2015 was
supposed to be just another year. But it was not. It was a year where I overcame
many fears, left a lot of negative thoughts behind, found my strength and for
the 1st time in my life, completed my New Year’s Resolution.
On 31st
December, 2014, I decided to take up a big challenge – Make 12 trips in 12 months. Big or small, I had to pack my bags and
get out of home 12 times this year. Some trips were planned and some weren’t
but, each one of them has left me with many happy memories which makes this
year extra special.
To
celebrate the travels I made, I am writing down highlights of each trip which
have been imprinted in my mind forever.
1. Pondicherry (January, 2015)
Had heard a lot about this quaint little Indo-French town and I decided
to start my year with Pondicherry.
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Chennai – Mumbai
Drive: Chennai – Pondicherry – Chennai
Must do’s:
Watch Sunrise at the Promenade, take a walk through the French Quarters
in the morning, have a continental breakfast at the Baker’s Street, indulge in
exotic chocolates at Zuka and enjoy Wood Fired Pizza at Café Extasi
Highlights:
a. Watching the sunrise at the
Promenade was a surreal experience. Living in Mumbai, I have seen the sun set a
lot of times but never got to see this lovely sight. It was soul stirring and magical.
b. Splurging on an amazing breakfast
spread at The Baker Street where we had freshly baked Croissants, Breads,
Quiches, Cheesecakes and so on :)
2. Bangalore (February, 2015)
My best friend Shuchi had moved to Bangalore and I got some very cheap
tickets during a sale and so decided to make this quick weekend trip to meet
her.
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Bangalore – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Well, since we had so much catching up to do, we stayed home for most of
the trip. We did go to The Biere Club near UB City which was fun.
Highlights:
a. On the 2nd day, we had
initially planned to visit Mysore, but the previous night we were so engrossed
in our discussions that we did not realize when the morning turned into noon
and when into evening and finally in night. It was like we were caught up in a
time warp. That day I realized how much I love this girl J
b. I had a flight back to Mumbai at
5:00 AM and so had to leave from Shuchi’s place at 2:30 AM. So with absolutely
no sleep got into a cab and zoomed past the city to reach airport. The ride at
such an early hour gave me an amazingly liberating feeling and in that moment I
decided to finally let go of my past and make a new future for myself.
1 3. Velas (March, 2015)
In my 3rd month, I realized I had already spent a lot on my
previous 2 trips and so wanted to do a cheap one. I found an offbeat trip to a
small village called Velas organized by Mumbai Travellers where we could sight
turtle hatchlings. I asked my friend Dipti if she wanted to accompany and she
obliged.
My Travel Plan:
Bus (Organised by MT): Mumbai – Velas – Harihareshwar – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Take a walk in the village early in the morning and if you are lucky,
you can watch turtles hatching. Unfortunately, we weren’t and we did not see
them L
Highlights:
a. Since it was trip with many
strangers, Dipti and I largely kept to ourselves on the 1st day. In
the evening, at the beach the ice broke and we started speaking to the others
in the group. While returning to our home stay from the beach, the night had
finally started falling and suddenly we see on our right a field full of
fireflies. The entire space was lit up with these tiny little creatures. It was
magical beyond words. And then suddenly, one of them sat on my hand and I was extremely
enthralled yet nervous.
b. A few of us in the group immediately
mingled (though from very different backgrounds) and some of them have actually
become very close to me over the months. We practically meet once a week and do
a lot of things together. So cheers to making wonderful friends :)
4. Kerala (April, 2015)
This trip had been long pending for me and so I finally planned it with
my sis, bro-in law and my school friends. We started off as a group of 7, then
dropped to 5, then dropped to 3 and then finally was only me. I was very
skeptical travelling alone through an unknown place and we had to cancel a lot
of tickets and hotel bookings. So, I decided to be bold and go alone!
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Kochi – Calicut – Mumbai
Car: Kochi – Munnar
Train: Munnar – Allepey & Allepey to Calicut
Must do’s:
For the 1st time I had booked our accommodation at Homestays
and I had a wonderful experience at both Munnar and Allepey. The families were
very cordial and they really took care of me knowing I was a girl travelling
alone. Stroll through a tea garden in the morning, watch a kathakali
performance, take an ayurvedic massage and finally take a houseboat in
Alleppey.
Highlights:
a. At Kundala Dam Lake (near Munnar), I
just stood on the bridge over the lake and was entranced by the beauty of
nature. The portrait captured lake with hills in the background which were touching
the sky and there were birds flying in the sky. The entire scene was enhanced
by some mist and fog. I still have that scenery etched in my mind.
b. As the boat drifted in the
backwaters of Alleppey, I could suddenly see things very clearly in life. What
is important and what are my priorities. In a way, this ride forced me to think
about things which I had kind of avoided for a long time.
5. Bhandardhara (July, 2015)
After a gap of 2 months (My sis was getting married and I was low on
budget as well as time) I had almost given up on my resolution. But then this
trip happened. A very last minute plan. Dipti, Vineet (A friend I made in
Velas) and I decided to go for this trip organized by Mumbai Travellers.
My Travel Plan:
Bus: Mumbai – Bhandardhara – Sandhan Valley – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Stay lake side and visit the Arthur lake. Visit during Rainy season
recommended
Highlights:
a. It was slightly drizzling in the
night and was very cold. We decided to take a walk in the dark and played some
beautiful old songs. The entire road was dark with hardly any light and small
droplets falling on our face made the scene extremely magical.
b. I had seen waterfalls a lot of
times, but never went into one. In Bhandardhara, (despite of my fear of height)
we decided to jump into the waterfall and live the Liril moment :) . It was crazy as the rocks were
very slippery and the water current was strong. But, the fresh cold water on my
face was totally worth the effort!
6. Goa (July, 2015)
My office friends and I decided to redeem our JPMiles and take a free
flight to Goa. It was again a very last minute plan and turned out to be so
much fun!
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Go to Bacardi lounge at Baga Beach and try their amazing cocktail
buckets. Go to a shack and spend time just watching the horizon and of course
party! :P
Highlights:
a. It was the 1st time I was
travelling with Shiv, Sid, Vikram and Roch. So, was a little skeptical in the
beginning to be the only girl in the group. But the boys were an absolute fun
bunch. There were instances where we were only laughing, laughing and laughing
at silly things.
b. The night when we drank 16
cocktails! We had underestimated the power of these colourful drinks and
ordered the entire menu since there was a one+one offer running in Cape Town.
And, rest of the night was… BLANK :)
7. Europe (August, 2015)
I decided to go again to Europe after the awesome experience I had last
year. However, decided to visit different countries this year. Spain, France,
Belgium and Netherlands with a group called The Backpacker Co.
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Barcelona, Barcelona – Paris, Amsterdam – Paris – Mumbai
Bus: Paris to Brussels, Brussels to Amsterdam
Must do’s:
Do not take a fixed itinerary
when visiting Europe. There are so many small places to explore which will not
be covered by packages. Travel by the local public transport and experience the
lifestyle of the country.
Highlights:
a. In Paris, I had a chance to book a
personally curated bakery and chocolate shop visit. Since I am passionate about
baking, it was such a delight to spend the entire afternoon tasting some exquisite
French desserts and watching some famous chef’s whip up their specials.
b. In Barcelona, we had booked a cycle
tour to go around the city. I was cycling after many years and was sure I would
have forgotten how to. But, the moment I held the cycle bars, I completely got
a hand of it. Cycling through the beautiful gothic areas and the calm beach
fronts, I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st day of the trip. And yes, I also
made some sweet friends from the trip.
8. Rajasthan (October, 2015)
I had planned this trip very long back because of cheap tickets. Vikram,
Shweta (Friends I made in Velas) and I decided to experience royalty in the
historical cities of Rajasthan.
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Jodhpur, Jaipur – Mumbai
Bus: Jodhpur – Udaipur
Train: Udaipur – Jaipur
Must do’s:
Visit Ajit Palace Hotel and the vintage car museum in Umed Bhavan,
Jodhpur. Go boating in Udaipur and have dinner at 1135 AD, Amer Palace in
Jaipur.
Highlights:
a. While travelling from Jodhpur to
Udaipur, we had taken a bus. I could not sleep that night as it was a little
uncomfortable. But I completely forgot the discomfort when I saw the moon
through my window. I just put on some super romantic songs on my phone and
watched us race the moon throughout the journey.
b. We had reserved a table for lunch at
a royal restaurant called 1135 AD in Amer Palace. The food was served in silver
ware and was very authentic and yummy. The furniture, the ambience and the
cuisine truly made us feel like royals.
9. Gujarat (October, 2015)
1 week after Rajasthan trip, Vineet and I planned a visit to 2 of the
most beautiful temples in Gujarat - Somnath and Dwarka.
My Travel Plan:
Fly: Mumbai – Rajkot – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Visit Somnath in the night. Though we always prefer going to Temples in
morning, this temple is magical in the night. There is cool breeze blowing from
the sea and the environment is very serene and spiritual.
Highlights:
a. On our way to Somnath, we stopped at
some very unheard caves. Being very adventurous, we got down to explore the
same. As soon as we entered the complex, we saw 4 Peahens and 1 Peacock. It was
such a beautiful sight to behold!
b. 1st night in Somnath, we
were in time for Arti and though I am not a very religious person, I was moved
by the way the ceremony was conducted. There was such good and positive energy
in the temple at that time. Post that we just sat in the temple complex and
Vineet told me many mythological stories.
1 10. Lonavla (October, 2015)
Though technically not a trip planned by me, it was an offsite organized
by my company. We were booked in Upper deck resort in Lonavla.
My Travel Plan:
Bus: Mumbai – Lonavla – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Upper deck is a beautiful place to stay. It faces valleys and is very
beautiful in the morning.
Highlights:
a. I was in my notice period at that
time and hence was very happy to get a chance to spend some time with my
friends. We partied all night and then sat with our feet in swimming pool. We
obviously were laughing like crazy and then just crashed after that.
b. Despite the crazy night, we woke up
early in the morning, sat in the garden and just enjoyed the cool breeze with
sun rise. It was absolutely magical!
11. Pune (November, 2015)
I was craving to do a road trip since very long, and thanks to Vikram,
got to do one. He had some business to attend to in Pune and he invited me
along. Dipti was gracious enough to host us for 1 night.
My Travel Plan:
Car: Mumbai – Pune - Mumbai
Must do’s:
Always have Almond Biscotti from German Bakery! Lunch at Malaka Spice in
Koregaon Park was also fun!
Highlights:
a. Dipti took us to The Corinthian’s
Club in Pune where we spent a fun night. But the highlight of the night was
playing life size chess under the starry sky. Though I quickly lost patience because
we were losing to Vikram, it was an experience to always remember.
b. On our way back, we lost our way and ended up
taking a longer route back to Mumbai. We must have spent at least 5-6 hours on
the road but did not realize how the
time passed as we were engrossed in so many interesting conversations. Our
topics ranged from Childhood stories to stealing ambulances. :P
1 12. Mahabaleshwar (December, 2015)
It started off as a Birthday plan for Vikram with just 2 of us. Then we
asked Dipti and she joined in. 2 of Vikram’s friends decided to join us from
Pune later on. After that 2 of Dipti’s friends decided to join as well. And
lastly Vikram’s friends from Pune asked another friend to come along. So
ultimately we were 8 of us! It was wonderful trip full of surprises J
My Travel Plan:
Car: Mumbai – Mahabaleshwar – Mumbai
Must do’s:
Avoid the most popular view points and just visit some offbeat places
and spend more time there.
Highlights:
a. Though most of us met for the 1st
time, we all gelled very well and despite such short time spent together, we
started missing each other after the trip.
b. The strawberries were definitely the
highlight of the trip. They were yummy and juicy. Top them up with some whipped
cream or dip them in chocolate, they are sure to tempt you more and more :)
And so my
travel diary for 2015 ends… I made so many good friends, spent so many
beautiful moments with them and made so many memories. Thank you God, for
enabling me with money, motivation and opportunities to make these trips :) :) :)
