Eight things that'll make you choose Sri Lanka as your next holiday destination.

1. Bentota
Take a boat ride on Bentota river, where you can feel one with nature and all that....

While you spot some crocs just chilling...

If you want more up close and personal, then how about this?

*Click here for more info on Bentota

2. Pinnawala
Done with the crocs? Head over to Pinnawala elephant orphanage where you can not only interact with these gentle giants, but if your are lucky you may just get a chance to watch one of them paint. Yes, paint. Who knew there were budding artists over there eh?

3. Arugam Bay & Hikkaduwa
An island is famous for? It's beaches..duh! And Sri Lanka has plenty. Head over to Arugam Bay for some surfing

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or Hikkaduwa for scuba diving or just a spot of partying!

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4. Nuwara Eliya

Tea, tea and more tea! Sri Lanka is famous for its Ceylon tea and for any tea lover Nuwara Eliya is a must. Even if you don't love tea, go there for the scenic beauty and the fantastic winter weather.

Mackwoods Tea Estate

*Click here for more info on Nuwara Eliya

5. Luxe Living

Five star luxury at almost half the price! Yes the INR is stronger and five star living couldn't get any cheaper. So go ahead and book yourself into the Taj!

Vivanta by Taj, Bentota

The Grand, Nuwara Eliya

6. Shopping
An all new wardrobe of high street labels at one third the original price is never a bad idea! Colombo is a shoppers paradise and almost every store that you enter I guarantee you will not return empty handed.
Dear Sri Lanka, thank you for being a manufacturing center!

Odel

Beverly Street

7. Dambulla
Visit the 1st century B.C. Buddhist cave temple at Dambulla to see one of the best preserved cave temple complexes, that houses a total of 153 Buddha statues!

8. Yala National Park

Head over to Yala National Park and explore the wild! Yala is known to have one of the highest densities of leopards in the world, which means your chances of spotting one couldn't get any better than this!

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So are you convinced that Sri Lanka is your next holiday destination?!

Restaurant Review: The Sassy Spoon (Bandra, Bombay)

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The SassySpoon Bandra opened its doors to the suburban Bombayite a couple of months back and boy am I glad it did!

This was one restaurant I had heard a lot about but was too lazy to travel all the way to Nariman Point, so when they did open a branch in Bandra, I was more than excited to try out the food that a lot of people had been raving about.

Located on Hill Road (Bandra), previously where Mocha Mojo had held fort for quite some time, The Sassy Spoon has a very welcoming ambiance with its almost white decor and pops of colors here and there. I found it to be quite similar to a lot of French cafes in its decor and style. The staff is courteous and even during rush hour manage to hold you back from changing your mind and going somewhere else. I didn't mind waiting 15 minutes to get a table, the staff ensured that they didn't make me feel unattended. 

The smoothie & Emmenthal souffle

With service receiving full marks, let’s move on to the carefully curated menu of The Sassy Spoon. They do have a large range of wines and some pretty impressive cocktails in addition to the general host of drinks one can find on a wine & beverage menu. I decided to be a teetotaler that day and tried one of the blueberry and strawberry smoothie with chia seeds. It was nicely presented and tasted great. Moving on to the starters I decided on the twice baked emmenthal soufflé which was served with a slice of green apple and a candied walnut salad, I had a little Masterchef judge moment there as I cut open the fluffy soufflé and it broke into two perfect pieces. The texture was light and fluffy and went really well with the candied walnuts, only suggestion – I wish they had added a bit more of the walnuts and apple in the serving.  

Mushroom & Spinach Flat Bread

I also tried their flat bread of the day – a large helping of mushrooms, spinach doused with the perfect amount of cheese on a freshly prepared flat bread. Although I was expecting a rather small quantity (fine dining stereotypes) and had hence ordered 2 mains to try, but the flat bread was actually a pretty large serving in itself!

Unlike many European/Mediterranean restaurants I've been to, The Sassy Spoon has a larger array of dishes to choose from, with an ample amount of vegetarian options as well. 

So I decided to try out both a vegetarian as well as a non vegetarian option. The vegetarian dish we chose was from their skillet servings – mushroom and water chestnut in mac & cheese, and for the non vegetarian option I decided to try out the baby lamb leg in a wine jus with roasted cauliflowers and new potatoes.

Baby Lamb Leg with Roasted Veggies

Mac & Cheese Skillet

Both dishes tasted really great and the quantity was quite generous. The lamb was tender and the potatoes and the cauliflower was roasted just the right amount to give it that smoky taste. Although we were pretty full with the food, we could not wait to order dessert, since the restaurant is quite famous for the same.

Basil & Pine Nut Ice Cream With EVOO

They actually have a separate dessert menu on its own, and not just 4 options on the last page of the main menu. Now that I love! While everything in it looked tempting, I decided to go in for the weirdest sounding one- home made basil and pine nut ice cream with extra virgin olive oil! Yes you read that right; basil and olive oil in ice cream! Weird right? But let me tell you that it was one of the best ice creams I’ve had in all 26 years of my life. This I would say is a must try at The Sassy Spoon.

For all of this I picked a tab of around Rs. 3100, which I think is quite worth the service and the quality plus the quantity of food and drinks I had. I absolutely recommend The Sassy Spoon to all those who still haven’t eaten there! I am definitely looking forward to my second visit soon.

15 Times You Will Fall In Love With Switzerland

1. When you are surrounded by scenery like this

 2. Almost everywhere you go. Really.

3. When you will realize that there is no dearth of picturesque lakes

Lake Geneve

Lake Lucerne

Lake Zurich

4. The majestic Swiss Alps

5. When its dusk in Zurich and you realize that no other city looks as beautiful in the evening

6. When you drink the most heavenly cappuccino and eat the most delicious lava cake in Geneva

Fifty-Fifty, Geneva

7. When you open your chalet window to this. YES THIS!

Engelberg

8. When you see this at Mt. Titlis, 3238 m  above sea level.

9. When your train journeys are like this

10. Exposing you to views like this

11. Where else will you see stations that are like this?

12. When you see panoramic views of the Swiss Alps from the Sphinx Observatory at Jungfraujoch. (Also please don't refer it as Kaal's laboratory from Krrish 3. Please don't.)

13. When you spend a few minutes at the Lion Monument in Lucerene

14. When you take 360 degrees panoramic views of the Swiss Alps while making your way to Mt. Titlis in the Rotair - the world's first revolving gondola!

15. And last but not the least...when you see take a 5 minute boat ride to the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen. (Notice the amazing rainbow in the pic?)

Five hotels in India you must check in to!

India has some of the world's best hotels and resorts, and if you disagree, might I suggest taking a look below!

The Oberoi Vanyavilas - Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan

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For all those who want to go see the big cats, Ranthambore is the place to be at and if you think you’d have to rough it out, then let me introduce you to The Oberoi Vanyavilas in Sawai Madhopur. A twenty acre sprawling property that spells luxury and still makes you feel close to nature is how I’d describe this hotel. One can enjoy the tented accommodations with spectacular views of the bordering jungle while sipping some champagne at sundown.

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The resort is situated at just a 10 minute drive away from the Ranthambore National Park.
The tariff starts at a whopping rs. 44,500. Well with great luxury comes expensive pricing I guess!

What’s different:

Every evening the hotel hosts an interactive natural history session with the in-house specialist where a short feature on Ranthambore and its tigers is presented which can be attended by the hotel guests.

Mayfair Hideaway Spa Resort - Goa

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A relatively lesser known hotel in Goa but let that not stop you from checking into the Mayfair Hideaway Spa Resort. This luxurious resort is situated at Betul, Salcete and boasts of tastefully done up rooms and a delightful swimming pool that overlooks the river.  

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Enjoy a drink at the poolside restaurant; Bar and Grill during your stay.

The tariff starts at Rs. 9000 (room) during the off season going up to Rs. 30000 (suite) during peak season.

What’s different:

In addition to a world class spa the hotel even has a well stocked library for those lazy afternoons by the pool.

Ule Ethnic resort - Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir 

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This has to be one of the world’s most breathtaking properties. It’s simple yet so beautiful. Situated in the Sham Valley (Leh-Srinagar highway) this property has some of the best views to offer. You can opt for the canvas huts or better still go in for one of the deluxe cottages which over look the surrounding mountains and the Indus river.

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The food served in the restaurant has no frills but is made with utmost love and care! But who cares about anything else when you have views like this! The tariff starts at rs. 5600 for the basic hut.

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What’s different:

As per the management, the entire resort has been developed keeping the ecology of the surroundings in mind. From the food to the materials used in setting up the resort and the power generated that runs through the campsite, everything has been developed on basis of a sustainable eco tourism model. Power is generated in the property itself and lights go off by 11 pm and back on by 7 am.

The Orange County - Coorg

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Referred to as the Scotland of India, Coorg makes for a great getaway with family and friends. Check yourself in The Orange County at Coorg and you won’t be disappointed. Set amidst a 300 acres of plantation of coffee and spice, the delicious aroma is a welcome change from the city life. Choose from the Lily Pool Villas or the more exclusive Private Pool Villas for the ultimate luxurious seclusion. Dining options are in abundance as you have seven restaurants to choose from, each special and unique in its own way.

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You can dine by the lake or even head to The Machan for a tree top dining experience.  Damages to your wallet – tariff starts at rs. 28,800

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What’s different:

Enjoy a coracle ride on the river Cauvery or if you are a nature enthusiast then go bird watching since Coorg houses over 25% of all bird species found in India.

Neemrana Fort Palace – Alwar, Rajasthan

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Heritage hotels are in abundance in India, but the Neemrana Fort Palace definitely stands out. Even today it has retained its originality despite the restoration and looks like a leaf out of a history textbook. Built in 1464, the Neemrana Fort served as the third capital of the descendants of Prithviraj Chauhan the 3^rd.

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From being a non usable palace in crumbles to an award winning hotel with 71 suites and sprawling gardens, the Neemrana Fort Palace has come a long way.

One can enjoy the resplendent property with a tariff starting at rs. 4000.

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What’s different:

The hotel has lots of activities to offer which includes a vintage car ride, India’s first zip lining tour,  camel rides, a step well tour amongst others. What’s also commendable is that the project has generated jobs for many locals as the management believes in hiring locals.

So which one are you checking into next?!