If you have tried planning a trip to Vietnam, you will know this dilemma. The biggest decisions lie in the selection of destinations while planning for your trip abroad. And if you are travelling abroad after a long time, read after 2 years of Covid, then expectations are really running high and you don't want to mess it up for your family.

Can you spot me? This is the view from our room ....the South China Sea with the innumerable limestone cliffs; the very reason of our trip to Vietnam

What's your first priority when it comes to choosing a stay on vacation? For us, it depends. Like the nature of the destination as well as our accompaniments. Of course, budget is a very big deciding factor, especially when abroad. We don't like to squander n luxurious properties mindlessly because of mainly two reasons. Firstly, we hardly spend any time in the property because we are there to explore, right? Secondly I feel that all five star properties provide more or less the same amenities all over the world. For example, there isn't much difference in the amenities of Pullman New Delhi Aerocity and Novotel Hyderabad Airport. Similarly the properties like Rennaissance Powai, Mumbai and ITC Maratha are similar (although I love ITC properties more). I can quote endless examples based on my say and am totally confident in my claim. Of course there are numerous luxurious properties that deserve a stay like Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Ocean villas (of any property) in Maldives, etc. What I mean to say is that budget is a major factor for us (and most travellers like us) and hence we should opt for expensive properties only when such experience is absolutely unique.

 We all have been there. Feeling blah about our appearance from time to time. It's very natural and human to feel so and this becomes even more prominent around the holiday season. While a change in makeup routine and adding colours to your wardrobe might give you a lift, it's rather short lived. One of the best ways to amp your look is to change the way how you do your hair. If you are a curly haired girl, straighten your hair and vice versa! Also a dash of colour changes the face like no other. However the long term effects may be damaging and you might not opt for them; if you too sceptical like me! So here I have curated a small list of all the ways you can change your hairstyle, without damaging your actual hair!

1. Try beading your hair with colours. As I said before, if you are too sceptical of doing something permanent, then this is a great way to elevate your look. Try weaving coloured braids into your hair. It instantly lifts up the face. The more the braids, drastic is the effect!

2. Try a good wig. I can't sing gaga over over this enough. Instant way to go from long to short or from shoulder length to long hair! Go from crinkled curly hair to razor straight or from beachy waves to well defined curls in no time!

I love how these looks are easy to achieve and maintain. Always go for a good brand. I personally have found Nadula really great as they offer such great variety. It's super easy to play with colours too!

Their wigs are beginner friendly and you can choose the density of the hair you want. Choosing the correct density is important because you don't want to look artificial. If you have already thick mane, go for lesser density.

3. Change your parting. It's always an easy way to elevate how you look. I love doing it from time to time.

4. Simple tricks like putting your hair inside the collar of your coat can change the way how you look; especially in photographs. If you have longer hair, this trick gives the illusion of a short bob.

5. Accessorise. Never underestimate the power of accessories! A jewelled headband would make you feel like a queen! Be it hair clips or cute elastics, they go a long way!

6. Change the way how you do your hair. If you are a ponytail girl, make your pony on top of your head. It will change the look. If you are fond of making buns, go for the top knot. Also don't forget the power of headgears...bandana, scarves, hats and berets! Bring them on board!

Girls which of these is your favourite? Add on more tips in the comments below!

Winters come with so many things. Basking in the crisp sun, picnics, lots of fruits and vegetables, chic boots and coats and so many other things that we wait for year long. Especially if you live in North India, then there are myriads of activities that can't be done in the scorching heat and you wait for the temperatures to go down. With all this comes the harsh side of winters too. Yes I am talking about dry skin and frizzy hair.

During these colder months, our hair and skin need extra care. While it's easier to slather up on moisturizers and lotions, the same can't be said about our hair. Taking care of hair is a mammoth task and it's even more challenging if you have curly hair like me. So after much trial and error, I have found a few ways that would help keep hair nourished, especially during these months.

1. Don't use hot water to wash your hair.

The winters are notorious for drying our mane and if you use hot water for hair washing, it would further strip off the moisture present in our crowning glory. Not only that, hot water increases the appearance of dandruff too. Always use warm water instead.

2. Oil your hair thoroughly before you shampoo.

Oiling your hair with a good hair oil has innumerable benefits. Choose a hair oil that has safe and tested ingredients and works for a number of causes.

Recently I have started using the Coco Onion Natural Hair Oil from Little extra love. I love that it's a concoction of effective ingredients like coconut oil, onion oil, sea satin, bhringraj etc. It is mineral oil free, paraben free and fragrance free which means it's absolutely safe for our hair.

This powerful formula strengthens our hair from root to tip, deeply nourishes our hair and hence fight hair fall. Also helps regenerate new follicles and helps in healthy hair growth and fights dandruff too. I have experienced noticeable reduction in hair fall and dandruff since I have started using it. Apply this oil and massage your scalp 30 minutes before you go for a hair wash. Follow this regime and thank me later!

3. Comb your hair at least twice a day.

If you have curly hair like me, which remains tangled for most part of our lives, then it's possible that combing is a big chore. This can become even more challenging during winters. However combing has innumerable benefits. It increases the blood flow to the scalp and also prevents dandruff.

So even when you don't feel like brushing and want to remain in the bun hairstyle, remember my words and do yourself a favour.

Use a wide tooth comb always. 

4. Adequate hydration and nutrition. 

You may not feel thirsty enough during winters so the water consumption may considerably go down. However that's detrimental to our skin and hair health. Make sure to consume at least 8 glasses of water and have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

5. Use gentle hair products.

Make sure to read and know all the ingredients of a product before you use it on yourself. The hair products of Little extra love have everything listed and are free from every type of chemicals. Personally I like to know about the composition of the products I use in detail and hence I love this brand because they declare everything. The best part? These products are really effective.

So girls which one of these tips seems most effective to you? What else would you like to add?

 So your best friend suddenly decides to get married to her long time partner. Good news is that the wedding is in another city and hence it would be a nice, short getaway with friends. Also, you get to be her bridesmaid, which means a lot of goodies and special memories. Bad news is that the trip is just a week away and you really don't have that much savings to pay for the expenses. You just bought a fancy new phone and hence your credit card limit is over. Ok, don't blame yourself, you did not see this coming, right? But then, how are you going to find the money you need? Fret not, being the avid budget planner I am, here are my few tried and tested tips to sail through this smoothly and happily. Read on!

1. Cut down your expenses before the trip. Just because the trip is just a week away, does not mean you can't utilize it. 

a. Make your coffee at home. Stop buying it from your fancy Barista.

b. Ditch the Uber and take the subway or bus to work. Bonus: that extra walking will make you fitter for the trip.

c. Don't eat out, cook at home. You can't even imagine how much you can save from just cutting down your takeaway expenses. Pack your lunch for work.

2. Apply for a Payday loan. So you thought of borrowing some moolah from your closest friend but could not because she, too, is going on this last minute trip! You don't want to call your parents and want to manage this on your own but then where's the solution? A payday loan. Yes, if you have not heard of this, you better do now because it's literally a life saver!

So what's a payday loan? It's basically short term borrowing which usually gets approved within 24 hours. You neither need a high Credit score nor the humungous amount of paperwork required for a conventional loan. If you have a salary, you are eligible for it. It's basically a part of your next pay check. Sites like Money Mutual help bring lenders and borrowers together. 

3. Budget your getaway. Book a train ticket instead of flying or take a road trip. You can convince your friends to do the same and accompany you. Buy food from the supermarkets on the way. The journey matters, right? In the end, you all would be overflowing with beautiful road trip memories. If you have to pay for the accommodation yourself, opt for a nearby Air BnB with a kitchen. Ditch the fancy hotel where the wedding guests are staying. Load up on groceries from the department store for the meals outside the ceremony. You will save a lot. You do have to pay back the payday loan, remember?

4. Sentiment over price tag. Instead of dreaming of getting that fancy appliance as a wedding gift, make her something sentimental. It's way more precious. Think of something outside the box, make a souvenir of your days spent together or create a trinket with your own hands. If she values you, your gift would be priceless for her nonetheless.

5. Shop your closet. We girls tend to go on a shopping spree whenever there's a trip planned. Instead of visiting the mall, rummage your closet. You would be surprised to find a ton of outfits that fit you, but you haven't worn them in a long time. Clean and iron them, pack them up. Same goes for the accessories. Upcycle and save.

Trust me guys, I use these time tested tips over and over and save a lot! I always believe in spending on experiences rather than fancy coffees or outfits. If you have more budgeting tips, feel free to add them in the comments below!

 So when you are in Munchen, Germany, you might wonder why to visit a garden right? This place will pop up in every list of To Do things or places to visit. And you might plan to skip it, like my husband. What's so special in a garden? It would be just a park to jog and walk right? Well no! This is no ordinary park or garden. Spread over 3.7 square kilometres, it's the world's largest urban park. And not just the size, it is definitely one of the prettiest sites in Munich.

It is very easy to reach there by public transport. Thankfully there are no entry fees. There are several spots to visit in the garden and the greenery will take your breath away. We visited during September and the leaves had already started changing colours. 

Now why is it called the English Garden? Because it does not have a definite architecture (read Baroque) like French Gardens. Whatever it is, you can witness a river, lake, small hills and various other variations here.

The Japanese Teahouse and Garden: Since we visited early in the morning, it was closed. It's by a stretch of water and very pretty from outside.

It was mid September and the leaves had started changing. It was indeed a wonderful sight.

Kleinhesseloher See: It's hard to imagine how such a vast lake can be within the premises of a garden. See means lake in German. Of course this lake is manmade and there are 3 islands in this lake.

Eisbachwelle: There are tonnes of other attractions in the garden but we had limited time. So this was our final stop and definitely the most exciting. We had never witnessed anything like this before.

Munich may be a land locked city but that doesn't deter the people from surfing. In the entry to the garden, the Eisbach river gushes to provide surfing waves to surfers. In fact, the Eisbachwelle is the largest, best and most consistent city centre location for river surfing. Surfers from all over the world come here and this has been going on for 40 years!

We were stuck in awe! Firstly, it was our first river surfing experience. Secondly, it was completely novel to us that surfing could be done like this! It was such a sight! It was a Sunday that maybe that explained the innumerable surfers waiting to catch the wave.

There are innumerable spots that deserve a visit. But of course you need ample time for that. The Monopteros, sculptures of eminent people like Chopin, Confucius and all, they all deserve a special mention. 

The iconic Monopteros in the backdrop.

We had our flight back home at night so we had to return. Even on time crunch, we had spent more than 4 hours in the garden. 

If you are visiting Munich, don't skip this place thinking it's just a garden. It's in fact a small piece of paradise.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.