Category: Travel

Shooting at Della Adventure Lonavla, pune

Della Adventures – Best Theme Park in Lonavla

Lancelot Quadras 12 Comments

One of my favorite aviators Amelia Earheart once said that “Adventure is worthwhile in itself”.

It is that feeling of doing something full of thrill, not knowing what lies next which makes an adventure memorable. Working 5-6 days a week almost makes me feel like a machine that has a routine to be followed daily. It’s the “Bilbo Baggins” in me (Lord of the Rings reference) a hobbit that waits for the next adventure so he can be free and create a new memory.

On one such occasion, we friends decided to go for an adventure of our own. This was how we discovered Della Adventures.

Where can we find Della Adventures?

Della Adventures is a theme park with more than 50+ thrilling activities for everyone. They are situated in Lonavla, Maharashtra. The closest way to get there is either by Road which would take you roughly 2.30 hours or else by Rail. You can opt for express trains which take less than 2 hours to reach Lonavla station. Then you can hail a private cab or rickshaw to the Adventure Park.

Transportation Pricing:

By Rail, an express ticket must cost you 100 rupees one way from Mumbai to Lonavla. From Lonavla station to Della Adventures, the fare ranges from 100-150 rupees.

Ticketing and Offers:

The average Day ticket along with GST would cost you 2065 per ticket. This includes free rides. If you want a Jumbo Pass which allows you to utilize all the rides available in the park.

For women, there is a flat 50% off only on Sunday.

For those who have their birthday, they get a free ticket for a Day Pass.

Rides and Attractions:

They have indoor and outdoor sports which keep you occupied all throughout the day. For those who don’t like the hot sun and outdoor sports, they can enter the sports bar that houses Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. These virtual games are as follows;

Table Tennis - Indoor Games

Indoor Games: (Air conditioned)

  1. Boxing
  2. Tennis
  3. Dancing
  4. Football
  5. Racing

There are also games like;

  1. Pool
  2. Foosball
  3. Table Tennis
  4. Carrom Board
  5. Chess
  6. Dart Board

Outdoor games:

Mini Games:

  1. Single/Double seat cycling
  2. Slingshot
  3. Crossbow
  4. Della shooting range
  5. Archery
  6. Net Hard Ball cricket

Outdoor activities:

  1. Dog walking
  2. Horse Riding

Adventure activities;

  1. Water Zorbing
  2. Land Zorbing
  3. Low Rope Challenge
  4. Ground challenge course
  5. Roller Zorb
  6. Vertical Rope challenge
  7. Artificial rock climbing
  8. Della Knockout
  9. Ball fighting
  10. High rope challenge
  11. Rocket ejector
  12. Flying Fox
  13. Rappelling

My experience in Della:

These are the games and attractions that you can utilize in the One Day Pass. I really had a good time in the indoor sports bar with all the games like Foosball and also the virtual games like Dancing, Racing, etc.

When it comes to outdoor activities;

  • The Vertical and High rope challenge is something you must not miss. These test your strength, stamina, fear and also the will to succeed. They really are worth the money. Be ready for some bruises on your body.
  • Flying Fox is yet another easy ride where you are tied to a harness and you fly above a good height which gives you an aerial view of Della! Go for this experience and you’ll forget your fear of heights
  • Rocket Ejector is another thrilling ride where you are tied with a harness and then ejected upward. The feeling is like that of pulling a rubber band and then letting go. That moment when you reach up and fall down, that makes you feel so vulnerable. It’s an amazing experience.
  • The indoor games are also worth your time. You can spend the entire day playing indoors too. We liked our time inside the air-conditioned environment.

Food and Drinks:

Della has quite an amazing section that houses different varieties of food and drinks. There are Dhaba styled restaurants, resto-bars that serves wine and fine dining. There’s also a Thali place and also pizzas, burgers and ice creams. So, in short, there is something for everybody. The pricing, however, is between reasonable to high. Nothing is cheaper inside in terms of food and drinks.

My suggestions:

  1. As much as possible go in a group as there are more opportunities and games where you all can play together.
  2. Please try and arrange for a vehicle and go to Della. Using public transport is fine until you leave in the evening with a tired body that just craves rest.
  3. As much as possible have a good and heavy breakfast before you enter the Della gates at 11 am. That would help you in feeling less hungry. No packaged food is allowed within.
  4. Carry a 2-liter bottle, sunglasses, and Cap, a towel and sports shoes. These are basic requirements within and hence please follow them. You can purchase water bottles but they will cost you 60 rupees per bottle.
  5. There is a general baggage counter right at the reception where you can keep your bags. You can visit this counter and use your bag or remove stuff that you want for free. There is also a locker facility inside Della for 400 rupees that can be utilized.
  6. Try visiting Della when it is someone’s birthday or if there are more females in the group. This helps in saving a lot of money in ticketing. Check various offers available for students, ladies and birthday offers.

How do I get to Della Adventure Park?

For people living in Mumbai, you can either take a bus to Lonavla. Then an auto rickshaw ride for 15-20 minutes will lead you to Della Adventures.

If you opt for railways, you can take the Intercity Express from Dadar at 6.52 am and reach Lonavla around 8.45am. Then take an auto rickshaw ride towards Della.

Finally, if you own a vehicle, you can drive directly. This will take a maximum of 3 hours.

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Here are my past posts for the A to Z Challenge

Arwa Farms – A Nature Friendly Destination

Lancelot Quadras 2 Comments

Imagine a place where you are standing still.

All that’s around you is greenery.

There are calm winds creating a soothing sound.

You do nothing but get immersed in this moment.

This moment is of nothingness.

Sometimes doing nothing is good.

Arwa farms are one such place that has all of the above. This is the brainchild of ace photographer Fawzan Husain, a photographer who has been in the corporate industry for almost 2 decades capturing moments commercially and also in Bollywood. He now has created a place that’s organic, nature friendly and perfect for those who like to unwind with a calm environment away from the city.

The owner of Arwa Farms, Fawzan weaving magic.
Capturing a moment of the man who himself is awaiting to click that perfect shot

The meaning of Arwa is “Pure”. As the name suggests, Arwa Farms is a pure source of environment in or around Mumbai.

You can find this farm 15-20 minutes away from Dahanu Rd station. For Mumbaikars, this should not be more than a 2-3 hour drive away. On the first look, you can witness the house being made using the bare minimum of non-nature-friendly materials. Using bricks, wood, and every other nature-friendly material, this place has been created.

The bed too is so comfortable and again nature friendly
There's old artifacts and phones!

There are many rooms which can accommodate a group of 4-5 in a single room and also a separate room for couples. They have open space on the ground floor and also on the first floor. Both the open spaces are amazing, windy and perfect for playing games, huddling up and sharing stories and also having a drink and enjoying your dinner.

The ambiance in this Mumbai staycation is amazing.
The owner of Arwa Farms explaining the organic process for the plants.
Fawzan explaining how the manure is made!

The area of Arwa farms totals to 7 acres.

Yes, 7 long acres of greenery, plantation of lemongrass, dragon fruits, and pineapple, different leaves which are good for your health and many more. The manure is created here on the farm and utilized for growing everything. Most of the food you get to try has been grown on the farm itself. Having unpolished food, salt, sugar, etc was something I only experienced back in Mangalore. It was nostalgic for me to be here and remember my home town.

Same goes for dal and the rest of the food.
The bowl is nature friendly and food is organic in Arwa Farms

When someone will ask me, what’s the hot topic about this place that makes me visit it instantly; I would say “There is nothing here”. Only like-minded people will understand & rejoice to visit such a place. There is no air conditioning and television. The network connection fluctuates all the time. If you like to connect with nature minus technology and leisure, this is the place you ought to visit. My stay here was nothing less than exceptional. Fawzan was an amazing host. On the farm daily, you can find him with the workers helping around with the farming. His creation is a way of giving back to nature and that’s what I adore. It takes a lot of passion and will take so much effort.

Greenery in Dahanu, Mumbai is too good to be true.
The nature surrounding Arwa Farms, Dahanu is epic.

To make a booking for stay;

 
Address – Arwa Farms, Chari Village Ashagad,
Near Hardik Farm, Dahanu Road, 401602
Contact – +91-9820298876 / +91-98202 70423
Cost – INR 1800/- person per day with complimentary breakfast (free for kids below 6 – check for availability while booking) 

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Shared bathroom is famous in the west but new for Indians

Lancelot Quadras and the mystery of the Shared Bathroom

Lancelot Quadras 2 Comments

The mystery of the Shared Bathroom:

It was the 9th of March 2018 when my parents and I decided to go for a well-deserved vacation. This would be the first vacation we’ve had in this decade which would cross 5 days! Yes, we did miss my younger brother Cleon who’s studying in Hobart. We chose to visit 2 cities in Thailand I.e. Bangkok and Pattaya. The vacation would be for 6 days.

Firstly, my parents are not those who like traveling. But they know I love the world and I know they love me. Hence, they chose to get out of their comfort zone and join me for new exploration. Bangkok and Pattaya was a revelation of sorts for us. A new country always brings in discoveries that we uncover with each moment. There were few such moments that I’d like to share with you guys today.

People in Thailand will work hard. They will do a task which might look easy or boring to you but they will do it with the utmost sincerity and wouldn’t care about what people think. I saw very very few beggars and every other person was doing something. They either sold daily household items, fruits, coconut water, fish items and some would buy stuff from a wholesale market and get a small area on the road nearby to sell those items. For me, that’s a lot of good intent to earn.

If you’ve been to Thailand and you’ve gone shopping (for sure you did!), then you also must have noticed that everyone, whether it’s the owner of the stall/shop or the people nearby; they are always eating! Yes, they always do. We were surprised to discover this. It’s possible that since the stall is open all day hence they don’t get to move around much.

Also, the people there are very open-minded. Few hotels there have the concept of a shared bathroom.

A shared bathroom is where for every room on a floor, there is one dedicated bathroom. At one time its possible for 4-5 people to use it. My parents did not react much but during their visit were more accepting of this. It was because of the people and their clear behavior.

Finally, please do not be surprised to find a woman entering and cleaning the men’s restroom. That was a culture shock for us and we took some time accepting it until being told that this was normal for them. Be it a hotel or a mall, mostly women are the ones who are assigned to cleaning the toilets for both men and women. My first experience of the shared bathroom was that when I was peeing, there was a woman who entered. We both shared a glance and post that she started with mopping the floor. Well for a moment there I was like a blank page. I laugh when I think of that moment.

This post has been written as part of a #BloggerContest via Lufthansa Airlines new initiative called #SayYesToTheWorld

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Here are my past posts from the A to Z Challenge.

Bangkok Diaries – Conclusion (Basic Itinerary)

Lancelot Quadras 4 Comments

For the last part of the series I have listed down an itinerary that can help you plan your stay in Bangkok/Pattaya. Since I went on spontaneously, some aspects fell in place but some places needed planning. I did lose out on time and hence would want others to get the most out of their trip. Here’s the itinerary that can help;

Day 1 – Tuesday (Arrival at Bangkok Airport)

My first suggestion to you is to go to Pattaya and then come back to Bangkok so you get more time to shop and also it would take you less time to get to the airport.

Considering that you arrive early morning, I would suggest you to take the Airport link metro. The 7th stop from that metro is called Ratchaprarop. You can get off from there and take a Tuk-Tuk/Metered Cab/Uber which should not cost you more than 100-150 THB. This would take you to Ekamai Bus station. There are buses plying to Pattaya every 30 minutes. The bus is semi sleeper fully air conditioned and very comfortable. The cost of a ticket would be 108 THB per person. The journey would take 2-2.5 hrs.

Probably you would be in Pattaya by say 3-4pm. At the bus station, there are sharing tuk-tuks that charge anything between 50-70 THB per person depending upon how far your hotel is. Reach your hotel and get some rest.

Around 6pm, one of you can go off to get tickets for the Alcazar/Tiffany’s cabaret shows. The shows last for 1.30 hrs and cost anything between 600-1500 THB per person. Go for one or both and have dinner anywhere on the beach road. There are lot of food stalls outside and also McDonald’s/Pizza Hut/Burger King and many Indian restaurants. Walk around the beach for a while and check for packages if possible. There are many shops that provide different packages for major attractions in Pattaya. Check if the costs are better than you going directly by yourself. You can decide your next 2 days and what all you can see.

Day 2 – Wednesday (Roam around Pattaya)

Try to begin early like 9 am.

Visit the Pattaya Floating market. As per the package you’ve taken you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the market. Roam around and witness a new style of a market.

Post that while the car will take you back, ask them to drop you off at the Underwater World where there’s an underwater aquarium. The tickets when bought directly are 500 THB onward. If you go via a package, you can get it for less and also that would include travel to your hotel. Basically, on your first day itself it would be wiser to choose all your packages so you can save money and time.

Next you can move towards the Art in Paradise. Tickets for that are 400 THB per person. You’ll surely be in here for 3 hours as there are over 100 3-D portraits and you can pose for all of them funnily and capture many memories.

Post all these 3 activities, take some time at the beach and catch the sunset view at the beach. Go for a swim or just laze around. Decide on your package for the Coral Island tour for the next day. This would take more than half your day (9am to 4pm). I have mentioned more about this on my previous post (CLICK HERE)

Day 3 – Thursday (Coral Island Tour)

The tour will take up more than half of your day. Once you’re back from it at 4pm, rest.

You can roam around the rest of the day and if you still want to check out some place, then try “Ripley’s Believe it or not” OR “Sanctuary of Truth”. Roam around the beach area and try exploring the place and the food.

Day 4 – Friday (Head to Bangkok)

There are buses that go from Pattaya bus station to Ekamai in Bangkok. If you leave early morning like 8am then you should be in Pratunam before 10am. Settle at your hotel and explore the MBK mall. You can also go to the Grand Palace where the royal family used to reside. The ticket price for that is 500 THB per person. But the place is worth it. There will be a lot of tourists but it’s manageable.

Rest in the afternoon. At 6pm, head over to Neon market which is on from 6pm-12am. There’s also a lot of stalls ahead of the Platinum mall which is a 2 minute walk away from Neon market. You can shop there too. If you want to check for more options then head towards Indra Square. These 3 places will have a lot of shopping options for you.

Day 5 – Saturday (Bangkok Shopping)

You can begin your weekend by heading to the Chatuchak market which is only at the weekend. There are 15000 stalls here and you are bound to find whatever you need. The place is really huge so take your own sweet time and roam around.

Once you’re done there, come back and rest for a while. In the evening you can again go to the usual shopping places and get a massage. At midnight, head to Chinatown (mostly for females) as there is a midnight market where there are handbags and earrings sold at really cheap prices.

Day 6 – Sunday (Last day in Bangkok) 

You can begin your day by packing up and keeping your bags ready. At the most if there is any shopping pending, then heading over to MBK mall, Indra Square mall and even Chatuchak market is cool. Check out times usually is around 12-1pm. So shop and come back by that time. Head over to some good food stall to have the local thai food for one last time before you move to the airport. As usual, you can head over to Ratchaprarop metro station and reach the airport within 30 minutes for 40 THB per person. It is better to reach the airport 3 hours prior to your flight time as the immigration line is usually long. It takes a lot of time.

Conclusion:

The itinerary here is a time to time based one. You don’t need to do these in order nor do you have to do all the activities mentioned. I’ve made this so you can benefit and plan as per this. Not wasting time will always be a plus point. Hope this helps.

For checking our my previous posts from this series;

1) Bangkok Diaries – Part 1 (Transport)

2) Bangkok Diaries – Part 2 (Living in Pratunam)

3) Bangkok Dairies – Part 3 (Living in Pattaya)

Bangkok Diaries – Part 3 (Living in Pattaya)

Lancelot Quadras 3 Comments

Living in Pattaya:

 

Dear Readers,

After my stay in Bangkok, we bid adieu to Pratunam on the third day and left for Pattaya.

How did we do that?

Transit from Bangkok to Pattaya:

Firstly, you can catch a flight to Pattaya which should cost you a minimum of 4000 THB for a journey that could last anything between 4.5-10 hours as there is a stopover included.

Secondly you could go by road which should cost you anything between 1200-1700 THB for a 2-2.5 hour journey depending on the traffic you get. The earlier you start, the better. Cabs are always ready for this and I insist you bargain as much as possible for this as the driver will quote nothing less than 2500-3000 THB on the first attempt.

Lastly you can go via a semi luxury air conditioned bus. This shall cost you 108 THB per ticket and will take you a maximum of 2.5-3 hours to get to Pattaya bus station. From Pratunam it takes a 2 km cab ride to get to Ekamai bus station. From Ekamai there are buses that leave for Pattaya every 30 minutes. The only thing you need to note is that for every person 1 big bag is allotted. If you have more than 1 big trolley/suitcase you have to pay 20 THB per bag. We went via the bus and the ride was really good.

Stay in Pattaya:

We were up at the Seashore Pattaya resort. They are located exactly opposite the world famous Alcazar show. The resort and its rooms were very decent. They have a swimming pool enough to accommodate over 30 people at once with a kiddie pool at one end. There’s a banquet hall where the food is served all day for those who have paid for it. There’s also an in house massage parlour and a store for the men and women to buy clothes both formal and casual. The beach is a 5-7 minute walk away from here. Overall, we paid a total of 4200 THB for 3 nights with breakfast for 3 people.

P.S – Like Bangkok, here too you only get the room tariff and food is not included. That happens for most of the places. For breakfast, you need to include it as an add on while making the payment.

 

 

Things to do in Pattaya:

I shall be listing down the things that we did in Pattaya.

Alcazar Show/ Tiffany’s Ladyboy Cabaret Show. There are 2 shows which are very famous in Pattaya; Alcazar and Tiffany’s. Hundreds of talented performers will be found here. They will be dressed in some amazing costumes and will entertain you with dance and comedy. It’s truly worth spending a couple of hours for these shows. The shows begin post 4pm onward and there are not more than 5 shows a day. It’s best to book your tickets in advance as with different tours arriving each and every day, the theater is always packed. Tickets range from 600 THB to 1500 THB per person.

Art in Paradise:

Truly I say to you, this is the mother of all surprises on our trip. The art gallery has over 10 different themes including over a 100 3-D art works on display. You can pose with funny expressions and be part of the pictures. This does bring back childhood memories when we would be ourselves and not care a damn. That’s the attitude you should carry for this place. Bring out the child in you. I have over 500 pictures in total of me and my parents posing for almost every picture. The ticket costs 500 THB per person and I assure you that you will take more than 2.5 hours inside for sure.

 

 

 

Underwater World:

The underwater world has a lot of variety of marine animals which would total over at least 2000 different animals. For those who have never been to any underwater aquarium, this would be a different experience. A ticket will cost you 500 THB if you book directly. My suggestion would be to check the different tour offices which are present in Pattaya on every street. We took the offer of 460 THB per person where we not only got the entry ticket but also got the pick and drop from our hotel.

Coral Island:

Firstly, if any of the above don’t interest you, it’s not a problem. But please do go to the beach. Catch the morning sunrise and also be there from 4.30pm onward. The color of the sea along with the sunset is worth every penny.

Secondly, the coral island tour is also something that you must not miss. There are different package deals with the most basic one being the Koh – Larn and Koh Sak Island tour with lunch (9am to 4pm). Here, the vehicle picks you up from the hotel, gets you to the starting point of the speed boat. The speed boat takes you to both the islands mentioned where lunch is served on Koh-Larn and post that you get an hour at the other island Koh-Sak. The water is blue and clean and we had a joyous time swimming.

Seawalking

The packages start from anywhere between 600-800 THB for this. Any water-sports like Parasailing + Snorkeling + Banana boat ride + Sea walking and jetski are available. If you want all of them, the costs can go upto 2500 THB. For few adventure sports, the costs shall vary. If you are in a bigger group like 5 and above, bargaining goes well. If less than 3, then getting a good rate gets tough.

These are the attractions we visited. However we did also want to try out a few more options like; The Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya View Point, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Big Buddha and many more. Visit this link for checking more such activies – Top 12 things to do in Pattaya 

Conclusion:

Pattaya is more for relaxation. For us Mumbaikars in simple definition, Bangkok is Mumbai and Pattaya is Goa. There are beaches, sea food, adventure sports, old structures and many more attractions to witness. My only advice to you would be to do all your shopping in Bangkok and not in Pattaya as it is on the costlier side. Overall, my stay here was very relaxing and I liked every moment.

Here are the links to my previous posts in this series:

Bangkok Diaries – Part 1 (Transport)

Bangkok Diaries -Part 2 (Living in Pratunam)

 

My next post in this series will be the last one.

I shall list a basic itinerary for staying in Bangkok and Pattaya… Stay tuned.