https://therunawaygal.wordpress.com/2017/09/08/introduction/
INTRODUCTION
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CHILLS AND THRILLS AT NAINITAL- PART I
Hey you lovely people out there, hope you’ll are doing all fine. Well I’m back with yet another travel blog post about a place which has always been on my wish-list i.e NAINITAL
Nainital is a popular hill station in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and headquarters of Nainital district in the Kumaon foothill of the outer Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 2,084 meters (6,837 ft) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a mango shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina on the north, Deopatha on the west, and Ayarpatha on the south.
14th May : Delhi to Nainital
Our journey started with an obstacle itself, the flight that we were supposed to board in was cancelled due to the bad weather conditions in Delhi,and we weren’t informed by the crew, any how after a lot of arguments with the staff, we finally boarded the next flight and made it to Delhi. We had a 12 hour drive to Nainital from there. Though the roads were difficult and the journey was tiring, WE FINALLY MADE IT TO NAINITAL at around 2.00am in the morning. We checked into this beautiful hotel at Bhimtal- Hotel Lake Inn. The weather was very cool and pleasing with a temperature of 16°C. We took a shower and went off to bed as we had to gain some energy for the morning.
15th May : Bhimtal
After a hectic travel, waking up to the view was so breath taking and beautiful. We planned our day for site seeing to Bhimtal and just exploring the streets near our hotel. Our first stop was the Sattal or the Sat Tal is an interconnected group of seven freshwater lakes situated in the Lower Himalayan Range near Bhimtal, a town of Nainital District in Uttarakhand, India. The lakes sit at an altitude of 1370 meters below lush orchards in the Mehragaon valley.
We enjoyed the afternoon by taking a boat ride and interacting with the locals and knowing more about the lake and the various film shootings that has happened there. The famous lunch of Bhimtal is Kadi Rice, so make sure to try it. It was time to ride on the ATV (off road biking), the experience was super fun.
We headed for lunch and got ourselves ready for some water sports and exciting thrills. Our next hault was at the Naukuchiatal Lake or ‘lake of nine corners’ is a small hill station. It offers one with the tempting challenges like paragliding, fishing, rowing, padding, or yachting. Naukuchiatal will bring in your wild spirit to life and force you to try on all the adventurous activities like paragliding.
I love to experience thrills and take my trips to another level all together. I put on a brave face and was all ready for paragliding. The view was mesmerizing, truly an experience of a life time. After that mind boggling ride, it was time for river crossing something which I’ve done before as well but the experience just gets better and better.
After all those activities, my brother wanted to go on a horse ride, so we took a ride on this handsome 2 years old horse named Commando and enjoyed this ride by learning more about the lakes of Nainital.
This was all about our day at Bhimtal and it was truly overwhelming as we were staying close to nature, all about the lakes, boat rides, activities, and tasty food.
16th May: Nainital Site Seeing
The next day was all about exploring the streets of Nainital. It was about 45 mins drive from our hotel. We grabbed some lunch and started the journey. We hired a local who took us around various tourist spots such as Lover’s point, Suicide point, Snow View point, Mall Road, etc. Finally it was time for my favorite thing to do and that was SHOPPING, Nainital is well known for all types of Candles. They also have their delicious sweet called the Bal Mithai which is to die for. I shopped my heart out for my friends and family and myself of-course. The locals are more than just kind and affectionate towards everyone and are very dedicated to their jobs. They are proud of their culture and teachings and try their best to spread it to all.
It was our last night at Nainital as we were leaving for Jim Corbett the next morning.
My journey continues guys, come back the next week as I will be sharing my experiences into the wild, with nature and the forest at Jim Corbett. Stay Tuned for more. Can’t wait to hear from you all lovely peeps.
Until next time,
Love Jerica.♥
PICTURE CREDITS: JOEL LEITAO
LOCATION: NAINITAL, UTTARAKHAND.
CHEERS TO ONE YEAR!!
Today’s day is so special to me, as my blog completes ONE YEAR. This has been such a learning experience and has helped me explore and widen my capabilities, I’ve learnt so many new things and have got a chance to interact with so many new people, go to new places, challenge myself, etc. I started with having zero knowledge, and didn’t know what would come ahead. It has been a roller coaster ride, with many highs and lows, but yet so worth it. I believe EVERYTHING HAS A PERFECT TIME, just like yesterday when I decided to go for a shoot, we weren’t able to find the perfect location, and the roads were bad, nothing was right and then we came across a RAINBOW out of no where and the view I cannot even express my emotions right now, IT WAS PERFECT. Everything felt so right and it was meant to be.
I’m sure we all do have insecurities about ourselves, We are not Perfect, no-one is at all. A lot of times, we are stressed about our career, relationships, and life but I’ve learnt that everything will happen in its own time!
I am so grateful that I get a platform to express my feelings, share my experiences, take you to places visually and I thank each and everyone of you for being a part of my RUNAWAY JOURNEY. Thank you for all the love and support, that inspires me to share my thoughts and stories with you.
I wish you all the luck and happiness in life, let’s continue spreading love and making this world a better place for every creature.
Until next time,
Love Jerica.♥
CASUAL OOTD // KALA GHODA ART FESTIVAL
Hello you guys, how have you been? I’m extremely sorry for not being active for a quite long time. Well I’m back with a post for you all lovely people.
Today’s post is all about a casual look which I carried for an entire day out with my peeps and what’s a better place than the Kala Ghoda Art Festival to spend the day.
Before I begin, let me give you a brief of what the festival is all about. Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is the country’s largest multicultural festival, taking place in February each year. The festival is all about colors, saving the nature, etc which gives us even more reasons to visit it. The Festival draws visitors in large numbers, not just from the city but from all over the country, and the world. The festival was from 3rd Feb-11th Feb ’18.
I was amazed by the artistic and creative talent that our country has. There were things made out of waste materials, scrap and what not. There are few pictures of the same I was blended with the creativity and busy admiring the art.
Also, I went in for a casual look as it was a long day. I wore a basic white top that I picked up from Bandra and paired it with a denim jacket that I got from Bangkok and black denims from Reliance Trends with my all time favorite HM shoes.
It was most certainly an experience in it’s own, and what better way to enjoy a day with your beings by enjoying the art that the country celebrates and showcases. Grab on your comfy outfit and enjoy the experience from the eyes of the artist with your loved ones.
I hope you enjoyed my day out and make sure to comment down below if you want me to upload more such casual posts.
Until next time,
Love Jerica ♥
JUNGLE HOPIN’ IN JIM CORBETT- PART II
Hello you lovely people out there, I’m so glad to see such an amazing and warm response from all you out there for my previous post.. Here is the continuation to the previous post of all the crazy and fun travel shizz I did during the summer holidays. If you haven’t seen the previous post already, here’s the link to it.. CHILLS AND THRILLS AT NAINITAL- PART I
Jim Corbett is a forested wildlife sanctuary in northern India’s Uttarakhand State. Rich in flora and fauna, it’s known for its Bengal tigers. Animals, including tigers, leopards and wild elephants, roam the Dhikala zone. On the banks of the Ramganga Reservoir, the Sonandi zone is home to elephants and leopards, along with hundreds of species of birds. The place Jim Corbett was named after Mr. Jim Corbett himself
17th May: Jim Corbett
We were all decked up early in the morning to leave this beautiful place and enter into nature’s territory, the wild. The journey from Bhimtal to Jim Corbett was for about 2-3 hours but due to the bridge being closed down, we had to take the long route which led the drive to extend upto 5-6 hours.
Have you heard that quote, “Family that travels together, Stays together” NO right? That’s the quote that my family takes too seriously. We all got our customized outfits and clicked millions of pictures and were geared to experience new adventures and make new memories as a family.
We reached our beautiful hotel Corbett Mango Bloom. OMG that hotel was one of the best that I’ve visited till date. We had lunch and went to explore the surroundings. We came across this place called Dev Bhoomi Adventures, which had various sports such as wall climbing, zipline, etc.
In Jim Corbett, you will find both wild as well as the tamed animals. We had to hop on the camel and of course take the elephant ride. It was amazing. We came back to our hotel as we had an early morning the next day, enjoyed the dinner with a couple of tourists and called it a night.
18th May: Jim Corbett
We had a pick up from our hotel for the jungle safari at 5.30 am. Going into the forest is a different feeling itself. No matter how many visits you make to the wild, there will always be something different and exciting the next time, as the wild cannot be predicted.
Wearing all camouflage, we were set to blend into the jungle. Our guide for the day was Mr. Mahesh, he had immense knowledge about the forest and was a sharp observer. Having a site of the tiger, is something which depends on one’s luck. Unfortunately, this time we couldn’t site the tiger like in Tadoba, but got to see many other animals like Jackal, Mongoose, Peacock, Peahen, Spotted Deer, Reindeer, Wild Elephants, various kinds of migrating birds, etc. If you are a wanderer of the wild then you should definitely get hold of this place. We spent around three hours in the forest, admiring God’s creation, and beauty. I’m falling short of words to describe the beauty of nature guys.
We went back to our hotel and had breakfast. Now it was time to hit the pool and enjoy the splashes of water! After lunch, we visited the famous Corbett Museum located at Kaladhungi, Corbett Museum is a bungalow that earlier belonged to Jim Corbett- the well known tiger conservationist and contains his memoirs, his personal belongings, letters written by him as well as his friends and well wishers, antiques and rare photographs.
We made a visit to Garjiya temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati, Garjia Devi temple perched atop a huge rock in the midst of Kosi River is also home to the deities of Baba Bhairon, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati.
On our way ahead we came across the amusing bridge and had to take a stroll to find out what was the story behind it. We take a tiny walk down the bridge and just took a minute and heard the water flowing across and was amused by it.
19th May: Delhi
With a heavy heart, it was time to say goodbye to Jim Corbett and return to Mumbai. Though our flight was at 7.30pm, we made an early start from Jim Corbett at around 9.00am. The weather was very windy in Delhi and there were possibilities of the flight getting cancelled again, but luckily it was delayed by an hour.
This was all about this gal’s journey about the wild, with some obstacles and many adventures. Although we were facing so many troubles we did make the most of it and enjoyed our vacation and made the most out of it.
And that was it, the end of my beautiful and mesmerizing escape to the wild, Can’t wait to hear from all you peeps out there about your wildest adventures and travels that you have experienced in your life.
Also, I have uploaded a small video capturing all the moments of my journey, so don’t forget to check that out on my Instagram : Jerica_therunawaygal
Stay Tuned for more travel and fashion blogs you guys, thank you for all the love and support.
Until next time,
Love Jerica.♥
PICTURE CREDITS: JOEL LEITAO
LOCATION: JIM CORBETT, UTTARAKHAND.
A VELVET AFFAIR – New Year’s Lookbook
2017 has been a wonderful year for me, with traveling to more than 7-8 different places, trying out different fashion trends and having started with my own blog.. I’ve had it all. I would like to thank each one of you for all your love and support, it means a lot.
With New Year’s right around the corner, there’s a lot of us who want to welcome it with style and comfort obviously. This is that time of the year where we can go completely insane and dazzling with our dresses and give a damn about the world.
Fashion keeps changing every single minute. To me fashion is anything that is comfortable and what one can carry well. I am no fashion expert or fashion guru, I love experimenting new trends and trying out funky things. Lately, there has been a trend of everything velvet like dresses, heels, bags, etc. I was not a big fan at first, but I gave it a shot, here’s four looks that I’ve created, I hope you like them!!
OUTFIT 1:
I got this lovely dress from H&M and paired it with my Street Style Store boots. Keeping it minimal, yet looking all dressed up is my thing. I am in love with the high neck look and the back got my attention. The time I seen this dress, I knew I had to get it. I may go for this look on New Year’s as this dress is very breath-taking and I’ll be having a party outdoors so the full sleeves will keep me warm.
OUTFIT 2:
This second look is very classy and has to be my favorite. I got this dress from Shein and I’m amazed by the quality, and the way it fits me. You can carry this look if you are planning to go for a date night or prom, pair it with a good pair of heels and you are good to go.
OUTFIT 3:
The third look is something which is so comfortable yet over the top. I got this top from H&M for just Rs. 350 you guys, yes I know that’s insane. I paired it with white jeans and long earrings. Someone who wants to party with comfort and yet look stylish can go for this look.
OUTFIT 4:
“One is never overdressed or undressed with a little black dress”, that’s right a little black dress is the perfect outfit to welcome the new year, I’m sure every girl does own one. Keeping it basic and edgy I got this dress from H&M again for just Rs.400, as it was on sale and of-course a steal. Paired it with my velvet heels and I’m all set to welcome the new year.
Those were my four looks that I created, keeping a budget and of course the trend in mind. Please feel free to mention which look was your favorite and also what styles you would like to try this new year.
Keeping all high end and unrealistic resolutions aside, I assure to give my best and share my experiences with you all. Thank you for being a part of my journey, can’t thank you guys enough. Here’s to 2018 awaiting to new opportunities, more travels, experiments, and experiences. Cheers and wishing you all a HAPPY AND JOYFUL YEAR, let’s grow more and spread love.
Until next time,
Love Jerica. ♥
A VELVET AFFAIR – New Year’s Lookbook
2017 has been a wonderful year for me, with traveling to more than 7-8 different places, trying out different fashion trends and having started with my own blog.. I’ve had it all. I would like to thank each one of you for all your love and support, it means a lot.
With New Year’s right around the corner, there’s a lot of us who want to welcome it with style and comfort obviously. This is that time of the year where we can go completely insane and dazzling with our dresses and give a damn about the world.
Fashion keeps changing every single minute. To me fashion is anything that is comfortable and what one can carry well. I am no fashion expert or fashion guru, I love experimenting new trends and trying out funky things. Lately, there has been a trend of everything velvet like dresses, heels, bags, etc. I was not a big fan at first, but I gave it a shot, here’s four looks that I’ve created, I hope you like them!!
OUTFIT 1:
I got this lovely dress from H&M and paired it with my Street Style Store boots. Keeping it minimal, yet looking all dressed up is my thing. I am in love with the high neck look and the back got my attention. The time I seen this dress, I knew I had to get it. I may go for this look on New Year’s as this dress is very breath-taking and I’ll be having a party outdoors so the full sleeves will keep me warm.
OUTFIT 2:
This second look is very classy and has to be my favorite. I got this dress from Shein and I’m amazed by the quality, and the way it fits me. You can carry this look if you are planning to go for a date night or prom, pair it with a good pair of heels and you are good to go.
OUTFIT 3:
The third look is something which is so comfortable yet over the top. I got this top from H&M for just Rs. 350 you guys, yes I know that’s insane. I paired it with white jeans and long earrings. Someone who wants to party with comfort and yet look stylish can go for this look.
OUTFIT 4:
“One is never overdressed or undressed with a little black dress”, that’s right a little black dress is the perfect outfit to welcome the new year, I’m sure every girl does own one. Keeping it basic and edgy I got this dress from H&M again for just Rs.400, as it was on sale and of-course a steal. Paired it with my velvet heels and I’m all set to welcome the new year.
Those were my four looks that I created, keeping a budget and of course the trend in mind. Please feel free to mention which look was your favorite and also what styles you would like to try this new year.
Keeping all high end and unrealistic resolutions aside, I assure to give my best and share my experiences with you all. Thank you for being a part of my journey, can’t thank you guys enough. Here’s to 2018 awaiting to new opportunities, more travels, experiments, and experiences. Cheers and wishing you all a HAPPY AND JOYFUL YEAR, let’s grow more and spread love.
Until next time,
Love Jerica. ♥
KASHMIR- Heaven on Earth
Heyy you lovely people, it’s been so long since we virtually interacted, but I hope you all are doing just fine. It’s finally the weekend so grab a coffee and enjoy the weather as I’m going to take you on a trip to KASHMIR- HEAVEN ON EARTH!!
DAY 01: SRINAGAR
This trip was really very special for me as it was always my dream to visit Kashmir at-least once and what better way to start off my birthday month by doing what I love the: TRAVELLING. We took off on 1st May,’19, unfortunately there was some technical issues with the aircraft so our flight was delayed by almost 2 hours and we had a connecting flight to catch. Any how we made it to Kashmir by evening and directly began with local site-seeing! Our first stop was to the Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden, the climate was pleasant and the view too, we had a great welcome by Kashmir that evening, already in love with the place and people. We visited few other gardens nearby and proceeded to the hotel K28 INN- Srinagar as it started raining and we had to freshen up too!
DAY 02: SONAMARG – SRINAGAR
We had our breakfast and quickly headed towards Sonamarg. It is situated at an altitude of 9000ft.-Sonamarg and also called as “The meadow of gold”,as its backdrop, snowy mountains against a cerulean sky. The Sindh River that meanders through the valley abounds with trout and mahaseer. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier, which is a major local attraction during the summer. There are various snow activities that you can do there- well I decided to go with sledging!!
All Kashmiris have a standard dialogue that they say “Mumbai ka Fashion aur Kashmir ka Mausam kabhi bhi badal sakta hai” HAHAHA and they are right, it started raining while we were having a snow fight and the temperature suddenly dropped to 0° due to which the roads to 0° Location (one of the world’s dangerous roads in the world) were closed and we had to return back to our hotel.
DAY 03: YUSHMARG – SRINAGAR
All set and ready, we left for Yusmarg which is around 47 km to the south of Srinagar is a pristine hill station where nature’s beauty blooms in its fullest. The hill station, named Yusmarg, is a perfect rejuvenation as well as adventure destination. It is placed at a height of 7,500 feet above sea level and lies in Pir Panjal Mountain Range. Offering a striking diorama of valleys, meadows and peaks. Yusmarg is the perfect gateway to explore the beauty of the southern part of Kashmir Valley. There is no shortage of attractions in Yusmarg. From holy shrines to exotic places, Yusmarg gives many reasons to travelers to visit it once in a lifetime. Nilnag Lake, Dudh Ganga, Tosa Maidan, Sang-e-Safed, Charari Sharief and Pakharpora Shrine are the popular attractions located in and around Yusmarg. We took a horse ride to explore Yusmarg and the view was breath-taking
DAY 04: GULMARG
After a healthy breakfast, we left for an exotic place Gulmarg . On the way we stopped at apple garden and had some apple juice. We continued our ride to Gulmarg where we prepped ourselves for the most awaiting- Cable Cart Ride, where we witnessed this view you guyss, pictures can’t justify how beautiful Kashmir really is. I had the time of my life, took 10000 pictures, boomerangs, relived my childhood of making snow angels, playing snow fight and then finally enjoying Maggie in that climate.
DAY 05: DOODHPATRI
It was time to explore Doodhpathri. The place is just 42 km away from Srinagar and 95 km from Gulmarg, it’s a beautiful place with carpet like meadows and a flowing river resounds with a soft wind passing through the pine trees of the enclosures of the valley. It is called as a valley of milk because it produces rich milk in a large quantity. It is said that the cattle grazing in the meadows of Doodhpathri produces rich milk in large quantity, this is the reason it is called valley of milk DOODHPATHRI. Then the exciting the highlight of our trip was the our stay at Dal Lake in a boat house. The pictures are just so unbelievable I couldn’t believe my eyes! We had a pleasant boat ride for two hours, there was a floating market and also vendors who would sell many things while we took a boat ride.
DAY 06 & 07: PAHALGAM
We left from Srinagar and took off to Pahalgam which is also called as “Valley of Shepherds”. In Pahalgam, you can enjoy the nature & walk around the banks of River Lidder. Pahalgam is famous for some trekking routes also and is the base camp for Amaranth Pilgrimage. Pahalgam is most famous place for Indian film Industry . The town of pahalgam offers breath taking views. In Pahalgam you can visit Betab Valley, Aru Valley, Dabian, Kashmir Valley, Water fall, Mini Switzerland, Kani Marg, Pahalgam Valley which is located in the mountain and can be done by ponies.
So the tour for Pahalgam is divided in two categories, one is you have to ride on ponies to visit few places like Mini Switzerland, Aru Valley, Kashmir Valley, etc as people often say that often “Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations”. Another way is to hire local taxi drivers to visit places like Betab Valley, Pahalgam Valley, etc.
DAY 08: PAHALGAM-SRINAGAR
This was our last day in Kashmir, I cannot tell you how these 08 days passed by it was really so difficult for us to pack our bags and leave the most beautiful place on earth. We quickly did some random souvenir shopping, and just visited few places close by for one last time.
I cannot tell you guys how beautiful Kashmir really is, its safe and feels completely like HOME. The locals are really sweet and so good to all the tourists. You really need to visit Kashmir at-least once in your life. I am beyond stunt and amazed by the cultural, food, people, language and the beauty.
I will be coming back with another and by far THE BEST TRIP OF MY LIFE really soon so stay tuned and I promise its going to be worth the wait.
Until next time,
Love Jerica.♥
GOA IS ON!!
Before beginning I would like to give you a disclaimer that this post is really close to my heart and this trip is by far the BEST TRIP OF MY LIFE!!! I still cannot get over it and I don’t think I will ever, also apologizes for not having that many pictures of places, as people say that you enjoy the most when you forget about your phone well, that’s what happened and I don’t regret it. Even though, I have been to Goa many times before but this time it was special as it was our very first “FRIENDS TRIP” which happened successfully.
It all began when we met one evening as always and randomly started talking about going for a vacation to some place, at that time no one thought we were serious, we all assumed it’s just some random discussion which we all will forget after some time but who would have thought that Goa would happen? I still remember how we couldn’t even agree on a place to go to, then booking the flight tickets was another challenge where we had to convince so many people, when last minute everyone started backing off. When you plan a trip with our friends, it’s a journey which leads to convincing people, making some sacrifices, dealing with some adjustments, getting into a lot of fights and arguments and then finally executing the PLAN!
I landed in Mumbai on 8th May,2019 from Kashmir and we all took off to Goa on 9th May,2019. It was like my body trying to process the climate change from 0° to 32°, from snow to sand, from mountains to beaches. While leaving for our trip, we had a situation to deal with the star of our group (Sheldon) decided to drop a bomb on all of us while we were all ready waiting to go. Well, anyhow we all managed to catch the flight and flew to Goa we had a car waiting for us at the airport, that’s when our journey began.
DAY 1: 9th May
We stayed at the loveliest hotel- Arbor Casa Ahaana, Goa which we selected last minute, thanks to Clarissa for finding it. We had a villa to ourselves which had three bedrooms with a balcony view, a hall and a dining table. We reached around 9.00pm then quickly freshened up, unpacked, ordered for some food and patiently waited for the next day as we had Aishwarya joining us.
Clarissa introduced us to this cool app called- Splitwise, where we would record all the expenses spent by an individual throughout the day and it would show us that how much we owe a person on the app. Every night we would have a routine of settling, we would grab our wallets, a pen and a book and pay each other money and yell “CHAL SETTLE KAR”, man how much I miss the madness now.
DAY 2: 10th May
We woke up quite late as we were enjoying the first night to our freedom by playing UNO, watching Riverdale and just having fun!
Had some breakfast, and got ready to explore Goa, we went for lunch to the famous Ritz Classic Patto Restaurant which is well-known for sea food and is very crowded, so I suggest reserve a table before. We then reunited with Aishwarya and paid a visit to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Panaji and strolled around the capital of Goa, Panjim. We visited Miramar beach, which was clean and sunny with hightide waves that day.
Later that evening we headed to the hotel and got ready to go for dinner at Baga Beach, this is the most happening place in Goa, amazing food at the shacks, great vibes, colorful and lively, music playing throughout the street. There are many beach cafes, we went to Xaviers’ Beach Café as one local assured that we’d get delicious food and he was totally RIGHT.
We enjoyed our first day all of us together, had great food and just spent some time at the beach starring at the waves and I couldn’t believe that Goa is really happening. We needed to get some sleep and prepare ourselves for the next morning as we were about to head to Tarkali.
DAY 3: 11th May
Woke up at 6.00am and got ready for an adventurous day waiting ahead of us. We drove to Tarkali by 7.00am and reached there by 10.30am. Applied some sunscreen, clicked a few pictures and threw all our phones, bags in the locker and were ready for water sports! Sheldon and I did all the water sport activities and the rest did a few. The package includes- Scuba Diving, Banana Boat Ride, Parasailing, Jet Ski, Speed Boat Ride, Bumper Ride, Sleeping Bumper and costed around Rs.1300. So, if you guys decide to try the sports then I suggest you bargain at first, if you do more than four-five sports they provide you discounts or offers like food included.
Now comes the story about the water sports, the water in Tarkali looks clear from the outside but trust me it’s not that clear from the inside, it was because of the cyclone that had taken place somewhere which had affected the water. We took a speed boat and went to the scuba diving point and waited for almost 3 hours and finally it was our turn. We got all geared and went inside the sea, excited and curious but due to overcrowding they got us out in less than 3 minutes, disappointed but had a bunch of other activities to do, we went and stood in the queue. I went for the Jet Ski first and then my friends followed. Three of us did the Bumper Ride, Sleeping Ride together and we just were so happy to experience it. We did the Banana Boat ride together and man it was AMAZINNGGG. I still remember Aishwarya trying to drown me by pulling my leg and telling “Where is the land?” even after she knows how to swim and had a life jacket on. We headed for the last sport activity- Parasailing, so worth it, a pleasing view with my favorite company. IT WAS A PERFECT DAY!
We headed to our hotel in the evening, freshened up, went for dinner to Anand Restaurant where you get delicious food at a very low cost and then it was game night! Munched on some starters and played Jenga, it was a memorable night that we all totally agree to and still talk about HAHA sorry cannot share any details. IT WAS A PERFECT NIGHT TOO!
DAY 4: 12th May
It was time to explore North Goa, visited a few churches, beaches, and even the Museum of Goa-MOG and we had lunch at another famous restaurant Copper Leaf where we had to wait for an hour and half, but the food was worth it. After lunch, we headed to Calangute beach and felt like we’ve come to Mumbai because it was so crowded, enjoyed the sunset and shopped for souvenirs like typical tourists around Calangute market. Drove back to our hotel and dipped right into the pool and drowned our worries, until an accident which took place, but was taken care off.
We then decided to go to St. Anthony’s Restaurant which has a karaoke session where you can sing your heart loud with your friends. The food is not that good though and its over-rated according to me.
After dinner, we walked down the beach and just stayed quiet and felt the wind touching our face, sound of the waves, I felt like a free bird reaching for the sky and I’m sure all of us felt it too.
DAY 5: 13th May
It was South Goa Day. We got ready and had a lavish and healthy breakfast at Baga Beach, our ride was waiting for us at the beach and with that some more surprises and troubles. We got into an argument with the driver who claimed to show us South Goa but was taking us to Panjim and places which we had already visited before that were in North Goa. That’s when we came across Tuku boy- our Savior (Tukaram Dai- a local who provides rented car and bikes to tourist), we called him and rented a car and drove all by ourselves in a different state. We were frustrated that we had to start our day like this but didn’t want to ruin our trip. Put on the Google Map, and Ankita- our personal navigator navigated and searched for tourist’s spots and we began ticking off all the places we dreamt of visiting in Goa. We visited Old Goa, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount and just thanked God for this incredible journey. From this point we realized that we have each other’s back no matter what and we needed that reality check.
We drove miles away for lunch to a place far and quiet in the middle of nowhere and had typical Goan food. Drove to Panjim and purchased the tickets for the Cruise ride to experience the culture of Goa, the traditional dance performance by the locals. We were quite depressed as it was our last night in Goa. Tired after a long and crazy day, the madness wasn’t over yet, had some uninvited guests and unwanted drama where our bond got stronger than ever. Had the last dinner from Arbor Casa Ahaana, packed our bags and I didn’t want the night to pass as the next day we were returning to Mumbai. We had our last round of collecting money and paying everyone. We then realized that from playing MONOPOLY in summer vacations when we were kids to paying bills now, we have come a long way.
Day 6: 14th May
It wasn’t a Good Morning at-least for me because the best trip of my life was coming to an end. I wished that if I had some super powers where I could stop time..
We had our last breakfast in Arbor Casa Ahaana, captured everything for one last time and took our group pictures in front of our Room- 3000 and “I LOVE YOU GUYS 3000” hidden jokes, hidden messages.
While leaving, we came across another issue regarding the car that we had booked. The locals didn’t allow us to go in the car as vehicles from other area cannot hire tourists for drop to the airport because the locals have their own taxi union, so we had to go in the local’s car or else he would have called the police on us. We didn’t want any more problems at the end the trip. On the way we visited a church. We reached the airport way before to avoid any issues, played UNO. At that time Aishwarya and I really wanted to throw away everyone’s air tickets and stay but we had no cash, so we had to come back home. We took off, but my heart is still in Goa. Landed in Mumbai around 8.00pm, took a cab and we all came back and waited at the place where the plan was initiated, and began planning the next trip already.
I miss everything about Goa, it is not just a place to me now, it’s a point of realization that who are the important people in my life. I miss Ankita’s UNO joke, Aishwarya’s sudden A******, Sonu sneaking off, Sheldon’s other side, Clarissa crying to go to the clubs and Yagna’s mood.
Goa made me realize the following:
- Who true friends are!
- Childhood friends are the best!!
- There is no need to stress about life so much.
- You live only once.
- You need to have fun.
- Place, time, and weather doesn’t matter, until the company is right.
- Adjustment is the key to everything.
Thank You guys for giving me the best memories which I will always cherish.
CHEERS TO GOA! HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON GOA with the same company and adding Pranay too next time!
Until next time,
Love Jerica.♥
ROAD TRIP TO PANCHGANI- MAHABLESHWAR
Hey you lovely people, I know its been really long and you must be wondering where have I been. I underwent lasik surgery and was asked to take a break for sometime. I’m sorry for being MIA but I am back on track with a travel post of-course. It is not a place too far, but perfect for a mini break just to soak in some fresh air and relax yourself. I’m sure all of you might have been to Mahableshwar or Panchgani at-least once, if not then come on a visual trip with me through this post.
Mahableshwar is a hill station located in the Sahyadri mountain range, with one of the few evergreen forests of India. It is popularly known for the cool climate which is suitable for growing strawberries, mesmerizing mountains views, encounters with monkeys, taking a horse ride, and much more..
We stayed in this beautiful resort named Bellevue Resort, Panchgani for three days and it felt like home. We checked in the resort after 4 hours drive from Pune. We freshened up, kept our bags and went off for site-seeing by just turning on our google maps.
There are numerous tourist points to explore there like Arthur’s Seat, Window Point, Tiger Spring, Echo Point, Hunter Point, Malcom Point, Sydney Point, Old Mahableshwar, Castle Rock Point, Savitri Point, Monkey Point, Elphinstone Point, Venna Lake, Parsi Point, Table Land, Lodwick Point, Needle’s Point, Kate’s Point, Pratapgad and the list just goes on and on.. We decided to visit only few points as we had already visited them in the past as Mahableshwar has always been our go-to-destination.
Apart from the places to visit, there are many food items that you must try. The Strawberry Cream is very famous in Mahableshwar and you will get it anywhere on the way, it is so delicious guys !
Also, the Mahableshwar market has different types of flavored chanas where the shopper keeper gives you free tasting as well like cheese, peri-peri, lime, pudina, jalapeno, schezwan, masala, salty, etc.
Panchgani has a Pure Gold Cheese Factory, you must visit if you love cheese. They have variety of options to select from.
There are many factories, manufacturing units of well known companies like Mapro, Mala’s, etc where you can visit and see live production of the same. They offer you discounts along with sample testing and a wide range of their products to select from and some details through slideshows about the formation of the company, facts about the products, stories too.
This is all about my trip guys, it was a break much needed and I had a good time. Thank you for understanding and always having my back. I’ll be back with another story soon. Till then do stalk me on Instagram- Jerica_therunawaygal and also on Facebook- The Runaway Gal
Until next time,
Love Jerica.♥
Into The Wild- TADOBA, CHANDRAPUR
CHINCHOTI WATERFALLS
Chinchoti Waterfalls, the scenic beauty just gets you mesmerized and makes you fall for nature a tad bit more. If you are an eager traveler like me then I’m sure you will enjoy every inch of its beauty. The place can be viewed in a day but the aftermath stays with you forever. It is a one day picnic spot where you can hang out and chill with your friends, the main advantage is that it is very close by. It is located near Vasai and Naigaon.
VACAY IN THAILAND – PART I
Sawadee (Hello) everyone,
Well that basically means hello and warm greetings from the bottom of my heart.
Well just to not kill you more of curiosity this is yet another travel post, but one of the most awaited of-course. As you must have already guessed from the title, it is my THAILAND TRAVEL post you guys!! I am super excited for this one and I hope we both are on the same page of enthusiasm.
I had been to Thailand on the 22nd May, it was a surprise trip planned by my parents as I was turning 19 years old, I couldn’t thank my parents enough as it was on my wish-list quiet sometime.
Thailand is known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha, shopping centers, Thai food, massages and night life. Going through the pictures and reminiscing all the fun that I had gives me major throwback.
DAY 1 – BANGKOK PATTAYA
As I was already overwhelmed by the surprise that my friends and family threw the previous night, I was more anxious to meet the people on tour. We traveled through Veena World and the experience was marvellous. We reached Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2.40pm, headed to the bus and en-route Pattaya. It was a three hour trip but never felt that long as we were interacting with each other and admiring the beauty of Bangkok. We checked into this beautiful hotel GRAND BELLA and gained some energy for the night, putting on my favourite little red dress I was super excited to celebrate my birthday with my new family, we headed to the famous cabaret show – ALCAZAR SHOW. You need to go for this show, it is one of the most entertaining and famous shows in Thailand. They have some jaw-dropping performances and creative backdrops that keep changing after every performance is done. We couldn’t stop ourselves from dancing and cheering them. Later we all headed to an Indian restaurant and there was yet another surprise planned for me by my parents and Veena World, couldn’t be more blessed. I celebrated my birthday with my Veena World family and trust me it was the best.
DAY 2 – PATTAYA
Tasting the delicious Thai style breakfast, we were pumped up for the adventurous day ahead at the CORAL ISLAND, there were many activities planned for us and we were all excited and ready for some water sports. I was thrilled and nervous at the same time but couldn’t wait for my turn!
I put on my life jacket, and went of the coast for a parasailing ride, where I admired the view from top and faced my fear. I even did other water sport activities like speed boat, glass bottom boat ride, and had a view of the colourful underwater life.
After enjoying at the island, we headed to view Pattaya from the up-most point- THE PATTAYA TOWER, it is the tallest building in Pattaya i.e 55th floor tall building and guess what? There was another thrill coming our way, we had been given three options from our tour guide to either come down from Speed Shuttle, Sky Shuttle or Tower Jump but not the lift. My mother and I did the doubles as we were both nervous and wanted to try something together.
After a full fledged day of thrills, we were welcomed with a scientific Thai massage which was so relaxing and peaceful.
DAY 3 – PATTAYA – BANGKOK
Next morning we left for Bangkok and visited the NONG NOCH VILLAGE, the biggest and most beautiful botanical garden, and enjoyed the pottery garden, famous elephant and Thai cultural show. En route we visited the famous and the world’s biggest GEMS GALLERY, as it was very difficult for all the women to control themselves we spent a little to much on the beautiful precious stones and jewelry.
This is not the end, stay tuned for the PART II of my Thailand trip coming up next weekend wherein I explore the marine life, have a wild experience at the Safari World, explore the city of Thailand, meet 30-40 huskies and much more!
Thank you for your love and support, there’s much more coming your way.
Until then,
Love Jerica. ♥
VACAY IN THAILAND – PART II
Hello Peeps,
Hope you all doing fine! As I mentioned the last time about my journey not ending, here is the Part II of the most amazing and excruciating trip of my life. A trip where strangers became family. So without further tarry let’s jump onto the wonderful and magnificent experience of Thailand.
DAY 4 – BANGKOK
We all geared up and were excited to meet the animals of Thailand, yes you are right it was the day of SAFARI WORLD, we got a safari ride from our bus and sighted the animals in their natural habitat. At the safari world, there were many shows awaiting our way like the Orang Utang Monkey Kick Boxing, Cowboy Stunt Show, Sea Lion Show, Dolphin Show. The number of “Awww’s” and “How Cute” I must have said during this day was uncountable. Here we got an opportunity to have the closest encounter with the rare and endangered species of the animal kingdom.
Later the evening, we were asked to put on our best outfits and enjoy the pleasant dinner at CHAO PHRAYA DINNER CRUISE, here with the delicious and mouth watering dishes, there was a live orchestra, the band sang Hindi numbers for us and they were so cute, I can’t express my emotions right now, with tuta- futa Hindi they won our hearts.
This night was truly magical and special as the day to say goodbye was coming closer.
DAY 5 – BANGKOK
This day, we enjoyed city orientation tour which included- THE WAH- PHO temple of the reclining Buddha and principle Buddha and WAT TRAIMIT- the temple of Golden Buddha.
After the spiritual encounter, we drove to MADAME TUSSAUDS- wax museum. We were given a choice for shopping or visiting the second largest aquirium in the world, and for the first time I ditched shopping over marine life, but no regrets it was worth it.
Ever since Thailand was on my wishlist, one of the main reason to visit was THE TRUE LOVE CAFE- a cafe which have more than 30-40 Siberian huskies, this was the best part of my entire trip. Not even kidding, I was in tears, after so much of struggle and waiting we finally made it here. My gallery is still filled with the pictures of these furr angels.
DAY 6- BANGKOK
So it was finally the time to tell our travel companions a goodbye. We had some time before hand, so headed straight for some shopping which leaded to an extra luggage of course. We all exchanged phone numbers, pictures and memories.
Thailand you were truly a dream! Can’t wait to go back again.
With meeting different people, to experiencing diverse culture, tasting new food, living the life in Thai style, it was a wonderful experience and I can still not get over it.
Thank you for all your love and support, it helps me grow each day.
Until next time,
Love Jerica.
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