoons. And why it’s a great time to travel. Any place takes on a different hue during the rains. I was in Goa last year for 3 weeks and had the time of my life despite the torrential downpours. It’s lush and green The valley before you spreads out like a lush carpet. The roads are framed by green trees and grass on both sides. The hills …

Bitten by the travel bug

Bitten by the travel bug

Published by Anita

Looking back, I’ve always been a bit of a wanderer and a gypsy. I’ve always had the yearning to discover, learn, journey and share. I’ve never been happy sitting in one place, one city, one country (and maybe one universe?!). I know – it doesn’t really make for a very stable and predictable career, but it does bring with it experiences that are out of the world. Jumping out of a plane was perhaps the most exciting and nail-biting thing I did last year, but I enjoyed even the mundane walk through a small town where every experience is novel. Experiencing a serene sunset, cycling through rural villages, enjoying a cup of tea by the road side, rafting down a raging river – I would have never known life’s simple pleasures if I hadn’t ventured out of my comfort zone. And I’ve managed to pack a bit in the last year. From diving into the deep blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, to experiencing a royal way of life in Jaisalmer; from a journey …

The X-Files, Part 1: A list of entrepreneurial ventures run by women

Published by Anita

The last few months have been an amazing journey for me. Not only did I take the next steps with my own ceramics venture, MyArtitude, I got introduced to The Friday Convent (TFC), through which I got to know several women who are striking out on their own. The start-ups and ventures range from kids services and education; to event planning and PR; home decor and jewellery to content and photography – the list is endless. Though most of these women are based in Bangalore, most of the services cover the rest of India and even overseas locations. Anything you want – and you can find the solutions or the service. All run by women who have decided to quit their corporate jobs and work on their own terms. An extremely encouraging sign in these times when flexibility has become so very important, rather than being tied to desk jobs. There’s nothing wrong with the latter, of course. In fact, there are definite advantages of the corporate life and climbing up the ladder – a …