'What no pool? That's too bad' squealed Sara, my 8 yr old daughter along with Arya, my niece. Within 5 mins of checking in to the luxury 5 star hotel in Bangkok, they had decided that this was not a nice hotel. Even a luxury hotel was not good enough when the pool was under renovation! We've had such a great time so far , they went on. And surely we did! Parasailing off Pattaya beach, banana boats and jet skis on Coral island, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the island, returning to the hotel and more swimming in the beautiful pool! Kids really loved water. A water body in any form definitely seemed to be an invaluable ingredient for a successful family holiday.
Somehow, all happy memories on a family holiday seem to be immersed in water! My most thrilling holiday moment has been watching my daughter kiss a dolphin in the chilly waters of Cozumel. We were shivering, but the thrill of being in the ocean with the dolphins was worth every moment spent in the cold water. |
Equally satisfying was watching her reaction as we had checked into a private pool villa, 2 years back! "Is it really a pool just for us? " It wasn't surprising then that we spent more time in the pool than the villa! Even today, we would rather spend 2 days in a pool villa as against a week in a city hotel! Even better than a hotel is a cruise vacation. From the pools on board to the vast expanse of the sea, there's water all around you.
One country that really loves water outdoors and indoors is surely Canada! On a recent visit to Canada, I noticed that the Canadians really loved their water. This is naturally expected in a country which has some of the worlds biggest lakes, some larger than many countries itself. Cruising and fishing in the lakes, jet boat rides in the rapids, private yachts, name it and you can do it all! What's more, this fascination with water extends indoors as well. Most of the hotels have an indoor water slide to add some fun to your stay there. Worth mentioning is Edmonton's shopping mall
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 which has an attached hotel and a huge indoor wave pool with water slides galore! Sure to be a hit with kids and adults as well!
If Canada has the indoor water slides, our 'Gods own country', Kerala has the open air showers to boast of! In Kumarakom, many hotels feature a private secluded and yet open-air shower that does take us closer to nature. Back home in Mumbai, an open air shower is best enjoyed in the famous Mumbai monsoon. Head to the closest hill station like Lonavala at least once in the monsoons. Last week we headed there for a family get together and got soaked in the rains ... Only to come back with a thoroughly refreshed mind, body and spirit. Some water experiences can cost a bomb and some can be absolutely free! |
