What’s your favourite?

Couple of weeks ago, TripAdvisor released the results of a survey it did with travelers across countries. It asked them what their choice of brand was for a particular product while traveling, which is always interesting to know.

In India, there were 13 winners in 14 categories ranging from lip balms to travel magazines and luggage. Personally, I would like to see many more products featuring in this survey. Like armchairs. I’m always on the look-out for a good one to travel. 

Here's what TripAdvisor found:

Luggage: American Tourister          
Travel Magazine: Lonely Planet      

Gum & Mints: Polo
Camera: Sony                              

Headphones: Sony                       

Cab Service: Meru Cabs                

SUV: Toyota Fortuner                   
Hand Sanitizer: Dettol

Tablet Computer: Apple iPad               

Sunscreen: Nivea
Outdoor Shoe: Nike
Lip Balm: Vaseline 
Packaged Snacks:Lays 
Bottled Water: Bisleri 


Anyway, some products that TripAdvisor has featured don’t make much sense. For instance, why would you need headphones when you’re traveling? The entire point of it is to absorb, and how do you do that with one of your most important senses blocked with a Sony headphone.

And packaged snack? Really?! These guys seem to have a really keen sense of travel! Whatever happened to eating local junk food?

A tablet computer would be okay, i guess, if i stretched it a bit - you know for local information and stuff (unless of course you're a travel writer and need to document). But wouldn't it be much more fun if one were to get local information from the locals? 

And who can forget! - what airline people prefer

In fact, i have often felt that even a camera comes in the way of actually soaking in the atmosphere. i'd much rather see a place through my own eyes than a lens sometimes.  

And who really needs a sunscreen when traveling, right? A good tan reflects a holiday well-spent.  

What is completely bang on though is Vaseline – and not just as a lip balm but also as a hand and body moisturizer. See my old post on the Chadar trek and you’ll know what I mean.  

What I’d also like to know is the brand of day sacks travelers prefer, and why. Mine is a really smart, black sack I bought from Nepal almost a decade ago but still in excellent condition. I love it because it is black, of unspecified brand, made of very good material, has the word ‘Everest’ inscribed on it, is soft and comfortable to carry, is of the perfect size and has two convenient net pockets on either side. Love it.

What’s your favourite item while travelling?

Go Goa...and you're Gone

These days, I’ve been talking about travel more than actually undertaking any substantial travel. It’s an occupational hazard - I promote clients in the travel space, you see.

So I could fake a big, colourful travelogue of goodish length on Goa replete with "azure skies and sea" that melt into each other, without even stepping a foot on to the rich, red Goan soil. 

This is pretty tragic because anyone who is working hard to promote this beautiful, tiny state deserves to spend some time relaxing their hinies there even though that person has holidayed Goa at least six times.

Such is the eternal magic of Goa.

I remember one monsoon wandering the charming Fontainhas neighbourhood, upset about not being part of this culture, when I stumbled upon the quaintest little hotel i have ever seen by the name of Panjim Inn (under the WelcomHeritage brand of ITC).

This old Latin quarter in the city of Panjim maintains its Portuguese influence to this day in terms of its architecture and layout such as narrow streets, old villas and buildings painted in colours that would instil dread if it was in another Indian city. 

It saddened me to think that my friends and i had to make-do with a modern serviced apartment in the most ridiculously-touristy location of Goa called Calangute.

But little did i know then that i was to find myself two monsoons later staying at that same Panjim Inn for a surreal three days! What a delicious slice of Goa it was!

It was probably the beautiful full-grown Christmas tree right outside our window or the four-poster bed that looked like it had been used by the Portuguese themselves that did me in. 

Or possibly the Portuguese Planters chair (that appealed to me in so many ways), the pretty mosaic tile work in every house, and the various Portuguese-style boutiques all mixed together with the help of some stiffish LITs at Down The Road, which is just er... down the road from Panjim Inn.

Whatever it was, it was muito bem!