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.

Travel Diaries:The Highland Escape

                            

"Let's wander where the wifi is weak"

-Anonymous.

According to a Ted Talk on successful students, one of the biggest difference setting them apart from the normal crowd is that when they plan their timetable they first plan when they will take breaks and what fun activities can be incorporated in these breaks. Yes, you heard me right.

I don't claim to know squat about success. I post photos with motivating captions and quotes but what I can learn from this Ted Talk is that taking a break to refresh yourself is absolutely necessary. The most hectic time in my college schedule comes during Jan-June. It is always packed with deadlines that are directly proportional increase to increase in stress level.

To calm my nerves after my exams, I decided to reward myself with a quick getaway so I would be fresh for my university exams ahead (or so I tell myself to validate bunking labs on Saturday. Stupid six full-day schedule). Anyway, coming back to the point, this time I decided to go with my ex-roommate and bestie, Sonia Lasong Swami all the way from Malaysia.

We booked a homestay in Therathavalli, 18 kilometers from Agumbe in Karnataka, India. Agumbe is easily accessible by bus. We left Manipal at 6 pm on 31st March 2016 and reached Highland Homestay by 9 pm. It was a beautiful house and they served us with some delicious South Indian dinner. We had a long day planned ahead but we stayed up till midnight chatting in true roommate fashion.

The next morning we got a driver to pick us up, we had booked the ride for the full day so we could explore to our heart's desire. We started with Kavaledurga fort. It was one of the many in the Vijayanagar empire, the same one that ruled Hampi back in the day. It was a small hike to the top and left us refreshed and pumped for the day ahead. A scenic view of the hills greeted us at the top. I have had my fair share of good views but this one still took my breath away.

For breakfast, we had neer dosa which is something in between a roti and a dosa but it was very tasty. We then went to Beemanakatte hanging bridge and a nearby temple. The bridge was beautiful and reminded me of the one from the movie Rangoon that was shot in Burma. What a location! It is definitely on my bucket list.The homestay was spoiling us with fresh juice and delicious lunch. We freshened up after lunch and then checked out of the homestay.

Our next stop was the Jain temple at Kundadri hills followed by Sringeri, a good 45 kilometers away from the homestay. It has a famous temple monastery made in the 8th Century which was later renovated. The old temple is located at the bank of Tungabhadra river. There was a hanging bridge above this river as well but the water level was very shallow. It was early evening and we had to catch the sunset at Agumbe.

                       

Agumbe roads are not a joke and can make the best of the travelers puke-ish due to the crazy hair'pin turns. Luckily we didn't puke. Once there we tried paddle boating in a small lake and then watched the beautiful sunset. Our driver then dropped us to the bus stop for our bus back to Manipal.

The quick trip was just what I needed because as I write this I just got done with one exam, two days after this trip and I have one very hard coming up in the next two days. Personally, I spent a little more than my budget mainly because it was only two of us sharing the ride and the room. I spent 3000 rupees but for the efficiency of the trip made it was worth it.

I hope you my travel blog post inspired you to look forward to your own upcoming travel plans. Go ahead and take that trip because life is too short to waste Sundays on sleeping in. (As I write this at 2 am on Saturday that's exactly what I plan to do tomorrow ;) But you can aim for one short outdoor activity a month :))

Feel free to leave thoughts and feedback in the comments below. Is there any place you recommend that I should visit before I graduate in May let me know below.

Photography: All photos are taken by me. You can check out my Instagram and facebook for more photos. Quick links available on the side panel. 

Links:

The Highland Homestay

TED TALK VIDEO ( What top students do differently?)

Signing off,
Nishma Khetia.

Dubai Street Shopping : My First Camera

"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera"

-Dorothea Lange.

The death of a royal-family member of Dubai in January 2009 cut our five day holiday trip to half. The delay in our visa processing left my family with no choice but to take the two days halt in Dubai while on our way back to Tanzania from India.

My family, just like everybody else's was torn between shopping and sight-seeing. My mother wanted to go to the gold souk in Deira that has over 300 gold stores. That place is one of a kind! It showcases and sells some of the finest jewelry designs in the world. I, on the other hand, wanted to buy a digital camera. The idea of being able to see the image captured on a digital screen was fascinating to me. The age of clicking photos until the camera film was full and then developing photographs was slowly fading away. Luckily, I was able to convince my father that our family needed a camera upgrade.

My father has always believed that I am capable of doing much more than what is expected of a girl my age. He casually told me, as if it was no big deal, to go look for a camera on the streets of Dubai, on my own! Well, I had my younger sister with me but I was supposed to take care of her so that does not count. The instructions were clear. We had to go to the electronic stores and look at digital cameras, understand their features and note the prices, and he would come pick us up after two hours. This was the time when neither of us owned a mobile phone and we were in a completely different country altogether. I was terrified. Although it wasn't the idea of being kidnapped that scared me, it was the notion of talking to shop owners. I had my doubts about how they would respond to two young girls who were camera shopping without any money or more importantly, a parent by their side. I was surprised when we were received with respect and no one made fun of us. Everyone helped us with the information we needed. As promised, two hours later my father picked us up and we took him to the shop that had the camera we liked the best. I wanted a touch-screen digital camera, but the shopkeeper told my father that it was not 'user friendly'. I am pretty sure I did not understand what user-friendly meant at that time.  I tried to argue but in the end we went with my second choice which was the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300.

There are very few moments in your entire life that tend to stick with you till the end and I knew that this was going to be one of them. As soon as I was back from my trip, my camera became an instant 'hit' at the school events and many of my friends started asking me to take their photos. I happily obliged.

In the beginning, I used my camera mainly to take photos of my family and friends. I had no idea about my camera's full potential until I came to college. My passion for photography grew in college and I took great efforts to understand the basics. I am still learning many of the technical aspects. The simplicity of it has motivated me and made my life better. I am glad to be able to share my photos with friends through my Facebook photography/blog page 'The Shutterbug Life'.

My first camera has been a close friend. I have used it in extreme conditions like in the Holi festival in India (without a cover!) and while lying on the beach during summer camp. At the moment, my seven year old camera looks like it might need a little fixing or maybe a new battery. I will have to get it checked. I am sure it will be great again. Hopefully it will continue to be my handy companion for many more years to come and help me capture the memories I wish to cherish forever. This blog post seems like the perfect tribute to my companion, my first camera.