One with nature

What makes for a great vacation spot? Relaxation, peace of mind, fun, adventure and novelty are just some of the things people look for. Whatever be the choice, before any vacation, there comes research. Places are ‘googled’, phone calls made, friends consulted and before you know it, you’re heading either to a beach, the mountains, a forest or just another city. But what if you discovered a place that has all of it. A place high in the mountains, bang in the middle of a forest and yet, not too far from a beach.
 
Sounds unreal?
Welcome to Wildernest Resort. 

Agra = The Taj Mahal

Right? 

Well, not entirely true. Agra is a whole lot more than just the Taj Mahal. Don’t get me wrong. The Taj and everything from its history to its architecture is exquisite. But that shouldn’t be the only reason for you to visit Agra. There’s so much more to the city (unlike what most people think). Agree, the rest of the things seem rather insignificant in comparison but it’s in these small things one finds immense joy.  Am going to jot down a couple of interesting tit-bits, do’s and don’ts, things and places to see…basically our experiences when we visited Agra and Fatehpur two weeks ago.  In the hope that when you visit next, you’ll do more than just visiting the Taj Mahal. And enjoy it.

A mountain, a cave and a city

My research for our trip to Turkey roughly began a month before we were to leave. Between the trusted Lonely Planet and the 'destinations' folder on my laptop, things were pretty much under control. Now all we had to do was the boring bit, pack. Actually this time, the packing was tougher as we were headed to four distinctly different areas of Turkey: the underestimated capital Ankara (North), the rather cold ski region of Mount Ilgaz (North), the warm to pleasant cave land of Cappadocia (Central) and then of course the bustling and modern city of Istanbul (West), where the weather changes as and when it pleases. So after packing, weighing, being over weight and re-packing, we were finally set to go. 

Twelve days of extremely interesting experiences and discoveries and we were in love with the country. Our friends think we've covered a LOT by doing the places we did. We, on the other hand, are itching to go back and see all that we haven't.

 

  

  

Why not Wai?

To read this travelogue on the Club Mahindra blog site, click here: CLAY

 

For some unexplainable reason, when it comes to weekend getaways, we generally go for places that are spoken of most often, visited by people you know or splashed across websites. It's easier that way. But more often than not, we choose these because we really aren’t aware of the unsung wonders around us. How about exploring for a change? You’ll be amazed at what lies around you. One such unexplored jewel of Maharashtra is Wai, located at the foothills of the Sahayadri range and on the banks of the River Krishna. A perfect weekend getaway from Mumbai or Nashik, this historical hidden paradise is nestled in Satara and blessed with the famous seven ghats, namely, Gangapuri, Madhi Aali, Ganpati Aali, Dharmapuri, Brahmanshahi, Ramdoh and Bhimkund.

Maharashtra's most famous Verandah

The first time I saw 'The verandah in the forest' online, i swore it would be my next weekend getaway from Mumbai. That was three years ago. Little did I know I would finally end up going as their guest, to review and write about the heritage resort for www.traveltocare.com. So May 2009, I found myself lounging in Matheran's famed 'verandah', sipping on some tea and watching the forest come alive. That's another one ticked off the wishlist.

http://www.traveltocare.com/v3d0e3312h0i0j0k0m1/hotels/nikhil-pandit/manjari_verma.aspx