DocDivaTraveller

If you are a parent, this time of the year is rather hard on you. If your kids are older (read teens) then they are struggling either with Board exams or final school exams and giving you sleepless nights. If your children are younger, then their assessment has been long over and they are idling at home, giving you sleepless nights too.

I don't know which is tougher. I belong to the young kids'parent category and my daughter has eaten my head off during these holidays. She has been to many places and needs something more adventurous and better. Thank God I came to know about a magical play area: Tingaland.

Tingaland is a gorgeous new place for kids in town! If you are a parent and you need a fabulous play area to entertain your kids, then this is the place to be! Located in Starling Mall in Noida Sector 104, this play space is pure magic. With tonnes of activities to indulge in including wall climbing, hours will pass within a blink of an eye! The best part? Well it's hard to choose as it has something to offer even for fashion bloggers (read gorgeous photo ops). The area is spotlessly clean and there are air purifiers set up. The staff is super caring for the kids. And lastly, the cafeteria is aesthetically done and they serve really sumptuous food. So it's a heaven for kids as well as their parents! So when do you plan to pay a visit?

Coming to the details:

The place: It has all the interesting rides: from huge jungle gyms to cute houses for smaller kids, from walk over piano to sand castle play area, from loops to big slides, this place has oodles of rides for kids from the age of two to fifteen. My daughter refused to come out even after two hours.

There is wall climbing too. The person who assists the kids is really patient and encouraging.

Cleanliness: The place has opened 6 months back, but it looks brand new. This is because it is spotlessly clean. Vandana Verma, the owner says that Mondays are for deep cleaning and Tuesdays are for sanitization. You can absolutely be free from worries regarding the health of your child.

Shoes are not allowed inside the play zone and there are multiple air purifiers installed.

Staff: Very caring and sweet. They would take pain to entertain each kid and remember their names too. In which place have you found this feature?

Cafe: The cafeteria is in collaboration with Kwality and is a very fancy place that serves a wide range of menu at reasonable prices. From Thai curries to Hakka Noodles, pizza to burger, they have something both for kids as well as parents. They are served in really cute dishware.

Washrooms: Sparking clean and very beautifully decorated.

There is a parents lounge where you can lounge comfortably, read magazines and have coffee.

This place can be booked for birthday parties with all the responsibilities being handled by them. They have a wide range of return gifts which you can choose from. An ultimate heaven for kids.

The prices for the play zone are very competitive. Although the services are more than outstanding.

60 minutes: 500 INR

Wall climbing: 100 INR

My daughter is still is a happy haze after coming back from Tingaland. I can assure you this was not the last time. We have to make many trips for sure!

When are you taking your kiddo here?

3/26/2019 No comments

If you are anything like us, ie a travel enthusiast, then you contain a certain amount of information about every famous place in the world. So whenever you think of Yarra valley in Victoria, Australia what does come to your mind? I bet it's hot air balloons and wineries! Now getting into a hot air balloon is like a dream for me. But in order to get the type of picture I want, my partner needs to be in another balloon so that he can click me. Or I need a photographer! In short, I am yet to fulfill this dream of mine.

So when we were planning our schedule in Yarra valley, we decided that we would go to the place where all the hot balloons are released so that I could at least fulfill a part of my fantasy. The balloon flight takes place before sunrise so that the passengers can witness the rising sun from the sky. We visited Australia in October and sunrise was at around 6. Now we needed to be in Yarra valley long before that as it was quite a drive from South bank, Melbourne. However we were so drained from our previous two days in Victoria that we were unable to wake up before 5. It had been 48 hours of sleeplessness followed by just 3 hours sleep on 2 nights. Not to forget the 600 km drive on the Great Ocean Road. So when we could finally hit the road, it was 6 am.

For the uninitiated, the Yarra valley is a HUGE region in Victoria. Everything in Australia is big and the Yarra valley is a testament to that. Anyways that means you need to be crystal clear as to where to go in Yarra valley. You should be familiar with the exact location. Sadly I was not and husband had relied on me.

I just knew that I wanted to witness the hot air balloons.

We were already late and to make matters worse, our car fell into a ditch (drain) in front of a house during the numerous up and down road in the Yarra region. Thankfully a young lad came to our rescue and called the help team which dragged our car up. Mood spoiled and time wasted, we sadly drove to the never ending vineyards.

Earlier vineyards used to fascinate me and they still do. I have witnessed some diverse as well as famous ones like the Tuscan vineyards and the vineyards of Greece. The Santorini vineyards are very different as they grow on volcanic soil and hence the wine is acrid. However since my husband is a teetotaler and I am not a big fan either, we weren't very game in visiting the wineries. So you must be thinking what has Yarra valley to offer to the non alcoholics?

Well, apart from the luxurious hot balloon ride and acres of beautiful vineyards, Yarra valley is also famous for it's chocolateries. Yes, they grow cocoa here only and manufacture mouth watering sweet treats. You can also have some nice breakfast with coffee overlooking the lush vineyards. We also got to taste spoonfuls of different chocolates. We didn't buy any as it was the first stop of our trip and they would have melted eventually in the coming numerous stops!

What started as a terrible morning, rolled out to be pretty good!

Dress: Sammydress

Sweatshirt: Fashionmia

Shoes: Zaful.com

3/25/2019 10 comments

Every one of us seeks inspiration in our day to day lives. Sometimes it is from books, other times it is from people and sometimes it is from movies. If you belong to the third category, then this article is just for you. Malayalam cinema has been witnessing quite a few cinematic tales that don’t just touch your heart but also give some food for thought. Far from boring, these movies are entertaining tales that tell real stories for some much-needed inspiration. So, let’s begin our list of best inspirational Malayalam movies you’ve got to watch.

Diwanjimoola Grand Prix (2018)

Directed by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon, the movie follows the journey of Sajan Joseph IAS (Kunchacko Boban) who is trying to bring a bike race at the Diwanjimoola race track after three decades. Far from easy, Diwanjimoola Grand Prix focusses on the conflicts that Sajan faces to unite the town and nurture potential talent. Coming from the director of North 24 Kaatham, one can surely expect some good inspirational undertones in the narrative. Watch this inspirational movie online now.

Jacobinte Swargarajyam (2016)

This Nivin Pauly starrer is one that is made for the entire family. Based on a true story, the film showcases the struggles for a Dubai-based family after patriarch suffers massive losses in his business. Director Vineeth Sreenivasan delivers a highly emotional ride in this underdog story and delivers the ‘never give up’ message with a lot of heart.

Charlie (2015)

In a mystical and surreal manner, the movie follows the cat and mouse chase between Tessa, a rebellious young girl and a young artist who used to live in her apartment. The movie deals with many philosophical ideas but most importantly, addresses a non-conformist approach to life and society. Dulquer Salmaan and director Martin Prakkat win over the viewers with a story that comes straight from the heart.

Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam (2012)

Featuring one of Jayasurya’s best performances, Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam shed lights on the struggles of people with a stutter. Taking a realistic approach to the idea, the movie humanises its characters and makes us connect with the simple yet inspiring journey of Sudhi (Jayasurya). Ranjith Sankar’s writing shines throughout the movie with its subtle yet impactful storytelling.

Ustad Hotel (2012)

One commonly does not connect food with philosophies. However, that is exactly what director Anwar Rasheed and writer Anjali Menon manage to communicate through this movie. The movie follows a young chef Faizi (Dulquer Salmaan) who is trying to move to UK to begin his new job against his father’s wishes. How a stint at his grandfather’s Ustad Hotel changes his perceptions towards life forms the crux of the movie.

So, that was my list of some inspirational movies you’ve got to watch from Malayalam cinema. These are gems that feel heartfelt and speak volumes about ideas that we could inculcate within us.

3/20/2019 1 comments

Have you noticed a change in the weather? The Delhi winters are no longer troubling us! The sun has started rising early, days are longer, trees have started bearing new leaves and days are getting warmer! Spring is in full swing and summers are just around the corner. If you are anything like me, then spring is definitely your favourite season. Pleasant breeze, chirping of birds, bright flowers and cheery mood. And for a fashion blogger like me (and my fashion conscious daughter) it is getting rid of sweaters and slipping into cool clothes!

My daughter's and (mine too) favourite clothing brand is Cherry Crumble California They always have the most stylish and adorable collection for our fashion forward kids. They just launched their Spring summer collection on Jabong, Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart and FirstCry and we couldn't be happier! The collection is full of bright colours, ruffles, playful prints, beautiful embroidery and patterns. I was really confused what all to order because all the designs were so freaking adorable.

Their collection is exactly what we all fashion conscious people would love to wear...only in smaller size! From cold shoulder tops to shimmery fabrics, scalloped hems to adorable appliques, I wish they had all these in my size too! The collection for boys is equally dapper. They have colour block pockets, jersey knit fabric, classic crew necklines, contrasting ribbed colours, etc etc. In short the collection screams of the cool, adorable Southern California vibe.

I ordered this Moustache dress for my munchkin. The scalloped hem immediately stole my heart. My kiddo loves the little pocket on her chest where she can stuff her tiny belongings! There is a little kitty on the pocket. This is the first time she is wearing a strap dress and we both found it very comfortable as well as versatile. The fabric is a bit like corduroy and is very soft. The elastic band at the waist makes it very easy to slip in and out. She is wearing a sweater here as it's still not that warm. I plan to make her wear a tee beneath in the coming heat. So it can be worn stylishly both in summers and winters!

So all you fashion conscious mommies and kids out there! What are you waiting for? Go give your munchkin's wardrobe the adorable American wardrobe refresh!

3/19/2019 6 comments

I am sure you must have seen innumerable pictures of Bali till now, half of them definitely of infinity pools overlooking rice terrace fields. I had too and I used to think that those pictures could be of only rich people who can afford to stay in such villas. And why not. Private villas that too with breathtaking view infinity pools come with a hefty price tag. But not in Bali. Yes even I was in the same thought bandwagon until we planned our trip and booked a pool villa for ourselves. Pool villas can be economic too, when booked intelligently, especially in Bali.

So during our five days stay, we decided to split our vacation into two resorts: The first half in an economic yet very beautiful resort and the second half in a private pool villa. We were hence super excited for the second part of our stay as it was going to be our first experience of this kind. However our White House stay was so magnificent that it was a surprise for us indeed

We wanted a villa that overlooked the rice terraces. I was of course partial to Ubud right from the start. Properties in Ubud are way expensive than that in Kuta or Denpasar. Ubud is situated in the interior of the island, making it hard to reach too. It's mandatory to have your own transport if you plan on staying there. However Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali and your Balinese experience would be incomplete if you don't stay in this mesmerising town.

The problem with Air B n B's is that their locations are not clear. Our pool villa was located in an interior village of Ubud whose direction no one was clear about. I was swimming in the waters in White House while my partner was on his scooty looking for our property. After about 3 hours and hell lot of anxiety (on my part; we did not take data plans in Bali so no communication) he finally showed up. I was angry and tensed and he exhausted.

We packed up and checked out really fast as we were losing time of our pool villa. The afternoon was meant to chill in the pool. On the way, hubs updated me with all the struggle and its way through the jungle and village. After about half an hour ride, we finally came to 'Buana Sakti' villa.

Stay tuned for the details of the villa in the next post.

Top: Forever 21

Skirt: H n M (Italy)

Sunnies: From Turkey

3/01/2019 9 comments

We often tend to typecast destinations with particular activities and remain stuck to those only. eg Bali is for sea bathing, New Zealand is for adventure sports, Dubai is for shopping, etc etc. What I want to say is that although there is no harm in sticking just to the touristy things, we should definitely venture out of the box. We should try to interact with the locals to find out other off beat activities too. Having said that, Bali is not just beaches. The Northern part of Bali is equally stunning and way colder too and the mountains are just breathtaking. I was adamant about visiting the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple (which most Indian tourists avoid because of its distance from Kuta/Ubud. However while returning from there, we had one of the most indigenous Balinese experiences: Coffee tasting.

I don't know about you but I had almost no idea about coffee and Bali. I although had heard about Luwak coffee and that became very apparent as soon as we landed in Bali. Everywhere we saw posters and hoardings of Luwak coffee. Our schedule was loose while returning from the most beautiful temple of Bali and hence we decided to halt in one of the farms that appealed to us the most.

Turns out the coffee farm was a huge area and our escort was too sweet. We started by touring the coffee trees, inspecting their berries and also got to saw cocoa and vanilla trees. Then we were taken for the ultimate adventure: the process of making Luwak coffee.

What is Luwak coffee?

Luwak is a rodent, vincent cat in English. These are tiny yet ferocious nocturnal animals that feed on coffee berries. However they are unable to digest those so they expel them with their stools. These coffee bean laden stools are collected from all over the gardens, washed, dried, roasted and then ground to make Luwak coffee. Of course each step is done by hand, manually and that explains the exorbitant cost of this exotic coffee.

We visited the captive Luwaks and then went to the kitchen where everything was being done. I too tried my hand in roasting some beans. After this entire demonstration, we were taken to the Coffee tasting session.

Almost every coffee farm in Bali serves at least 30 types of coffee and 20 types of tea. The flavours range from chocolate to coconut to hibiscus to vanilla to every possible flavour you can think of. The interesting part? The tasting is absolutely FREE! However one coffee that is not included in this free tasting is Luwak coffee. That is totally understandable as it's soo expensive. I had a great time tasting all those cups of coffee and hubs tea.

We really wanted to buy something since our escort had spent so much time and effort in all the demonstration and he was very sweet too. However we could not find a packing that was small enough to suit our budget. So we left empty handed. This was indeed an excellent experience that was not on our itinerary but definitely a must do when in Bali.