The Nizami Getaway with The Park, Hyderabad

Choosing the Hotel

We had to attend an Charitable Fashion Event for Para Athletes Fashion Fiesta, which was to be held at Taj Deccan, Hyderabad and we did not wish to stay in the same hotel property. A friend from Hyderabad recommended me The Park, and i was sold with the idea with the statement that the Pool looks up to the Hussain Sagar Lake.
That’s how we booked The Park Hyderabad, waiting to have an incredible Hyderabadi experience.

Little information about Hyderabad

Hyderabad is the capital of southern India’s Telangana state. A major center for the technology industry, it’s home to many upscale restaurants and shops. Its historic sites include Golconda Fort, a former diamond-trading center that was once the Qutb Shahi dynasty capital. The Charminar, a 16th-century mosque whose 4 arches support towering minarets, is an old city landmark near the long-standing Laad Bazaar.
Hyderabad is the Legacy of the City of Pearls—One of the largest and wealthiest of India’s former princely states, the city built its fortune on the trade of pearls, gold, steel, fabric and, above all, Diamonds. There is only one kind of Biryani in this world– Hyderabadi Biryani!
There is a story goes that the Pir Hazrat Nizamuddin invited Mir Qamar-ud-Din for a meal and offered him kulchas tied in a yellow cloth. The hungry Mir Qamar-ud-Din ate seven kulchas and after his meal, Hazrat Nizamuddin blessed him and prophesied that one day he would be king and that his descendants would rule for seven generations

Airport to Hotel Journey

We landed at 2 pm and headed straight to the Hotel. Our car was already waiting for us, and it took us around an hour to reach to the hotel from the airport.

Hotel

While approaching The Park Hyderabad, i could see one huge new aged steel structure and i was revisiting the movie Transformers in my head, was I in a Transformers movie and this building would turn into a Robot, lol.. too much of me and my movies. Nevertheless the structure was totally cool.
Welcome to Park Hyderabad, the beautiful 5 star luxury property and highly recommended one in Hyderabad.
The Park Hyderabad was an amalgamation of Fashion and Art, the contemporary design was an influence of modern art and culture of the Nizami Era.
Inspired by the city’s traditions of precious stone and textile production, this luxury five-star hotel and spa seduces the senses with exquisite design.
The Park Hyderabad accommodates its guests in 263 contemporary rooms. The well decorated rooms are designed by prominent and reputed Indian as well as International Designers.
The Park Hyderabad has good eat and drink options spreaded out in their various restaurants.
The Park Hyderabad is home to a Gymnasium, Board Meeting Room and Spa.

Pic Courtesy: Inayat, The Park Hyderabad

The Nawabi Welcome

The hotel car podium is your first impression towards the hotel and it’s where you first actually sight the steel heritage design with modern alterations.
The Park Hyderabad Lobby and Reception starts from the 3rd Floor which is your first lift to the actual hotel premises.
Coming out to the Lift you sight a huge open space and then Glass Wall behind which houses the swimming pool looking it’s way to the Hussain Sagar Lake.
Turning left we head to the reception, and we are awaited by Priya who welcomes us with the artificial pearl garland. This is where we felt like the Nizam’s who used to be welcomed back home with garland of pearls and diamonds. (Just wished that The Park giving us the real pearl garland instead of artificial ones.. LOL)
Moving on we were given Lemon juice as the little welcome drink, and by this time our check in formalities had completed and we were given the keys to room no 6044 which we got it changed to 5049 later i.e a Double Room with Lake View and room no 5053 which is a Panoramic Suite of Park Hyderabad.

Priya welcoming me with the traditional Hyderabadi Style

Rooms

Every Floor and Every Room has a different theme and colour. When we were first given room no 6044 which was on the 6th Floor, the theme of this floor was Green. These colour theme is seen in the whole floor, through the walls, the carpet, the corridor, inside the room these colour is adapted with the sofa being in the same theme colour and on the bathroom wall, where they have a round frosted glass in between the room and bathroom.
Every room has this bathtub which makes the interior classier to next level.
The Toiletries provided in each room is that of the Indian Brand Kama
Room 6044 – Entering the room there is a curved shaped bathroom wall, and these was too hi – tech and awesome, they had a walking wardrobe inside the bathroom itself thus making the room look bigger. There was Brown wooden wall with tables and LCD placed on the screen with Tea and Coffee maker below it. There was a small work space as the extension with a comfortable chair.
To the right was the king size bed with all the room switches with easy access to the guests.
There was a green coloured sofa besides the behind and before the window. Once the window shades open it had a view to the Hussain Sagar Lake, the iconic spots of Hyderabad.

We then shifted out to the 5th floor where both our rooms were situated. These floor theme was Orange, and ofcourse the whole feel was Orange. The corridor and the lobby felt nice and elegant and gave me a feel of being in some international destination then a domestic one.

Room 5049 – Entering the room the bathroom door is on the right, after which there is a closet for luggage and clothes.
Crossing this we reach to the main part of the room, with king sized bed on the right and LCD on the left wooden wall, with seating space with workstation for one.
In this space the bathroom and room was divided with a wall which had a round orange coloured frosted glass to continue with the theme of the floor, and the Sofa was that of orange colour.

Room 5053 – Welcome to the Panoramic suite of Park Hyderabad and their best room type in the Hotel.
so this room is undoubtedly a larger room with room size of 65 m².
When you enter the Room there is a little walk way, which opens up to a bathroom door on the left, and to the right there is a circular shaped leather sofa with beige interiors, and a cupboard for Coffee/Tea making facilities.
This rooms theme with the floor is just the bathroom and room dividing wall having the orange yellowish frosted glass.
This room has two entries to the bathroom one from the entrance side and one from the Bed side for extra comfort to the guest.
The bed in this room is even extra large.
As the name suggests it does have a Panoramic view of the Hussain Sagar from one end to another, and the room is positioned right in the middle of the best view of Hyderabad.
In this room they provide almonds, fruit basket and skin treatment products of Kama.

Room View from the Door
*Pic Courtesy: Inayat, The Park Hyderabad*

In Room Dining

The In Room Dining experience at this property was awesome. As we reached late when the restaurants were shut, we had the only option that’s in room dining. To be honest i am not an in room dining fan, but this kitchen made me their fan. We ordered for
1. Hyderabadi Biryani – The rice and vegetable cooked in local spices i.e is yummiest and is the speciality of Hyderabad. The biryani is always served with Mirchi ka Salan (a tasty gravy) and Raita (Yogurt based preparation).
2. Kaju Korma (Cashew Nut Korma) – Kaju Korma is made in white reddish gravy non spicy with the best hers and loads of cashew and vegetables.
3. Dal Bukhara – Dal Bukhara is the Black Lentils preparation which is cooked over a period of a day at least and very few restaurants can make this awesome but these guys definitely activated my taste buds to next level.
Overall i was too happy and filled my stomach and did not have a left overs. We ate it all.

The Hyderabadi Biryani, Dal Bukhara, Kaju Korma and Mirchi ka Salan

Breakfast at the Verandah

This 24/7 hour restaurant serves Global Cuisine with the emphasis on Indian and Italian fare. The decor has been inspired from Anglo – Indian surroundings.
The Breakfast timings are 6.30am – 10.30 am After a tiring night we reached the restaurant at 9.30am and we awestonished to such a variety of food. they had more than 50 items to select from the Buffet, ranging from fruits, breads, north indian food, south indian food, traditional hyderabadi delicacies to non veg section. the variety of juices and milkshakes were a lot too, with that came croissants and to other sweet tooth breads. In short you couldn’t be left hungry. We tasted everything on the platter.

The Whole Platter of Unlimited Food at the Verandah

Aish – The Fine Dining

A play of chrome with Nizams’ pictures and mirrors create a contemporary ambience at Aish. The menu showcases the subtle spice nuances of Hyderabadi cuisine and brings the true flavors of Hyderabad. At Aish you experience the forgotten flavors of the Nizami era and relish the rich cuisine of the royal Nizams. The interiors designed by the leading fashion designer of the country Tarun Tahiliani. The uniquely designed floor depicts the traditional style of welcoming the guest with flowers embracing the ambiance with subtle shades of gold. Complimenting to it is the Belgian crystal chandeliers and hand crafted crystal lights on the ceiling and the ambiance decorated with the first copy images of the royal family.

This is undoubtedly the best Hyderabadi Restaurant I ever had food at.

We were assisted all the time by Najima, the head staff of the Aish Restaurant, and she shared her knowledge about the decor of the restaurant which looked like i walked into a Palace. Along with that she even shared all the informations about the photo frames which were hanging on the walls. From the different Nizam’s to Tees Maar Khan (who got this name because he killed 30 tigers in one day and clicked a picture with them) to 7th Nizam’s Daughter in law. The restaurant decor did make me feel like Nizam waiting for the food, and why shouldn’t I feel like a Nizam, Aish has a 7 course meal menu, starting from non alcoholic drinks to end with a desert.
We took our table and awaited. I am a vegetarian so we had a menu which was purely vegetarian.
1. First came this Gud Lemon Soda Drink – this drink is basically made from Lemon Juice, Jaggery and mixed with Soda.
2. Second came the Spinach Soup along with one single Pani Puri
3. Third came the Aloo tikkis served with Mint Chutney and Sweet Chutney.
4. Fourth came my favourite Subz Haleem with Sheermal, this was cooked with jackfruit and vegetables and is the yummiest of the lot served with hot Saffron Breads.
5. Fifth came the Main thali which had 4 types of vegetables which included Paneer, Eggplant, Chillies, Potatoes in Gravy, Dal Bukhara served with the traditional Plain Kulcha and Stuffed Kulcha and Paranthas.
6. Sixth was the welcoming of the Hyderabadi Biryani specially cooked by the chef for us. it had additional flavours cooked very carefully so that we could breathe the perfectly crafted herbs and its fragrance with the rice cooked to its perfection.
7. Seventh last but not least the Rose Petals Kheer (Milk Pudding), which was the Chef’s speciality which was cooked with pure milk, and rose petals.
The only thing happened after this heavy meal was that we went of to sleep for few hours.

Decor of the Hotel

The Hotel was fairly decorated with minimalist designs but had flowers all around the lobby, corridor and even the swimming pool open area.
They even had a little selfie photo booth made out of the important monument Charminar made.
One wouldn’t feel stuck but felt refreshing.

Other Activities in the Hotel

We couldn’t enjoy the below mentioned facilities but Park Hyderabad can be visited for them too.
1. Spa
2. Gymnasium
3. Swimming Pool
4. Kismet – The Disc Lounge
5. Aqua – The deck and space around the swimming pool to enjoy being lazy
6. Carbon Bar
7. The Sicca Bar
8. Trillion Ballroom

Kismet Lounge
*Pic Courtesy: Inayat, The Park Hyderabad*

Special Mentions for Najima and Inayat, these two were one of the most pleasant, humble and helpful staff of the hotel property. Our stay became a memorable one thanks to these two.

Closest Landmarks to The Park Hyderabad

Hussain Sagar Lake – 2 km
Snow World – 2.2 km
Banjara Hills – 2.6 km
Charminar – 7 km
Golkonda Fort – 7.4 km
Airport – 32 km
Ramoji Film City – 38 km

Anything But Ordinary

If you planning a trip to Hyderabad, India then the place to stay is
The Park Hyderabad
22, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad – 500082 , India
Telephone: +91 – 40 – 44990000
Email: resv.hyd@theparkhotels.com
website: https://www.theparkhotels.com/hyderabad/

Destination Wedding Party at Eriyadu Island Resort, Maldives

Seal with a kiss with BoduBeru Dance group
Photography Courtesy: Stories by Joseph Radhik

Lucky or Blessed?

Haven’t you dreamt about being invited to a destination wedding party, and if I say the destination wedding party is an International Destination then you call yourself lucky, and if that International Destination is Maldives, then O’Boy you are blessed. So this blog is about witnessing the wedding party of my friend Rashmi, a sweet Indian Marathi Mulgi (Girl) and her beau James, a smart handsome Australian Boy which took place at Eriyadu Island Resort in Maldives.

HONG KONG – MUMBAI – MALDIVES.

With the last minute decision of attending the wedding party and not cancelling it, made my trip a bit hectic. It was time to pack my bags in Hong Kong and start a long journey from Hong Kong – Mumbai – Sri Lanka – Maldives, calling for last minute shopping at HK airport to look beach friendly (Ray Ban, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, Nautica, US Polo to the rescue).
Step 2 – Needed a Haircut to look good, so I rushed to my Hairstylist ZEEBA and JAIPAL from WHY NOT BY ZEEBA salon making them miss their movie, after which at home I had just 1 hour to unpack, repack take a shower eat some food and rush back to the airport for my next flight. And there I was ready to board my flight to see the beautiful couple made in heaven get married on earth. I must tell you I was already dead tired and needed sleep badly so that I can enjoy my time at Rashmi’s wedding the next day, and the time to interact with other friends of rashmi in the flight failed because I was sleeping the whole time on the flight. Nevertheless met them all at the arrival hall and immediately knew I am gonna have one hell of an awesome trip.

Maldives

The Maldives, officially The Republic of Maldives, is a small island nation in South Asia, located in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 1,000 kilometres from the Asian continent and is a spread over of 200 Islands with over 132 resorts to enjoy.
We were booked at one such Island Resort called Eriyadu.

Bird’s eye view of Eriyadu Island
Photo Courtesy – Stories By Joseph Radhik

Day 1

Airport to Hotel Journey

Male Airport to ERIYADU Island Resort one has to take the speed boat which takes around 45 mins to reach.

Bird’s eye view of Eriyadu Island Resort
Photo Courtesy: Asad Ibrahim

Hotel and It’s Location

Eriyadu Island Resort is a simple, beautiful and secluded hotel resort on an island of tropical beauty situated in North Malé Atoll. The hotel is the only one on the island, reflecting its surroundings of bamboo and tropical palm trees.
Eriyadu is one of the few remaining islands that remains true to the Maldivian entity.
Eriyadu has 76 Rooms divided in two categories – Beach Rooms and Deluxe Beach Rooms(Villas). Eriyadu has two bars, one restaurant, swimming pool, spa, own coral reef diving areas, small shop, water sports activities and gaming area.
Eriyadu is close to white sandy beaches, while the lagoon is home to a natural coral reef that can be explored by snorkeling or diving with the hotel’s professional dive center. Its central location is very close to 35 of the best dive sites of the North as well as the South Male Atoll, providing a prime location for divers.
My stay at Eriyadu was one of the most simple yet beautiful coral reef beach facing villas I have ever stayed at.

Panaromic View of the Beach and Maldivian Sea of Eriyadu Resort Island

A little Resting, Reading Area
Photo Courtesy: Eriyadu Instagram Page

Maldivian Hospitality adds up to Indian Tradition

At the Deck, we were warmly welcomed by the hotel staff along with the bride and groom. This is the Indian Tradition wherein we ourselves welcome the Guests even though they are the centre of attraction. The staff was giving the information about their beautiful property and island while we were walking towards the reception which is a little walk from the boat deck.
While waiting at the reception for our room keys we were greeted with the much needed nice cold welcome drinks, which was specially made by their chef to hydrate us, as the weather was little hot.
The reception area was huge and it had simplicity with open wide spaces with many seating areas for the guest to relax and enjoy till they finished their check in formalities.
And soon my room was dedicated to me and a humble local bell boy was sent along for my assistance to reach my room.

Rooms

As mentioned this not a small island, so one can get confused the first day if you are not guided, from next day you will feel at home. We were all booked in the Deluxe Beach Rooms and My Room was quiet a walk from the Lobby Area and i had to cross through the beautiful trees and surroundings and i could really feel myself in the beauty of nature.
While walking I took all the information i could about the property and its facilities from the staff.
All of Rashmi’s guests had their own beach front villas so that they can have the direct access to the beach from their rooms.
The Deluxe Beach Rooms is a Villa wherein two rooms adjoining to each other are created. The Villa has a small Balcony space for you to chill relax have your drink and read the book looking at the view of god’s perfection.
Once in the Room it’s a huge nice set up with two chairs on the left, a king size bed, television, wardrobe and mini bar on the right.
The room decor matches the tropical paradise keeping it light white colour with matching brown furniture.
After this comes the beauty of the room actually the bathroom – The bathroom is half the size of the room and had its own entry exit door. It had a Bathtub, a open shower area, toilet and lovely washbasin. All of this made me have a wish to stay here forever and never go back.

Room Interior
Picture Courtesy: Eriyadu Facebook Page

*Room Balcony view*
*Picture Courtesy: Eriyadu Facebook Page*

The Wedding Party

Now time to even talk about the reason I was in Maldives, Wedding Party of the beautiful couple Rashmi and James.
Rashmi is a sweet cute little happy go lucky girl from Mumbai who is a fellow libran like me, she is full of energy having the most cute and adorable smile, is a fitness freak and a motivator.
James on the other hand is a most humble human being I have met, his simplicity is charming , and with his Australian accent you would just wanna keep listening to him. This two had met in the year 2009 and it was love at first sight for James, and they both knew since then that one day they would tie a knot to start a beautiful family.
The Wedding Party was on the same day and had very minimal ritual as the entire focus was to actually enjoy the party with beach, dancing, drinking and adventure sports.

The Bride and The Groom – Wedding Dress and Makeup

As per Rashmi clothes weren’t the main attraction the wedding, though I think this statement was restricted to James and she chose to wear a golden gown created by herself and the ocean blue gown was created by Aneesh Agarwaal and James was fairly casual and perfectly dressed for the beach orange shirt with white trousers. With her the only people who were colour coordinated were the Bridesmaids wearing lovely blue dresses in different styles. Rashmi’s makeup and hair was done by Maheleqa Mohseni who is also her close friend so it was all the more special for her.

Bride and Groom
Photo Courtesy: Abhijit Kohle

Rashmi enjoying her cake
Photo Courtesy: Stories by Joseph Radhik

Rashmi and James
Stories by Joseph Radhik

Wedding Party Photography Team

Rashmi had a parade of good photographers as guests to cover her wedding party and make it memorable for lifetime in pictures – Abhijit Kolhe and Pushkaraj Shirke.
But no bride would be happy with friends clicking you alone so she hired a top team of professional photographers from India – Stories by Joseph Radhik with his team Raj Mohapatra and Shivali Chopra (stories team are famously known to shoot Anushka Sharma – Virat Kohli, Priyanka Chopra – Nick Jonas, Samantha – Chaitanya and many other celebrity weddings) and videography was done by Asad Ibrahim from Maldives.

The Rituals
Photo Courtesy: Abhijit Kohle

This shot is again a bird eye view, but with the bride and the groom
*Photo Courtesy – Stories By Joseph Radhik*

Time with the Bride and Groom
Photo Courtesy: Asad Ibrahim

The Wedding Party Venue and Decor

The Wedding Venue was on the beach front of the Island and they had set up a small beautiful tent for the vows. The theme was orange, navy blue and gold. The marquee structure was mix of red and orange with flowers, the seating chairs were all in white and bouquet of orange flowers on the pathway with yellow petals on the sand to give it a fell of the yellow carpet for the bride and groom’s walk towards the marquee for exchanging the vows . It looked so surreal and beautiful, as by the time this two would get married the sun would change its colours giving the most beautiful moment of life.

Beautiful Decor
Photo Courtesy: Asad Ibrahim

When two Photographers are clicking the entry of the Bride and Groom one photobombs always, this guy in mine and I must be in his

The Vows

Both the bride and groom had personalised vows which they exchanged in few minutes and locked it with a kiss.

Bride and Groom
Photography Courtesy : Abhijit Kohle

Rituals and Fun
Photo Courtesy : Stories by Joseph Radhik

One with the bride
*Photo Courtesy : Stories by Joseph Radhik*

Bride with the Bridesmaids
*Photo Courtesy : Stories by Joseph Radhik*

Post Vow Celebrations

Soon after the vows were exchanged we all danced to the local maldivian music and instrument BoduBeru Dance.
(BoduBeru Dance dates back to the 11th Century and is the traditional dance of Maldives, Performed by a group, it consists of one lead singer and lots of drums apart from variety of thumping instruments. The pace of the music and dance gradually picks up, and usually at the end of it the spectators would be dancing along with the group. The songs and dance styles are similar to the ones found in East and South West Africa giving rise to speculation that these might have been introduced to this tiny island nation by sailors from the African continent.)
They were singing songs in local language but with the music we understood those were Indian Songs dubbed in their language.
The night was getting younger, then came in an uncle on his little guitar singing songs and invited us to sing along, and in few minutes I took over the mic to sing, though not a great singer I guess I did keep the entertainment alive.
Heading from here we went for a lovely dinner, got ourselves changed to Party all night with the DJ of Eriyadu. Continuing we all were inside the pool taking this party to another level.
As we said destination wedding parties are never ending, but I had to call it a night at 1am, a little early then others as i had a dream photoshoot planned with Asad starting at 3 am. You can read “A Night with the Shooting Star” and “The Maldivian Sunrise.” to know about the shoot.

Time for BoduBeru Dance with the Bride
Photo Courtesy: Abhijit Kohle

With the Band
Photo Courtesy: Stories by Joseph Radhik

All smiles
Photo Courtesy: Stories by Joseph Radhik

Me singing with Pushkraj
Captured beautifully by : Stories by Joseph Radhik

When Shooting Star decides to appear in your picture
Photo Courtesy: Asad Ibrahim

Beautiful Sunrise sitting on the Deck
Photo Courtesy: Asad Ibrahim

When the sun shines brighter
Photo Courtesy: Asad Ibrahim

Day 2

Back to the Rooms

So after finishing the shoot at 6.30 am in the morning, it was time to go to sleep as the agenda for the whole day was to explore the island nothing else.
So I slept like a baby for few hours in the most comfortable bed.
The rooms are well-appointed with modern conveniences and a trendy islander decorative theme that promotes a peaceful atmosphere.
And as it was exploration time it was even time to enjoy the bathtub and read a book. I guess i have never been so relaxed the way i was in Eriyadu and in this bathtub, as it was just me and myself.
The bathroom space is so huge it’s almost the size of a hotel room in many hotels in India. So this time it was time to relax in the bathtub and read a book.

Food and Drinks

Being on an Island means you are restricted to the food made in the restaurant in the island only, but if it is Eriyadu Island then it’s like having a blast. You have a huge variety of food. So our stay had all meals included, so we were enjoying Breakfast, Lunch, High Tea and Dinner menu at the hotel restaurant itself. I am always worried being a vegetarian but to my relief they even had a huge variety of vegetarian food in the menu. There was a huge fruit section with a collection of exotic tropical fruits like Dragon Fruit, Passion Fruit, etc.
Other than this, Eriyadu had two Resto – Bars and all of the guests enjoyed unlimited alcohol and other drinks.
So overall we were having a blast living on an island.
You don’t need anything else than a lifestyle of that of a Maldivian Holiday.

My MontBlanc Aviators enjoying the company of Budwiser
at the Resto Bar Deck

It’s Dinner Time
Picture Courtesy: Eriyadu Resort Facebook Page

Live Counters
*Picture Courtesy: Eriyadu Resort Facebook Page*

Enjoy a round of Billiards while sipping beer connected to the Resto Bar

Scuba Diving with Euro Divers

Eriyadu is the perfect island for your scuba diving.
Euro-Divers at Eriyadu offers a full range of PADI diving courses, there are activates for all levels, from snorkeling to new divers and up to experienced level.
This was my first time scuba diving and i was very very excited. Euro Divers suggested to enjoy the house reef around Eriyadu which is simply breathtaking and offers a nice variety of marine life with over 350 different species of fish. So I decided to explore the house reef with a dive buddy. The house reef exploration took nearly three hours with some training session in the beginning.
I can’t express in words how I felt because it is not to be told but to be experienced yourself.
And to make this dive a memorable one Pushkraj clicked my images with his GoPro.
We did go deep inside the water till we could visibly see the water and i was swimming with the fishes, for the first time made me realise there is such a beautiful life underwater and its their home, and we are making it dirty, but throwing our trash inside.
The coral reef, the fishes, the plants, I could feel being away from this body and suddenly being a fish with them.
I request that once in life one should surely swim underwater and experience their life.
We also had the opportunity to swim with nurse sharks. It was a surreal experience.

Other than this Euro Divers even offer other water sports activities:
Stand up paddleboarding – sup
Kayak
Catamaran sailing
Windsurfing
Jet ski rides
Banana & fun tube rides
Waterski, monoski, wakeboard & kneeboard

Euro Divers office
Photo Courtesy: Eriyadu Facebook Page

It’s Scuba Time
Photo Courtesy: Pushkaraj Shirke

Lets go deeper
Photo Courtesy: Pushkaraj Shirke

Sunset Cruise

On certain days of the week, Eriyadu organises cruise rides to see the beautiful sunset from a sunset point. So was lucky to be on the island on this day. Our tour was a 60 minute ride, where we enjoyed the sunset dancing on lovely music along with snacks and drinks.

Day 3

Coral Reef Snorkeling

It was again time to enter the Maldivian Sea. We took the snorkeling gear from Euro Divers office as they were complimentary to us.
It was me, Rashmi and James on this one. They were clicking some pictures with Asad and its team, and yes they did get some lovely shots.

The Bougain Spa

After the hectic schedule from my travel, to attending the wedding, to missing my sleep to shoot, and then going for scuba did ask for some nice spa and massage time.
The Bougain Spa at Eriyadu Island Resort & Spa brings together the rich heritage of international wellness philosophies to offer guest some of the chosen signature therapies and unique therapeutic experience that relax and rejuvenate.
So one hour of spa made me feel amazing and totally refreshed and a totally new me.

Time to Say Goodbye

The saddest part of the journey arrived when I had to say Goodbye to this Island and the time I spent here, but taking back some beautiful memories which would last forever with some amazing TravelPostCards.
On Day 3rd most of the guests had to say goodbye, but the bride and groom further enjoyed another 3 nights at this same island with their close family

Beautiful Travel Postcards from Maldives — Time to say Goodbye but Until Next Time Maldives

If you looking at a trip to Maldives then without any hesitation and doubts book:
Eriyadu Island Resort
North Male’ Atoll Kaafu Atoll, 08210, Maldives
Tel: +960 664-4487
website: http://www.eriyadumaldives.com

To contact all the above photographers, designers and make up artist who made this whole event and this blog become reality:
Abhijit Kolhe (Photographer)
Instagram handle: the.wanderingfox
http://www.abhijitkolhe.com/the-wandering-fox
Asad (Photographer)
Instagram handle: asad.photo
http://www.asad.photo
Joseph Radhik (Photographer)
Instagram handle: storiesbyjosephradhik
http://www.stories.josephradhik.com
Pushkaraj Shirke (Photographer)
Instagram handle: credosian
http://www.psfofficial.com
Aneesh Agarwaal (Designer)
Instagram handle: aneeshagarwaalofficial
Maheleqa Mohseni (Makeup Artist of Rashmi)
Instagram handle: makeupbymaheleqa
Zeeba Mortezai (My Hairstylist)
Instagram handle: whynot_byzeeba

Bollywood Style Photobombing Goa.

Through the lens of Vaibhav Ghate.

A 3 Hour Tour of Goa.

Welcome to Goa, The Smallest State of India which is known for its Highly Influential Rich History with Portuguese Culture and Habitat as they ruled Goa for 450 years. The local language spoken here is Konkani.
But what we love about Goa is its Beaches, Shacks, Street Shopping, Local Feni, Cheap Drinks and the Sea Food which would surely challenge the taste buds.
It’s the Social Media Paradise to get many photographs at the beach.
With that comes the Best Nightlife in the Country.
Now you going to read is what you can do after doing all the above and in those 3 to 5 hours between your Hotel check out and your Flight check in.
Let’s take you around Some Historical Places of Goa, Bollywood Style. Why Bollywood Style, because these were the locations used by our Beloved Star’s Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, Ranveer Singh, Rohit Shetty, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Sara Ali Khan and others for their movie shoot.

My Stay was at The Inner Temple, Moira in North Goa during this trip, a complete other blog is coming soon about this property.
So we planned our list for the 3 Hour photoshoot tourist locations in North Goa and they were:
1. Parra, The Coconut Tree Road.
2. Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount.
3. Church of St. Augustine, the famous broken church.
4. Fontainhas, Panjim.
The whole shoot area was within the radius of 20 kms and 2 to 3 kms from each other so that we don’t waste our time on travel and we focus more on our shoot.

Carriall my perfect travel partner, which is the First Smart Luggage in India and It is Super Stylish, Super Sleek and Super Smart, It has an inbuilt Weighing Machine, inbuilt Power Bank and Clever Compartments make it super cool.

PARRA (THE COCONUT TREE ROAD)

Pack your carriall bags, place it in the car and ask the driver to take you directly to Parra, famously known as the Coconut Tree Road with lovely plantation on both sides of the narrow roads with a view of St. Anne’s Church. Step down of your car, walk through the beautiful stretch and Feel Yourself Come Alive.

*Spending some time in Tranquility at Parra*

*Evergreen Pose of Shahrukh Khan,*
*at the Shoot Location of his film*
*Dear Zindagi*

This is the same spot where the famous cycling scene of Alia Bhatt and Shahrukh Khan was filmed for the Movie Dear Zindagi.
The Song Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon staring Esha Gupta and Emraan Hashmi was also shot here.

2. THE CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF THE MOUNT

Next Stop is drive to The Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount in Velha or Old Goa. The Church was built in 1510 by Alfonso De Albuquerque and has Plain Whitewashed Walls. One can even spot 7 other Churches in the vicinity with the Surrounding mountains making it the most beautiful picturesque location.

This place is known for its Famous Comedy Scene between Mithun Chakraborty, Ratna Pathak and Kareena Kapoor Khan from the movie Golmaal 3.

3. CHURCH OF ST. AUGUSTINE (THE BROKEN CHURCH)

Drive your way now to Church of St. Augustine which was completed in 1602 but was abandoned in 1835 and due to it being neglected the church started collapsing in 1842 and by 1938 major parts of the Church Collapsed. Today it is a World Heritage Site.

The Famous 1965 Suspense Movie Thriller “GUMNAAM” Movie Song Gumnaam Hain Koi was shot here.

Even Felt Myself in the 1960’s Black and White Era

Even Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgan came together to shoot the song Saathiya from their famous Singham Franchise at this very place.

4. FONTAINHAS – THE GATEWAY TO PORTUGUESE LEGACY

Last Stop of our journey is to Fontainhas and my favourite place in the city.
Fontainhas is where you see the Portuguese culture alive even today. It’s situated in Panjim, the capital of Goa. Fontainhas is even known as the Latin Quarter of the city.
The best way to explore is to be on foot, walking through the narrow cobbled streets while checking out the colonial architecture painted in pastels and fluorescent colours.
Be amazed seeing the 100-year-old little cute dotting Cafe’s and Bakeries and Enjoy the Taste of the Fresh Plum Cakes and other delicacies. Founded by Antonio Joao De Sequeira this UNESCO heritage site still has its beauty intact, that’s because all the houses and cottages in Fontainhas are painted every year after the rains, A Rule Laid by the Portuguese and followed till date.

Perfect TravelPostcard Picture for Social Media
at the Blue House

Don’t Miss out this house for lovely pictures

Now the exciting part, that this area is where multiple movies like Singham and Simmba were shot, so you would get a bunch of Bollywood Referenced pictures for yourself which you can post on Social Media.

5. HATWATI

Fontainhas even met my friend Hatwati inspired from Bagwati from Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Here she’s a Hat wearing Rayban and prefers clicking pictures besides me.

6. MY LITTLE BOLLYWOOD MOVIE SCENE

I got enticed to a Portuguese house which looked abandoned having a Beautiful Face of a Princess carved on the walls of the structure. While shooting, suddenly my talented photographer friend Vaibhav started talking in Konkani language to someone.
To which I realised he was speaking to a lady looking out of the window from above who must be the caretaker of the house. She granted us to shoot inside her place. The rustic wooden door was open and had a squeaky sound and we climbed the semi broken wooden stairs to go to the rooms. Reaching the room, we both had our mind blown away, as the interior was totally rustic, old, with broken and falling ceiling along with broken furniture and non working shutter door television box set which were used between 1940’s and 1980’s. The walls spoke about its existence of more than 50 years with its charm coming from the Portuguese Legacy. So there I had my perfect Bollywood Travelpostcards Photograph clicked inside a house which had every movie masala to it from Horror Movie Sound to Classical Movie Set-up with the Latest Camera Gadget GoPro for Shoot.

The House from the Outside
The Beautiful Face of the Queen with it

The emotions inside this beautiful house was amazing

I Felt like reliving a life from the Past

Friends use your time wisely and make some more TravelPostcards in Goa other than just the beach and swimming pool pictures.

Board your flight with a smile as you just created your little Bollywood memory.
Thank you for reading out this blog, hope you have a nice time checking out Goa.
if you wish to get yourself such awesome pictures in Goa and many more contact :
Vaibhav Ghate (you can contact him on Instagram and Facebook or drop him an email on dop.vaibhavghate@gmail.com)

Ploen Ruedee – Heart of Chiang Mai Night Market

Ploen Ruedee Night Market

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a small town in Thailand, but it is one place where one can very easily have a long stay instead of short visits. During this trip i met up with some nationals who have been living in this little town from more than 3 to 6 months.
Chiang Mai has a lot to offer from Temples inside the old city to Doi Suthep, to Elephant Sanctuaries, to Yee Peng or Songkran festivals.
Other than these there is lots to do in the old city from cafe hopping, eating street food, or conversing with monks or window shopping in the night markets for local thailand made items.

Clicked this while leaving the place which gives the street side view

Ploen Ruedee

When we talk about the Night Market in Chiang Mai, then definitely the search on any websites would take you to one destination – Ploen Ruedee Night Market.
Ploen Ruedee is a bustling market which has brought the best of Chiang Mai’s food and beverage vendors together along with quality entertainment under one starry night sky.
For me Ploen Ruedee was one vibrant night market with the colours, the ambience, the interiors and the sound of the crowd enjoying the live entertainment and live singing at the place.

Food

The first thing that comes into our minds, when you at the Night Market is to eat all the delicious local street food. To my Horror which happens almost in every Asian Country is that i don’t get Vegetarian Food, but luckily to my delight i did get some Potato Wedges and Noodles.
But for the Non Vegetarians there are Trendy food trucks with cute pop-up stalls and classic vendors to sell a great variety of food from some of the city’s best restaurants and chefs. Wander from stall to stall and sample an authentic pad Thai or bite into a juicy burger; grab a grilled stick of meat or dig into a big bowl of curry, the choices are endless and varied. Tables, chairs, even hale bales dot the grounds so you can sit down with a group of friends and share a selection of Pleon Ruedee’s best which changes everyday, or simply grab a bite at a bar counter with a cold drink.
I decided to take a drink in hand and enjoy the live music.

I love VW vans and when i see it as a Bar i love it more

Live Music and Entertainment

The reason i entered into Ploen Ruedee Market was to hear the live music, and trust me it took me to my older days, not that i am too old but still if i have to say to hear the songs to whose lyrics i remember and i can dance or sing along to.
The girl on the mike was a complete rockstar, her voice was soulful and the guy on the guitar and singing along made me remind of Sting himself as they were singing my favourite track – Desert Rose
After collecting more knowledge from the stall owners i came to know that each night visitors are greeted with traditional Lanna music and dance, as performers showcase the best of Lanna culture (this i missed but there is always a next time.)
And those looking for something more contemporary can dance the night away with some great local bands such as Gimmy, Tomorrow Never Late, Soul Time and Doggy which happens at the main stage area where i was listening to the lovely songs.

We all love to enjoy by clicking the moments

A night market for all

Ploen Ruedee is a safe market. So whether you are travelling alone or with family this is one no hanky panky place. This means that it meets all the convenience and hygiene standards expected from international visitors. The bathrooms are large, clean, plentiful and free with a cleaning person on standby at all times. The market also provides a children’s zone where children can play in safety.

love the interiors, i don’t know why that expression though

Sum up

Ambience – 10/10
Food – 10/10
Cleanliness – 10/10
Prices – Bit Higher than the other Night Markets but still worth it so – 8/10
Accessibility – 10/10
Drink Options – 9/10

Ploen Ruedee Night Market
Chang Klan Rd., A.Mueng
Open Mon – Sat (Closed Sundays)
Timings – 18.00 – 24.00

Stay like the Cypriot King at Aquamare, Paphos, Cyprus

Choosing the Hotel

The most important decision to make during a trip is to select the perfect hotel, and that to when you are traveling to the sparkling mediterranean.
My trip was to Paphos, a city on the southwest coast of the Island of Cyprus. This city is inhabited since Neolithic times, it has several sites relating to the cult of goddess Aphrodite, whose mythical birthplace was at Old Paphos (Kouklia). New Paphos is the modern city that incorporates the harbor, and the ancient ruins of tombs, fortresses, theaters and villas at Paphos Archaeological Park.
And after some research i ended up choosing Aquamare Beach Hotel & Spa which sits in the spectacular backdrop of the sparkling Mediterranean. it’s well situated in the quieter areas of the island wherein one enjoys the tranquility of a wonderful beachfront setting.

Aphrodite Rock or the birthplace of Goddess Aphrodite
(This Magical picture was clicked by Marios Menelaou)

The sight of a modern technology with a pinch of tradition. This is how AQUAMARE looks like

Airport to the Hotel Journey

I landed in Larnaca Airport, Cyprus wherein I was Received by Panagiotis and it took around 1 hour 45 mins to reach the hotel.
The closest airport to the Hotel is Paphos City Airport and which is 15 mins drive from the Hotel.

Beautiful roads on my journey to Larnaca to Paphos

Aphrodite Rock’s glimpse on my journey to Paphos from Larnaca

This is what i felt like waiting for my room keys, A KING
Picture Clicked by – Marios Menelaou

Their Lobby was like a Darbaar of a KING
Captured by – Marios Menelaou

Hotel and it’s Location

I was very happy and proud to select this property. I couldn’t get my eyes away from the whole set up of this Hotel, which is very carefully decorated with its super comfy antique look and styled chairs and sofas to its elegantly presented restaurants and bars situated at basement level, to spas and modern equipped gym with indoor pool as well as an outdoor pool. Going to the guest rooms which are up to the 6th floor takes style to the next level.
The rooms at the Aquamare Hotel are in keeping with those of a beachside property, large, a total of 147. Of those, there are 126 standard twin/double rooms, 19 family suites and 2 Royal Executive Suites. Each room is equipped with bath and shower, bathroom toiletries which are changed daily, hairdryer, tea & coffee making facilities, electronic safety box, air-conditioning, satellite TV & radio, a mini bar (filled on request) and a little balcony with table and chairs. Some of the standard rooms are interconnecting which is the option we always choose as there are six of us. The suites have the luxury addition of bathrobes and slippers. The hotel also has specially adapted rooms for disabled guests which is a real advantage.
The icing over the cake, it’s on the beach side so you just are living a lifestyle life on the beach.
Aquamare is located at a close proximity of Paphos Harbour, around 3km to the City Centre, and around half an hour journey from the Aphrodite Rock. The Sea Caves and the Shipwreck are around 30 to 40 mins drive from the Hotel which is equally a must see.
The Sunset Point of Paphos is also just a 5 mins walk from the Hotel and you just have to walk through the Beachfront.
The hotel is close enough to a Hospital which during an emergency is also a positive point.

The pool view with the backdrop of the mediterranean sea

Sunset Point of Cyprus which is just at a walking distance

The closest church which is at the backdrop of the sunset point, but this one is just at sunrise

I always end up remembering baywatch when i see the watchtower

Hotel’s signature statement

AQUAMARE is an apt name to select when you are in the mediterranean, because you are the Water of the Sea, and because of which the sea exists, this is the most beautiful Four Star Hotel property designed, constructed and created. The Architecture was well planned wherein they placed the property around its pool garden and massive terraces which took the advantage of the beautiful views from the property for the guests.
Even the interior of the Hotel is placed keeping in mind the beach and sea, and hence the elegant decor of the guest rooms and common areas have its resemblances and even the artifacts stored give the essence of the ocean with its nautical theme.

view from the sea front during the sunrise

Beautiful Sunrise view, just 5 mins walk from Aquamare

Cypriot Hospitality

So after this long journey from my house in Mumbai, India to Aquamare Beach Hotel & Spa was a long one, as it was via Mumbai Traffic to Airport to a short layover in Bahrain Airport as there are no direct flights, then landing in Larnaca Airport and the drive to the hotel in Paphos.
So the requirement was Sleep, and no check in hassles, and that’s where Aquamare Management won my heart, My room keys were ready, just had to wait for few minutes for the people ahead of me to receive their keys, while waiting i was kept hydrated and refreshed with lovely local welcome drinks,
When i had booked they already had my documents so they said, they would take the original for a copy later, as they would prefer me going to the room and resting for a while. I have a habit to quiz if my room is the best room with a great view and they simply said you would be happy with the little surprise at the end of the room.

I was totally fascinated with this mirror artifact something contemporary and awesome

Lobby ending towards the lift for the rooms

The room with a view

I got my keys, and i was informed my room number was 639, on the 6th floor which is the top floor of the hotel, it already made me super happy as i love staying at higher floors in any of the hotel. So it was a Superior Double Room with Sea View, and trust me all my tiredness due to the journey automatically turned into joy and freshness after seeing the view from my room. it really was a suprise.

room no 639 simply love the number its my favourite digit too

The room has a touch card key which is Four Star Property Standards

My time was paused seeing this gorgeous looking ship in the clear blue waters

The Room Amenities

The room was well equipped, the bed was really good, as i have a troubled back it was the most comfortable bed which provided a sound sleep. the Mattress, linen, pillows were all new, clean and hygienic, it showed how much the hotel management cared well for the guests.
Other than that Room had a small TV, A Refrigerator, Toiletries consisted of Shampoo, Conditioner and Shower Gel and they were good products. There is a hair dryer provided. Enough Charging points which are at a hand’s distance while you wanna be resting on the bed. There are two chairs and a little stool if you wanna sit and munch, The air conditioning is fantastic, just one has to remember that it is connected to the door of the balcony so if you don’t shut the balcony door then your Air Conditioning won’t work.
The hotel provides Coffee packets and Black Tea packets with sugar and milk. ( Here i would like a little extra some change as i am more of a Green Tea Person)
complimentary bottle of water is just provided once in the whole stay which should be even considered.
There is a huge wardrobe to keep all your clothes and luggage bags.
They even provide a Safety Lock for you to keep your belongings safe while you go outside your room.
There is a bathtub in the bathroom so after a good swim turn into a relaxing mode by sleeping and chilling inside the bathtub for few more minutes.

This is how it looks like just when you open the curtains

A sight which will leave you thirsty forever

The pic became awesome because of the backdrop and the Man clicking it
Awesomely captured by – Marios Menelaou

I am thinking was i inside the room more or outside???

Breakfast

My package included Breakfast.
Welcome to Kirke – the restaurant whose name derives from the Greek Goddess Kirke who apparently used to seduced the Sailors, I do not know about the Sailors now, nor about the Goddess but i know its a saying in India, you do achieve heaven when you get good food to fill your tummy and soul and Kirke did that for me.
This is where breakfast is served and looks out to the Mediterranean Sea, although it’s very busy as you would expect in the high season, there is a relaxing ambience. be there for breakfast early as 7am at the time of start to take full advantage of the serene and calm atmosphere. It’s at basement level of the hotel next to the Gym and the Indoor Pool.
Honestly speaking i was expecting a dull breakfast, as i am Vegetarian who does not consume fish and chicken and i usually do not find food for me, so i end up having breads and croissants.
But trust me i was in awe more then shocked to see so many vegetarian and vegan options in the Breakfast. And i honestly ate so so much. Breakfast is lavish, there are all manner of cereals, and dried fruits, bowls of unctuous chocolate and caramel and fragrant Greek honey to spread on your toast or bread of which there is a rich choice. There are croissants and other breakfast pastries as well as typical Greek pastries filled with cheese and spinach. The quality and the grade of the food is awesome and it shows that the guest should feel like a royal to be feeded with whatever they wish for.
Green Tea options were so amazing, but the best was to have Hot Chocolate and eat dates with freshly cut fruits.
I might end up going to this place just for their breakfast options.

You have a lot of food options to select from

All different types of breads and jam spreads

Other Restaurants & Bars.

Ambrosia restaurant is the hotel’s main dining area offering a rich and sumptuous buffet with a different theme every evening.
Aquamare has Two different bars which you can choose as per your liking:
1. Nektar Bar
2. Tavernaki Beach Bar

L’Aqua Spa

Aquamare has one of the finest spas in Paphos – L’Aqua Spa where guests can enjoy a host of luxury treatments including therapeutic and de-stressing massages and hydrotherapy treatments, a hammam, hair and beauty treatments using Elemis and Payot products as well as access to the indoor pool which is open to all guests. i felt i had the most relaxing time when i had my session. just the word “too good”.

Other Facilities

Aquamare even houses
1. One large Outdoor Pool with Jacuzzi
2. One children’s pool
3. One Indoor Pool which is heated between November – March
If the Man made pool doesn’t make you happy not to worry hop out and go to Gods Created Pool, as it is you are in the Most beautiful Mediterranean in the world. The hotel does supply beach towels which you collect in the morning from the spa with a specially allocated token which you collect at the end of the day. Towels can be changed several times during the day.
4. Aquamare has a fitness centre which is a Fully equipped Gym with the latest technology fitness equipment from “Techno Gym” with exercise machines, Kinesis, free weights, aerobics room, Jacuzzi, steam bath and two saunas.
5. Table Tennis Court
6. Tennis Court
7. Indoor and Outdoor Kids Club
Three Conference Rooms for Business Guests
1. Diana Conference Room located on the first floor and holds up to 200 delegates.
2. Artemis Conference Room also, located on the first floor and holds up to 300 delegates.
3. Pegasus Multifunction Room is located on the mezzanine floor, which can hold up to 200 delegates.

Home away from Home

If you are planning to travel to Paphos in Cyprus then you do not need to have second thoughts to visit this Hotel. I guess my trip to Cyprus wouldn’t be this awesome if i wouldn’t have stayed at Aquamare.
The Staff assisted me in going to places nearby and helped me in whatever i need from airport transfers to extra soft pillows to some more coffee sachets.
sometimes you feel home even after being not at home, and Aquamare is that for me.
Go and book your trip to Paphos now and your stay at:
Aquamare Beach Hotel & Spa
Poseidonos Ave, P.O.Box 62654
8066 Kato Paphos, Cyprus
email: info@aquamarehotel.com
Tel: 00357 26966000
website: http://www.aquamarehotel.com

If you want such amazing pictures like me when in Cyprus,
then contact:
Marios Menelaou
Instagram : menelaouphotography
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mmenelaouphotography/
A complete another blog is coming soon for the magic created with Marios

Control Tower – Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel ready for Take off

I feel the need, the need for speed – Tom Cruise, Top Gun movie.

I can’t forget that morning, nor can i forget those words i said – “Control Tower – Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel ready for take off.”
And there i was in my Cessna 152 on the runway ready for ATC to give me clearance to take off and fly away into the infinity.

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
**Michael Althsuler**

Time for a recap before the main journey to how it began – The year 1986 saw an American action drama “Top Gun” which was screenplayed from an article three years earlier under the same name. The film starred Tom Cruise along with others and not going in much detail about the movie, the only important part of this introduction is Tom Cruise, the guy who brought in fashion with Aviators sun shades for the new generation, new hero’s and the young boys. A trend was to fly and fly wearing Aviators, and guess what i was born in the same year but i watched this movie in the mid 90’s and since then i wanted to become a pilot, and many many years later that dream came true wherein i got the opportunity to taste what sky feels like, seated inside the cockpit, wearing my Aviators communicating on my radio to the ATC to give me clearance to take off.

Stars Fly – ELSTREE FLYING CLUB

Stars Fly Flying School is located at the historical Elstree Airfield, near North London. This was the flying school i chose to learn to fly, and this was one of my first trial lessons to understand the basic fundamentals about flying and on successfully completing it then move on to the complete the rest flying hours and examination to obtain the PPL licence.

About the Aircraft – Cessna 152

I was seated inside the cockpit of a Cessna 152 an American two seater, fixed tricycle gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use. It was based on the earlier Cessna 150, including a number of minor design changes and a slightly more powerful engine running on 100LL aviation gasoline.
The Cessna 152 is in regular use for flight training.
This affordable, durable craft rolled off the factory lines in 1977 has seen constant use since. That’s forty-one years of flight-testing experience and their ability to endure the rigorous conditions pilots train for every day. In 1985 the Wichita, Kansas Cessna factory ceased production of the 152, but in that time had produced almost 8,000 individual planes.
The History:-
Cessna has almost 100 years of history, filled with amazing highs and lows, from the very first flight to going under following the Great Depression. The company went through the wringer that was the 20^th century.
The Cessna brand of aircraft takes its name from Clyde Cessna, a Kansas farmer who in 1911 built and flew his own aircraft. Shortly thereafter he started making more aircraft with wood and fabric, testing the flights out in Oklahoma. They got off to a real start in 1927, and following a couple of closed years due to the Great Depression have been commercially producing planes ever since.
After 50 years in 1977, they created one of the best, most durable planes any cadet has had the good fortune to pilot: The Cessna 152.
General Characteristics:
1. Crew – One Pilot
2. Capacity – One Passenger
3. Length – 24 ft 1 in, or 7.3m
4. Wingspan – 33 ft 4 in, or 10.2m
5. Height – 8 ft 6 in, or 2.6m
6. Wing Area – 160ft² or 14.9 m²
7. Empty Weight – 1,081 lbs, or 490 kg
8. Maximum Takeoff Weight – 1,670 lbs, or 757 kg
9. Powerplan – 1 Lycoming O-235-L2C flat-4 engine, 110 hp, driving a 69-inch (175 cm) or 72-inch two-blade, fixed pitch propeller.
Performance:
1. Max Speed – 126 mph, or 110 knots, 204 km/h
2. Cruising Speed – 123 mph, or 107 knots, 198 km/h
3. Stall Speed – 49 mph, or 43 knots, 79 km/h
4. Takeoff Roll – 725 ft, or 221m
5. Range – 477 mi, or 768 km
6. Extended Range (with long-range tanks) – 795 mi, or 1,280 km
7. Rate of Climb – 715 ft/min, or 3.6 m/s

“Did i chose her or she chose me, is always the question”
A pic with the Cessna 152 i flew

Time to Roll – Let’s put our stylish Aviators and begin

There are always rules when it comes to driving, riding and flying, we need to do our ground work and this being my first lesson, learning the basics was most important. You know guys even while writing this i can reimagine the whole scene of my first day, it is so fresh even now.
the basic step was to Walk Around the plane and check around if there are any possibility of trouble spots, or anything obvious like a popped rivet or a tear in the wing casing or flat tires or a nick in the propeller which might be a cause for grounding the Cessna 152.
Next was to crawl up on the wheel mount and unscrew the cap on top of each wing – that’s where the fuel goes in. Full is good, empty is bad, they said and when i checked it it was kept full. Then we had to undo the tether connecting the plane, and there it was all ready to be taken where ever we wished.
And now it was time to be seated in the cockpit and below images show that how the cockpit and the control panel looks like. Remember this was my first lesson so i was not alone, i had my trainer David Benfold along with me who was guiding me all along. David asked me to do the Seat Belt and Harness, and gave me the complete details about the control panel, and after explaining handed me the keys to start the engine. And boy it ain’t any bike or car keys it was a airplane key wow, i had butterflies in my stomach, but i had to be calm and control my excitement and i took the keys as told put the ignition on. David asked me to flip the two red switches labelled Mags into the up position. then i had to pump the primer a few times, primer is basically in the centre of the dashboard looked like a thing we used to launch the ball on a old pinball machine.
And now i was breathing bit heavy as David said time to crank the engine to start position, and there the engine was purring and i was all set to go, and then we maneuvered and slowly we started moving outside the plane’s parking position towards the Runway.

Time to Fly.

While moving towards the runway David asked me communicate to the Control Tower to ask clearance to take off, and that’s when i switched my communications on and started
“Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel to Control Tower”
“Control Tower – Go Ahead”
“Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel is ready to take off.”
“Control Tower – Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel you are cleared to take off from Runway No 1.”
i don’t think i would ever be able to forget this moment in my life.
And there it was the runway in front of my eyes and sky ready to open its doors for me.
Little more info to flying is that now David had asked me to steer the plane with rudder controls, and accelerate the plane by pulling out the throttle knob smoothly, he said that we need to reach to 55 knots steady, and now the plane started taking speed slowly and once we reached 55 knots David asked me to pull back the control and just look at the infinity beyond you and keep climbing and there i was just staring at the clear blue skies and slowly leaving the earth and breaking ties with it. And do you know what guys this was my first ever take off into the sky as a Pilot. And then we kept climbing up to 1,000 feet and flying smoothly, after few mins david asked me to take the plane upto 3000 feet. i could see the other planes flying and could even see the bigger aircrafts flying over me and me able to see their tales.
We were flying around at 5000 feet on 90 knots at a smooth comfort and all i could see the beautiful world around me. And this was like the bestest feeling ever. i felt like flying forever and i wished that i never had to turn back or land down again to earth.

Picture up in the sky with the Pilot Himself

Sad part – Landing Back

How much ever we never want something to end, it does and in the same manner my 30mins of flying was about to get over. During such moments i feel time runs so fast, but nevertheless i had understood this is just the beginning, i had tasted a life, and now its gonna be flying forever.
So now we were done with our flying circuit which meant we were flying in circles above the Elstree Airfield. Now David asked me to a Downwind check which is nothing but a basic inflight safety roll call that pilots need to do.
“Master on, mags on both, carb heat hot, mixture rich, primer down and locked, engine, oil temp and pressure good.”
David asked me to contact the Control Tower once again and this time it was to request permission to land.
In the same manner i contacted the Control Tower:
“Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel to Control Tower”
“Control Tower – Go Ahead”
“Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel is requesting to land at Elstree Airstip.”
“Control Tower – Golf Bravo Charlie Uniform Hotel you are cleared to land from Runway No 2.”
Now slowly we were bringing the plane to lower altitude and at around 500 feet we were gliding, the engines were turned off, now we were slowly pushing the control for a slow descent at about 100 feet we gave a little throttle again, and now it was David who had asked me to just look and learn how to land, as during the very first lesson they don’t allow the pilot to land on himself, as it can be scary and there is a higher possibility of a plane crash, so what i could see and learn is he pulled the controls a little so that the rear wheels could land on the runway before the front wheels. once we were down David quickly close the throttle and started to apply the brakes gently and the plane came in to a halt.

The love for flying

There it was my first encounter with Flying and since then i have never looked back, and hopefully soon i would write one more article when i would get my PPL Licence in hand.