4 places to enjoy Diwali in a Unique & Memorable way !

Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year usually in the months of October or November.

It is one of the major festivals of Hinduism and it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. The celebrations include millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries where it is observed. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika in Bikram Sambat calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night falls between mid-October and mid-November.

The ETLR (Eat, Travel, Live & REPEAT) Bangkok Food Trail - Part 1

Though I have had coconut ice cream plenty of times in India but this one in bangkok was totally different and yummy. It was an amazing start to my #bkkfoodtrail #bkkfoodtrailETLR #EatTravelLiveRepeat #bkk #bangkokfoodies #whyitravel #foodie #icecream #thaicoconuticecream #thailanddiaries2016 #traveldiaries2016 #instatravel #streetfood #thai #explore #globalcitizen #thailand #pattaya #instabangkok #instalike #instafollow

A photo posted by Arnav Mathur (@eat_travel_live_repeat) on Oct 19, 2016 at 3:15pm PDT

I simply love Thai street food ,they have so much to offer at such economical rates. Out of the three ie mushroom stuffed in pork, pork sausages and pork bbq, I liked the mushrooms the most. They were crisp yet very juicy. The pork sausages were unusually fat and finger licking good. The bbq sauce for the pork bbq was perfectly balanced with the right amount of sweet and spice. #bkkfoodtrail #bkkfoodtrailETLR #EatTravelLiveRepeat #bkk #bangkokfoodies #whyitravel #foodie #icecream #thaicoconuticecream #thailanddiaries2016 #traveldiaries2016 #instatravel #streetfood #thai #explore #globalcitizen #thailand #pattaya #instabangkok #instalike #instafollow

A photo posted by Arnav Mathur (@eat_travel_live_repeat) on Oct 19, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT

8 things to do in Rishikesh, India - The Yoga Capital of the World

Rishikesh is a city, municipal council and a tehsil in Dehradun district of the Indian state, Uttarakhand. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. Rishikesh is surrounded by three districts: Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Haridwar. It is approximately 25 km north of the city Haridwar and 43 km southeast of the state capital Dehradun. It is known as the pilgrimage town and regarded as one of the holiest places to Hindus. Hindu sages and saints have visited Rishikesh since ancient times to meditate in search of higher knowledge.

Rishikesh also known as the ‘Yoga capital of the World’ and the ‘Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas’ has it all, from Temples to Adventure sports.

Here is my list of 8 things to do in Rishikesh.

A weekend budget trip to the Queen of Hillstations (Mahabaleshwar)

Mahabaleshwar is a hill station in India's forested Western Ghats range, south of Mumbai, India. It features several elevated viewing points, such as Arthur’s Seat. West of here is centuries-old Pratapgad Fort, perched atop a mountain spur. East, Lingmala Waterfall tumbles off a sheer cliff. Colorful boats dot Venna Lake, while 5 rivers meet at Panch Ganga Temple to the north.

It is a very popular hill station as it is very close to both Mumbai and Pune and is hardly a 2-2.5 hours ride from Pune and around 3-4 from Mumbai. Panchgani is the sister town of Mahabaleshwar and on a lower altitude. The best time for a quick visit will no doubt be during the monsoons as the views will be spectacular and the cool breeze hitting your face is way too refreshing.

The thing about Mahabaleshwar is that it can be done in a day as well or by staying for a night or two and then heading back. Apart from the various viewpoints, the main attraction is the MaproGarden, it has it all, from a good restaurant selling good big pizzas, sandwiches, and milkshakes; to selling counters and tasting booths, it even has a chocolate factory.