Explorer of Experiences

Mussoorie International School “Hanisha, you’re going to boarding school! Are you excited?” To my eleven year old mind, this one sentence coming to me from my mum was just too much to process; I probably did not completely comprehend the entirety of the situation and the journey I was going to embark on. One minute, it is life as usual with my sisters and I returning from day school in Nigeria lugging a 3kg bag with books – and the next minute, there was going to be a disruption in this cyclical routine of eight years in the form of being sent to a boarding school in Mussoorie. I did not even know where Mussoorie was! Was I prepared to leave behind my oyster and be swung atop mountains unknown? I was fresh out of fifth standard and watched as my mum and dad gathered the contents of my cupboard and neatly placed them into a suitcase. We were departing for Delhi the next day from where we would hail a cab and head towards my mum’s maternal home in Jaipur. I remember it all so w...

(This was post written in March 2012) Not too far away from the bustling, crowd-ridden and pollution-heavy city of Pune, lies a hidden gem – ‘Malhar Machi’ - a tranquil resort tucked away amidst the mountains overlooking Lake Mulshi with stunning, picturesque views. Malhar stands for rain and Machi for mountain, making it a befitting name as this region basks in heavy rainfall during the monsoons. On the far left is one of their best cottages you should stay at Malhar Machi spans over 110 acres and boasts of 19 luxurious cottages. This mountain resort was envisaged, conceptualized and materialized by two Puneites who clearly take their love for nature very seriously. The resort has a very pleasing-to-the-eye earthy, green, refreshing and minimal look and feel to it. In using bamboo, stones, wood, cane and other green materials for the cottages, pathways, furniture, etc., the architect's design pays an admirable homage to nature. The cottages are intelligently pos...