Are you generally a sociable person or a recluse? What's your priority during travelling? Do you prefer the crowd favourites or do you go hunting for unexplored territories to find peace and quiet? Well we are a mixture of both. Sometimes I can't even truly decide whether I want peace and calm or total chaos that would drain all my worries away. 

During our 7 days stay on this heavenly island, we stayed in 3 resorts, in totally different parts of Zanzibar, for a novel experience. We scheduled our second stay in Nungwi, one of the most happening beaches of Zanzibar. Properties were really expensive here, so instead of booking a beach resort, we booked a nice hotel with a pool (my non negotiable) that was few hundred meters away from the beach. Since we had the car, reaching the beach should not have been an issue.

We were surprised on our first visit to the Nungwi beach. Firstly, the entire Nungwi village was bustling with locals and tourists alike, something that was elusive in our previous stay in Jambiani. And when we reached the beach, we were astonished. The water was absolutely turquoise, the sand was pristine white and there were innumerable restaurants that looked incredibly fancy!

Not only that, there were so many night clubs that the place was vibrating to the concoction of beats, coming from various clubs. And the souvenir market scene was the best that I had seen in the entire island.

And when night crept in, we were fortunate to witness a fire show...something which I am totally mesmerised with! The next morning we had our boat tour for dolphin watching from there. After we came back in the afternoon, we had the time of our lives swimming in the warm waters. The ocean at Nungwi felt different. And it definitely was, because unlike other beaches in Zanzibar, the ocean does not recede 2 kms during low tide! Neither does it flood all the properties during high tide like in Paje!

There's a humungous reason as to why Nungwi is the most sought after beach on this island, even if is located at the Northern most tip, which means 80 kms from the airport. However, my heart still lies in Jambiani. Maybe for the peace, maybe for our boutique resort; maybe because it was our first stay in this paradise; not exactly sure why.

If you have ever come across my Instagram (btw I am on it 24*7) , you might draw the conclusion that I am a total water baby. Which means, I am a summer person. Which in turn implies that winters are not my cup of tea (or coffee rather). Growing up in Mathura, the winters were cold. And then the rest of my life in Delhi and Noida, the winters are not freezing in any way but uncomfortable to the core. The early winter month of November arrives with the dreaded annual apocalyptic smog screen to proceed with a bout of thankful rains which wash away all the grime and this starts the precipitation of a bitter chill.

For the past decade, the Delhi winters have taken a predictable pattern: the temperatures take a steep dip during the last week of December and the dip persists till the end of January. Unlike the early years when winters used to come knocking during November itself. Since we don't have fully heated homes (most of us don't), it's uncomfortable at home too. Long story short, me and winters don't get along. I look way fatter under layers and have yet to ace the winter fashion game; which looks chic yet doesn't make me sick. Therefore when it comes to travelling, I am always leaning towards tropical destinations or the upper Northern hemisphere entices me only during summers.

The first time and only time I ever experienced an early winter experience in Europe was in 2018. It was our babymoon and we visited in October (technically fall) but it was freezing enough for us. The coldest we experienced was in Gmunden, a small village in Austria, where it was 2 degree celsius in the morning. Since I was 5 months pregnant, I wasn't feeling cold at all (thankfully) but the icy breeze blew our senses off!

Gmunden is situated by a vast lake Traunsee and its crystal clear blue water is as calming as you can imagine. The Traunsee freezes in the month of January, which is quite challenging to visualise because it's so vast! But before that happens, there is a yacht club and you can take a yacht and sail around (pretty expensive) or just stare into the lake and breathe in all the calmness (like us).

The most surprising thing about the morning was that everything and everyone was up and running by 8 in the morning. The banks and offices start functioning as early as 7 30 AM. So of course the farmer's market was in full bustling mode and people were buying breads for breakfast as well as farm fresh fruits and vegetables. 

One major feature that I noticed first hand (I have always seen in movies nevertheless) is the ferocious velocity of the icy breeze. So the winter is far more uncomfortable outside, unless you are dressed for the ocassion. However, unlike Delhi, the sky was so magnificently blue and the  cold blister inducing breeze had something so refreshing in it, that it made me feel alive all over again!

So I have concluded that I plan to visit the "cold weather" countries in the thick of winters, to experience the authentic affair. The main downside? The number of daylight hours would be too less and that means less photography and filming (which is a major bummer). Also, the luggage gets too heavy because of the bulky coats. I am not that person who would spend the entire vacation in a single teddy coat (fashion blogger problems) and that has prevented the husband from booking any cold country trips as he's intensely sceptical of dragging my coat laden luggage 😂

So here are my top destinations:

1. Iceland (duh! The frozen "waterfalls" and Aurora Borealis)

2. Russia (especially Siberia)

3. Finland (Lapland for Santa's village)

4. New Zealand 

5. Switzerland (still not done because we haven't been able to fit winter break and its itinerary)

So guys tell me what's your favourite thing about winters? (Whether you like it or not 😁) And which destination is on the top of your list to visit in the cold?❄️❄️

 Title: The Blogchatter Book Of Love

Genre: Fiction, Anthology, Love 

Author: Blogchatter Community writers

Publisher: Readomania

What does come to your mind when you hear the word "love"? Well I feel love is one of the most popular topics to read, discuss, gossip and dream about. So when Blogchatter announced an anthology of love, I was super excited to get my hands on it.

The book turned out to be even better than my expectations! Let's start judging the book by its cover first. It's so damn attractive. The colours, figures and overall theme, it's a bestseller from the cover already!

So this book contains 18 different types of love stories. The best part about these stories is that it's a reminder that love can be of all types. From typical spouse romance to rainbow love, parental love to heartbreak, sibling love to extramarital...love literally has no boundaries. And the greatest of them all (according to me) : undying love for one's motherland.

I would like to start with my absolute favourite story though I must confess that I loved each of them wholeheartedly. "Janmabhumishcha". Actually I found so much strong connection with my life. My ancestors had migrated from East Pakistan or now Bangladesh before the birth of my parents but I have always listened to the tales from my grandparents and extended family. This heart warming topic deals with the emotions of a young mother who migrates to India for the safety of her newborn while her husband stays back to fight for his motherland. "Janani Janmabhumischa Swargadapi Gariyasi" meaning mother and motherland are even more important than "Swarga" or heaven. I have been acquainted with this phrase since my early years. I think it's a staple in Bengali households. How she longed for her maternal family and husband while fulfilling her duties in her new clan is bound to drive you to tears. The narrative is from a grandmother to her granddaughter and I could imagine my "Thakurma" telling me all her salad day tales.

Then there is a story about old age love. How a couple navigates with physical and psychological shortcomings arising due to increasing age. Love might get sidelined in the chaos but eventually true love survives the test of time.

Love knows no gender boundaries and the story Love, Lost and Found is an excellent testimony to this.

All the 18 stories have been beautifully written. I won't be dissecting them all because I want you guys to get the book and read it yourself. It's a feel good book and a really fast read. I can promise that you would have a smile on your face after completing each story.

You can buy the book on Amazon or Readomania

My Rating: 5/5

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program