travel – Dumbbells and Drama

Travel

Vienna In Pictures

A wave of nostalgia washed over me last night and before I knew it, it was 4:00am and I was craving for a hot chocolate croissant and a European vacation. After the initial sadness, the creative little angel in me made me see what a perfect opportunity this was to celebrate the best vacation we’ve ever had, and maybe it was time to start planning the next one. While I am taking this trip down memory lane, I wish to share with you some of the best moments we had in Vienna. Out of all the cities we visited, I think this is the city I would go back to again. I’d go back for that journey by the Euro Rail, those narrow gauges and tunnels, through those lush green Alps dotted with cows grazing on the slopes, and those snow-filled peaks we watched pass by. Vienna has got to…

Fitness

4 Ways We Lived ‘The Fit Life’ While Traveling #TravelFit

Travel often means a break in your fitness routine; you’re on your feet, pacing around dodging traffic, tourists and trying your best to eat everything that a new place has to offer. Normal routines are completely thrown out of the window. If you have been going to the gym, you suddenly land yourself in a spot where you do not have a gym membership. If you like going out for runs, you are not sure if you should be going out running in the new neighborhood. If you are used to certain meals, you’ll realise there are so many new things to try and you want to try all of it! Your sleep cycle is ruined. Your drinking habits change. It’s a vacation after all! Luckily there is hope for the fit fam. Fitness peeps can totally take a vacation and not compromise on their workouts; you just HAVE to…

Guests

ChatRoom #9- Abhimanyu Singh Rathore

In a world full of fashionistas with easy access to trends and styles, Abhimanyu Singh Rathore truly believes that a lot of studying goes behind the art of fashion styling, and how style says so much about the personality of a person. Abhimanyu is here to give us a peak into the world of fashion, one click at a time. The proud owner of Ishtailista, a blog that brings together street style and Indian kitsch, Abhimanyu has a lot to say about fashion, blogging, and why he doesn’t want to known as a blogger. Excerpts: Tell us a little about yourself. I am a fashion photographer who loves capturing street styles. I shoot on the streets of India, and freelance with a lot of international publications where my work is featured. This is my 5th year at Jaipur Literature Festival, I’m here on an assignment for a bunch of clients :) What…

Travel

Things I Learnt On My Solo Trip

In a surprising chain of events I landed up booking a week long vacation all by myself. I wish I could explain a little more about what made me take this impulsive decision, but I genuinely don’t know what made me do it. I woke up one morning, decided I wanted to do something, and went ahead and booked my tickets. I guess somewhere in my subconscious mind it had to do with the fact that not many would be excited about travel plans, plus coordinating with time and plans was taking a toll on my mental peace. So here I was, making my way to another city all by myself. All that I knew was that I had a hostel to stay at, and I was sure I’d make friends along the way. Something about this was exciting. While I’ll soon share some stories with you from the trip,…

Lifestyle

Kochi Muziris Biennale & Varkala: A perfect end to 2016

I tried to make the most of my two-week winter break in December, and ended the year with a vacation in Kerala. Essentially, my friend and I were visiting Kochi for the biennale, but after overcoming some rather poor planning and a constant state of indecision, we managed to get ourselves to Varkala – which is by far, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. We spent 5 nights in Fort Kochi, primarily to get the feel of the biennale – where we could take it all in at our own pace and not rush through. The Kochi Muziris Biennale is an international art festival held every other year in Fort Kochi, and this time, it’s on for 108 days (starting December 2016). There are about 8 main venues for the biennale, though several cafés and local shops around Fort Kochi have collaborated with the festival as well.…

Guests

ChatRoom #7 – Ameya Kolambekar

You know how you haven’t met someone, but you’ve been following their work on the internet, and everything that they do inspires you a little to stalk their every move online a little more? At the expense of sounding creepy, I’d like to say I have a bunch of such “online friends” who I’ve never met, and who have also made it to my “People I must meet one day” list. Ameya Kolambekar is one such person. Online friends are great sometimes. Guys, meet Northstalgia , one of my favorite travel inspiration accounts- Who is Ameya Kolambekar? You know that guy who loves traveling but is stuck in a 9-6? That’s me. I adore pets, football keeps my weekends busy and I find myself digging into history quite a bit. And, I never have a bad hair day. (The first thing that strikes me here- this man has a great sense…

Lifestyle

Breakfast in Goa : Sri, Vagator

A unique setting on the quiet hill side of Vagator, Goa, Sri comes as a highly recommended breakfast spot by many. We headed over early morning on one of our quarterly breaks to Goa, and found ourselves in a cosy spot in this restaurant, the only customers this early in the morning (10:00am is early in Goa :/) “I want a garden like this” Sri at first will remind you of a large colonial bungalow that has been converted to a commercial space. The large kitchen area and courtyard definitely seem to suggest so. Plants of all varieties, both local and exotic, adorn the place. Cats make their way to quiet corners while dogs lounge around in the sun, or sit beside you and make for great breakfast company. This popular spot boasts of a big shaded courtyard covered in thick green foliage that acts as a great camouflage and makes…

Lifestyle

Running through the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk

Snarled by traffic, crammed by shops selling silver jewelry, saris, blouses and mannequins dressed in lehengas, marking the entrance to stores filled with excited women shopping for a shaadi – Delhi’s most famous shopping street is characterized by drama, pandemonium and an old world charm quite lost in the otherwise buzzing metropolis. No visit to Delhi is complete without a visit to Chandni Chowk, a name that we’ve heard while growing up in India, thanks to Bollywood. And of course I decided to check out this epic place. Since we were staying in Dwarka, we decided to start off the day early, and thank God for that. Because you need a lot of time to take in the charm that Chandni Chowk has to offer. And more so because the traffic jams in the narrow lanes will have you covering a distance of 1km in 45minutes (we of course decided…

Lifestyle

Summerhouse Cafe, Delhi

Nothing beats drinking in the open air – especially on a chill Autumn night, when a light breeze makes you reach for your sweater and fairy lights and low music set the mood for intimate conversations between lovers and tipsy debates between friends. It was on one such night that I went over to say hello to Ricky and Esther, the two people who are the lifeline of Summerhouse Café. As I walked in, I could get a distinct sense of luxury in the buzzing second floor, while the sprawling rooftop bar was like a breath of fresh air in the otherwise smaller pubs around the area. I immediately fell in love with the place, so much so that I decided to stay back for a drink. It’s my comfort zone- pretty lights, techno, whiskey, conversations; I’d regret it if I hadn’t stayed back :) So here’s one thing I’ve figured out -…

Lifestyle

Axis Bank Regatta CEO Cup, Goa

People lounge in hammocks under palm trees, enjoy a foot massage on the sunbeds, sip on wine while walking around the green lawns; a beachfront institution, cocktails and sunsets, gourmet food under the stars, a casino with Russian dancers to begin the night and a dance floor to end it all. The lifestyle of the rich and famous has always been a point of envy. But the finer things in life come at a cost, a cost that usually lies at the end of a hard day’s work. So when the opportunity arose to pack their bags and head off to a weekend of pure luxurious living, the rich and famous gladly obliged. Keeping in mind the spirit of living of the rich and famous, Axis Bank recently organized the Regatta CEO Cup, the first of it’s kind in India, in an attempt to revolutionize the concept of luxurious living.…