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Tag: TRIP

  • Amazing Indian destinations for winter ‘workation’

    Amazing Indian destinations for winter ‘workation’

    Shillong is the perfect destination for professionals who want to discover and unravel the north-eastern belt of the country…reports Asian Lite News.

    Trip mode is in a a slow phase, but people are trying to recover from the dull stage of ‘quarantine life’ The phenomenon of remote working is growing at a rapid pace as the pandemic fuels the work-from-anywhere option. The convenience and ease to blend work with vacation are much easier now than ever before, making workations a popular concept among working professionals in India. EaseMyTrip.com compiles a list of 5 stunning destinations which provide the best remote working experience in the country:

    Jibhi, Himachal Pradesh:

    When the hills are calling, you must go! If you’re looking to spend some time relaxing in the arms of nature, Jibhi in Himachal Pradesh would be an ideal choice. A hidden gem in Himachal Pradesh, Jibhi is breathtaking and offers people a serene view of lush hills in the Himalayas in the midst of work chaos. This offbeat location provides visitors with an opportunity to stay in a warm cottage surrounded by freshwater, making it an ideal place to relax and soak in peace. Jibhi allows visitors to enjoy the fresh air and listen to the sweet chirpings of the birds in the lap of nature, which could be a good distraction from work! There are multiple stay options that are not just stunning but budget-friendly as well.

    Shillong, Meghalaya:

    Shillong is the perfect destination for professionals who want to discover and unravel the north-eastern belt of the country. With its enjoyable weather and tranquillity, this quaint hill station is nicknamed Scotland of the East due to its striking similarity to the country. Its pristine landscape and an abode of clouds make the hill station the perfect destination to spend your days in isolation. A large number of stay options in Shillong are offering customisable workstation packages for professionals who want to work from a serene environment. Since the past few years, there has been a growth in airline routes to the region resulting in swifter travelling options. One can check travel options from EaseMyTrip before deciding itinerary in this picturesque hill station.

    Varkala, Kerala:

    If a beach backdrop with waves crashing across the shore is what you need to work in peace, then Varkala is the right destination. Known as the Pearl of the Arabian Sea, Varkala is a hidden tourist gem in the state renowned for its vibrant beach life and water sport activities. Varkala is famed for its long stretches of sparkling beaches.

    People can enjoy a dip in the clear waters of the Arabian Sea and end the night at a beach shack to unwind. The pristine beaches also provide the visitor with an opportunity to try out exciting water activities such as paragliding, parasailing, and jet skiing. The clear ocean at Varkala beach is also one of the best in the country to learn surfing. The city also has a number of hills, lakes, forts, lighthouses, natural fisheries, and springs which add to the charm of this destination.

    Mussoorie, Uttrakhand:

    The Queen of hill stations, Mussoorie was declared a free WiFi town in 2015, making it one of the most preferred remote working destinations in the country. The city boasts a minimum internet speed of 50Mbps, which can even go up to 100 Mbps. The quaint hill station enables people to work while enjoying a mesmerizing view of the Himalayan range and a vibrant bar of colours in the sky. The comforting cool weather throughout the year makes it a preferred destination for remote work. Not to mention the warm and spicy street food that’s hard to resist after a long day of work. The tranquillity of the hill station also provides the best hiking experience to enthralling viewpoints. Uttarakhand tourism has taken a step ahead and is readily providing necessary facilities required for people that visit the state for remote working.

    Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu:

    A delight for wildlife lovers, Masinagudi is surrounded by the solace of nature. Wildlife homestays are a preferred option in this destination and most of these homestays provide fast internet options. The destination is a rich forest reserve and is highly recommended for people who want to connect with nature and wildlife. The experience of cohabitating with wildlife will definitely serve as a great therapy for your body and mind. The deciduous forest and with a soothing tropical view are home to Indian leopards, Bengal tigers and elephants. So don’t get trembled if an elephant enters your zoom meeting screen. Travellers who prefer to experience a safari after a long day of work or the weekend can pick a stay option close to the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary.

    With most companies set to continue work from home for the foreseeable future, remote working is set to pick up and evolve further in the coming months. A significant advantage is that it provides an opportunity for travellers to completely explore a city or destination at their own pace instead of packing everything into a week-long itinerary while going for a vacation. A little break from the routine is what you need to rejuvenate and perform better at work.

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  • Essentials for a trip in the Covid era

    Essentials for a trip in the Covid era

    An intimate wash is a must when you are travelling. Ayouthveda Vagitone Intimate Hygiene Wash is a unique pH-balanced formula designed to offer an excellent personal hygiene experience…writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe.

    Trips are inevitable in life, even in the Covid and post Covid eras. As we step into the unlock phase, many people have begun travelling again while taking the necessary precautions. Although travelling and backpacking are common, one can’t deny the fact that people face various issues like hygiene, access to a clean bathrooms, lack of oxygen, especially when you are travelling in the mountains.

    To make the journey easy and exciting at the same time, here is a list of travel essentials to have in your backpack while travelling, especially to the mountains.

    Toilet Seat Sanitizer

    Public toilets have never been a picnic to visit. Women usually develop problems related to urine infections after using these unhygienic washrooms. To solve the hygiene problems and prevent urine infection caused by unclean lavatories, you can always carry PeeSafe toilet seat sanitiser spray.

    Disinfectant Surface Spray

    Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live. People have become more cautious while touching anything or using anything from outside. If you are not sure whether touching a surface is safe or not, you can make it safe by using disinfectant surface spray by disinfectant spray. It can kill a wide range of microorganisms within a few seconds minimizing your risk of infection.

    Intimate Hygiene wash

    An intimate wash is a must when you are travelling. Ayouthveda Vagitone Intimate Hygiene Wash is a unique pH-balanced formula designed to offer an excellent personal hygiene experience. It does not contain any harsh chemicals, parabens, or sulphate, and is cruelty-free. The product contains Green Tea and Aloe Vera which helps to prevent bad odour and itching and improves hygiene by maintaining a healthy flora. The Vagitone Intimate Hygiene Wash is 100 per cent sulphate and hormone-free.

    Portable Oxygen Can

    Vacations are always too short to lose a day to mountain sickness. Advances in portable oxygen technology have made it increasingly possible for those with cardiopulmonary challenges to lead full and active lives. People are no longer limited to short car trips or short domestic flights or hesitation to travel to mountains. Go2therapy’s 99 per cent pure oxygen cans are enriched with a much higher concentration of oxygen — 4 1/2 times the normal air we breathe.

    It helps in breathlessness during sudden shock, jerk, suffocation and choking. It is also ideal for use as first aid for treating hypoxia, hypoxemia, cluster headaches. It will prove to be a life-saving tool during an accident, drowning, cardiovascular arrests etc., making it a permanent part of your travel kit.

    Hand Sanitizer

    You may not realize but you may touch all kinds of stuff when you are travelling. Most food poisoning is caused by dirty hands rather than the food itself. This is the first layer of protection you have for viruses and bacteria. Now that the world is facing a pandemic, keeping your hands clean is a must.

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  • Must watch ‘art’ in Philadelphia

    Must watch ‘art’ in Philadelphia

    This sculpture was actually created as a prop for a scene in the film Rocky III, however, Sylvester Stallone gave it to Philadelphia in 1982…writes Puja Gupta.

    To travel in the current time is really scary, But we plan plan for some special trips in the post Covid era. Philadelphia, the sixth-most populous US city, is known for its abundant accessible art. With the first art museum and school in the US and more public art than any other American city — including murals and sculptures — the spirit of the city can be found in the art that follows you down the street into parks, open spaces, museums and galleries.

    Here is a list of some quintessential art one must see in Philadelphia, curated by Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

    LOVE Sculpture by Robert Indiana

    In honour of the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, famed artist Robert Indiana was asked to lend his aluminum-molded LOVE sculpture to Philadelphia. It was placed in JFK Plaza, with a clear view all the way down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The plaza has since been known as LOVE Park and is arguably the most selfie-friendly spot in Philadelphia.

    Rocky by A. Thomas Schomberg

    The Rocky movies are known the world over and no trip to Philadelphia is complete without a visit to the Rocky steps and the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This sculpture was actually created as a prop for a scene in the film Rocky III, however, Sylvester Stallone gave it to Philadelphia in 1982, as he felt that the fictional fighter Rocky Balboa was symbolic of the city, where anyone from anywhere can succeed with grit and hard work.


    The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: The Calders

    The artwork of the Calder family of sculptors punctuates the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from start to finish. The patriarch, Alexander Milne Calder, emigrated from Scotland to the U.S. in 1868 and settled in Philadelphia. He is best known for the immense bronze statue of Philadelphia founder William Penn, placed on top of City Hall in 1894 — the largest in the world atop a public building. His son, Alexander Stirling Calder, was an accomplished sculptor who created the Swann Fountain in Logan Square. Also called Fountain of Three Rivers, the art deco sculpture was created in 1924 and features Native American subjects that represent the Delaware, Schuylkill, and Wissahickon Rivers. Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see a kinetic mobile by the third generation, Alexander “Sandy” Calder.


    Thomas Eakins’ “Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic)”
    This masterpiece by renowned Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins (seen drawing in the back of the painting) was shocking and frightening for those who saw it for the first time because it depicts a bloody surgical procedure in progress. Eakins created Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic) for the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia and is now recognized as one of the greatest American paintings.

    Keith Haring’s “We the Youth”

    This mural by the Pennsylvania-born, iconic pop artist Keith Haring was created in 1987 for the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution (the title is a play on “We the People”). We the Youth is the only Keith Haring collaborative public mural remaining intact and on its original site and was recently restored by Mural Arts Philadelphia.

    Barnes Foundation Ensembles

    Philadelphia native Albert C. Barnes amassed one of the world’s most important collections of post-impressionist and early modernist art, between 1912 and 1951. As he gathered works that also included African sculpture, antiquities, Asian art, Native American ceramics, jewellery, and textiles, manuscripts, old master paintings, and European and American decorative and industrial arts, he would arrange them in “ensembles”. Rather than by chronology, style or genre, the arrangements would be for the purposes of symmetry, or light, colour and space, instead. By experimenting with the display, he challenged the traditional norms of viewing fine art, providing a new way to experience it. Visit the Barnes Foundation to see pieces by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse available nowhere else and make your own connections with the world-renowned collection.

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  • Worthy activities for a super solo trip

    Worthy activities for a super solo trip

    Hiking trails are the best way to experience South Africa’s scenery, sunny climate and outdoor culture — it is one of the world’s most popular hiking destinations…writes Puja Gupta.

    ‘Wanderlust’ is a common emotion to the people who love to travel. While everybody seems to have been bitten by the travel bug, one particular segment has risen to the occasion in full force — that of women travelers! Women besides outperforming at work, managing their homes and slaying everywhere in general, are now increasingly turning to solo travel. Not only is solo travel therapeutic for the modern Indian woman, but is also an enriching and bold statement of their empowered versions. Reasons to travel vary, from business and leisure to experiencing and exploring local cultures.

    While there are a lot of destinations offering varied experiences, the stunning combination of captivating surroundings, fantastic year–round weather, thriving wildlife and a wide array of adventure sports to choose from, puts the rainbow nation of South Africa right on top for an unforgettable experience among women travelers.

    Here is a look at some of the most bucket-list worthy activities to include in your itinerary on your next solo trip to South Africa:

    Shark-cage diving

    Great White Shark spotting is one of the biggest draws to South Africa. A trip to Rainbow Nation is incomplete without attempting the hair-raising shark-cage dive. In fact, Indians are the top third nationality to undertake Shark-cage diving in South Africa. There are two places in South Africa that promise fantastic shark cage diving experiences: Gansbaai and Mossel Bay. Situated in Gansbaai, Dyer Island is often credited as a hub for shark-cage diving. It also serves as a sanctuary to rare pelagic bird species and the whole of Marine Big Five.

    Great white shark cages at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico (Wikipedia)


    The Wild Safari

    South Africa has to its name, a thriving and glorious wildlife. The major tourist attraction being the Big 5 — African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Lion, Black Rhino and Leopard. The African Safari promises a myriad of species amid dramatic, unspoiled landscapes. Tourists have the option of choosing from a wide variety such as a game drive, a bush walk, or even a horse-ride for an authentic wildlife experience. From gritty experiences in the bush to opulent luxury in a private lodge, they have it all covered.

    Go Hiking

    Hiking trails are the best way to experience South Africa’s scenery, sunny climate and outdoor culture — it is one of the world’s most popular hiking destinations. Whether you like to hike up mountains, along rivers or through valleys, you’re certain to find a perfect route. In Cape Town you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to hikes — take your pick from Table Mountain’s many routes, Lion’s Head’s popular and spectacular trail, walks in the various forests spread out below the mountain and beautiful coastal trails.

    A hiker enjoying the view of the Alps (Wikipedia)

    Dance the night away in CapeTown

    Nothing quite prepares you for Cape Town — the captivating Mother City is where travellers can feel perfectly in tune with the new South Africa. Cape Town’s energy is unrivalled and the day doesn’t end at sunset. Revel in some of the most happening party places across the city. From old school bars and beerhouses to new cool sports bars and comedy clubs, Cape Town has it all!

    Hot Air Ballooning in Gauteng:

    You rise ever so slowly into the sky and drift gently in the wind. A hot air ballooning adventure is a low-anxiety adventure which will take you to an emotional high as you look down like a bird in flight at the landscape that unravels below. And tradition requires that a hot air balloon flight ends with a toast of sparkling wine. Say cheers to a good time!

    Explore Wine lands by the Moonlight

    Experience the cape wine lands from a completely different perspective lit by moonlight! A trail by moonlight on horseback will take you back in time and offer a truly magical experience in the Witzenberg Valley. Just 90 minutes from Cape Town, away from city, lights, and pollution — you will be blown away by the brightness of the moon and be fascinated by your very own moon shadow.
    Lip-smacking food in Durban

    Durban is sure to tantalize your taste buds with the deliciously diverse spectrum of cuisines it has to offer. While gorging on the world cuisines, don’t forget to try the South African Bunny Chow. Bunny Chow is the Big Mac of South Africa. It’s a delicious treat unique to Durban that dates back to the 1940s, and your trip wouldn’t be complete without sampling it. Interestingly, the Bunny Chow has Indian origins! The dish consists of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with meat or vegetable curry.

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