Enjoy Monsoons at Avari Hotel , Dubai

Avari Dubai Hotel_Lobby

This monsoon, savor the essence of Dubai hospitality at The Avari Hotel Dubai with its special Monsoon Stay Package. The package has something for everyone to enjoy right from the opportunity to experience the real grandeur and beauty of Dubai with an atmosphere that’s just perfect to unwind and relax. Not forgetting the incredible entertainment, mouth watering food and a spectacular location, The Avari Dubai Hotel promises an adventurous holiday in Dubai.

Avari Dubai Hotel Exterior_Final

One can avail of this exciting Monsoon Stay Package by paying AED 798/- for all 3 nights , one can also extent the stay by paying AED 1,500/- for 6 nights which includes the Avari World Traveler room, welcome drinks on arrival, a sumptuous complimentary buffet breakfast as well as complimentary internet services. That’s not it, in this package one can also avail of the complimentary shuttle to the major shopping centers in Dubai. For the guest leisure and comfort, this package includes complimentary pick up & drop service from Dubai International Airport.

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Nidhi KM

What if coffee n eclairs were not there @ Longitude, Le Meridien

Cafe and Lounge at Longitude

Longitude, the well known cafe in Le Meridien showcased its innovative variety of coffee and Eclairs this Friday, 26th June.

Coffee @ Longitude , Le Meridien

Ambience

As I entered the grand ambiance of cafe Longitude, I got delighted at its sight ( which happens every time I visit). The whole area being surrounded by 20 floor building with art gallery along with quirky lights around , small cabins, lounge and seating arrangement making it a perfect ambiance for networking and personal or professional meetings.

Variety of coffee included cinnamon flavour which I loved as it was an innovation taking the coffee to next level. Another variety included pineapple flavour. Another delicious variety was a cardamom shot named Cafe Aromatic, Thai breeze was another breed to the group. Coffee was a great effort done by Chef Davinder Kumar and team.

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Nidhi KM

 Eclairs at Longitude

Pushkar Resorts- Monsoon Gladness

Pushkar Resorts

Monsoon Gladness

This monsoon make the most of your stay in the holy city by availing exciting offers at Pushkar Resorts!

Pushkar’s foremost luxury property, Pushkar Resorts is nestled amidst the picturesque Aravallis. Sprawling over 15 acres of lush landscaped gardens, it’s a modern day oasis in the ancient city.

The natural setting of the resort creates a seamless flow between the outdoors and indoors, with lush green landscaping, small water bodies and birdcall. The resort houses 4 clusters of 40 cottages with private sit out areas. The rooms are divided into three categories – Standard, Deluxe & superior. The standard room is designed with orange and white walls, the interiors of the rooms exude minimalistic elegance.

Monsoon Gladness

WHAT: Pushkar Resorts Monsoon Gladness

LOCATION: Motisar Road, Village Ganhera, Pushkar, Rajasthan

GETTING THERE: Jaipur International Airport 120 km | Ajmer Railway Station 17 km | Marwar Bus Stand 5 km

Exciting DEAL at Pushkar Resorts

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Takins in Motithang, Thimpu- Bhutan

Motithang Takins Preserve

Interesting Takins at Motithang Takins Preserve

Bhutan's National animal is Takin. Takin was created by a mad saint-Drukpa Kunley as per legends in 5th century. Its front portion is of goat and the body of cow. These animals are found in Motithang Takin Preserve. It was an amazing fact to know that these animals are docile and don't want to venture out even if set free. As a result, they got confined to a certain area leading to creation of Preserve in 2004.

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Article by Neelam

Takin

My first Liebster award

Liebster Award

I am pleased to inform you that I have been nominated for the Liebster award by Ajuli Tulsyan. I feel honoured and excited for the same. My heartfelt thanks to you Ajuli for nominating me for the Liebster Award!

Ajuli Tulsyan is a dynamic and a highly inspiring personality. Her website www.elanmag.in talks about Global lifestyle, experiences, musings and many more under one roof!

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Nidhi KM

Restaurant review- The Project by Park Balluchi

Walk way towards The Project

We went to 'The Project' in the afternoon for lunch.It was June afternoon and hence was very hot.

How to reach The Project

Viharin.com- The Project

Park your vehicle at Hauz Khas village parking and you will find a big board of 'The Project'. Don't park at Green Park.

Ambiance at The Project

Ambiance

Entering Deer Park provided a soothing effect from Sun's heat.It was extremely hot. The walk way from entrance of Deer Park till 'The Project' was very green and nice.The Project is a restauraunt amidst the greenery of Deer Park. As we enterd the restaurant, it was very cool and clean. The Project is a casual dining restaurant. There are varied seating arrangements to provide different atmosphere to different needs of guests. At the entrance, there were sofas for people who wanted to dine in cushioned furniture, then there was furniture giving an antique look to the ambiance which matched grey walls of restaurant.There was ample cooling in the restaurant. I just loved it in the afternoon.

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Nidhi KM

Deer sitting outside The Project

Lion Safari, Chhatbir zoo , Chandigarh

Royal Lion

I had heard a lot about Chhatbir Zoo through my husband who used to cherish his childhood memories of Chhatbir Zoo. While we were going to Barog, seeing an exit for the zoo, we decided to take a chance . It was 8.30am sharp and queue for the entry ticket was increasing.

Lion examining the premises

We got the ticket and headed for Lion Safari which is the major attraction of Chhatbir Zoo. Walkway from the gate till Lion Safari was about a kilometer in which we saw various other animals which I will describe separately.
We all were super excited for Lion Safari. 

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Nidhi KM

Restaurant review- 1135AD, Jaipur

Splendid dining with royal style

Located in Amer Fort, 1135AD is a fine dining restaurant providing a royal experience to guests in terms of ambiance, cutlery and furniture. I had gone there with a group for dinner.

Ambiance at 1135AD

Dining area at 1135AD

1135 AD gives a royal feeling right at its first sight. The elegant seating in open air gives a hint of gracefulness from the beginning. Moving further is the a great Royal ambiance with marvellous regal chairs and magnificent tables. We were served food in silver cutlery which itself was highly impressive. I was really taken by an awe to see all this luxurious environment.

Royal Ambiance

Food

Ambience at 1135AD

We were at first served fish and seek kebabs which were very enticing. I just loved them and yearned for more. Further I ordered a non veg thali which had chicken and mutton dishes along with corn palak. This food was not as per my taste as mutton had no salt at all and chicken was only spicy but no salt again.

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Nidhi KM

Hawa Mahal,King’s Summer Resort in Jaipur, India

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal has always been a curiosity for me because of its name. I have always wondered what constitutes Hawa Mahal. Well my curiosity was resolved to an extent during my visit to Jaipur this time.

Front view of Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. This was built for Royal females so that they can attend street festivals while being unseen by the public. The lattice work in windows provide air conditioning effect in the area. So, this was a favourite summer resort for the King.

Inside Hawa Mahal

My experience at Hawa Mahal

Coloured glass windows in Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is in the shape of crown of Hindu Lord Shri Krishna. The intricate carvings along with designer lattice work and pink sandstone gives it a marvellous look. An interesting part of Hawa Mahal is that there are no stairs in province. So, it was not at all tiring. Slope way to the top floor is a narrow passage with windows in every bay. It was interesting to note that the whole palace was cool even at 11am during May. Going further was a hall of marble flooring and pillars with carved roofs and coloured glass windows. The look was so royal and elegant that I wanted to take photograph at every section.

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Nidhi KM

Ultimate Twist by Pizza Hut & Kissan in India

Ultimate Twist by Pizza Hut and Kissan

Kissan, one of India’s leading ketchup brands, has joined hands with the nation’s top casual dining destination, Pizza Hut to introduce a new spicy addition to their menu! Bringing to its customers an extraordinary Pizza experience, Pizza Hut now offers ‘The Ultimate Big Pizza, spiced by Kissan Twist’.

Pizza at Pizza hut with Kissan Twist

With the launch of this platform, Kissan has conceptualized an innovative association with Pizza Hut which is India’s largest affordable casual dining restaurant.
Vegetarian diners can choose from Ultimate paneer and Ultimate veggie, available with toppings like paneer, onion, sweet corn and jalapeno. Non-vegetarian patrons can go for the Ultimate pizza, available with toppings like chicken keema, chicken Kofta, capsicum, onion and red paprika. The delicious highlight of this pizza is its extra toppings with a zingy, spice sauce, made with Kissan Twist, which brings in the goodness of tomato ketchup infused with the spiciness of real chilies.
The new Kissan Twist range is available in two innovative and mouth-watering flavours – Chili Tomato and Sweet & Spicy. The Kissan Sweet & Spicy Twist marries spicy red chilies with juicy tomatoes to create the perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavor while Kissan Chilli Tomato Twist is made with hot green chilies, to give that extreme burst of spice!

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Nidhi KM

Visit City Palace, Jaipur to have peek of Royalty

Entrance at City Palace

Our sight seeing trip in Jaipur was organized by hotel- 'Zone by the Park'. Everything was seamless and meticulously planned considering heat in Jaipur during early May. I was super curious to see City Palace, Jaipur the third time as I feel in every trip I gain more knowledge and appreciate our heritage richness better.

City Palace, Jaipur

Beautiful carvings at
Diwan-i-Khas

The entrance gate to City Palace itself is exquisitely carved and is very attractive. There are tweo palaces Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal. City Palace houses a museums where traditional attires of Kings and Queens including sarees, shawls, kurtas, various arms used during wars etc are displayed. The other part of Chandra Mahal is still a residence of Royal family. The visit to museum was worth it even in heat of early May. Designs on royal attires were exquisite and created curiosity about the kind of craftsmanship during those days.

Intricate designs and
royal chandelier on roofs

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Nidhi KM

Must visit Merlion Park, Singapore…by Neha

Merlion

The Merlion Park is one of the must see sightseeing locations in Singapore. Merlion is a traditional creature depictinglion head and fish body.

My experience at Merlion Park

Iconic Merlion

Visit to Merlion Park was indeed memorable as seeing the half lion and half fish body close up was interesting. There are many legends related to this statue.

My daughter was very puzzled yet curious about the statue. This Park is less of a Park but more of an iconic importance due to the statue of Merlion.

View from Merlion Park

The area was crowded and everyone was busy clicking photographs in front of the iconic statue. It was irresistible to click beautiful views of Marina Bay Sands. Statue is right in front of Fullerton hotel and overlooks iconic five star hotel Marina Bay Sands.

It was a very different yet interesting view.

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Royal Tiger at Chhatbir Zoo, Chandigarh- India

Chhatbir Zoo

We were going to Barog and stopped at Chhatbir Zoo for some time on the way. It was quiet hot in the morning but we still took a chance to test our will against the weather. The entry fee counter opened at sharp 9am and there was already a long queue. We were first ones though in the queue.

Chhatbir zoo is near Zirakpur in India home to many mammals, reptiles and birds. Zoo is closed on Mondays.

Royal Tiger at Chhatbir Zoo

We had heard a lot about this zoo and wanted to visit. Lion Safari was the craze of our visit. After paying the fee, we learnt that there is a kilometer walk before we board the Lion Safari. On the way, we saw a Royal Tiger at Chhatbir Zoo enclosed in an area. What a sight it was. As it is I am fascinated by Tigers since my first face to face with Tigress at Ranthambore National Park. Since this experience too was exclusive so I decided to write a separate post on it.

Tiger

We stopped by this Royal Tiger at Chhatbir Zoo. Tiger was sitting on the grass at a height under the shade of a tree. There was a huge gap for water and then a tall wall followed by grill

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Nidhi KM

Sanno Matsuri festival from 6th-17th June,2015 in Tokyo, Japan

Sanno Matsuri

Sanno Matsuri
A procession of 300 people dressed in ancient costumes parades through the heart of Tokyo.
Event Information
Place: Hie-jinja Shrine
Dates: June 6th - 17th
City: Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
The Sanno Matsuri is famous as a festival permitted by the Shogun to enter the grounds of Edo Castle during the Edo Period (1603-1867), along with the Kanda Matsuri. It is also one of the three largest festivals of Japan. The main procession called jinkosai takes place in the middle of June in every other year according to the Western calendar.
About 300 people dressed in ancient costumes parade through the heart of Tokyo including Tokyo Station, Ginza, and in front of the Diet Building. Consisting of mikoshi (portable shrines) adorned with a phoenix on the roof, dashi floats, people carrying drums, people on horseback, the procession extends over a length of 600 meters. You will also see people dressed as the legendary goblin called Tengu, characterized by a red face and a long nose, and believed to possess supernatural powers. The procession which departs from Hie-jinja Shrine at 8 o'clock in the morning does not return to the shrine until early in the evening.

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Nidhi KM

Heian Jingu Shrine

Restaurant review- Bazaar, Zone by the Park, Jaipur

Restaurant Bazaar, Zone by the Park- Jaipur

Inspired by multi-hued charismatic native bazaars, Bazaar is a multi-cultural potpourri of food, people and ideas. The menu comprises fresh salads, a warm buffet offering Indian food and a small selection of continental cuisine. An Auto stands in the corner which includes a grab-and-go counter along with some local accessories to shop. The Street Cart tastes the best of street food and the culture that comes with it, along with The Pizzeria serving classic and experimental thin crust pizzas. The A la carte menu served at Bazaar is a blissful blend of scrumptious meals including quick nibbles, club sandwiches, desi platter with flavors of Chinese and Italian cuisine.

Viharin.com- Outside seating

I got a chance to dine at 'Bazaar' while I was in 'Zone by the Park', Jaipur.

Ambiance at Bazaar,Zone by the Park

An eccentric restaurant with distinctive seating arrangement having a networking zone at the entrance where people can just sit and talk or relax. Following this, the dining area begins with dining and buffet tables to provide a delightful experience.

Quirky auto at Bazaar, Zone by the Park - Jaipur

Outside this dining area is an open air restaurant with a cart and a quirky auto having a grab and go theme with seating arrangement outside as well.

Buffet at Bazaar, Zone by the Park

Food

I got a chance to dine at Bazaar, Zone by the Park many times. I must say everytime it was a pleasant experience. Chef Gaurav and team has done a lot of innovative work to provide culinary delight to guests. 

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Nidhi KM

EPIC BIG BOARD RIDE, SURF CITY – USA

Epic Big Board Ride Fact Sheet 1

Epic Big Board Ride Fact Sheet 2

Visit www.BigBoardHB.com for ongoing uupdates

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Restaurant review- The California Boulevard, Gurgaon

The California Boulevard

The California Boulevard, like all other uber eating joints looked cheerfully inviting. For some reason I these days suspect this cheeriness as a comouflage for what the food - the key passion - may not achieve. I had bet my Friday lunch to prove the hypothesis - wrong...
And wrong it did prove.

Ambiance at The California Boulevard

Instead of telling you nice things about the place... I will dive straight into the culinary experience that, that Friday afternoon was. The meal started with the customary glass of lemon soda. I think this summer... nothing else but a chilled and icy lemon drink with plenty full mint does the trick... so there it was the amply minty glass of soda.

Dilli ki chaat

The next sight was a lo and behold... The traditional sampler of Indian 'Dilli ki chaat' with a healthy twist. No it wasn't your dahi papdi/ bhalla or anything that will bury your appetite in that stomach.A single crispy spinach leaf laced with dahi and chutney ( meethi and teekhi)t didn't sink... but 'the crunchy meets it mettle in a tangy mix' brought my appetite alive.

Sushi Paneer and Tangy butter mushrooms

This was followed by innovation by the Chef- honestly I would not give it a Michelin. .. 1. Because I'm not that accomplished a culinary crusader... and 2. Because that is reserved for gods.... what I will tell you is... These were honest efforts at teasing the appetite... and that worked well in my case.The veg sushi... A very delicately rolled spinaah mix combed inside a delicate almost quivering roll of paneer. Left me wondering wow...
What followed left me wondering about the chefs ingenuity.... mushrooms and Singhadey ki Gilaouti... I've never been a fan of water chestnuts, but this one turned me in.

Peri Peri Crispy Chicken and Kaffir Lime Chicken Tikka

Then came the non veg starters...Peri Peri Crispy Chicken sticks, carrefour lemon tandoori chicken and thai chicken.... I took time to evaluate one over the other... The thai spicy chicken was bursting with flavours with lemon grass being the pre dominant one...The carrefour lemon chicken tandoori surprised me with the new flavour that my tandoori had never had... and the peri peri... A subtle flavour. Though my first portion of peri peri almost rolled off the plate since it was too crispy to cut with the knife...

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Article by Vikrant