It is time to reflect on the year that 2017 was! It is time to talk about travel @2017! I did see a lot of new places and managed 3 big personal trips! So here is how it went travel wise!
However the biggest joy for me in 2017 has been Chhavi playing tennis. I was big on sports (though not tennis) right up to my Ph.D. days and now that she is playing, it feels like life has given me a second chance to enjoy sports! But I am digressing, here is how the year was travel wise!
Agra
It was strange that I traveled on 1st January in 2017. I usually avoid new year travel because of the crowd. But we took our guests to Agra and Chhavi saw Taj Mahal for the first time! This was a personal trip.
Narendra Bhawan
Narendra Bhawan Bikaner was the first FAM of the year. Suryagarh and Narendra Bhawan are my happy places! Between the two, I have done five trips over the years! And I am willing to go back for more if it is possible!
Sharjah
Sharjah was the first International FAM of this year with Air Arabia and the Sharjah Tourism Board. The destination amazed me in many ways, the Sharjah Light Festival was fantastic.
Surajkund Mela
I managed to haul myself to the Surajkund Mela in 2017. This was second trip to it. But I have concluded that it is too far off for me to really enjoy it. Weekdays are certainly better to visit than weekends.
SATTE 2017
Another event that I attended locally was SATTE 2017. It was a high to see my pictures displayed at the Visit Israel booth!
Agrasen Ki Baoli
I ended up at the Agrasen Ki Baoli because the metro trains were too crowded and I needed to pass a few hours before I headed home. This is one luxury that I can afford as I do not work full time anymore.
The Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Delhi
I have now lived in NCR for almost 2 decades and this was the first time I managed to see the famous Mughal Gardens!
Singapore and Myanmar
March ended with a trip to Singapore and Myanmar for #escapers17. It was a fun event and I developed a bond with the people at Accor Hotels through the event.
Prague
Prague was the trip was with my daughter and niece whom I call double trouble! It was their first time in Europe and I think they liked it! This was a personal trip.
Spain
May saw me visiting two countries for the first time, Spain and Oman! Both are fabulous in their own ways! The Girona Flower Festival in Spain was amazing.
Oman
Oman surprised me with its marine life. I had two outstanding experiences, one was Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve in Oman and second was dolphin watching at Muscat!
Mauritius with School Friends
Mauritius was such a lot of fun as four of us, school friends went to Mauritius together! We have known each other since KG. It was one rocking personal trip!
Bandhavgarh and Kanha with Taj Safaris
Taj Safaris is another brand with whom I have done repeat trips and I love their lodges. I have been to their Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench lodges. If you are looking for luxury I highly recommend them!
Goa with Chhavi
Chhavi and I had a fun trip to Goa with Novotel Goa Resorts and Spa! It was a lot of fun for the kid!
Highest Blogger Meet at Ladakh
It was fun to be a part of the Highest Bloggers Meet at Khardungla with Scout My Trip and OYO Rooms.
September was the month when I did 4 trips and I realized there is a merit in slow travel. Flying every week may sound like fun, but it left me so exhausted.
IBNII Coorg
IBNII is a beautiful resort in Coorg with amazing serenity and food. I had a great time playing table tennis there as well!
Ladakh
I visited Ladakh a second time this year for an event. It was wonderful to visit Kargil for the first time!
Thailand
I have been to Thailand nine times by now and yet I end up finding gems like Nang Yuan which completely took my breath away!
Dwarka
I visited Dwarka with Mercure Dwarka which is another Accor Brand. I was happy to end September on this relaxed trip!
Safdarjung Tomb
I have actually explored very little of Delhi. So when a phone collaboration came in, I decided to go to Safdarjung Tomb. It was great to explore the monument at my own pace!
Budapest and a Bit of Rome #sisteract
I traveled to Budapest and Rome with my sister. It was our first trip together as adults. And what a trip it was! I can’t remember when I had such a relaxed time! We have to do a repeat of the #sisteract in 2018 to another corner of the world! This was a personal trip!
Narendra Bhawan
The last trip of 2017 has been to Narendra Bhawan Bikaner. The year has ended from almost where it begin! As I said Narendra Bhawan is my happy place, I know the people out there.
I have a lot to be grateful about in 2017 and I look forward to more travel in 2018! May we all travel more in 2018!
If someone told me that I would travel a lot in the first six months of 2017 I would not have been surprised. After all, I traveled a lot in 2016 too. What I didn’t expect was so many foreign trips. This year I have already clocked two personal trips too! So here is where my travels took me in the first six months in 2017.
Bikaner with Narendra Bhawan (Blogging Trip)
I am a big fan of Suryagarh an when I heard they have a new place in Bikaner, I had no hesitation in accepting the invitation. I loved my stay at Narendra Bhawan and I enjoyed exploring the havelis of Bikaner!
Sharjah with the Tourism Board (Blogging Trip)
Our trip coincided with the Sharjah Light Festival which was pretty amazing. I enjoyed the Sharjah Desert Safari. Sharjah is close to Dubai and you could combine your trip as the visa is the same for the entire UAE! You also need to check out the museums in Sharjah!
Singapore and Myanmar with the Accor Hotels and Scoot (Blogging Trip)
I revisited Singapore after 18 long years. Singapore was my first foreign trip and it is always going to be special. I went to Myanmar for the first time and came back totally smitten. I have always been a fan of Accor and on this trip I realized they have so many hotels that I can do a multi country trip by entirely staying in Accor properties.
Prague with Double Trouble (Personal Trip)
Chhavi, Vasu and I went to Prague for a vacation! The girls have grown up since Hong Kong and they now create mischief in different ways! They walk like pros though, they never complain about walking.
Oman with the Tourism Board (Blogging Trip)
Oman was a wonderful surprise. I had a great time dolphin watching, turtle watching and taking bath in sink holes! I went in May when it is supposed to be hot. It was like Delhi and there were less tourists.
Spain with the Tourism Board (Blogging Trip)
It was my first trip to Spain and I loved it. I visited the Catalonia region and while Barcelona is grand I fell in love with the smaller places like Cadaques, Pals and Girona. I attended the Girona Flower Festival. Spaniards love their food and drinks!
Mauritius with my School Friends (Personal Trip)
Four of us, Anshu, Sonu, Shweta and I, who have studied together in KG decided to take a trip abroad. After a lot of deliberations, we decided to go to Mauritius and what a time we had! We should do more such trips together!
Bandhavgarh and Kanha with Taj Safaris (Blogging Trip)
I have stayed in the lodges of Taj Safaris before and I love them. If I could afford luxury like that I would gladly choose it. But I can afford it only as a blogger. I don’t know what I like more, their attention to detail, their food, hospitality or their naturalists who are thoroughly knowledgeable about the jungle! If you are looking for luxury you have to check out Taj Safaris. And if you are lucky you will see a tiger too!
I hope there are some exciting trips in store for me for the rest of the 2017. I certainly want to take my sister abroad before 2017 comes to a close!
I feel a lot of gratitude for 2016, it was a fabulous year travel wise, so much so that I have changed my new year greeting. I used to say may we travel more but now I say, may we travel well! So here is the travel roundup 2016!
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I extended two of my trips in UK and Thailand. I did one personal trip to Jaipur with my parents-in-law. In all I did 27 trips this year, a vast majority of them sponsored. I feel immense gratitude for the year that was 2016.
May we all travel well in 2017. If you desire for something other than travel, may your wishes come true.
As for new year resolutions I think I am good with what I thought of in 2017. I just need to keep the same things in my thoughts in 2017 too!