my heart goes..Lha~Ri~Sa

Tucked away in one of the by-lanes of Leh, Ladakh is a beautiful Ladakhi family owned boutique resort ~ Lha~Ri~Sa.

Stepping into the property, I was completely taken in by the stunning beauty of the tall poplar trees trying to reach the deep blue heavens.Heaven indeed it was...

Apricot trees were in full bloom...We were welcomed by the very warm and friendly Mr Tashi Motup Kau, who owns and manages Lha-Ri-Sa Resorts and a great steaming cup of ginger tea.

Anything you need to know in Ladakh, about the places to visit, the best trekking options, which monasteries, what to buy, where to buy...

You answer is Mr Tashi Motup.

Lha~ Ri~ Sa has retained the traditional Ladakhi architecture, at the same time blended the convenience and luxury of contemporary design. Huge glass windows allow bright sunlight to warm & brighten every corner of the lovely reception lobby.

One of my favorite spots in the lobby.

The view from our room was amazing. The snow-covered Zanskar mountain range.

We had a great time at the tree house in the property. Chai in the shadow of willow trees was something to remember.

The view of Zanskar range again...*Sigh*

We came back with memories of fresh white mountain air, green willow trees, deep blue skies and the throat warming fragrance of 'Sulemani Chai'...a special concoction to sip in the evenings while discussing the interesting events of the day.

( images by Arch)

shiny nail paints and happy days...

Summer vacations is the time to

~ splash around in the swimming pool.

~ tanning in the sun.

~ sip tall glasses of fresh fruit juices.

~ open the refrigerator door again and again till you hear the mother scream in the background.

~ paint shiny nail paints on little tips & toes.

~ short hair cuts.

~ devour cool custards and strawberry jellies.

~ read loads of magical books.

~ spend hours lazing around doing nothing.

~ keep the windows wide open.

~ watch the busy mynas build their nest.

~ water-melons, musk melons.

~ wink after eating fresh raw mangoes with salt and chilli powder.

~ drink rooh afza! ( I love it in cold milk)

also a time for a break from the internet:-)

Will see you later. Have a great summer.

( My daughter, my model;-)

what we've been reading...

A friend of mine suggested Shel Silverstein's The Missing Piece for my daughter. It is a simple work but beautifully profound:-)

Recently we have been hooked on to Roald Dahl's children books. He is so charmingly disgusting;-) We love him.

...and not to forget the amazing Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree.

I am guessing during the summer holidays I would be reading more of children's books:-)

Cruising through the gentle backwaters...

This post comes 6 months too late, but this was such a magical part of our summer vacations in the backwaters of Alleppey this year, I just had to share it with all of you:-)

Our Kerala trip consisted of experiencing the backwaters as well as exploring the lanes of Fort Kochi, I have already shared our trip to Fort Cochin here & here...

Lake Palace Resort in Alleppey was where we stayed since it's located right on back waters.

For the 3 days that we stayed there we took 3 different boats to explore the backwaters.

Riceboats or Kettuvallams are traditional boats that were used in the olden days to transport rice and spices, today they can be hired for the whole day to cruise along the various canals of the backwaters.

The pace at which the boat cruises along is so lovely I recall dozing off every now and then between reading a paragraph of my book.

The riceboat then drops anchor at Lake Vembanad at noon, where the seasoned chefs in the boat's kitchen whip up hot lunch that can be savored at a leisurely pace while watching the other boats and marine birds...

Another day we took a smaller boat that takes you into the narrower canals where one can experience the daily life of people living on the banks of the backwaters.

Stopping now and then to sip some fresh tender coconut water and taking in the beauty of the place.

The last day we took a public transport boat which was lovely too with it's beautiful windows:-)

What a beautiful, serene journey it was...hope all of you visit the backwaters of Kerala at least once in your lives:-)