Published on: 12/6/2015IST

Fit for a beauty queen: Mrs Earth picks her top 5 favorite places on the planet!

User Image Anuj Tiwari Last updated on: 12/6/2015, Permalink

Priyanka Khurana
Photograph Courtesy: Priyanka Khurana Goyal/ Facebook

Mrs Earth 2015 Priyanka Khurana Goyal has traveled the world: from Jamaica to Las Vegas and the Himalayas to Gold Coast. And so it only seemed apt that we asked her to select her most favorite places on earth.

1. Ananda in the Himalayas

Ananda in the Himalayas
Photograph Courtesy: Ananda in the Himalayas

Just the thought of Ananda makes me feel the cool breeze in the mornings, makes my tastebuds go gaga at the thought of so tastefully made food and instantly relaxes my mind. Even the air you breathe at Ananda is calming. I got my first introduction to Vedanta classes at this place and I owe a lot in my life today to the lessons taught there. Ananda spa is one of the best spas in Asia and the different treatments refresh and make you feel reborn and refreshed. Both, my husband and I found it to be a great place for super-busy people to unwind and rejuvenate. I have already visited it thrice in last six years and I cannot wait for my next visit.

2. Australia

Gold Coast
Photograph: Shutterstock

This was my first vacation with my husband – my honeymoon! We travelled from Gold Coast to Brisbane to Cairns and finally Sydney. Our idea with any vacation has been to spend as many days as possible in each city so we can relax and explore it at our pace. We absolutely loved the Great Barrier Reef — for the first time I went snorkeling in an ocean… even when I didn’t know how to swim at the time! From Dreamworld to Movieworld to Seaworld, we loved it all in Gold Coast and we didn’t even realize how those magical days passed! An unforgettable dinner was the one that my husband, Amulya arranged for me while on a cruise. The cuisine, dance shows on the ship and the fact that I was sitting across the table with the love of my life made it perfect.

3. Singapore

Singapore
Photograph: Shutterstock

Clean streets, shiny new buildings, everyone obeying traffic rules, safe to venture out even late at night… Singapore is as perfect as perfect can be. And the people — Indians, Chinese, Malays, Europeans, Americans — only make it better! Singapore is a melting pot of cultures, languages, cuisines. It also makes Singapore a foodie’s paradise. Street food, fine dining, spicy snacks, exotic cocktails — you name it, they have it. And it has also has more vegetarian options than you can count, which was perfect for a vegetarian like me! As a woman, I loved the fact that I could go about freely anywhere, anytime without any worry or concern. From chilling out at Clark Qua, to trying my luck at the Marina Bay Sands to visiting the night zoo and Universal Studio, it is truly a visit I will never forget!

4. Jamaica

Jamaica
Photograph: Shutterstock

The thought of Jamaica brings back wonderful memories — sunny beaches, clean waters, snorkeling, scuba and of course the Mrs Earth pageant. Jamaica will always hold a special place in my heart. Whether it was the courteous staff at Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort and Spa, their excellent services, the very knowledgeable guides who took us on the city trips and environment friendly policies that you see at multiple places in the hotel and city left an lasting impression about the country. The sun is harsh, so I highly recommend you to go equipped with sunscreens, sunglasses and the works. Jamaica was also where I won the Mrs Earth contest and changed my life forever. How can I ever forget a place like that?

5. Las Vegas

as-vegas
Photograph: Shutterstock

What can you say about Las Vegas that hasn’t already been said! The nightlife, the casinos, the seven-star hotels, the architecture… the glamour! My Las Vegas vacation was without a doubt the best one I had. And it had far less to do with the amount of money I spent and more to do with the things my husband and I did. We learnt to play poker and blackjack. Jumped off 13,000 feet as part of a skydiving adventure… it was a great deal of fun. But this was a vacation that almost didn’t happen. It had taken us two months of planning and we were really looking forward to it. But just three days before we were about to leave for the trip, my bank — Lehman Brothers — filed for bankruptcy. I lost my job and my first instinct was to cancel the trip. But then I thought what more could go wrong? And so we took the vacation anyway… and had a blast!

Care to share your travel story too? Write in to travel@corp.india.com, along with stunning photographs of your travels and we will publish the best ones right here on iTripto.com!


12/6/2015 | | Permalink