Being On a Road Trip with My Dog

What else do you need when you have a great buddy with you on a road trip? Everything becomes pleasant just by having someone on your side whom you love with all your heart. In my case, it is my dog whom I love so much that sometimes, I do not even need my friends. My Labrador, Shiny, is a golden-fur dog. He has been with me since my school years, and he was two months old when my Dad brought him to me. My parents always thought that I was an introvert person and that I needed to get out of the house more often. That is why; they decided to bring a four-legged friend for me with whom I could go to the parks and streets. They were right in their thinking; people often come to me to play with my beautiful dog and be kind to me as well. I may sound mean here, but I have actually made many friends just by having Shiny with me. Some of those people are still with me since years of their meeting at various places.

Trip to Pune 

A friend of mine happens to live in Pune, and he had called me to his home many times in the last few years. Since I could not find anyone to accompany me for such a long trip from Delhi to Pune, I decided to take Shiny along. He was super happy to be in the car, although he also showed some tantrums sometimes. He enjoyed the pleasant weather during February last year along with the delicious food that I had got for him. I did not want him to deal with an itchy stomach by constantly being in the car.

Trip to Goa

I never knew that Shiny would love beaches so much that he would never want to return. He actually enjoyed being close to the water; then he would go into the water for a quick while, and then run back to me to display how happy he was. I could feel the bliss in his heart when he was there at the beaches, even though some people were not comfortable with having a dog around them. I had to pull him out of place whenever we had to go back to the hotel, which also showed frets for the pets sometimes. As if I care!

Trip to Manali

I don't know about other dogs, but my Labrador does not feel very happy in cold weather. I decided to rent a Car without Driver and took him to Manali to see the snow and snowfall. However, he was not very happy to be there walking in the snow. He wore heavy clothes and sweaters, which were made out of my sweaters, but I still had to convince him to go out in the open air. He would always like to sleep in the cozy bed, no matter how hard I tried. Somehow, I managed to spend three days in Kullu and Manali with him, but I had to return early.

My vacations with Shiny have been very memorable, no matter it was an extended trip or a small visit to a grocery store. He is an adorable companion who loves me despite everything. He keeps himself entertained as well as everyone around him. If I have Shiny with me, I seriously do not feel like being with other people. However, he has taught me to be more social and more courteous to others than I ever used to be. More than me, my parents are grateful to him.

The Coziness of Traveling With Family

No one in the world can teach us the way our parents teach us. My father has also been the legendary in making me what I am today. He has given me some values, which I can never forget ever in life. His schooling for me and my sister have been monumental for us as well as our extended family. One thing that he always insisted upon to keep the family united was going for a vacation at least twice a year. Even when we could not afford a car, we used to go by bus or a train. Nevertheless, he made sure that we went out to another city in India to rebuild our bond with the family.

Values we get from traveling

We went to Shimla last year, and the weather was not very pleasant. We were expecting a snowfall, but we did not find any. All of us were in a lousy mood, expect the head of our family. He thought of making the most of every minute we spent in Shimla and Kufri, where they say it snows every year. It was the end of December, and heavy tourist footfall was expected in a couple of days. We bought a fruit beer from a small shop in Kufri, and he did his best to boost up the mood of the family. Acts like this from his side made sure every time that we did not have a bad time. As usual, he was successful in his attempts to cheer us up.

Nonetheless, we were about to return from the place when the snow began falling from the sky. It was the first snowfall of my life; I was only twelve years of age. The smile on my face as I enjoyed the snowfall is still captured in the photograph that he clicked. His passion for photography has effortlessly passed on to me. Now that I have become a father, I do not forget to capture every significant moment in my Smartphone.

By traveling with family, I have learned the importance of sharing and caring. Although I would fight with my sister over every little thing, I can still remember when I was dressing the wound on her feet in Jaipur. My parents watched us with the feeling of proud in their eyes as I helped her calm down and let me do the dressing. Another instance that I can recall is that my little princess would always share her piece of cake with me after I was done chasing her for an extra share. She has a habit of teasing me until I get frustrated with her, but she does not forget to give to me everything I need.

Recently, I planned to rent a car without driver to take the entire family to Bir where we could enjoy some peaceful time. When we grow up, we become busy in our lives, and the same has been the case with us. After living in Bangalore for more than six years, I realize the occupations of typical urban life. I used to like shopping for clothes so much, but now there is no time to go to any mall. I have to suffice with surfing online and buy whatever is available.

Nevertheless, the comfort that I feel with the family is never the same with other people, no matter their closeness to me. I try to pass on the same values to my kids so that they can also relate their experiences of life to the ones gathered during childhood.

Most Popular Off-Beat Destinations near Bangalore

Bangalore is said to be one of the most happening as well as historical places in India. If you live here, there is no other place that you would like to live in. And not only is the city astoundingly beautiful, but it is also in close proximity from other really popular places that you must visit if you’re a resident of Bangalore.

Even though there are a lot of places to visit around Bangalore, but we’ve shortlisted 3 of the best and the most off beat ones where you could just drive down easily. Just Rent a Self Drive car, convince 2-3 friends, and you’re all set.  Also, Self-drive cars in Bangalore have recently become pretty popular among the youth, because of being accessible as well as economical. These places are a must visit, and if you haven’t planned a trip to them, then do it right now.

1.       Mysore –

This is merely a 5 hour drive away from Bangalore, and known as the city of Palaces, it is an apt destination for a weekend trip from Bangalore. It is one of the heritage sites to be visited, and one of the main tourist attractions of Karnataka. Some of the other attractions of this beautiful city are the museums, temples, gardens, zoo and most importantly The Mysore Palace.

2.        Hogenakkal –

At a distance of even less that 150kms from Bangalore, Hogenakkal has the one of the most beautiful waterfalls in India and it is a perfect one day trip from Bangalore. You can just sit besides the waterfall, and hog on some great snacks and drinks while enjoying the weather here. Fish fry is said to be a popular snack served here.

3.       Yelagiri Hills – Just 180 kms from Bangalore, this beautiful hill station is in a district in Tamil Nadu. You can see beautiful orchids, rose valleys and greenery all around. It is surreal and really peaceful and is one of the perfect places to go to if you need a break from your hectic life. You would be able to see how the tribes live, and it’s like delving in the village life.

Everyone requires a break, and you don’t even need to wait for a long weekend to go t these places. These can be easily covered in a span of two days and you can visit these off beat places any weekend. Self Drive cars are a blessing in disguise and thus there is no headache of getting your own car or going with a driver. You can enjoy your privacy and concentrate on counting memories rather than getting all anxious about how to travel.  So pack your bag right away, and leave for any of these places the very next weekend!

Weekend Gateways near Vadodara

After Ahmadabad and Surat, Vadodara is the third largest and upcoming city of Gujarat. It’s a multi-cultural city, and has become one of the popular tourist attractions. Vadodara has a great location, as it’s close to a lot of amazing places. So if you’re getting bored, you can just call up your group of friends any weekend, hire a Self-Drive car and go on a road trip!

Self Drive Car Rentals have become even more popular than booking a car with a driver, as it gives people their required privacy throughout the day. There are great destinations within 300kms of Vadodara, such as Mount Abu, Indore, Udaipur, Nashik etc, and if you’re in the mood for a great drive, then these are the places that need to be visited for sure.

1.       Mount Abu – This is the only hill station in Rajasthan where one would love to go on a road trip from the city life of Vadodara. Amongst all the forts and palaces scattered all over Rajasthan, this quiet and peaceful hill station is one of the best escape places.

2.       Indore – If you’re a foodie, then this township would be perfect for you. It is packed with just the right kind of holiday experience that you would want for a weekend. With a distance of approximately 300 kms from Vadodara, Indore is just a drive away.

3.       Udaipur- Is the land of romance, with the amazing ethereal monuments, and the romantic landscapes. Udaipur remains to be one of the popular heritage tourism sites in India, and it’s hardly an overnight drive from Vadodara.

4.       Nashik- This is one of the holy cities in the vicinity of Vadodara. Tourists usually go there to visit the forts, temples and admire the architecture in the city.

Apart from these, Ahmadabad is even closer to Vadodara, and now that Self-Drive cars in Vadodara have become a success, one can just book it in a minute and drive over to this city. Not only is it convenient, but also it is pretty economical. And there’s no headache of taking permission to get your car for a road trip, as these do the job in a much better way.

Everyone out there has a pretty hectic life in their own ways, and one needs to take a short trip to let it all out. That’s why if you’re staying in Vadodara, and you need a break, then these are the places that you must visit. You can either take a bus, or a train if you’re not too keen on driving but go out there and have some fun. And if you’re a person who loves to drive along the roads, no matter what the distance may be then you should definitely rent a self drive car and enjoy the long drives.

To travel is to know oneself, and it is as important as your work is. To explore places, know different types of people, and have a great time should be on your check list right away!

How I Spend My Boring Weekends in Delhi

No one in this world can have happening weekends every time; one has to have a pet place to go when there is nothing to do. One such place for me is a tea stall near my house where I meet my regular friends. None of has to have a reason to be there at Santosh chai-wallah. My group of childhood buddies comprising Rohit, Naina, and Kashish and I would arrive at the place around 7 pm to have a sip of tea or just sit there for a while. As we were growing up, we would gather at this humble place every evening after school and tuitions to gossip about our daily lives. After killing an hour from the allotted time, we would go home to have dinner and complete our homework.

Times after college

All of us have finished our college except Naina, and we still try to meet at Santosh’s stall even though the regular tea seller does not operate the place. Sometimes, it feels heartbreaking to see that everyone is getting busy and busier in their lives. We cannot always make time to meet at seven or even nine at our adda. We have to honor our commitments in office even though we cannot do so for our childhood promises. We still try to meet at least on weekends if we cannot make it during weekdays unless we have a plan to go out of the city.

Over time, the chai place at Santosh's has become more like a nostalgic place. Some weekends become so dull at times in Delhi that I cannot understand what to do to kill time. In my childhood, I would rarely go to our adda alone, but I like to go there on my own now because all my friends are busy. The colleagues from office are not a very good company to have during weekends since I spend a good deal of time with them during weekdays. 

The books are my companion

I take a book along to the chai-wallah whenever I cannot find anything to do, read fiction for an hour or more, and come back home refreshed and energized. Even a library cannot provide such peace and satisfaction that I get sitting on the makeshift seating arrangement constructed around a tree. The noise of the traffic, the chatter of the people, and the fragrance of tea continually boiling in the vessel is more pleasing than the peace of a library.

Although I miss my friends whenever I sit there, I cannot force anyone to come to the place every time I am there. While reading books, I often meet people from my neighborhood sometimes, and I get to talk to them. Sometimes I wonder why not I should go to visit someplace in Delhi whenever I get bored, but there is no fun going anywhere without my buddies. Rather than going to some random restaurant, historical place, or an event on my own, I would like to wait for someone to accompany me. The only place where I can sit alone is at the Santosh chai-wallah.

This January, it has been more than three weeks that I have met anyone from my childhood friends. And I have thought to get together with them as soon as possible, take a Car Hire, and go to the historical place of Delhi if we cannot go out of the city. It has been a really long time that we have spent quality time with each other. This time, I commit to myself that I will make it.

Thank God it’s Friday! I’m off for a Weekend Getaway

Every week on Friday, I get a feeling of doing something exciting. Rarely, just once in three months, I feel like sitting and home to relax. If I sit at home for continuously three weeks, it makes me restless for the entire weekend. I have to be honest with myself every Friday and make a plan with family or friends. Like every week, we made a program to go for bowling in Gurgaon, which unlike Delhi, is not well-connected by public transport. One has to own a car or hire a cab or an auto-rickshaw to commute in National Capital Region.

Anyway, Blu-O in Gurgaon is the place where we had to go. My friends picked me up from my office in Cyber City, and we were off to have a great time in Blu-O. The place is a gaming station where we can do bowling, play snooker, and many other games. I have zero experience in bowling, but I had a great time continuously failing and passing at the sport. Though we had a plan to return home after bowling, no one wanted to go home. So here we were off to Jaipur in an instant. Without looking back for a moment, we set off to the Pink City. On our way, we booked a hotel in Jaipur so that we can rest our heavy heads when we reach.

Early morning in Jaipur

We had driven at a leisurely pace from Gurgaon to Jaipur; we reached our hotel early in the morning. Thankfully, the hotel looked as it was shown in the pictures, and the rooftop construction was brilliant. The real Rajput architecture was used on the pillars and walls; it felt great to be there and watch the early morning sun. The houses and hotels in front of us showcased an entirely different picture of the Pink City. In that case, I feel that every city has a different mood at different points of time during the day.

A day spent in Rajasthani style 

Khameeri Hara Matar Poori was something I had never heard about, but it was a delectable dish that we had with Thandai. We decided to take some rest in the hotel until historical monuments opened. After sleeping for a couple of hours, we were off to Amer Fort, which is located pretty away from the central city. Nevertheless, it was worth taking the pain to reach there. Amer Fort is a sheer example of the royal lives of the Rajputs of the olden times.

We could not realize where we spent our three hours in the extensive Amer Fort. We had to force ourselves to get out of it and set off for Hawa Mahal. This place was again a brilliant piece of architecture with hundreds of windows. While clicking photos in the pleasant winter sun, it felt great to just sit there with friends. Although we wanted to visit more places in the city, we felt too tired to go ahead. So we decided to go to the hotel, but before that, the girls in the group wanted to shop around for Sarees and handicrafts. Maharani market is a beautiful place where we got almost everything we wanted. We bought things for ourselves and souvenirs for our families.

Just like every other weekend, this time was also spent well wandering around Jaipur in a Luxury Car Rental that we had taken from a car rental company. One more day went in a significant way, and I look forward to having many such great times with my friends.

A Night Well Spent Wandering on the Outskirts of Mumbai

Sometimes, you don't feel like doing anything at all. Everything you can think of seems to bore you to death. Boredom strikes you even more when you do not live with anyone, and you are an extrovert. The problem with me is that I cannot find a suitable person to share my apartment, which has many side-effects including boredom. I was getting this feeling one Saturday evening in my home in the Andheri region of Mumbai. I just could not stop my mind from racing, and thinking about things I did not want to think about. I had to do something to get my mind at peace, but everything seemed humdrum.

After calling a couple of friends to have a party, and failing at it, I decided to go for a drive. Did I tell you that I do not have a car? My bad! I don't have a car! So how could I possibly go for a solo drive without a car? Not-so-thankfully, people in Mumbai do not like to share their cars with anyone, so there was no chance of borrowing a car from someone. Without thinking for a second, I decided to rent a car for the night. The car arrived in two hours, and since it was off-season going on, I got the car at a heavy discount. Nonetheless, that is a different matter.

I took the car keys from the company representative, locked the doors, and set off for a solo drive for the night. Before I get into the details, I must tell you that it was one of the most amazing times I had spent with myself. I have been on solo trips to the mountains and beaches, but never for a drive before that night. Drinking alone while driving was out of the question, so I decided to drive sober.

The chai-break

After driving on the outskirts of Mumbai for more than two hours, the first break I took was at a roadside chai-vendor. I asked him to give a masala chai with a rusk as I sat down on a big stone beside he was standing. The best thing about Mumbai is the safety and peace of mind this city gives to females. The chai-wala had his wife and daughter with him. The daughter was studying under the traffic light as her mother prepared food for her family. I asked the man about his hometown; he told me that his name was Bhola and he belonged to Agra. He had come to Mumbai with big dreams for his family as his hometown had nothing to give to them. They were very generous people; as I sat there for an hour or so, they even offered me food. I did take a bite of the delicious lauki ki sabzi that the lady had prepared, but it was now time for me to depart from there and let the family have their alone time. 

The drive

For some weird reason, I did not feel tired driving the car rentals Mumbai for another three hours. I must have driven for more than 200-300 kilometers that night, but I did not feel tired at all. Just one more cup of chai at another vendor kept me going. I was just listening to music, looking at the sceneries around me, the trees and animals on the hills, and just driving at my own pace. Spending alone time sometimes feels so peaceful that you do not want to do anything else on earth. My friends still call me a weirdo for doing something as crazy as that, but I can always call that night as one of the best in my entire lifetime.

The Only Disadvantage of Traveling By Car

Much has been written about the pros of traveling by car and extended road trips, but hardly anyone talks about the cons of it. Every coin has two sides, and the road trips also have their benefits and detriments. Since I am talking about the negative sides of road trips, it does not mean that I do not like them. I am an ardent lover of traveling by car, but I felt like writing about the flip side of it. At least a decade ago, road trips used to be cheaper and much more fun than today. Let me take my heart out as I talk about the disadvantages of traveling by car.

Traffic jam

Earlier when I had started going for road trips during my college time, there used to be hardly any cars on the road. However, nowadays the immense traffic on the road irritates me every time I go out on the road, especially during office hours. Passing through the small cities is one hell of a task because the vehicles are not regulated at all, and I am sorry to say, but people do not have any civic sense to be on the road. The animals, children, pedestrians, and bikes are all on the same street where the high-speed vehicles should be. All this chaos causes traffic jam even in metropolitans, forget the Tier-II cities of India, which are in massive bedlam.

Time consumption

 I have to be honest here; road trips do take a lot of time and effort. If the distance is more than 100 kilometers, I have to do a lot of mental preparation to be there in the car for hours at a stretch. With the growing age after forty, being in the car for more than three hours definitely seems painful. If I leave for Goa from Mumbai, it takes me more than 11-12 hours to be there, which is a long time of course. Although extended hours of journey do not seem much painful when I have someone to talk to in the car. Being alone for such a long journey is undeniably awful.

Hidden costs

Being on a road trip does involve a few hidden costs, which may sometimes shoot up the budget by a great deal. If the car breaks down, the prices of the motels are great than I expected, the food is expensive, and the toll taxes there at every hundred kilometers; I have to bear the costs of every such expense. All these expenses are really agonizing, mainly because I am habitual of going for a road trip when these expenses used to be much lower than the current times.

Bad weather

Although the bad weather can impact traveling in all modes of transport, sometimes it becomes especially challenging to deal with it when it is raining or snowing heavily. Driving on the wet roads is highly risky since the visibility is too low and the roads become slippery. Secondly, if the snowfall occurs on the hilly areas, it becomes equally disturbing to drive the car in a zero-visibility environment because of snow.

I do love going on the road trips despite all these disadvantages because of the peace of mind that I get on the roads. Someone has rightly said that the roads are an answer to all problems. Whenever I feel lost or confused, I rent Self Drive Cars in Mumbai and hit the road with my friends or even alone. Just after a few hours, I feel my nerves calming down, and I can find answers to all my problems.

How I Prepared For a Trekking Holiday with My Friends

Failing at something is more humiliating to yourself than it is in front of others. I had been to Chadar Trek with my friends last year and failed at it miserably because I was not strong enough to cope with it. I hate to admit that I used to be a chain smoker, and this miserable habit had taken its toll on my health. Even when I used to be in Delhi, I could realize that other people around me were healthier than me. While they could easily walk a kilometer or two, I would look for my car keys even for a small distance. 

When I would see my friend, Shreya, walking from the metro station to her office and home, I would ridicule her for saving a meager amount of money on auto-rickshaw and cabs. However, she would give just one argument that walking keeps her active an fit. I realized the futility of my lethargic lifestyle when Shreya trekked up kilometers in just a few minutes without panting, and I could barely walk up a few meters. In the end, I had to say that I cannot complete the trek, and I would wait for my friends at a hotel at the base camp. It was incredibly humiliating to wait for them all alone in the dreary hotel room where I could not even access the network, while all my friends were enjoying on top of the hills. This was the time when I realized that I need to work on my body immediately. Over and above, I resolved to quit smoking straightaway. 

How I built strength in a year

Saying it to myself that I would strengthen my body and leave smoking was easier said than done. I could not fathom the mighty force to wake up at 5 am on the first day of my fitness regime. However, the body weight of 95 kilograms somehow pushed me to wake up and get set to go. I had already taken out my running shoes, joggers, and a t-shirt so that I do not feel lazy because of this small errand in the morning. Anyway, the first two weeks of jogging were terrible for me as I had to literally force myself out of bed to go for a walk and run. 

After two months of plain jogging and mild exercises, I started working on my strength of legs. After reading extensively about trekking and physical fitness, I knew that I needed to work on my legs. I had already modified my diet and lost a few kilograms, and then I began squats! This awkward position of half sitting and standing on my knees could not have been more difficult for me. It took me another two weeks to gain strength to do three sets of 8-10 squats.

Did I succeed?

Yes, I did. How could I not succeed after a complete year of running, jogging, and exercising? Leaving smoking was not easy, but as I felt the positive changes inside my body, it became easy to stay away from the smoke. I am happy to boast today that the smoke of cigarette or even sheesha irritates me now, and my friends are glad to see this positive change in me. So I made a plan to go for a trek with Shreya and gang again, and this time the destination was Triund, which is a moderate trek. We looked around to rent a Car but decided to go by train. And nothing makes me happier to proclaim that I finished the trek, and that too easily! Voila!