Let it be.........

 Thailand is blessed with culture, nature, adventure, food, and diversity.  No doubt why it's one of the favorite destinations for backpackers and couples, as everyone can find a different experience when it comes to Thailand. I have been to Thailand a few times and I am always excited to explore all the shades of Thailand.  Here are my favorite #ShadesOfThailand: Culture: Thai culture is all about respect and peace, you will always see smiling faces and helping hands around you in Thai streets. Thai people believe in karma and many of them follow the Buddhism way of life. I got to experience the same when we meet and greet the monks in the early morning, quite a relaxing experience for the soul. Thailand has so many amazing temples and palaces, you will find your inner peace for sure. Nature :  If you are either a mountain person or a beach person, you gonna still love the natural beauty of Thailand. From the scenic mountains of Chiang Mai to the turquoise shades of Phuket or Krab

Lepakshi is a perfect choice for a long drive from the crowded city, to appreciate open highways and enjoy your set of wheels. As the place has a history dated back to Ramayana, it's a good option for kids or grand-parents too.  The place is blessed with amazing architecture stamped with mythological stories. This trip was organized by the S.O.U.L group from Tata motors (SUV Owners United League), basically, a group dedicated to owners of Tata SUVs. If you own a Tata SUV (Hexa, Harrier, Safari), you can register on the SOUL website. The starting point was pinned at the Adishakti Tata Motors showroom in Hebbal. The group got together at 6:45 AM for sipping hot coffee over the chit-chat to get to know each other. The flag off happened a bit late than anticipated, as one of the SOUL member had to come from Electronic City (in his defense, he has to travel from almost another city as per Bangalore roads are considered :)  That's how the convoy looked like, chaining across 4 Hexas,

 The lockdown had tested my patience enough, as staying at home for almost 1 year wasn't my cup of tea. I love to travel and fortunate to explore 60+cities in 16 countries around the world in the last 10 years. The year 2020 was a deal-breaker as I had to let my passport rust in some dusty corner, Of course, I wanted to be safe and stay healthy. There was no international visa stamp on my passport in 2020, luckily I visited Malaysia in November 2019 which was just before the spread started.  As the situation improved in India, so I started exploring all the options which were safe and relaxing. Finally, I decided to visit Kerala which is famous for its natural beauty and backwaters. Its know as God's own country for the same reason.  My original plan was to visit Bekal but then I stumbled across Neelahswar Hermitage resort which was around 16 KM from Bekal. Good reviews, nice location, and my eagerness to drive were enough reasons to book this trip from 1st Jan to 4th Jan.  I s

The lockdown has been a tough roommate to be living with for almost 9 months, so I decided to break up and set outside myself on a journey of 1500 KM. The trip started from Bangalore and ended in Bilaspur (CG), with one night stop at Hyderabad and Nagpur each. Prelude: I bought my #TataHarrier a.k.a #NightFury in October and was getting a craving for taking this on a long drive, except for 100KM odd drives around the city. So I decided to take this new baby of just 500 KM older on a mile-munching road trip. Day 1: I started from the Whitefield(Bangalore) around 8 AM as planned departure of 6 AM, don't blame me its all my family fault ;) I took the best route suggested by the Google map as usual and with 2 stops of 20 minutes each on the way to Hyderabad. I landed at Sheraton Hyderabad around 5 PM, making a total of 9 hours trip time for 570 KM. The reason for staying at Sheraton was two-folded, 1. because I have stayed for 1 week there before for the lockdown, and 2. its quick prox