How To: Kill It At The Beach In Indian Summers

We all love a good beach vacay. Am I right or am I right?! Whether it is a boys day out playing ball and getting dirty and sweaty with no shirts on or a girls gang going out on the beach to enjoy some suntan or a couple’s lazy day out, beach vacations are the best. A lot of people who face long winters many times seek out beach vacations to get away from the cold and I can absolutely see why. Having fresh coconut, building sandcastles by the sea, enjoying seafood and the sun, seems just perfect recipe for a vacation to relax and unwind. 

But, here's the Indian Summer twist to the Vitamin Sea dream. Indian Summers are hot! Very, very hot. I was just reading a thread on a travel group where someone asked if Goa in May was a good idea. Let's rewind to exactly one year ago around 26-27th May. That is exactly where I was! Right out of B Pharm, planned the perfect mandatory Goa trip after graduation. So, yes, sometimes it is inevitable that you find yourself planning a beach vacation in this scorching heat. But that's where I got your back. I have got a few essentials, tips and tricks to help you plan a smooth and hassle-free beach day trip or an entire weekend.

Top Ten Essentials For A Beach Vacation

1. Sun Screen.

This is the most essential item you absolutely must carry with you while you head out to the beach. Ignoring sunscreen on a daily basis is one thing (not good, but okay :/) while not wearing sunscreen on the beach is totally bad for your skin. Find a good waterproof sunscreen of SPF 50 with UVA and UVB protection to ensure maximum protection. Make sure to apply it liberally on all exposed parts and reapply after a few hours if necessary. I have a sunburn that is of a cold shoulder top shape and is going to last about three months so I absolutely know what I am talking about.

2. Beach Wear

Bikini, shorts, speedos, swimsuit whatever is your style do not forget to carry it to your beach trip. You might not want to swim but even the toughest of decisions are changed once seeing beautiful beach waters. So just carry it as a back-up. Try it out at home first in case it has been a while since you last wore it to ensure it is okay and fits right in all places. Another mandatory must is a plastic bag to store your wet clothes after swimming so it does not drench the rest of your bag. Flip flops are recommended instead of other shoes which might get spoiled in the sand.

3. Lounge Mat/Bedsheet/Towel

Depending on the beach you decided to go to you may or may not have beach beds/chairs etc. It is best to carry a bed sheet or a lounge mat to the beach. You can use your towel too if you have an extra one in hand. Anything you can use to lie down/sit on the beach will work. Get something larger if you are meant to share it with your partner for a date.

4. Beach Hat and Sunglasses

Admit it or not, selfies on the beach need sunglasses in them.  Period. To have this in check and also for the more important reason of protecting your eyes, carry your sunglasses with you to the beach. A beach hat is also recommended to protect your hair from the heat and keep your head cool.

5.Music/Speakers/ Earphones.

Soft music or party music, the choice is yours but music is essential while you are chilling on the beach. If you are in a group, carry a speaker or if you are on a private beach carry your earphones and blast in some tunes to match the rhythm of the beach waves. In fact, you could make a beach playlist right now after reading this article and get ready for your next beach vacation! This one down here is on amaizing discount and was voted a bestseller!

 6. Beach Ball

If your beach vacation happens to be with a group, carry a beach ball with you. You could play football, volleyball, cricket or even play with the plastic ball in the ocean. The options are endless and all you need to make that happen is a good beach ball. You can carry other games like a pack of cards. 

7. Food/ Picnic Bag

As this article is written for the masses, we need to address the fact that not everyone will be going to a commercial beach with shacks and restaurants. If your vacation happens to be a secret getaway on a remote beach in the middle of nowhere you definitely need food and drinks with you on the go. Easy options include sandwiches of all kinds, chips, biscuits, fresh fruits, sodas, beers etc

8. Summer Reads

The ride to the beach or any time during your beach vacation you may come across a situation where you just want to hang out on your own and read a book. Easy summer reads or even an audiobook can come in handy. Carry a book with you at all times! 

9. Camera

It can be your mobile camera or something advanced like a DSLR, but you will want to take back memories from your beautiful beach vacation and you absolutely must have some form of camera on you in order to make that happen. If you plan to go on a long vacation carry additional memory cards for your camera with you too so you do not run out of space while you capture the beautiful beach photos.

10. Batteries/Chargers

Carry some extra mobile battery or a backup charger/battery with you while on the go. You will be using your phone a lot, for music, photos, directions and what not. Having a backup battery option while saving you in time of need and give you the peace of mind! Do not rely on someone else having a charger or battery to match your phone. With the technology variety in the market, everyone has a different pin/plug on their phones. It is crazy out there!

PRO TIP:

You can easily get dehydrated so drink lots of water and coconut water too. That is one thing people forget to do. Remember, having water around you does not mean that you drink less water!

Before you go, be sure to follow my super active self on Instagram where I share all my trips on Insta Stories

@timetravellingshutterbug

So there you have it, the top ten items you need while going for a beach vacation. Which item do you swear by? Is there something I missed on this list? Be sure to let me know in the comments section below. Get that head start on your summer beach body and stick to those new year resolutions. You will be beach ready in no time. And oh, don’t forget to get all your beach essentials on your vacation. 

That's all for this blog post. Be sure to leave your comments and feedback down below. Are you going to any exciting beaches this summer, if so where?

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Birthday By The Beach

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things"

-Henry Miller.

The birthday girl wished for a birthday by the beach and I being the travel-granting fairy took matters into my own hands. As I many times say all I need to make things happen is the name of my next destination. I had two beach resorts near Mangalore which were begging to be explored. I honestly can't even remember where I came across the Turtle Beach Bay in Trasi. Much like the infamous Goa trip, our beach trip was almost over before it begun. After celebrating my friend Fatema's birthday at midnight it was almost impossible for our group of five to be up and ready at seven in the morning. I obviously ironed my clothes in the middle of the night and had my beach wardrobe all set but this day was not about me. And so I went back to sleep when no one woke up at seven in the morning thinking of all the chores I could accomplish that Sunday *Inner Monica rejoicing* The heavens had other plans however and who was I to deny them :p Over breakfast at the mess it was decided to go to the beach anyway. Like they say better late than never! We quickly grabbed our bags and begun our journey to the beach.

It took us around one and a half hour to reach the beach resort. We had the beach to ourselves. Yes, that's right! Just the five of us. There were a few guests staying in the rooms at the resort but they did not swim. After admiring the beautiful beach and taking a few photos we changed into our swimsuits and jumped right into the water. It was the perfect temperature at around one in the afternoon. As it was a rather sunny day, we applied generous amounts of sunscreen. After some swimming where we played piggyback water fight we took a break for some well-deserved lunch. The resort has a restaurant with a decent menu.

Post-lunch we went swimming one more time. Turtle Beach also had beach volleyball and other activities. As we were on a tight schedule due to some pending nursing assignments we had to leave before the sunset. But here's the secret scoop only for my readers. The direction of this beach does offer a sunset at the beach! So in case, you plan to follow my lead and go check out this place for yourself you must stay back for sunset and send me those photos!

The beach has showers and changing facilities so one can easily freshen up after swimming. I luckily carried my shampoo and managed to wash my hair saving me from doing it later at night when I would be exhausted.We made our return journey while listening to tunes and chatting away. At one point we even stopped to buy fruits from the bus stop for the week ahead. Before parting ways we enjoyed some hot ginger tea and then said our goodbyes. This trip was over but the memories we had collected were going to last us a lifetime. Also, I am certain that I will be going back to Turtle Bay Beach Resort.

Seeing Is Believing

Travel Vlog: Birthday By The Beach

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Everything You Want To Know About Turtle Bay Beach Resort

How to reach?

Take a bus/train to Kundapur in Karnataka. From Manipal a bus to Udupi and a connecting bus to Kundapur. From Kundapur take a bus to Trasi. If you have a private vehicle you are sorted!

How much cash to carry?
I would say about 1000 rupees.
Food: 200-300
Entrance: 250
Transport to and fro by bus: 150
It's always good to have extra cash in hand. Also in case you want to try out any water sports, you may need extra cash.

How long to stay?A day trip would be recommended. The shower facility is sufficient for all your daytime needs.The rooms available are expensive from a budget travel point of view costing around 2500+ per night.

What to carry?
You can carry your own food if you wish!
1) Sunscreen
2) Towel
3) Sunglasses/Hat
4) Swimwear
5) Extra pair of clothes
6) Cards, beach ball or other games.
7) Sunglasses
8) Music and speakers
9) Shampoo and toiletries.
10) A plastic bag for your wet clothes!

For other Beach Destination ideas you can check my other blog posts:
1. Goa After Graduation

2. St.Mary's Island

3. Beach Therapy: Murudeshwara

4. Gokarna Girls Trip

You can stay up to date with all my travel stories and photos by following me on my very active My Instagram Account
That's all for this blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved experiencing it. But don't stop there go ahead and see it for yourself! Thank you for reading. All comments and feedback is appreciated in the comments section below.

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Mandatory Goa Trip After Graduation.

"Life is like that Goa Trip. Either you show it who's the boss or it takes you for a ride"

-Nishma Khetia.

If someone told you a Goa story without high-level drama in it, they would be lying to you. Take my word for it. There is a reason behind all the memes on the internet surrounding Goa plans that fail and they are there for a reason. I am sitting on the train back from Goa as I write this blog post because a lot of my research on travel blogs have told me to journal my experiences as soon as possible as the details are crucial but they are also volatile! After a lot of planning a few of my friends agreed to go Goa the day after the completion of our final exams. We were graduates! Yeah, the ceremony is in November and the results are not out yet *phew* so this was the perfect time to travel for us, take one last trip before we parted ways.

Manipal is 4.5hours away from Goa by train. The Madgaon station, however, is also a good 1.5hours away from the famous Baga Beach. Our hotel was a walking distance from Baga in an area called Calangute. Our journey began at 7.30am from Udupi station and by the time we reached our hotel freshened up it was 4 pm. We were all exhausted but we had no time to waste on rest or sleep which were a rare luxury. We had not been having any sleep for the past two months due to hectic exams so were pretty much used to the idea of sleep deprivation.

After getting some much needed late lunch, we hit Baga beach. The beach is lined with dozens of shacks serving food and drinks. The crowd on the beach was pretty decent. We were told that this was 'off season' ( I traveled in May end). The waves were huge and the water sports were going on in high swing. Latest music blasted from the shacks and we ordered ourselves some drinks. Every shack had a variety of options to choose from. You would have to look at a few places and decide where you would like to sit. We watched the sunset and I clicked a few photos.

The walk to and fro from our hotel was pretty much a routine in Goa. We walked through Tito's lane which is Goa's famous street that has clubs and pubs on one side and local shopping on the other. We strolled through the shops and clubs weighing our options so we could get the best deal to party the night away. Getting ready was the next task and putting on our best party wear because a lot of clubs in Goa require formal wear. After getting delicious dinner we decided to head to Tito's. The other strong option we had was Club Cabana but as our transport back from the club was debatable we decided to go with Tito's. After all the club had an entire lane named after it and all the advertisements hyped it up. Spoiler alert: it was worth it AF.

Tito's lane at midnight was like a carnival full of people enjoying themselves and dancing to upbeat music. The couple entry was thousand rupees and ladies had free entry and drinks at Tito's. Five of us got in at midnight and got ourselves a nice table. Tito's was divided into a drinks only section, a Sheesha place, restaurant and the dance floor area. As we experimented with drinks, a magician came to entertain us and it was absolutely delightful. Another group of friends from my batch were also in Goa and later came to Tito's. I was on the dance floor till four in the morning celebrating the end of four years of hard work! It seemed to fit perfectly.

Goa had some power problem as they were changing the power lines. We got some disturbed sleep and checked out of our hotel at eleven in the morning. We had hired a driver to take us sightseeing. Cars are not the recommended choice of vehicle for Goa! A scooter is perfect but we didn't know how to ride one or didn't have the license. First on the list was Candolim and we got into boats to see some Dolphins. The boat took us into deep waters where we spotted Dolphins. However, they were quick and unexpected sightings so I could not photograph that.

Next up we headed to the famous Dil Chata Hai fort- Aguada Fort. Okay, I have not watched that movie. Sue me! I shall watch in the holidays. The fort was beautifully located on a hill. It was made by the Portuguese and had a lighthouse. It was very sunny and one could easily get dehydrated. We had lemonade to replenish lost electrolytes and continued our sightseeing post lunch. The boys had Goan fish which they said was delicious.

The last location we visited was Basicila of Bom Jesus. I have seen quite a few churches but this one stood out to me. If you watch the video of the ongoing mass you will get the idea of what I am talking about. It is so beautiful and the mass going on was in-tune and it created a holy atmosphere. I don't know what it was but I have only felt this moving feeling twice in my life. Once when I visited the ISKCON temple in Bangalore on my own and now in Goa. We lit candles at the church and said our prayers.

Our taxi driver then dropped us to the railway station for our train back home. A lot of drama unfolded prior to our settling in the hotel but I choose to not highlight the negativity in my blog posts and instead leave my readers with all my fun experiences with caution tips wherever required. When booking a hotel ensure that the check-in and check-out timings and rules are crystal clear because small hotel owners can take you for a ride! Also, do not depend on your friends to take any sort of travel responsibility, just do it yourself even if that means coming off as rude or just solo travel! Which reminds me,  I'm going to write about the trip that sparked the traveler in me very soon so watch out for that one to be inspired to travel solo.

TOP SEVEN TIPS FOR TRAVELLING IN GOA

1.Carry enough cash! Goa can be expensive. We went during off season but the prices of food and accommodation are pretty high. It does have very cheap alcohol when compared to other Indian states but everything else is costly. I spent 5000 rupees in two days. This is when I traveled to Goa in General class train ticket so if you are coming in by bus/flight you have to consider the cost of that as well.

2.Stay hydrated. As Goa is humid and sunny you could easily loose track of your water intake and the if you are drinking alcohol, it will leave you dehydrated even more. Have a lot of fresh juice and water at all times.

3.Confirm and re-confirm your bookings to make sure you know exactly how things are about to go down. Goa is huge so I suggest booking one hotel in North Goa and then another one for the next day towards Old Goa or South Goa. This would let you explore easily. According to me to fully explore Goa 2 nights and three days would be sufficient.

4. Traveling on a scooter is recommended but I realized that if you are 4-6 people you can hire a car as well because scooter can get uncomfortable and long distances on GPS can leave you exhausted.

5.Watch out for all shady people because there will be a lot of people trying to offer you stuff. You do not want to get yourself into trouble. Also, make sure you have proper transport arrangements after you are done partying. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.

6. There are many beaches in Goa. If you want to go to a laid back one you can discover one for yourself and you do not need to be on a crowded beach if you are looking for a more relaxing vibe.

7. Last but not the list, just keep your calm while traveling to Goa. Things are bound to get a bit out of schedule as everyone is just looking to have fun in their own way. 

That's all for this blog post. Oh, what's that you want more?...Hmm Okay! I made a proper Goa Vlog for you guys. Have fun. Leave your comments below. Thank you for reading.

All photos/videos are owned by me or my friends.

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Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Sunbathing at St.Mary's Island

"That beach sand in your hair, that beach wind in your face and that salty beach smell. Those are the secret ingredients to my Beach Therapy" 

- Nishma Khetia.

Manipal is very much like Forks, the rainy gloomy town that you see in the Twilight series. A few kilometers away from Manipal University and you will be surrounded by the forests of the Western Ghats of India. Other than college activities and course work there is not much a student can do other than travel. Which is kinda perfect, right? If you have watched or read the Twilight book you would remember that one beach that Bella went to with Jacob called La Push? This blog post is about Manipal’s very own La Push beach. No, it is not the commercialized Malpe or Kapu beach. It is St.Mary’s island, a place with clear blue waters and an interesting history.

St.Mary’s island has distinct rock formation known as the columnar basaltic lava and is one of the four geological monuments in Karnataka. According to folk history, people believe that Vasco da Gama landed at the island and fixed a mother Mary cross giving it its name. This beach just keeps getting more and more like La Push. It is also believed to be connected to Madagascar before the whole continental drift happened. I loved Geography back in school and all this information topped with my travel bug took me to St.Mary’s island.

I put on my beach maxi dress and left around 10 am in the morning from Manipal. St.Mary’s is easily accessible by boat from Malpe beach which is 12km from Manipal. We took a bus to Malpe. It was a full-house day at the beach because of a public holiday but we decided to go ahead and be a part of the crowd! The waiting for the boat can take to about an hour but you can laze around at Malpe and have some ice-creams which was what we did.

The boat ride was fun and took about 20minutes. The island looked beautiful as our boat approached it. My mind was already racing ahead thinking of all the aesthetic photos I would get to take. The last boat back from the island was at around 4 pm so we had a few hours to chill and sunbathe. The island has not been commercialized and therefore it is hard to find any restaurants or food there so I would suggest carrying a picnic basket with a few snacks and water.

The rock formations on the island were truly beautiful and unlike anything I had seen before. I tried to photograph my experience and my friend helped me. As we got lost into our photo shoot we missed a bunch of crows trying to attack our chips bag! We had to save it and fight them off. We took a long relaxing walk around the island and climbed on few of the higher rocks to enjoy the top view of the beach. The ride back was uneventful. I wish we were allowed to set up a tent/camp on the island. My thoughts continued as the sound of the crashing waves played as background music and before I knew it Dora-the-explorer was back to reality.

If you are in or plan to visit Manipal be sure to save some time to check out this place and you will not be disappointed.

TRIP TIPS FOR YOU:

 (Try saying that 5 times faster!)

-Start your day early so you get enough time on the island.

-Carry some food and remember to stay hydrated as it can get sunny.

- The island is usually closed during monsoon (June-September) due to the rough ocean.

-Don’t forget your beach essentials: Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and Flipflops!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Feel free to comment below with your favorite beach trips or where you are planning to go this summer break. Like, comment and follow Hakuna Matata :)

Signing off,

-Nishma Khetia.

The Beach Therapy

"Travelling - It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller" 

-Ibn Battuta. 

I was on one of my usual browsing sessions on the internet when I discovered the destination to my next getaway, Murudeshwara. Thousands of Lord Shiva devotees visited Murudeshwara each year to pray at the holy temple. The temple was home to the second tallest Shiva statue in the world standing at 123 feet tall. One of the best things about the place, according to me was it's geographical location. The temple was on the shores of the Arabian Sea. It provided the perfect blend for a day trip. The photos on the internet escalated my excitement and I was ready to get going. Murudeshwara was easily accessible from Manipal by a two hour train journey from the Udupi railway station (four kilometers from Manipal).

 The next day, eight people including myself took the early morning train to Murudeshwara. It was safe to say that it would be an economic trip since the transport cost was bare minimum. As a student budget-trips were my top priority. The Western railway tracks of India, particularly South India provide a scenic view of fields that turn into lush green mountain with milky-white river water. Train travel allowed us me to enjoy this picturesque journey many times and here, on this trip, I sat once again lost in the my dreams as I looked out of the window. My friends and I got off the train as we finally reached our stop and took rickshaws to the temple, which was not very far from the railway station.

We felt the cool sea breeze and the scent of salt in the air as we approached the temple. The grand Shiva statute could be seen all the way from the railway station nevertheless we stuck our necks out from the rickshaw to get a better glimpse. It was around noon and the temple was crowded with hundreds of devotees when we arrived. We visited the temple after standing in a queue for a good amount of time. The gopuram (the entrance to the temple) was pyramidal in shape and to match the tall Shiva statue, it had been made to be eighteen floors tall. We waited some more to take the elevator up to the eighteenth floor. The view of the beach and the statute from that height was out of this world and I never wanted to come back. After taking some photos we decided to grab some lunch as all of us were hungry.


The Arabian sea looked immensely inviting post-lunch. We all made our way to the beach to dip our feet in the water. Growing up in Dar-es-salaam, I have grown to love beaches and coming to Murudeshwara brought back so many of my childhood memories. One of my friends arranged a boat ride for us and off we went into the sea. I enjoyed myself watching the boat break the waves and take us farther away from the shore.  After the boat trip and a little more beach fun we got into clean clothes. Many changing and showering facilities were available right by the beach and even though they were not fancy, they were decent for a beach trip. After all what was the point of some beach fun if you didn't get a little dirty, right?

  My friends and I sipped on some fresh juice as we watched the sun set. After browsing through the local street shops we went back to the railway station and took the train back home. On the way back we played Antakshri (Hindi songs singing game) and my friends were so good that they later went to win at the college level competition!  The trip was a memorable one and now I get to share it with you.

Thank you for reading. I hope you liked this blog post :)

Acknowledgements: The photo of us in the boat was taken by my friend and classmate Tridib :D