Travel

Goa cover pic

How I converted Goa into a thrilling workspace

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Being frustrated by lockdown, and exhausted by staying at home for long months, I thought ki Ek Kitkat break to Banta hai. So basically, when life hits you with boredom, just Escape to Goa 😁. But bhai tumhara daring hai, so I planned it to make it a workstation. 🙈

We were 2 of us (Rider & Provider) and we booked an awesome homestay (through Airbnb) in Benaulim (South Goa). It was basically 1 BHK fully furnished flat with a swimming pool attached and a nice compound area to sit and work.

  • Our Homestay

 

We reached our homestay on Sunday afternoon and received a warm welcome from the host. 😌 In the evening, we took a walk to Benaulim beach and experienced the pleasing sunset. We were all set for the upcoming precious 7 days of our life.

Monday

Mostly occupied with work till late evening. TOTAL WASTE!!! 😏

But post-work, we strolled through the nearby markets and cafes, completely absorbing the Goan vibe. 😎

Tuesday (Republic Day)

Being a National Holiday, this entire day was pre-planned and completely dedicated to North Goa beaches. We hired a bullet for the same, and our beast was all set to cover a distance of around 50kms.

Baga Beach (King Beach of Goa)

We had our water sports activities scheduled (booked through Thrillophilia) including Bumper Ride, Banana Ride, Jet Ski, Parasailing, Boat Ride. One cannot miss its experience as it is the best in India. 🚣‍♂️

Please note the following precautions for water sports activities:

  • One can reserve a locker on the beach and keep the belongings there. Also, they will provide a special waterproof pouch for keeping the phone.
  • But please avoid taking the phone in bumper and banana ride since one will be literally drowned. Also, wear light and comfortable clothes for the entire activity.

 

It was evening till we dried and changed ourselves. After having something to munch, we were all set for the next destination.

Anjuna Beach

Another happening beach in Goa where we tasted the glimpse of the sunset. There is a famous tattoo center just outside and lots of eating options. 😊

Dinner at Curlies Beach Shack

A heavenly place for quality time and awesome seafood. The ambiance was great and one of the most romantic places in Goa. ☺️

 

Nightlife At Baga/Calangute beach

After dinner, we again retreated to Baga Beach to experience the nightlife. The shacks were all lit up, showering colorful vibes all around.  The music was loud, the DJ was set and the party was just about to start.

 

Wo Raat apoon 2 baje tak nahi piya because apoon ko waapas bhi jaana tha. We reached home late at night and just thanked the day for being so happening.

Wednesday

Again TOTAL WASTE!! Occupied in work till late evening. 😤

Just sat on the compound shack till late evening beside the swimming pool and had some quality me-time. 🤗

Thursday (Leave)

I had a full day to enjoy and explore stuff, off which I started the day by going to the spa and have a full body massage. Thereafter lunch, we were again all set for our rich destinations.

Dear Zindagi Wala Road

The same road where Shahrukh Khan and Alia Bhatt were riding a bicycle and where she fell off. Hat’s off to the director for choosing such awesome spots.


Dil Chahta Hai wala Chopara Fort

A fort with only walls and stairs but still attract tourists just because of one scene in the movie. But this fort is ideal to watch the sunset and feel the cool refreshing breeze.


Las Vegas wala Deltin Royale Casino

This casino is set up on a cruise in the middle of the water which great lights and amazing ambiance. The food was unlimited with some dance performances of foreigners and of course ended with gambling. 😝

 

Friday

We worked only till afternoon and all set off to explore South Goa.

Welcome to Kolva Singham

Of course, we visited the police station where Singham was posted. 😛 Also, Kolva beach is one of the most under-rated beaches. The sand was powdery white and its a great place to jump inside water.

We visited some nearby places and completely absorbed the serenity of South Goa.

Saturday (Holiday)

Now it was high time to get rid of beaches and experience something new and we knew the perfect place for that.

Chennai Express wala DudhSagar Falls

The complete beauty of the waterfall, the train moving over the bridge, and the experience of bathing in the freshwater was completely a different feeling.

 

Points to note while visiting waterfall:

  • One cannot go till waterfalls directly. We need to reach the Kolem Jeep stand and from there, jeeps are aligned to take us to the waterfall.
  • The jeep accommodates 7 people. We made a pre-booking for the jeep and therefore had to wait less over the counter. Jeep ride is around 45 min and the time allocated for the waterfall is 1.5 hours.

The moment when the train arrived at the bridge was just mesmerizing.


Sunset at Benaulim Beach

Being the last evening in Goa, one cannot miss the sunset view. The beach was so peaceful and calm, we spend around 2 hours just walking across the water and staring across the empty sands while collecting all the memories.


Sunday

We had a flight early morning. Just glanced at the homestay to completely absorb the experience of this beautiful trip before leaving.

Bye, Bye Goa!!!

If something good happens, travel to celebrate. If something bad happens, travel to forget it. If nothing happens, travel to make something happen.

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Ooty-Coonoor Trip

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Ooty, also known as the Queen of the Hill Stations is a town located in Tamil Nadu and is also the Capital of the Nilgiri District. While Coonoor, around 20 kms away from Ooty, is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri District after Ooty and is also known for its production of Nilgiri Tea. We explored that heaven in the month of June when clouds were always wandering in the sky and weather was also very cool.

I am going to share the story of Trip to Ooty/Coonoor from Bangalore in details. It was a 3-days 2-nights trip.

FIRST DAY

We boarded a bus from Bangalore at Thursday night that departed at around 11 PM and we stepped into Coonoor by 7 in the Friday morning. We had already booked a cottage called Maple Holiday Homes, Coonoor. Its located in a very remote spot surrounded by hills on all sides and the surrounding view from cottage was a treat to our eyes. It’s also very close from the bus stand (around 2kms). At around 10 AM after getting ready and having breakfast, we were all set to explore that panoramic place. We availed a package tour for all the sight seeings in Coonoor for Rs. 1000 for 5-6 hours. Spots visited in Coonoor are as follows:

HighField Tea Estate

Stretched all across the Upper Hills of North Coonoor, this place is available for everyone to roam about with a fresh smell of tea leaves. It is an ideal place for photo shooting with green lands at the background.

Lamb’s Rock / Suicide Point

Located at a high altitude and being so close to the clouds, it gives a wonderful view of the hills and the town of Coonoor. Its also an ideal place for photography.

Dolphin’s Nose

A very famous place in Coonoor which gives a widespread view of Nilgiri Hills and also Catherine Falls.

Tea Factory

Special place for Chai lovers where shows Nilgiri Tea being manufactured and also there is a demonstrator to explain each process. Outside the factory, sample tea of all flavours are offered to taste. And then there is a Tea Store which is so cheap. I recommend everyone to buy and taste Nilgiri Tea.

Sim’s Park

Sim’s Park is an amazing tourist spot in Coonoor which homes almost 1000 types of trees and flowers. Although being crowded, this place is very soothing and calm and is very well maintained. Playgrounds, gardens and boating are also available in this Park.

After spending hours in the lap of nature, we returned to our cottage in the evening. Walking on the terrace in that chilling weather and storing all the beauty in our eyes, we were all set for next day’s unforgettable toy train ride and to visit the Queen of the Hills.

SECOND DAY

Our train was to depart at around 10:40 in the morning from Coonoor and luckily we had all our tickets confirmed. We checkout out from the cottage and headed for the station. We were amazed as train arrived and just clung to it to get pictures. One can also sit in the driver’s seat to have a click. Train whistled and then the memorable experience of almost 2 hours started.

Toy Train

Declared as the world heritage site and built by the British, it is considered as the best mode of transport to travel in the Nilgiri Mountains. The experience is really out of the world. Between Mettupalayam to Ooty, it covers a distance of 26 km and passes through 208 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges.

It was around 12 pm when we reached Ooty. We headed straight to our cottage called Sapphire Grand that we had already pre-booked. It’s around 3 kms from the railway station/bus stand and it’s one of the best cottages that I have experienced in South India. I would recommend everyone to have a stay in that cottage if planning a trip to Ooty. After settling and having something to munch, we set our journey for the Pykara Waterfalls.

Pykara Waterfalls

Located about 19 km from Ooty, Pykara river flows over a series of waterfalls whose last two are known as Pykara Waterfalls. The water is considered very sacred. The sound of the water with cool breeze gives a very soothing experience.

FINAL DAY

We had a return bus to Bangalore at around 6 in the evening and entire Ooty was left to be explored. We booked a tour package to explore the hill station. Luckily, we got a very amazing driver (Connect me if anyone wants his contact number) and he has great experience of time management. We started at around 9 in the morning.

Doddabetta Peak

Highest peak in the Nilgiri Mountains with a reserved forest around its peak. Entire Ooty town is visible from this peak. This place is ideal to visit when there is fog and we can feel the clouds passing through us.

Government Rose Park

Largest collection of roses in India with more than 20,000 varieties. The flowers are arranged in five curving terraces covering four hectares. This place is perfect for clicking amazing pictures with all the scenic beauty around.

Wax World

Contains around 25-30 statues of political leaders, actors, super heroes, musicians, revolutionists, sports person. The museum is well maintained and we can pose and click lots of pictures.

Ooty Botanical Garden

Divided into 6 sections namely Lower Garden, New Garden, Italian Garden, Conservatory, Fountain Terrace and Nurseries, it’s one of the key attractions of Ooty. This place is ideal for spending family time together having a wide open area to play or lie down.

Ooty lake

Artificial Lake created by John Sullivan, is the one of the crowdiest points in Ooty. Families spend their quality time doing boating and other entertainment stuffs. Having the options of both pedal boats and streamers, this place is very calm and soothing.

Thread Garden

First Artificial garden in the world featuring flowers, plants & lawns crafted from thread, canvas & wire. It is a one time and a must visit place in Ooty. It is mainly a handicraft museum displaying great skills and dedication. It also holds the Guinness World Record for such an innovative thinking.

TRIP ENDS

So finally after touring the entire Queen of the Hills, we were ready to depart to our location – Bangalore. We headed to the bus stand and bus was already standing on the platform. I boarded the bus and took my seat. After that, I closed my eyes for sometime, recapitulated all the 3 days experiences and memories and locked them deep inside so that they never fade away. I realised that the trip is finally over and thanked nature for bringing me so close to it.

I can find God in nature, in animals, in birds and the environment  ~Pat Buckley