DocDivaTraveller: June 2018

Wayanad is a lush and green-forested district in the state of Kerala. When you plan your next family vacation to Kerala, think of Wayanad. It is part of the Western Ghats and home to a variety of animals like tigers, elephants, and leopards, among others. There is a long history associated with this place and it is rich in its tribal culture and tribal art form. The tribal people, who live in Wayanad, have their own unique dance forms that are performed on special occasions.

Here is a list of the famous Wayanad tourist places, where you can truly explore and enjoy, and take part in the art and culture of this great city.

ValmeekamTribal Museum

An exquisite part of Wayanad’s travel culture, the Valmeekam Tribal Museum, located in the Mananthavady taluka of Wayanad is a living homage to the tribal culture of the district. It is a must-visit destination if you wish to immerse yourself in the art and culture of this beautiful city.

Edakkal Caves

Latest dating techniques reveal the age of these pristine caves as over 8,000 years old. However, the attractive pictorial writings inside the caves will certainly cater to the art lover in you. Moreover, they are at least 6,000 years old from the time of creation.

Valliyoorkkavu

Valliyoorkkavu is an ancient temple dedicated to the Mother Goddess Durga. It is an important part of the folk tradition. The temple idol is believed to have self-manifested, a belief that has led to huge gatherings everywhere year for the 14-day Arattu Festival. Traditional art forms in the form of ritual dance are performed during the 14 days of the festival. Even the tribal people of the region perform their own cultural dance form, which is a pleasant part of the whole program.

Wayanad Heritage Museum

Containing many historical artifacts and tribal art pieces, this museum is a must visit if you are a lover of art and culture. The museum contains valuable pieces of art and history from such remote places of India's past such as the 16th century. Veerakall(Hero-Stones)was placed at the head of the tomb of dead warriors as stone-markers to honor their heroic deeds.

Where to stay

When you stay at the Club Mahindra-affiliated Vythiri Village Resort, you and the kids would have a fun family holiday at this Wayanad resort. The resort is the best place to enjoy comfortable stay amidst host of modern amenities. From the resort, you can also go and explore other places to visit in Wayanad. The staff at the resort has complete knowledge about sightseeing in Wayanad and will always be available for your assistance.

Browse through the many Club Mahindra reviews and know why guests love holidaying at this splendid resort in Wayanad.

6/26/2018 1 comments

6/22/2018 2 comments

6/21/2018 1 comments

It's a bit strange that being a fashionista myself ( my friends call me that and come on it's my profession now!) I never had nail extensions until last week! The reasons are many...I never had so much free time and long nails always intimated me. I have had short nails throughout my life. However I always loved the look of square, perfectly painted nails.

Last week I was invited by Clinic Calee to try their services. I loved Clinic Calee as I had got Microdermabrasion done last year and was excited to try nail extensions this time.

About the clinic:

Clinic Calee is situated in the posh Noida sector 18 and very easily accessible by metro. It's spread over two floors and the infrastructure is amazing! Right from the moment you enter, you are greeted by the politeness of the staff and the calm atmosphere. You are given a special Calee drink which is a concoction of cucumber, tulsi, lemon and all other beneficial things. It's so delicious that I had two glasses!

Getting Nail extensions done:

The nail artist is a thorough professional and she will guide you nicely according to your desire and practicality. I decided to go for square nails. You can opt for square, coffin or almond ones. The latter two require longer length so not suitable for mothers of toddlers unless you have a full time help!

The process started with filing and buffering of my real nails. Then a top coat was applied and the nails were subjected to UV radiations for drying.

Then the acrylic nails were stuck to the nail beds with nail gum and gain subjected to UV rays.

After that the desired nail paint was applied. Since I opted for nail art with milor/glitter, the process was longer. Everytime a paint was applied, it was subjected to UV for drying.

After the milor/glitter was applied, it was then coated again with top coat and UV dried.

When you think everything is finally over and you can't wait to stare at them, all your 'Oh So Perfect' nails are buffered again and they become hazy and rough! Then again they are painted with top coat and dried in Ultraviolet rays for one last time.

Tada! Your perfect nails are ready!

The entire process took around 2 hours.

Price: At Clinic Calee, it starts from 2500 INR and depends on the type of nail art you are opting for.

Post care instructions:

You have to clean your nails in running water everytime you do something messy. At the end of the day, you need to scrub their underneath with a brush.

For those who are actively involved in housework, keep them short. In that way it won't be much of a hindrance.

Be careful when pulling up the flyer of your trousers (if it's too tight) or taking out clothes from the almirah. If your nails get stuck, the extensions won't be harmed but your real nails beneath ill tend to break.

It's better to don gloves while cleaning and cooking.

The extensions usually last for 25days. However if your nails grow faster, you may need to refill them earlier.

When you want to get them removed, if have to visit the parlour as it cannot be done at home.

With all said, it's a lovely feeling to flaunt such perfect nails!

6/17/2018 No comments

In my last post, I have talked about common hair problems and their solution. In this post I would talk about how proper nutrition can affect our hair in the positive way. We all know that what we put in our mouth affects our skin and hair but still we neglect that part. And for those bad hair days, we have human hair from Real beauty Hair.com

Improve your grocery shopping habits:

Try to introduce lots of colours into your shopping basket. More the colours, more the antioxidants. Bell peppers, pumkins, asparagus, etc. Buy unusual items like sunflower seeds, safflower oil, collard greens, etc. Whatever makes way to your shopping basket would definitely make its way to your plate too!

Our hair is made of keratin which is a protein. So a high protein diet boosts hair growth and prevents hairfall.

Think before you put anything into your mouth:

Deep fried items...a sensation to the taste buds but bad for your system. Is that breakout worth the taste? No! Try to incorporate as many raw fruits and vegetables in your diet. Make salad and soup as one of the meals of your day. Eat more fish like swordfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines etc. Don't throw that egg yolk away. Opt for lightly fried items if you are craving some. Drinks lots of water and say no to aerated drinks, sweet beverages and alcohol.

And for that instant fix for a bad hair day, you always have human hair from Aliexpress store.

Brazilian Hair: These are unprocessed human hair bundles. They are available in lengths varying from 8 inches to 30 inches. They are 100% human hair Remy hair extensions. Can be dyed with colours and permed and styles. They have a life of over 12 months.

Bundles with closure: These are 100% Human Remy hair. The best part is that they can be restyled. These are available in lengths from 8 to 30 inches. They don't tangle nor they shed. They are of great quality!

There are lots of coupons and discounts on the site right now. Why don't you go and check it?

6/16/2018 No comments

We were supposed to cover the island of Murano on the first day itself. But as you know here, it was too late to cover both the islands and hence we did the farther one, Burano. Just as Burano is known for its lace, Murano is known for its glass factories and the famous Venetian masks.

It was our second and last day in Venice and it started on a rather stormy note. When we woke up in the morning it was raining cats and dogs. I knew Venice was colder than rest of the places which we were visiting but never thought that the weather could be this bad. However there was nothing to do in our resort (there was but we are not staycationers) and had to leave for the main island of Venice. We opened our umbrellas and headed straight to the bus stop.

When we reached Venice, the first thing we did is we boarded the vaporetto to Murano. It was around one hour long ride and we did not want to lose time. The sea was wild in the storm and rain. Finally we reached Murano.

As soon as we headed out of the water taxi, it started raining again. We ran to a nearby glass shop. Although the entire island was studded with those. My partner was scared of knocking something breakable in the shop. The glass items were horrendously expensive. He joked that what the Chinese would have been thinking about these expensive glass items. In India all the glass items which are found are Made in China and they are dirt cheap! So they must be wondering why the hell pay so much for something which is so cheap in their own country!

The glass shops had prohibited photography as well as videography. Too bad! The art of blowing glass was rather fascinating. The glass blower simply turned a ball of molten glass into an exquisite showpiece with his tactics in the furnace. How I wish I could capture it!

Just like the glass pieces, the masks too were expensive. I was adamant that I wanted a mask from Murano itself. Finally hubs yielded to buying a small mask worth 5 Euro. I was happy with that though I had loftier goals.

After hopping a few more glass shops, we made our way to the water taxi port to go back to the main island. We had lots to cover and had just one day only. It was a short and sweet excursion. Goodbye Murano!

Now a legit question. Is it mandatory to visit Murano or can be skipped?

There are lots of places to see and activities to do in Murano. Here are the top things to do in Murano:

For shelling a good amount of bucks, you can try your hand in glass blowing. You can visit the famous Museo Del Vetro ie the Museum where you would get a deeper insight of the glass factory. You can also visit the Mazzega Glass Factory which is the most famous one. From exquisite crystal ball chandelier to life size glass objects, you can find every possible glass item on display! You can pay your respect at Basilica di Santa Maria. Take a boat ride along the Canal Grande. Murano has its own Grand Canal which splits the island into two. You van visit the Palazzo da Mula which is the only palace remaining with Gothic architecture. And of course there are a good amount of restaurants serving mind blowing Italian!

However in order to do all this, you need time and money. You need an entire day and quite a pretty decent amount of Euros to enter at all these places.

We did Murano on a budget. We saw glass blowing but in a shop and without any money! We walked around the island near the jetty in the rain and I am pretty satisfied what Murano means to me! So if you have time, go explore!

Venice is so damn pretty, any part of it would give you thousands of excuses to freeze them into memories!

6/14/2018 5 comments

As you all know, I worked exclusively in the skin department as a consultant for 3 years before I quit working as a full time doctor. Therefore, my expertise lies in the field for skin and hair. I have treated innumerable skin ailments and advised even greater number of treatments to my patients. However when it comes to my own skin, I hardly ever go for any treatment. I mean I don't even go for my monthly facials. Partly because I am blessed with healthy skin so I don't need anything at all and partly because I am short on free time. But even if one is endowed with great skin, it needs maintenance from time to time. Yesterday I went to Kyra Laser and Skin clinic in Green Park, Delhi and got myself pampered to a session of the famous Hydra Facial. I feel rejuvenated and glowing.

Now you must be wondering what is this Hydra Facial?

As the name suggests, Hydra Facial uses patented technology to cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate. It uses super serums that are made with nourishing ingredients. It mainly comprises of three steps:

Cleanse +Peel

Extract+ Hydrate

Fuse+ Protect

About Kyra Skin Lounge:

Kyra Laser and Skin clinic specialises in all sorts of hair and skin treatment. For advanced hair therapies to advanced facials, they have it all. They also provide Laser Hair removal treatment and were the first to bring it in Delhi in the year 2000. They have a lifetime commitment of laser hair removal. Once you pay, you never have to pay again no matter after how many years you turn up.

Location: In Green Park main market. The location is in the upscale Green Park and is easily accessible by public transport.

Infrastructure: The moment you enter, you sense calm and serenity.

Staff: Very well trained, well behaved and professional staff.

Now Hydra Facial:

First my face was cleansed followed by extensive massage of the face which was very relaxing. Then started the actual treatment.

A vacuum tip was used to deep cleanse and remove impurities.

First a gentle peel was used on my face. The product used was Glucosamine HCL.

Then it was cleaned and the another product was used which was rich in peptides and Hyaluronic Acid. The last product to be applied was Salicylic acid.

After that my face was wiped and Casmara mask was applied. Casmara is a Spanish company that came up with the revolutionary algae mask. The mask was left on my face for 15 minutes.

It was the most relaxing part of the process..even more than the wonderful massage. My face felt soothed, calm and an incredible feeling of rejuvenation.

Time taken: 1 hour

Cost: 6000 INR

Effect stays for 25 days

Now coming to the benefits of Hydra Facial treatment:

I could see a noticeable glow instantly.

It evens out pigmentation. The skin looks lighter uniformly.

It is absolutely non invasive and shows instant results.

It's great for blackheads and whiteheads.

It fights wrinkles and fine lines and rehydrates dry skin.

It basically makes the skin healthier in the long run.

How is it better than Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peels?

It is much gentler than microdermabrasion. Instead of the sanding procedure, a vacuum tip does all the job.

It is practically painless.

Peels are not for eveyone as the chemicals can cause adverse reaction in problem prone skin.

Absolutely zero downtime and no side effects.

The staff at Kyra Skin Lounge were extremely professional and efficient. Many of my friends opted for other skin procedures and hair treatments and were equally satisfied.