Hiking Inside #GiantsCastle #GameReserve #Drakensberg #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

South Africa is full of natural beauty with mountains, oceans, waterfalls, forests, wildlife, and local traditions and cultures to cherish. I have not been able to completely see all the parts of this country but every day I am trying to reach new places and share them with you. 

We went to Giants Castle Game Reserve by a chance visit to the area as we were just roaming in the Central Drakensberg and found that there are some hiking trails that are family-friendly and can be done by a group as big as ours. 

Immediately after getting our tickets and reducing our carry on stuff to be locked inside the car, we started on this amazing and tiring journey to the trails to reach Sterkspruit waterfalls. 

It was so hot that whatever water we were carrying was finished in no time and the waterfalls were still not in sight. With a lot of kids, they kept on asking to carry us in their arms, and temperature was rising very sharply.

The view was breathtaking and when the clouds used to cover the sun, it was a great feeling. The wind was not blowing at all during the afternoon time when we thought of going for this trail. 

The walk is enjoyable with family and friends as they give you courage and support you throughout the path to take the next step. The trail is not too steep and it's gentle steep we can say but the sun made it difficult to walk on the day I visited the place. 

All the photos are taken using Nikon D7000 using the kit lens by Aashish Rai inside the Giants Castle Game Reserve in South Africa. 

The waterfall we talked about will be covered in the next post as it took me some time to reach there so the wait will be more for the readers too. 

Enjoy the landscape among the mountains and whenever I see them I feel that I am there among the clouds, mountains, earth, and sky meeting my divine self.

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Flower and a Yellow Bug #SterkfonteinDam #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Nature is always fascinating and will bring you face to face with somethings so unique that you will fall in love with the same immediately. 

It was a kind of resort at one end of the Sterkfontein Dam, South Africa which is a very nice place to have a weekend trip and relax in nature.

All the photos are taken using the Nikon D7000 using kit lens 18-105mm by Aashish Rai on a trip with family and friends. 

I fell in love with the yellow flower and the yellow bug enjoying the nectar of the flower. I do love the color yellow as it represents sunshine in my mind and heart. 

Generally, if you want to take photos in nature, it's always good to use the telephoto zoom lens so that you don't disturb nature and the bugs.

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Weekend Fun @FourwaysFarmers Market #Joburg #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends, 

Fourways Farmers Market is one of the weekend markets which offers a great place for a couple or family or friends to go and chill out for the whole day or at least for breakfast or brunch or lunch as per their availability. The market serves the best of many kinds of food items from coffee to mocktails to muffins to hot dogs to Craft Beer. 

The entry ticket is just R20 but payable in cash per person and you are welcome to bring your pets like dogs etc too. Inside, your credit or debit card can work to buy from water bottles to any kind of dessert or food from several food trucks. 

I always wanted to go there and one day Canon had a kind of learning session there and I attended the same and afterward took a round of the market. The market is right opposite Montecasino Bird Gardens which I have featured in many posts and is in the center of Johannesburg. 

All the photos are clicked by Aashish Rai using Canon 100D and a nifty-fifty Prime lens (50mm). The market is totally colorful and it was so hot that day that mini-sprinklers are used to keep the place a little bit cold. The parking is totally full within an hour or so so you have to park at Montecasino and walk for around 10 minutes to reach the place. 

The farmers market has shops serving cold drinks to cocktails to watermelons to donuts to several kinds of jams and marmalades etc. The shops even offer several kinds of bags and local African jewelry to buy.

There were plenty of food shops which I have never seen in any other marketplace or they don't have any shops and if you become a fan of their products, you will have to wait till the end of weekdays to come to this market, stand in the queue to enter the market flashing an R20 currency note and then find your favorite food truck to order and enjoy the delicious food. 

Not only this place offers great food but also a great venue to go and click some of the street photographs and candid shots of the crowd enjoying themselves of course with their permission. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Love is Not the Solution @SANParksKNP @SANParks #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Love is not the only solution all the time sometimes you have to take a stand and fight for what you feel is right. It does matter that what you are feeling should be validated against your principles and value systems but once your heart validates the same, you can take your stand and fight till the end. 

We generally take a back stand when we feel that we might hurt the other person closer to us but if he has done something bad which hurts your feelings and is continuously doing it again and again without realizing the same then go and talk to that person. 

If then also instead of listening to you, he tries to bully you in any way then it's the fight or flight but as a family, you can't flight so fight for what is right and take a stand. 

In the end, you will get some punches but your heart and mind will become satisfied that you have made the other person think from your standpoint or view and maybe he will also realize the mistake he has been doing with you by taking you for granted. 

All the photos of these beautiful Springboks are taken by Aashish Rai using Nikon D7000 using Sigma 70-300mm lens at Kruger National Park, South Africa. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Product Review - @Solo_NewYork Ludlow Tablet Sling @Gammatek #EverydaySolo

Hi Friends,

Solo New York makes some quality products, and another product which I got to review and keep is this fantastic Ludlow Tablet Sling shoulder bag for my day to day use. This bag also offers unique features and indeed have made my life easy as I can carry my camera and mobile phones during any event or regular travel. Many thanks to Gammatek for bringing them to South Africa.

The product is of top quality right from the style to the colour of the material. This one comes in Black and Grey colour and has a little leather touch at the bottom front of the bag. The front side contains 2 pockets - first small one on the top side of the bag which has a soft interior side to keep your sunglasses etc. and second bigger one to keep your visiting cards, loyalty cards, pens, smartphone and charging cables etc. The zips on both these pockets are good quality and will last you long. This bag really increases your style and fashion quotient up a notch.

The central part of the bag is to keep your tablet or iPad secure with two portions separated by padded compartment and the front portion to keep your notebook or water bottle or sunglasses or headphones or whatever you want to put it. I used the same to keep my small sized Canon 100D DSLR camera which is easily fitted into this limited space bag. The only thing I observed in this bag is that it's not a backpack to accommodate everything you throw at it, so the purpose for this bag has to be separate. Keep that in mind, and it will help you organise your essentials.

Solo Ludlow Tablet Sling bag can efficiently serve you for a quick meeting with some client where you need to show him something on your iPad or MacBook or 10-11" notebooks. It can only be used to keep something small as the width of the bag is limited, and zips won't get closed easily then. I have taken this bag on a weekend trip to keep my mobile phones, passports and other documents along with a water bottle and it served me perfectly. On another occasion, I kept my Canon 100D DSLR and a prime lens, and it fitted perfectly in this bag. Now today I tried using it with Acer Swift 3 laptop but its boundaries passed the zippers, and it could not be closed. I am sure it will work well with 10" tablets with keyboard attachments.

The Solo bag is locally available at Gammatek and also at takealot.com and other online retailers. There are some pictures on my Instagram page for you to check out regarding the bag. Go check out some of the fantastic backpacks and covers from Gammatek and Solo New York. I really loved this bag for my day to day usage, and I am sure because of its build quality it will last me for at least 2-3 years. 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at editor@thelifesway.com to collaborate on paid/sponsored campaigns. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

Product Review - @Solo_NewYork Everyday Max Backpack @Gammatek #EverydaySolo

Hi Friends,

There is always a market for backpacks and laptop bags as they don't last that long whatever age group you belong to. I can still remember, I have changed backpacks every 6-8 months during my engineering that is nearly every semester and during school time every year. Also during MBA studies, I used a messenger bag which my brother bought from Singapore and gifted me. It's in dying or throwaway condition but I have still kept it with me since 11 years after MBA to keep my educational documents secure. 

I was introduced to this amazing new product from Solo New York via Gammatek South Africa which I was totally unaware of. I got this bag for 2 weeks to use it and I only used it on my weekend trip to Badplass, Forever Resorts. The best part of taking this bag was the conversion to duffle bag if not used as a laptop bag or even with a laptop, the same can be used as a weekender bag. 

The first thing, after being unheard of this Solo New York Brand which amazed me was the quality of the construction and the amazing details to make this backpack look amazingly beautiful. From the zips to the handles of the zips, everything was picture perfect and colour combination was something that will inspire you to carry it all along. There are some pictures on my Instagram page for you to check out regarding the bag.

Some of the features of Solo Everyday Max Backpack are -

• Fully padded 17.3" laptop compartment
• Internal iPad/tablet pocket
• Separate Shoe compartment at the bottom of the bag in an upright position keeps shoes and socks separate
• Large size zippered pockets to keep your extra stuff on the go!
• Duffle bag zip for opening the bag for easy access to clothes and stuff during weekend travel or otherwise 

The backpack is big being 17.3" laptop bag but the padding is enough to support the weight of the same. I bought a 17" laptop bag from Targus last year but I could feel the difference in the quality on Solo New York once as compared to Targus one. My last backpack was from Google for its employees and it lasted around 8 years (from Singapore to Switzerland to London to South Africa) and it didn't have any brand. Solo Everyday Max Backpack will serve you well too and is available in South Africa. I had to let it go before I could fall in love with it and couldn't live without it but this is one bag where I could place my money without any analysis or experimentation.

The empty bag only weighs 1 kilogram and that saves you with at least 6 kgs to make it your cabin baggage while you travel overseas or local. It can carry your 1 pair of full clothes without any towels but with all your electronics for an overnight trip or general travel as a laptop bag. The bag design is upmarket with charcoal grey and blue combination with the yellow stint at the zippers. The bag is surrounded by handles on three sides to carry it as per your choice and has internal compartments to keep your toiletries separate. The front pocket can easily keep your passport or mouse and charge cables etc.

The only con I could find is that if you are lost in your own world while travelling someone can easily open your duffle bag zipper compartment and take out your expensive Bose headphones or Kindle etc.

I really loved the backpack and will check out more from Solo New York and Gammatek website and buy one someday when I need to travel overseas. You can check them out too!

Cheers!!!

Contact me at editor@thelifesway.com to collaborate on paid/sponsored campaigns. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

Simple Travel Tips to Make Roadtrips More Fun @Hasbro #GrabAndGo #Games

Hi Friends,

With all the long weekend passed, you must have realized that traveling with kids can often be challenging. Think limited packing space, long hours in the car, queues at airports, impatient children and holiday traffic. To ensure a happy ‘crew’- Hasbro, one of the world’s largest toy, game and entertainment experience companies, has a few tips to offer weary would-be travelers:


Pack light on non-essential items. Whatever the occasion, once you leave the house there’s no reason to weigh yourself down with heavy bags. Keep a ziplock bag filled with wipes and a basic change of clothes handy for any accidental spills along the way and consider travel-sized toiletries to save space.


Snack Time - stock up on a variety of healthier, on the go snacks like fresh vegetable sticks, dried fruit, mixed nuts, homemade popcorn and biltong to keep energy levels high (without all the processed sugar). Don’t forget the importance of hydration so keep bottles of water handy at all times. A packed easy-to-get-to lunch can also help keep the costs down and provide a nice picnic break along the journey. Consider simple finger foods such as chicken drumsticks, vegetable skewers, and pre-cut sandwiches/ rolls.


Board games provide great entertainment for the whole family. The portable Grab & Go selection from Hasbro Gaming is ideal for convenient, on-the-go fun and includes classics such as Monopoly, Clue, Battleship, Connect 4 and Guess Who? and the latest addition to the range Hungry Hippo.


Theme your trip with the game chosen to add excitement to the destination ahead. If you are heading to the bush give Hungry Hippo a go or if you are seaside bound Battleship it is.


The easy to store, affordable Grab & Go selection allows you to keep a range of games on-hand with options suited to the whole family. If you’re hunkering down at home for the long weekend, this provides a great opportunity to enjoy some fun family time with activities everyone can participate in.


Car Karaoke is a great way to keep the troops engaged, and immerse them in the music you love. Create a playlist before leaving home with options the whole family will enjoy and encourage all to join in a sing-a-long during the trip.

Countdowns help pass the time and a countdown to your destination is a fun way to keep everyone involved. Use visual aids that the kids can decorate in order to mark off time, keep them occupied and get them excited about the destination.

Get to Know the Grab & Go range:

• Battleship Grab & Go is the classic game of naval combat that brings together competition, strategy, and excitement. In head-to-head battle, players search for the enemy's fleet of ships and destroy them one by one. No ship is safe in this game of stealth and suspense.
• In Connect 4 Grab & Go challenge a friend to rule the grid and be the first player to get four of your color counters in a row. The game where strategy drives the competition - line ‘em up and go for the win.
• There’s a mystery that needs solving, and you’re just the detective to do it on the go with this Grab & Go version of the classic Clue game. Who killed the host of the fancy party? Where were they, and what weapon did they use? When the case is solved, you can store all the cards and parts in the all-in-one game unit – until the next mystery.
• Get ready for classic Monopoly play in a portable way. This mobile Monopoly Grab & Go game lets you trade your way to success while you roll with whatever comes your way from the Chance and Community Chest cards. It’s the perfect, compact way to have Monopoly fun anytime, anywhere!
• Chomp, chomp – you’ve got some hungry hippos on your hands. This Grab & Go version of the classic Hungry Hippos game has two chomping hippos and a whole bunch of marbles for munching. With a plastic cover to keep the marbles from rolling out, this compact game lets you have hippo-feeding fun anytime, anywhere.
• Who’s the champion guesser? Maybe it’s you in this Guess Who? Grab & Go version. Every time you ask your opponent a yes or no question, the answer gets you closer to who’s on their Mystery Card. But you better watch out, because they’ll be asking you questions too.

The Grab & Go range from Hasbro Gaming is available from Toys R Us, ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys, Lilliputs, Takealot.com and other major retailers. Visit www.hasbro.co.za or Facebook

Cheers!!!
 

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Lonely Planet - Short Escapes from Delhi

Hi Guys,

Lonely Planets launched a new Short Escapes series for three Indian cities and one of them is Delhi. Other are Mumbai and Bangalore. I was lucky enough to lay my hands on one of the copies and really felt great to go through the contents of the guide as well as great locations around Delhi. This is the first Lonely Planets India guide I have read and have in my kitty. Here are the screenshots of some of the pages of the great guide for your weekend and leisure travel. It has a lot of Hills stations featured mainly Nainital, Shimla, Ramgarh, Kufri, Bhimtal etc. It has wildlife adventures featured as well as Heritage resorts near Delhi. 

Overall this is a well though guide in case you need to go and enjoy your weekends. More information can be found at www.lonelyplanet.com/India
 and http://www.lonelyplanet.in/

Cheers!!!

Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com