Holed up at home for almost two years, most days of the children were marked attending virtual school within the four walls of the home. Staring at multiple gadgets through the day, the tween and the teenager were bored with the mundane life and wanted a change of scenery. So a stay for a couple of nights at Rhythm Lonavala about an hour’s drive from Pune was decided as the destination to unwind and recharge the tired souls. If you are looking for a perfect getaway from Pune... The post Rhythm Lonavala | a perfect getaway from Pune and Mumbai appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more

The rains and the humid weather of Goa didn’t deter the spirit of the girls who had travelled from across India to play friendly football matches at the Duler Football Stadium in August 2017. They were upbeat and kicked up to learn new techniques from international coaches, make new friends and of course Bend it like Beckham. It was a week-long football festival organized by Discover Football with friendly matches and workshops for the girls who were determined to get the most out of this event. But the journey... The post Indian girls kicking social stigma through football appeared first ..read more

Flying to international destinations from Tier 2 cities in India is a pain in the neck. You need to fly to the nearest metro with an international airport which eats into your travel time both ways. Flying directly from your city has its advantages that ensures your journey is comfortable and you also save time. Air Arabia a low cost airline flies from numerous destinations in India – Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, Coimbatore,Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Jaipur, Goa and Ahmedabad apart from the metros – Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. So international... The post Air Arabia Mumbai – Sh ..read more

City life sort of bogs you down with the daily humdrum and cacophony. The rush after the day’s back to back work be it personal or professional gets on to you and you are soon pulled into the swirls of this never ending whirlpool. One forgets to sit, relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of life that surrounds you. So when I bumped into the opportunity of getting away from the urban life and staying for few days amidst rural surroundings I immediately took on to it. One balmy... The post Jakson Inns Phaltan appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more

Forests are the lungs of our eco system. So very true and apt. I had read this signboard on one of my trips to virgin Valparai. Nature is indeed god’s gift that needs to be cherished, loved and replenished time to time.  Make mention of forests and Pollachi does strike a chord. I frequent this small town on the foothills of Anamalai every year as it’s my husband’s hometown. Over the years in these whirlwind trips apart from meeting up with relatives I have visited Valparai and Top... The post Pollachi a treasure trove appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more

A lone pachyderm stood swaying his tusk and grazing around. I stopped the car and gazed at him. I remembered someone telling me an elephant who roamed all alone was considered dangerous. I wondered if this one would go rampant but soon spotted company behind the tall bushes. They looked great as a group. I was passing through the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary from Bandipur to the land of tea, coffee, rubber and spices called Wayanad in Kerala. Wayanad meaning Vana Nad (land of forests) or Wayal Nad (land... The post Wayanad the spice box appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more

“Thattekad yetti”, murmured Sabu from the driver seat hinting that we have neared my destination in the local parlance. Groggily I scanned the dark surroundings from the confines of the car. We had left the traffic of Kochi late evening when the sky had opened up and I had unknowingly sunken into my languor. As I entered my room in the homestay I found a lone framed photograph of three unappealing birds captioned as the Ceylon Frogmouth perched on the table. Later over dinner I noticed pictures of... The post Primordial Thattekad appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more

The ICE (Intercity Express) whizzed through the countryside as we left the tall buildings of Munich behind. The landscape had changed dramatically and the bucolic surroundings were very similar to the ones that I had watched in the Bollywood movies. There were hints of red and yellow announcing the onset of autumn and the cattle festival called Viehscheid.  The decorated livestock descent from their summer alpine pastures is celebrated across the high altitude region of Germany and Austria as Viehscheid.  Across my seat a septuagenarian whose looks wouldn’t... The post Of Sacher and ..read more

Reaching Vienna hadn’t been easy with the refugee crisis situation in Europe. When I had approached one of the BAHN officials in Augsburg, Germany for getting my European East Pass activated he immediately said, now is not the right time to visit Austria as trains aren’t running on a daily basis. My heart sank despite the fact that I was on my way to the Oktoberfest. I reached out to the officials in the Munich train station. As I stood in the English speaking queue an officer with... The post Waltzing the ring at Vienna appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more

“Are we in Europe?” exclaimed one of the tourists. I looked around and sighted the narrow cobbled lanes with cyclists zipping down the alleys. The vast expanse of a lake shimmered in the sunlight as newlyweds were busy getting their photo shoot done. In the distance I could see a swathe of mist which had enveloped a mountain that looked like a lady sprawled in a dream. I had arrived at Nantou County in central Taiwan far from the blinding neon lights, skyscrapers and multi-tiered flyovers of Taipei.... The post Sun Moon Lake the heart of Taiwan appeared first on Rathina's View Space ..read more