Little black book

I love pearls. Those tiny shiny beads give me immense peace and happiness.

One of my favourite books is Unleash the Power Within by Tony Robbins. Just like its name the book is all about unleashing the power inside you that can help you to break through and fight what is going on outside in life.

Authentic Chinese food. I love to experiment with my palette and this cuisine has many flavours to explore.

FAVOURITE HAUNTS OF STYLISH PEOPLE

Celebrity Aromatherapist, DrBLOSSOM KOCHHAR, is the founder of Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic and chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies

Rose Goldea from Bvlgari has a very floral fragrance with a musky undernote that makes you feel fresh and active.

Wendell Rodricks, the ‘Guru of Minimalism.’ His garments are eco-friendly and his designs are timeless creations.

My favourite locations are Goa and Victoria (British Columbia). Who doesn’t love Goa? The beaches, architecture and the Goan cuisine are something I wouldn’t miss when I am there. Victoria, of course, is known as the City of Garden.

A PERFECT FAMILY VACATION A PERFECT FAMILY VACATION

TRAVELLINGto off-beat destinations and experiencing the great outdoors is one of the key post-pandemic travel trends. Mammoth Lakes in California has loads of activities that allow travellers to practise social distancing while enjoying the company of their loved ones. Here’s a list of outdoor activities that will make your post-pandemic family vacation unforgettable. HIKING: It is a great way to get out and experience the amazing landscape. There are countless hiking opportunities available in the area for all abilities. With an elevation gain of only 300 feet, the hike to McLeod Lake is one of the easiest and most rewarding.

Convict Lake is another trail that offers a great reward for little effort at 4.34 km round trip with almost 1,000 feet of elevation gain. EQUESTRIAN HORSEBACK RIDING: Fulfill your dream of horseback riding in the Eastern Sierra here. You can enjoy scenic views with very young children at the Mammoth Lakes Pack Outfit which offers a riding option for young children. BIKING TRAILS: From gentle dirt trails to scenic paved routes, there are innumerable biking trails. The Town Loop Trail is a paved path with a few rolling hills and stunning scenery —Mammoth Mountain, Sherwins and White Mountains — across the Caldera. Start at Mammoth Creek Park and follow the 8.05 km paved trail to Shady Rest,

where you’ll find water, plenty of shade and a playground. There are also picnic tables for a family to get together. ROCK CLIMBING: Mammoth Lakes offers a vast array of opportunities for climbing in the Eastern Sierra. From easy accessibility via bouldering to challenging multi-pitch routes, the scenery and variety will leave everyone happy. Start on the slabs behind Horseshoe Lake in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. For bouldering, another favorite is The Catacombs behind Crowley Lake overlooking the Owen’s Gorge.

Arecent webinar to explore and discover Saudi Arabia’s new tourism offering brought together travel trade partners. On offer are unique and diverse experiences, a land of natural assets, rich culture, heritage and adventure.

The virtual engagement series, taking place across six markets around the world, is a first-of-its-kind initiative for the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) to inform partners about the diverse products and experiences that Saudi Arabia offers.

The welcome address was delivered by Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority, followed by the keynote conversation ‘Journeys Make People’ between Abdullah Al Dakhil, International Communication Manager, Saudi Tourism Authority and journalist Vir Sanghvi. An expert panel discussion followed. The session provided insights into the current state of travel, and the opportunities and challenges in addressing the growing demand and interest in the country as a new destination.

JOURNEYS IN ARABIA

RESPLENDENTCEYLON RESPLENDENTCEYLON

INassociation with Jetpooling, Resplendent Ceylon has launched bespoke, private jet experiential journeys. Guests can experience its luxury hospitality and service across all three resorts: Ceylon Tea Trails, Cape Weligama and Wild Coast Tented Lodge.

Starting with Ceylon Tea Trails, exclusive private jet travel packages with Jetpooling offer Indian guests direct access to immersive stays at the resorts that form a remarkable ‘tea, sea and safari’ circuit in Sri Lanka.

Perched at an altitude of 1,250 meters, this award-winning boutique resort consists of restored colonial-era tea planters’ bungalows. This one-of-a-kind experience includes a seven-night fully inclusive stay (all meals, non-alcoholic/alcoholic beverages selection, laundry) and accommodation at one of the three bungalows — Summerville Bungalow, Dunkeld Bungalow and Castlereagh Bungalow — each offering utmost privacy and safety. During the stay, guests can choose from a range of signature activities such as dining experiences that include tea-infused dinner or tea planter’s picnic lunch, walking trails and a private tea tasting experience. Guests can choose to fly from Delhi or Mumbai to Colombo in a Dassault Falcon 2000 (12-seater) or an Embraer Legacy 650 (13-seater). Once in Colombo, their transfers to Ceylon Tea Trails will be via a helicopter ride. This package starts at `20 lakh++ for a couple. The Sri Lankan Tourism guidelines and safety protocols, approved by the government are designed to ensure maximum safety, are being implemented by the resorts.

THEDURGAPURCONNECT

INDIGOhas signed an agreement with Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited to commence operations from Durgapur as its 66th domestic destination. It will connect Delhi and Bengaluru with the city from April 22 and bookings have opened from February 13.

As part of the agreement, BAPL will also provide local marketing support to IndiGo through their expertise in the city. After securing all regulatory approvals and specific flight schedules for Durgapur, IndiGo will soon take the overall number of domestic destinations in the 6E network to 68 by opening Bareilly and Rajkot in the coming months. This is a part of its plan to expand regional connectivity in the country.

DIGGINGout a hole in a frozen lake and taking a skinny dip in ice-cold water is a norm and not a trend in Sweden. It has however become more popular now due to the pandemic.

A group of 80 women from the Ladies Circle took to winter bathing in 2021 to highlight the fight against mental illness. The event was shared digitally on a Facebook group and the women raised 8,000 SEK (approx `69,776) for the national charity Fonden För Psykisk Hälsa. (The Mental Health Fund).

The shockingly cold water swim is a Nordic favourite due to its health benefits which are scientifically proven to raise one’s feel-good hormones, lower stress and improve sleep. Scientists at Oulu University in Finland have conducted several studies on winter swimming over the years.

A study published in 2004 found that cold bathing improved memory, decreased tension and increased energy thanks to temporarily altering blood circulation. Cold bathing is suitable for everyone, provided that they don’t suffer from heart or circulation problems.Swedes love spending time amidst nature taking advantage of the coastline and the many lakes and rivers that are found throughout the country.

Here, swimming isn’t merely a summertime activity, a cold bath (kallbad) is also a favourite outdoor pastime in autumn and winter. A hot sauna completes the therapeutic experience.The cold bath houses — most of which are open year-round — are havens of relaxation. Not only do they allow swimmers to prepare for their invigorating open-air dip, they typically house one or more saunas.

You’ll find a diverse range of cold bathhouses across the country — new and historic. The first few surfaced during the latter quarter of the 19th century, inspired by the facilities found in health resorts on the continent. Before the fully-fledged cold bath houses materialised, stairequipped outdoor swimming pools started cropping up as early as the 1850s.

Cold bathhouses are typically located along the coastlines with direct access to the sea, though some are located at the edges of inland lakes. The more popular ones are: Kallbadhuset Varberg: Built on stilts in 1903, Kallbadhuset Varberg is a Swedish icon. Set within an oriental-style building, complete with decorative domes, this west coast gem’s history can be traced back to the 1820s when a floating pool was built to allow for cold dips in the ocean. Ribersborgs Kallbadhus: Inaugurated in 1898, with a history stretching back to 1867, Ribersborgs Kallbadhus in Malmö is one of the oldest and best-preserved cold bathhouses still in operation. Karlshamns Kallbadhus: A recent and very modernist addition to the Swedish cold bathhouse scene, it opened in 2015. Design-wise, it’s as Scandinavian as it gets — think angular, perfectly balanced lines. The “flying saucer” on stilts boasts floor-to-ceiling glass windows to optimise the spectacular archipelago views of this idyllic spot, nestled on the southeast coast of Sweden. Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad: Established at the beginning of the 20th century Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad, in the Stockholm archipelago, is one of the rare wooden open-air bathhouses still in operation.