Review - Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach

 Here's what you'll need to know

1) The hotel opens right onto a lovely, clean beach.
-- Most Goa beaches go flat out. You could be 40 feet in and still have just waist high water. Radisson's section of the Cavelossim beach is no different.

2) Accessibility to water sports
-- You have to go nowhere further for water sports too. Locals run Jet skiing, para-sailing  banana boat rides etc on that very beach. Its run by locals, not by Radisson itself. So its standard pricing. Anything for 200-500 INR per activity. Great swimming pools too.

3) Value for money.
-- We stayed in the villas. Well appointed. Great bathrooms. Each has a wonderful large balcony/sit-out.

4) Great hospitality, very friendly staff

5) Two wheeler on rent right outside their gate
-- We had driven down to Goa in a car. But there isn't a better way to explore Goa than on a two-wheeler. So, when we decided to rent one, I just had to walk outside the gate. Watson's store rents two-wheelers and charges around 200 INR for 5 hours. So finish your sightseeing, drop the bike into Watson's and walk into the hotel. Very convenient.

6) Slightly away from the hot-spots.
-- The resort is in South Goa. Most of the tourist hot-spots like the cruise Casino, night life, forts, museums etc are all in the north around 50 KMS away. Very manageable if you drive/rent a car. But its not next door.

7) Delicious a_la_carte menu.
-- I am a vegetarian. Food, though slightly pricey was delicious. Leaving a few qualms about the buffet breakfast, we really enjoyed it.

I highly recommend it.

Review - Vivanta by Taj, Madikeri

Here's all you need to know.

PROS:

One of the most stunning views a Taj can offer. The views are just indescribable. 
- We've all seen our share of misty mountains, but what nature presented us with on the first morning of our stay, was simply outstanding. Eyes weren't enough so a camera could do no justice. The next two mornings, the view was exactly how their website portrayed; stunning. But compared to the first day, it seemed passe. All I am trying to say is yes, it is as stunning as they portray, but if luck is on your side, you'll find stunning mediocre. 

Review - Panjim Inn, Goa

We stayed at the Panjim Inn for four days and here's all you need to know.

House Hunting 101

It's a daunting task. You've made up your mind to buy a house/apartment and you aren't really sure how to track it all. It starts off easy, but the internet gives us so many venues to search for a house that you seen begin to lose track. The same ads appear on many sites. Sometimes the content of the ad is re-done and you might just have already browsed and dropped it off. You'll soon see yourself losing patience, losing track and just procrastinating every new find. This post is primarily for those looking to make a purchase than to rent one. But most of the content should apply easily for rentals as well.

So here's how I got organized and it served me very well. Here's hoping it makes your job easier by that much.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review

That above is a snapshot of my current gadget portfolio. I owned an IPAD for about 5 months, following which I sold it. I'd also like you to know that I've had the Note for about a year now. And I am dishing out all of this is info just to assure you that this isn't some hyped-up-on-hype, overly generous, 'proud-to-flaunt-it' type of review. 

Here are the top 10 reasons why I love my Galaxy Note, not necessarily in any order.

How to save money on insurance

DISCLAIMER : There is a reason you don't see a silhouette of a man/woman standing under an umbrella. This post doesn't apply for term based life insurance policies.(Also called as Term Insurance)

This post isn't a place for cheap tricks. But it is a post which could get you conned if you haven't done your homework. So, before you apply any of these tricks though, it is important you understand all the major details of the insurance you are picking up. For example, before trying to save on car insurance, you must know about voluntary discount. Similarly, some life insurances don't cover deaths due to natural calamities. Every insurance comes with add-ons and stuff you or they could drop. The idea is to get exactly what you want, for less. Clearly, there is nothing to save if you paid much less and you got much less.

A techie's top 5 financial must haves

My previous post listed the top 5 mistakes a lot of techies do when it comes to their money. Its tax season as I write this post, so here I am hoping this one helps as many a reader as possible. Again, this post stands valid for any salaried employee. We're not going to go into details of how you can save tax. Insurance is just a part of financial planning as is investment and tax saving. So this post covers the top 5 must have financials, for every salaried employee.

A techie's top 6 financial mistakes

What's covered here actually holds true for any salaried employee. Freelancing and owning your own business may at times seem a more greener affair, but everything comes with its own set of problems. For those of us who are stuck in the rat race, or will at least be stuck for a while, the wisest thing to do would be to invest well. As Robert Kiyosaki says 'Don't work for money, but let the money work for you'. So here's a list of top 6 mistakes many a salaried employee make.

Best 2.1 Speakers in India: Review F&D A520

I must perhaps re-phrase. It should read "Best 2.1 Speakers in India considering QOS and VFM". I write this as I listen to the the set. A little known company called F&D (Also spoken as 'Fenda') is making waves in the Indian sound scene with their offerings. Read on past the break to see why I think their A520 offering is the best bang for your buck and what exactly it is that makes it tick.

Top 5 skills every electronics student must have to get a job

Time and time again, we hear reports of Indian engineering graduates not being industry ready. Unfortunately this is true to a large extent. Most electronics students eventually land in software jobs. Agreed that the semiconductor industry is a minuscule one when compared to the software industry in general. Since the pickings are slim, students need to be even more prepared. So, after around 7 years of being in the semiconductor industry, here's a list of top skills every fresh grad must possess. So, spend the last year honing these and you should be able to crack any interview.

Top 5 Dependable sites to shop online in India

While there exist plenty of players today vying for the e-commerce market, its only a handful few who actually seem to be in for the long run. They care about the quality of the products they ship, promptly answer your calls, follow up on all your issues. They are interested in building a dependable clientele Many among the rest are just out there to lynch you blind. Their primary target is an ill-researched buyer.

So after years of buying a whole lot of items online, ranging from home appliances to baby products, here's my list of the Top 5 dependable and trust-worthy online shopping portals in India, where you could be assured competitive pricing and quality of service.

Top 6 ways to save money on travel in India

There are lots of ways which could save you money on your vacation. These ones however have been tried and tested and they work great. If not all, you could use a few depending on your vacation's demands.

Top 5 sites to buy or sell used stuff in Bangalore [Update]

Being in the field that most of the us in Bangalore are, our closets are filled with gadgets we've long stopped using. Unfortunately for many IT folks, their spending power works against them. It leads to hoarding and soon, there is a whole lot of stuff, we could let go. I always sell anything I don't use. And, if what you are selling does have a life, it'll find a new home, make you some cash and hopefully get used better.

Of all the oddest things I've sold, my old Palm T|X PDA stands out. In a day and age when smartphones do everything, I never really expected it to sell. But it did. For 3 Grand! And to someone who believes in Palm's products and was extremely happy with its purchase. It took four months of patience. Its  a win-win situation and it's cash you never realized you had. So, here are the top 5 ways you could buy or sell your used merchandize in Bangalore.

Top 10 - Not so popular, free Windows PC apps

There's more to your PC besides the essentials. While its possible to hit upon a lot of popular wares like anti-virus softwares and fast browsers, I find that an additional peripheral essential list of must-haves is needed. Here's a list of top 10 not so heard, but hugely valuable applications. Bear in mind there could be alternatives to each one on the list. However, these do the job they are intended to do and they do it well. The best part, they are 100% free.

Top 10 Google Chrome apps

Google Chrome in every sense has become an extension of many who spend a lot of time on the internet. Everything seems faster and the installation of an app doesn't need a restart. Just a refresh works great if its a content specific app. Over the course of many years, after rolling in and out of hundreds of extensions, I find myself content with a set. They are always at work. So much so, that I take them for granted. Here's the list of my top chrome extensions in no particular order.