Sumeet Verma's Trips

03/11/2024

Sisters !
Brother-Sister relationship is different & difficult to explain - the girl who looks upto her brother to protect her becomes a ferocious lioness when that same brother is harmed!

Whatever is between the two, when in need they stand rock solid - such are brothers and sisters!

I am blessed to have my pillars of strength by my side!

31/10/2024

05/07/2024

What can you do when you at National Park ??

Walk the talk with your friends

Take a dip in one or many streams that turn into rivers in monsoon
Enjoy wild life, be it freely roaming deer, trying to steal your food monkey, family time by langoors, chirping of birds, Lion safari

Eat fruits and corn from vendors, they have a lot to offer and all health

Visit Kaneri caves to see how the monks lived, kids trying to sketch caves as their drawing assignment

Splash water, take a dip at numerous streams, enjoy under waterfalls at many places

Opt for a trek that passes restricted areas, spot a leopard or it's pug marks

Most importantly Breathe clean and fresh Air, treat your eyes with scenic greenery all around.

National Park has been called as lungs of Mumbai, it turns into a paradise during rains. You can choose to do one or many activities or just visit with your family or friends to spend time with them by ditching your mobile phones.

30/06/2024

Send a message to learn more

20/06/2024

After a heavy work week only a meet with friends can normalise you!

This meet took us to Bandra this time! Started with awesome ambience with best and not expensive snacks at Bandra, we then left to witness Sunset at Bandstand followed by tea at carter road, here we enjoyed kids polishing skating skills and a group learning Bongo before we called it a day.

Another memory created!

11/06/2024

Ever lived like a warrior king ??

Chavni Resort located on the foot hills of Lohgad fort gives you just the feel of what it must be like when these Warriors travelled for fights for attainment of Swaraj.

Stay on Royal Bullock carts, Rahuti tents and other smaller carts just like the Kings army.

Winters and Monsoon will be best experienced at your property only for monsoon there needs some prep by traveller's and your team
lohagad thank you for Chavni the resort - you have nurtured it with care & love and it can bee seen in your hospitality

11/06/2024

What does it feel like living like warrior kings ?
Explore Chavni resort in Lonavala to get answers.

These days every place is a hidden gems and still overcrowded.
I was under immense pressure to find an extraordinary place that’s not prices exorbitantly and my friend identified a place called Chavni

Chavni
In the historical era warrior kings would go fighting and winning forts, One such great warrior King who fought for freedom was Shivaji. These kings would travel with entire army for days and sometime months before reaching their destination. They would stay overnights in their bullock karts & tents as per ranks and this was called
Chavni Resort is aptly located between fort and fort in . Chaavni Resort has rooms like “Sarja Raja” – a low lying room next to the reception and restaurant”, “Rahuti Tents” – these are small tents where erstwhile higher rank holding leaders would be put up and then “Royal Cart” – This is an oversized Bullock cart that has a beautiful room, spacious washroom and a sit out place. There is also a wada for big groups with plunge pool. We had blocked 3 Rahuti tents however the team upgraded 1 of our rooms to a Royal Cart for a nominal price, since they had a last-minute cancellation. The cost includes all meals, including Hi-Tea and access to indoor games and swimming pool.

Royal Cart are bigger in size but the air conditioning are not very strong for a summer afternoon. They provide you with one table fan and there are no ceiling fan here. Rahuti Tents are small in size making the air conditioning very effective. Sarja Raja are small sized bullock carts, the sitting and beds are of low heights and hence not very sr. citizen friendly.
The restaurant and all rooms other than Sarja Raja are set up on the foothill, and it’s a 3min walk uphill to commute. They have a golf cart to carry people and is available with just one call. The entire place is green, the management has planted many fruit & flower trees, they have free WiFi and organize horse riding, treks etc. The entire place is scenic and worth planning a trip with your family.

The Experience : There are 2 routes, take the one that’s google Map suggests as it has better roads. The one I took was steep, narrow and it had broken roads. I took the other one on my way back and that was much better. The staff is very friendly and helpful, they are ready to assist you with all your requirements and they do not charge you for most of these requirements. When we stayed there, it started to rain heavily with lightning and thunder. Team Chavni was not prepared, the golf cart could not ferry people and it may skid on the slope, there were no umbrellas, we tried calling to check for dinner – they refused room service so it was like we may have to sleep hungry however they did agree to extend dinner timings and requested to wait for the rains to stop. The rains did stop in a couple of hours and we all rushed for food. Food was delicious and the spread was right too.

The Verdict : it’s a worth visiting property, winters and may be summers are the right time to visit. It will be a paradise during monsoons but challenges like traveling to restaurant with no room service could make it tough.

I will say do visit Chavni before the pricing increases.

29/05/2024

What happens when a friend asks - Chai pe milte hai?

You travel to places that were never given to you as an option. For friends the question means - chal milte hain, where is addressed on real time basis.
What started with a Tea question at Thane moved to snacks at Powai and eventually to Dinner at .

Enroute
We got down at charni road railway station, walked to the dinner place, enroute we had Pani poori at a famous vendor. There were a lot of people there bit we got our number quick.
Enroute we saw the place where Ganpati festival was first celebrated in Mumbai. Then passing through countless temples on Bhuleshwar we first took the blessings of Mumba Devi, the goddess that gave Mumbai it's name. The temple is just 2 buildings away from the temple.

Food
At Bhagat tarachand ve ate some delicious marwari food, friendly staff is what you can expect here. They have AC and non AC section

Dessert
After food comes dessert, we hopped on a bus to Churchgate station, pretty close to station is K RUSTOM Ice creams and we could not miss these Sandwich ice creams.

The Wind up
Before calling it a day we spent sometime sitting at Nariman point sharing thoughts and ideas. Later we took the life Line of Mumbai - Indian Railways on our way back home.

09/04/2024

Long Drive with friends turns adventurous
Brunch at Lonavala included their famous Classic Veg Sandwich, wooden oven pizza, Fresh strawberry with fresh cream & strawberry icecream and fresh Mango with fresh cream and Mango Icecream.

Extended Drive via Mulshi, to Kundalika valley. The topside of Dev Kund. We saw Andharbhan Forest from there.

Saturday well spent, thanks to Friends + > everything else just followed.

24/03/2024

Happy Holi!
Have a Colourful and Joyous day with family and friends!

Happy once again!

19/02/2024

Ate at RAJ DAKKHANI, a day before SHIVAJI CHATRAPATI MAHARAJ'S, King of Dakkhan's, BIRTHDAY.

Raj Dakkhani
Delicious-Sumptuous food
Authentic taste
Drooled upon Kolhapuri, Kharda Thalis + Sol-Kadhi + Kharvas (Gul)
Thali cost you cheaper than a few coffees at prominent coffee houses
Thane

P.s: Expect waiting period, no parking and delayed service.

16/02/2024

Machaan – Monkeying in a Tree House

“I’ve always wanted to visit a resort that was surrounded by nature and offered a variety of dining options. That’s why I was thrilled when I found out about ‘The Machan’ A Tree House Resort, a hidden gem in the forest of . In this post, I’ll share my experience of staying there and why I think it’s a great place to unwind and enjoy the beauty of nature.”

The Machan Experience: A Family Haven
At The Machan, various types of await, some nestled at ground level while others dangle from branches, true to their name. The specific we chose was the Sunset Machaan. Let me share its highlights
Nestled amidst the verdant hills, the Machan offers a serene escape. Here, nature weaves its magic, inviting families of four to unwind. Picture this: a private deck overlooking the valley, where sunsets paint the sky behind majestic mountains. For couples seeking romantic break, it’s a haven of whispers and stolen glances.
But let’s address the elephant in the room—the transparent glass wall. While it frames the valley like a living canvas, privacy hangs delicately in the balance. The village in the valley below adds to my doubt, are secrets visible, though distant? Can we trust the glass to shield our moments? Especially at nights with room lights making the occupants visible? Perhaps not. And so, we tread carefully, balancing awe with vulnerability. There is a tub on the deck could make your bath refreshing but could also take your intimacy to preying eyes.
The open to sky bathroom is really a cabin & not a big bathing space. Here, we share our space with the cosmos and the occasional buzz, honeybees enter the bathing area of this Machaans.

Check-in and Reception
Check-in time is 1pm but I will advice you reach here before time, you will get an opportunity to dump your bags at the reception area and explore the lush green property, they have attractive set up near fireplace, tables in different styles- this place doubles up as their dinner restaurant. You could also lay by the artificial pond or run chasing butterflies in their butterfly garden. You could also have your lunch at their restaurant, they have these sprinklers to keep the place cool. Its open space with a lot of trees, while you get to eat in the shade of trees, expect a few leaves falling into your food – I frankly did not mind that. Both these places they serve you buffet and in aa-la-carte you can only order a couple of tandoori starters, sandwiches, and pasta. There is also a breakfast place called the burrow. Breakfast has delicious spread food and fruits.

Positives:
• Abundant Choices: The Machaan offers myriad experiences. Choose your path—sun-dappled lunches, fireside dinners, or morning feasts.
• Shade Beneath a Million Leaves: Trees stretch their arms, creating a natural canopy. Sunlight filters through, dappling the ground.
• Guiding Hands: The staff, like forest spirits, assist—guiding, listening, and refining. Their presence enhances our journey.

Negatives:
• The Price of stay & entertainment: The Machan’s exclusivity comes at a cost. And then, the internet—INR 500 plus taxes per device. A steep toll for connectivity.
• Not Sr. Citizen Friendly: The darkness during meals poses challenges.
• Dining Options: Buffet-only options limit choice. For As-la-carte all you get is a couple of non-veg tandoor items with sandwich and pasta. They force you to take a buffet, when you raise an issue they will offer you mini meal by limiting the items and reducing the cost. I even tried to ask them to charge me per dish that I take from the buffet menu, but they refused.
• Privacy a challenge: Transparent glass walls and windows keep you worrying of preying eyes thus ruining the overall mood

Conclusion and Recommendations
Will I Visit again? I wish to visit again however am hoping they rework on overall costing, meal options and some free internet connectivity in rooms considering there are no other source of entertainment – internet at reception is free. I will not opt to take any Sr. Citizen with me!

11/02/2024

Udupi-Manglore where faith met the depth!
A Fantastic trip, for details you could read my blog at www.facebook.com/sumeetrips

temple - a historic lord Shiva temple
Beach - where sunsets paint the horizon
- Netrani islands. Avoid booking it from / as they did not keep their promise.
for their icecream
🏠 Kapu, Udupi

11/02/2024

Udupi-Mangalore ; Where faith met the depths.

When you are crazy you come up with trips that have few takers but then when you are blessed you have friends ready to hop on to such trips. I was not expecting many to join but was pleasantly surprised to have 5 other friends say yes at 1st go.

All that I knew is that is famous for its cuisine, and it has some prominent temples. I was expecting it to be one holy & religious trip but in reality, it was more than that, it was our holy encounter with Adventure. And our adventure started with .

Kapu beach Where Sunsets Paint the Horizon
Kapu Beach was only a 3 mins walk from the place we were put at. Here you can witness clear waters, a Light house, and an awesome sunset. The sun sets here on the horizon by getting submerged in to the waters, while in Mumbai pollution the sun sets much before in the clouds of smoke. Impressed with the beach, sunset and the light house we visited this place more than once. There are some stalls here where you get various beach side munchies, ice candies, and even fish.

Murudeshwar Temple & Scuba diving : A Nighttime Blessing & The Enigmatic Scuba Diving Saga
our main event and the reason I call this trip as a holy encounter with adventure was this very day. While researching for sightseeing activities in Udupi, we found that there are activities carried out around Kapu beach and . Of these the later location is more preferred scuba diving spot. You need to advance book your slots, there are various packages and we booked a 30 min slot with Universal Adventures . AQUA RIDE is the team that takes you for scuba diving sessions. The cost includes snack, underwater snaps and a one minute long under water video. My group of friends did not receive any videos and I did not receive my underwater video or snaps and all my efforts to contact them went waste – I received no care at customer care. They call you at 7:30am but begin only after 10:00pm, if we had any clue about this time waste, we would visit in the morning before leaving for scuba as the two are at same place. We did our scuba, witnessed marine life and corals from up-close and it was thrilling to see some beautiful, colorful fishes. We returned by 5:00pm instead of 3:00pm because post our sessions the experts decided to go for a playful dive to enjoy themselves. After a fantastic dive, some play in the ocean and wasting time with aqua ride team we returned to the shore to have a bath at various bathing houses and headed towards Murudeshwar temple which was only a few steps away. It’s a beautiful temple of lord shiva with historic religious significance. By the time we finished our darshan it was night, we had to drive 2hrs back to your stay so we called it a day and returned. We could have saved at least half our day if we had some heads up from the scuba diving operators. I would suggest you opt for other competitors not universal adventure or Aqua ride or have a clear communication with them about your pictures and video.

Krishna Temple: A Serpentine Journey
is another prominent religious temple you should not miss – again, Krishna temple has historical beliefs, the queues there are serpentine. Expect it to take a good 3 to 4 hours for darshan. The temple and the deity is beautiful. Post our darshan we had our lunch at the temple kitchen, they serve everyone by making them sit on the ground, you have an option to take the food in a plate or just opt to eat from floor directly. Some locals sitting opposite to me opted to eat from the floor, I wish I could capture them eat, their floor was cleaner than my place after finishing food.

is commercial but a must visit, with many shacks and water adventure sports being carried out it resembles GOA life. The beach is beautiful, there is a man-made walkway that extends a few meters over the surface of the sea. We were lucky to spot in playful mood here. is another sight seeing place but we gave it a slip. You need to take ferries from here to visit the island.
There is also another beach – beach that has gained popularity via Instagram. There are these rock formations that are strategically placed to minimize land erosion make it look like trees of rock. We crossed these formations while it was dark, with moon shining bright the night view was superb too.
, its been one of the finds that we were neglecting but a friend insisted and we found it to be a fantastic find. It’s a scenic bridge used by villages and it connects two villages separated by backwaters. We enjoyed clicking some pictures here.
Ice-cream or Pabba's Ideal Cafe is in Manglore and a very sought after place by the locals and tourists, its world famous Ice cream along with many more flavors and munchies ensure there is a weight time of over 30 mins all day along.

In case you ever plan visiting Udupi, make sure you opt for home stay on Airbnb. You know the place is superb when it's frequented with various Birds and butterflies. There are many flowering plants, we were lucky to spot Bramha lotus. There are coconut and all season mango trees too. The place is green with lawn for your morning barefoot walks. There is play area where you can play volleyball or badminton. Ample parking. The family hosting is very simple and down to earth people. We were offered the best of local food and fruits for our breakfast. The rooms are well kept, each room is with Almira, study table and attached bathroom. There is open terrace where you can indulge in indoor games. Terrace was our favorite place to meet in the morning and before we wound up for the day.

This trip was with my friends, my family is already asking me to repeat it with them and they want the same itinerary including the stay! A holy encounter with Adventure will repeat at Udupi-Mangalore: Where faith met the depths.

04/01/2024

Goa Diaries
Seeing off the year with Goa Vibes
: Your team was superb 👏 👌, we made fond memories at your property.
- Opted for Casa TRINITY at Benaulim beach - the host deserves a pat on back for maintaining the properties and facilities provided.

04/01/2024

South Goa : Tranquillity, Secluded & Clean Beaches, Shacks, Party and AirBnB

We had been longing for Goa’s waters for a long time. Every time we went to Goa, we chose to stay at a hotel near or the North of Goa, where the party scene is lively. But this time, we wanted a tranquil stay, with uncrowded and clean beaches, and a good and affordable accommodation option. So we decided to go to South Goa. We knew it would be a busy season, so we booked our train tickets well in advance.

AirBnB
We tried Airbnb for the first time for our stay. I was always skeptical of AirBnB, as they are private homes and I have trust issues. But the place we booked was amazing. It was a 2-bedroom hall apartment with a fridge, washing machine, microwave, gas, and all these were free to use. Having a washing machine in Goa meant that we could enjoy the beach, swim, eat at shacks, and return to our house in Mumbai with sand-free and clean clothes. We always had our breakfast here, making eggs and tea every day. We could get bread, milk, and other stuff from any nearby supermarket within walking distance.

South Goa
If you are staying in , you should get off at Madgao station. As soon as you get out, there are agents who offer you cars and bikes for rent. We chose to rent a one car instead of two bikes, so that we could have a sober driver, avoid sunburns while in the car, keep our valuables secure while hopping from one beach to another, and also carry an extra set of clothes. The only problem was parking fees and space, but South Goa has more space than North Goa. Our AirBnB was at Benaulim beach. We got to our rooms and ordered our lunch from . This was our first and cheapest meal of the stay. The rest of our meals were at shacks, and they were not cheap at all, especially in South Goa. The beaches we visited were , , , , and . These beaches are some of the most quiet and secluded beaches in South Goa, and you will mostly see foreigners here. There are other beaches like the beach, beach, etc. that are famous on Instagram, but we stayed away from them.
We ate most of our meals at Benaulim beach. The shacks you should try are Johncy's Restaurant, Benaulim Goa for dinner, Pedro's Benaulim Goa is also a good choice, but stay away from Rojer’s. Rojer’s has a nice setup, but the food is terrible and expensive. They couldn’t even make a proper fresh lime soda, let alone the other menu options. Another place is The Southern Deck. It’s the best place for food, music, dance, and basically nightlife. People from Benaulim and nearby beaches gather here. We had to wait for an hour before we got a table. They also have here!
When we went into the sea earlier in the day at Benaulim, I saw many tiny green and blue fishes swimming in 4 to 5 feet of water, close to the shore. They disappeared into the sea when we got too close to them without knowing. Another thing I want to mention is that many of these beaches have boats that come back from fishing. I not only witnessed the whole event, but also helped them push and dock the boats on the beach.

Cola beach lagoon is the place to go for . It’s a shallow, 3-4 feet deep river water inlet next to a beach where they arrange kayaking. It costs around rupees 500 for 30 minutes, with the option of single or double seater kayaks. The prices may vary depending on the season and demand. We expected a crowd, so we got there by 10 am, and that worked in our favor. Our pictures didn’t have any other kayaks or people in them. Another thing that helped us was a friend who spoke Konkani and was a local. He made sure we got the best deals and offers. I would recommend to only do kayaking here and not venture into sea as the beach is too steep.

Agonda Beach was also a stunning beach, where we ventured into the sea. The water was clear, the slope was gentle, but the waves were high. One of my friends lost his goggles to a big wave. There was also a river that joined the sea here. There were many shacks here, and they offered parking as a service. We parked and entered a shack named Madhu Huts Agonda, and soon we found out that the staff here were all from the mountains and not from Goa. We thought that we would not get the authentic flavor of the food, as the cook was also from Himachal Pradesh (if we got the hills right). But we were pleasantly surprised by the tasty food, and we realized that it was the most popular shack among the tourists. Madhu was a nice surprise.

Palolem and Patnem beaches were also gorgeous, and full of foreigners. These beaches had boats that could take you to butterfly beach. You could choose to hike to butterfly beach or take a boat that was easier but would cost you around INR1000 each. These boats would take you to and from butterfly beach for that price. We just decided to sit and enjoy the beach and the shack food.
This was our whole trip to Goa, where the beaches were isolated and peaceful. We saw some videos of the crowded beaches in North Goa and we were glad that we chose South Goa. This was my nth trip to Goa and it was different from all the previous ones. Goa is more than just alcohol, it is a place that you can visit anytime of the year if you are willing to explore it.

01/01/2024

Have Fun friends..... This year comes with an extra day for us to travel.
Happy Leap Year to all.

23/12/2023

Life is Fun with friends
The Southern Deck
Benaulim, Goa.