Resort review- Sugati Beach Resort, Diu- India

Sugati Beach Resort

The Sugati Beach Resort is one of the finest 3* beach front resorts in Diu that provides a divine experience .

Sugati Beach Resort has been designed to evoke the poetry, history and romance of 15th century Portugal. It creates an ambience which is visually stunning - with medieval oil paintings, artefacts, tile work, heraldry and stained glass set amidst a lush green environment and calm water body.

Ambiance at Sugati Beach Resort

The Sugati Beach Resort, rightly called the Eden of Paradise is the only hotel on the strategically located Ahmedpur – Mandvi – Ghoghla Beach. Spread over a sprawling 11,000 sq. meters, the hotel opens out straight onto the vast expanse of the deep blues of the sea. The beach is simply irresistible to all and sundry.

Water sports at Sugati Beach Resort

View of a section of Sugati Beach resort

Next day morning was a divine and blissful experience of sunrise at the backdrop of Arabian sea. It was so refreshing that I have written a special article on that. We then had our breakfast in the room’s balcony itself and relaxed. View from our balcony was beautiful. We could see the sea as far as our eyes could reach. After this we checked out and bid goodbye to the resort and moved on to next part of our journey- The Sasan gir forest.

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Nidhi K.M

Gir National Park , Sasan Gir , Gujrat

Gir National Park

The Gir National Park and wildlife sanctuary is located about 65 km south east in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. It is about 80 Kms away from Verawal and easily accessible by road from there.

Jungle

Gir National Park is one of the India’s finest wildlife sanctuaries located in Gujarat. This national park is set up in an area of 1412 square km. of lush deciduous forests. This national park was established on 18th September 1965 as a Forest Reserve to conserve the Asiatic lion which roamed freely two centuries ago throughout Middle East and some parts of India. Since 1884, Gir National Park has been the only habitat of the Asiatic lion. During the British Raj, lions were hunted mercilessly by the British officers assisted by the obliging Maharajas and Nawabs. The Government of India banned the hunting of lion in the mid 1960 and now this park is open only for the photo safaris.The Gir National Park is now a major tourist attraction in India. About 300 lions are found in this park. Sasan, with a forest rest house, is the headquarters of the sanctuary.

Deers in their herd

Jungle Safari in the Gir National Park

You can visit the Gir National park by having a jeep ride with a guide. The Gir Forest Department also organize “Lion Shows”. They make sure that you can see the lions at close range so they send trackers early morning on a mission to the located places and tempt them with live baits.

Family of Lions

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Nidhi KM

Sabakuch.com launched by bollywood actress Richa Chadda

Sabakuch.com- India's first Global social networking platform

New Delhi, April 22, 2015: Sabakuch India LLP launched India’s first global social networking platform at the Films Division Complex in New Delhi.  Bollywood actress Richa Chadda was the chief guest at the event and launched the platform.

Richa Chadda lighting the lamp at the launch of Sabakuch.com

This unique platform offers its users the best of three different worlds of social networking. The three Avatars offered to the users by Sabakuch.com, relieves them from the pain of logging on to three different platforms to fulfill different needs. Not only that, the platform also offers other features like E-learning, Music, Chat, Games, Email and much more.

Ribbon cutting ceremony

“It is exciting to be a part of such a unique concept launched for the first time in India. I especially liked its Trio Dashboard which gives me an overview of three of my different profiles on just one page. My best wishes for the success of Sabakuch.”  Said, Richa Chadda at the event.

Richa Chadda being honoured as the Chief Guest on the occassion

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Nidhi KM 

Rann Utsav in Vibrant Gujarat

Rann Utsav

Rann utsav - A unique cultural extravaganza is a perfect holiday destination for travelers all around the world. Gujarat never fails to amaze and its amazement lies in a celebration of life , a love affair with Rann of Kutch with the largest tent city situated in the Dhordo , in the heart of the Kutch District. Organised by the Gujarat Tourism it reflects and captures  the uniqueness of this region. It’s a perfect place for eternity with vast sands and picturistique landscapes welcoming you with open arms and giving you a visual treat. Just to be a part of this soujourn is a lifetime experience and leaves you with loads of memorable memories.

Entrance at Rann Utsav

Last year, over 12,000 tourists from across the world flocked to the fair and returned home with a bagful of lifetime memories. This celebration is rightly called the “Rann Utsav”. Rann is no ordinary land , it’s infinite vast and endless. It is the most amazing tourist destination to travel to, with friends or family either on short weekends or on long sojourns for passion, adventure and celebration. The Spectacular site of a glistening White Rann under the full moon along with various glimpses of Kutchi Culture, Handicrafts and outdoor activities make this desert carnival a perfect holiday destination.

Clock tower

A riot of colour sprinkled on the white salt desert, a quirky profusion of design, as far as the eye can see, a fascinating blend of culture; peeping from the folds of a semi-arid landscape. The deafening quietness of night pierced only by the haunting notes of a Surando, mesmeric twirling of silver-bangled women, outfitted in layers of hand-embroidered appliqué lehengas (long skirts) or turbaned, moustachioed men in loin clothes and short skirts, heads bent and swaying as they play their goatskin drums with religious fervour, leisure rooms, recreation centers, library, spas , dining halls, arcades, swings for kids, battery operated cars and what not! When all these elements come together, the outcome is RANN UTSAV. A mosaic of exquisiteness, set against the luminous beauty of Kutch. On full moon night during Rann Utsav, the region wakes to an endless cycle of dance, music, art and craft in a celebration. This is the best time to visit Kutch, when the region brims with hospitality, vigour, magic and mythical flavour of Rann.

Panoramic view of tents

Staying options at Rann Utsav

Premium Tent, is the most luxurious tent out of total the four types of accommodation available. This tent is of approx. 44 sq. mt in area. It comprises of porch, double bed with a cosy sitting area inside the tent. It has wooden flooring in Tent area and Pucca Tile Flooring in Bathroom area. Besides the basic amenities, these tents are equipped with Air Conditioners & Heaters.

Tents lined up in a block

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Nidhi KM

Mocktails & Smoothies by Delhi Daredevils@ JW Lounge

Delhi Daredevils gathering at JW Lounge

Delhi Daredevils being in JW Marriott, Aero city, New Delhi are talk of the town these days. I was super excited to be part of Mocktails and Smoothie making session by Delhi Daredevils. Seeing esteemed players right in front preparing smoothies and mocktails was cool!

JP Duminy understanding the method of preparation from Beverage Manager Ankur Chawla

At first Jean Paul Duminy was invited to create an innovative Mocktail named as 'Duminy's Hatrick-Panna'. The way he prepared the Mocktail clearly showed he was perfect at making mocktails and really enjoyed doing so.

JP Duminy preparing Mocktail

After Duminy made Mocktail in an interesting way, we got a chance to taste the drink which was very refreshing and cool. Perfect breezer for summers.

JP Duminy shaking ice with ingredients of Mocktail

JP Duminy tasting 'Duminy's Hatrick Panna'

Zaheer Khan had a stint at 'Zaheer's York-khus'. Zaheer said he was used to making such drinks as there were times when he used to be totally independent and had to do all this on his own.

Zaheer Khan understanding mocktail preparation

Gurinder Sandhu tried his hand at Sandhu's Bouncer Mary. Albie Morkel prepared 'Morkel's All Honeydew Rounder' where Mayank Agarwal enjoyed making 'Mayank's BMW Cooler'. 

Zaheer Khan preparing mocktail

It was an interesting session with the presence of our favourite cricketers.

Recipes of Mock tails by Delhi Daredevils

Duminy's Hatrick-Panna

•Ingredients :-

–Pineapple Panna – 60ml
–Betel leaf – 2-3 pcs.
–Fresh Pineapple Juice – 120ml
–Crushed Bell pepper
–Pineapple Triangle - Garnish
•Method :-
–Shaken
•Price :-
–Rs. 440/-

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Mayank Agarwal preparing BMW cooler

Mayank with Mayank's BMW Cooler

Nidhi KM

Delhipedia changes the game

Delhipedia

DELHIPEDIA is a youtube channel and a digital magazine that is an encyclopedia about the city Delhi and its hidden unexplored cultural, heritage monuments, crowd-happy bazaars, platefuls of delicious food and many more.

Arjun Pandey, the man behind the concept of Delhipedia

I was invited at the launch of this application. I personally loved this concept as these days Delhi is more considered as a stop over for transit whereas Delhi is a hub of activities, from cultural to music, to adventure sports all you need to do is scratch the surface and I want people to remember about Delhi as a happening place rich in cultural and other treasures.

Aeroplanet

We were taken through the concept of Delhipedia along with the videos of various locations/destinations in Delhi that are worth visiting but are not known. Some were popular locations as well. I had taken few stills from the session.

Activities area for kids at Aeroplanet

They showed us a video about Aeroplanet Govt. of India approved aviation institute, which has positioned two big jet airplanes Airbus A 300 & CRJ 200 in Dwarka, New Delhi. It is unique project launched for the first time in India where people of all age group can board the real airplanes & prepare for safe Air Travel and learn how to use the safety belt, life jacket, oxygen mask. People can avail the rarest opportunity to see the cockpit. A large number of people particularly children from in and outside India have visited the aircrafts and enjoyed passenger cabins and cockpits. The ambience of the aircrafts gives a real air travel feel as air hostesses and flight stewards serve in air-conditioned passenger cabin.( Source Aeroplanet.com)

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Nidhi KM

Noodling @ Le Belvedere , Le Meridien- Delhi

Restaurant Le Belvedere at Le Meridien

I got an opportunity to explore a conglomeration of variety of noodles by the master chefs at Le Belvedere , Le Meridien- Delhi. The event was hosted by Ms. Anasuya Basu, Director of Marketing Communications, Le Meridien.

Ambiance at Le Belvedere

Restaurant Le Belvedere at Le Meridien

The roof top restaurant Le Belvedere being at the 20th floor had a beautiful panoramic view of the Lutyens. It was indeed breathtaking. Wall to wall queue of wall sized windows added to the decor of the restaurant. Seating arrangement was sophisticated with elegantly laid tables and dining space good enough for each table to maintain privacy. I just loved the interiors and the overall ambiance.

Food

Crispy fried chicken

This time it was a noodles session so we had starters first followed by a variety of noodles along with sauted vegetables. Starters were delicious. Chilly fried chicken was mouth watering and non oily while being crisp. It had a perfect blend of spices.

Homemade noodles

After a while we had a variety of noodles - Homemade, Pad Thai, Soba , Udon and Pan fried. Each of the noodles had distinctive taste and preparation. Even the dough preparation was different , I learnt. While having these noodles, I could easily sense the high quality of spices, oils and ingredients. The cutlery used in service was of high quality as well. One would feel hungry and satiated just at the sight of the food and cutlery in which food was served.

Noodling at Le Belvedere

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Nidhi KM

California Walnut Commission endorses walnuts for diabetes

Handbook launch of California Walnuts Nutrition and Health by California Walnut Commission

The California Walnut Commission(CWC), established in 1987 is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The CWC is mainly involved in health research and export market development activities.

California is the second largest producer of walnuts of different colours, sizes. Walnuts should be included in diet for a healthy lifestyle. 

Showcase of handbook during its launch by California Walnut Commission

Dr. H.K Chopra mentioned, we should optimize the nutrition. Longer the waist line, shorter the heart life. Today in 65% of males and 70% of females are suffering from central obesity. The ratio of Omega3 and Omega6 is important. If this is altered, it leads to diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis etc. Salmon fish and walnuts are rich sources of Omega 3 fatty acid. Omega 6 is injurious to health.

Dr. H.K. Chopra, President Cardiological society of India and PresidentWorld Heart Academy & World Wellness Foundation & American heart Association Country Head

Dr. H.K. Chopra said- Fat is a dietary component vital to human growth and development. Our body cannot make certain essential fatty acids, including linoleic (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), so we must get from the foods we eat. This handbook helps advance the understanding of the many advantages of eating walnuts as part of a healthy diet.”

Ms.Geetu Amarnani, Nutritionist and lifestyle consultant

Geetu Amarnani said, “An ounce of walnuts provides 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber, vitamin B1, B6 and E, Folic acid, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, antioxidants and melatonin. This handbook aims to help a wide audience, from children to adults and people suffering from medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity”.

Mr. Keith Sunderlal, India Representative, California Walnut Commission

How to store Walnuts

1. As per Ms. Geetu Amarnani, Walnuts whether shelled or un shelled should be vacuum packed and stored in refrigerator to prevent its oxidation.

2. Only little amounts of walnut can be kept in normal temperature in a closed container.

How to eat Walnuts

1. One must not heat walnut too much as it spoils the nutritional value.

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Nidhi KM

World’s 8th largest chain Value Inns & Hotels enter India

Conference

Worlds Eighth Largest Hotel Chain and part of Vantage Group, Value Inn Worldwide® & Value Hotel Worldwide® have entered India, through an exclusive master license agreement with Miraya Hotel Management Pvt. Ltd.
The VALUE INNS & HOTELS India will be positioned as 2-4 Star quality hotels, depending on location, size of the hotel and product for 30 – 65 rooms. The Value Inns & Value Hotels India will primarily be business hotels offering food & beverage and banqueting facilities for weddings and events.

Press conference on launch of Vantage Hospitality - Value Inns & Hotels Worldwide

World’s most competitive & fastest growing Hotel Chain with over 1,200 properties across United States of America, Canada, South Korea, Indonesia & Mexico, Vantage has given Miraya the exclusive right to develop its international brands in India.

Roger Bloss- Founder, President, CEO, Vantage Hospitality Group

Guests will enjoy consistent quality and exceptional service at each hotel, while owners will benefit from Vantage’s state-of-the-art, global reservation system powered by Sabre Hospitality Solutions, as well as its comprehensive revenue-generating programs and resources that have helped make Vantage the fastest-growing hotel company in the world.

Group President of International Development , Vantage Hospitality Group Inc

About Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc.

Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc., has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in the history of the lodging industry, and is the only hotel company to be ranked among the Inc. 500/5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for eight consecutive years. Supported by the resources of a franchise and the freedom of a membership organization, hotel owners around the globe have embraced Vantage’s philosophy that puts control back in their hands, allowing them to be “In Business for Themselves, Not by Themselves.” Vantage is among the top 10 hotel franchisors based on the number of hotels in its system, with over 1,200 properties worldwide.

Mr. Sudhir Sinha, Managing Director and CEO of Miraya Hotel Management Pvt Ltd

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Nidhi KM