• Home
  • About
  • Contact
Search for
Travel tips, advice and inspirations for your next adventure.
Menu
Travel tips, advice and inspirations for your next adventure.
  • Blog
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • Demos
    • Business Demos
      • Corporate
      • Freelancer
      • Agency
      • Explore
      • Booking
      • Lifestyle
    • Shop Demos
      • Classic Shop
      • Cute Shop
      • Parallax Shop
      • Big Sale
      • Fullscreen Fashion
      • Grid Style 1
      • Grid Style 2
      • Grid Style 3
      • Mega Shop
      • Sale Countdown
      • Simple Slider
      • Slider Cover
      • Sport Shop
      • Vendor Shop
      • Video Cover
  • Elements
    • Sections
    • Rows / Columns
    • Sliders
    • Banners
    • Typography
    • Buttons
    • Titles / Dividers
    • Blog Posts
    • Images
    • Video
    • Galleries
    • Video Button
    • Banner Grids
    • Icon Box
    • Image Box
    • Lightbox
    • Scroll To
    • Pages
      • About
      • Contact
      • Left Sidebar
      • Maintenance
      • Size Chart
      • Portfolio
    • Map
    • Message box
    • Product Categories
    • Products
    • Share / follow icons
    • Tabs
    • Team Member
    • Testimonials
    • Countdown
    • Accordion
    • Flip Book
    • Forms
    • Hotspot
    • Instagram feed
    • Logo
    • Price table
    • Search box
  • My Account
    • Wishlist
  • Shop
  • test
  • Track your order
  • Logo
  • Logo
  • Logo
  • Logo
  • Logo

Category:Reviews

Reviews

10 Tips to Help You Travel During Corona Outbreak

The world wakes up to the news that the new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, is declared pandemic by WHO. So what does it mean to travel in the time of corona? We’ve put together 10 tips to help you travel…

  • March 13, 2020
  • 2744
  • 2
  • 5
Adoni

The Jinn That Lived Near Maasaheba Masjid

He looked and couldn’t stop staring. It was the most unusual thing to witness. He might have dismissed it as a figment of his imagination, but others had seen it too. This happened twenty years ago. Masood was a young…

  • November 4, 2019
  • 2758
  • 6
  • 4
Adoni

Shahi Jamia Masjid

A woman clad in a colourful sari sits on the roadside. Spread in front her are carefully arranged bunches of freshly-harvested coriander, mint, and fenugreek leaves. Next to her is a young man selling lemons. The main market of Adoni…

  • October 28, 2019
  • 2989
  • 5
  • 4
London

How to Spend the Day at Warwick Castle

I am assuming the reason for the conflicting reviews online for Warwick Castle is that it has been commercialized into some sort of a theme park. Therefore, those who are particularly over-sensitive about authenticity may find the experience offensive. We…

  • January 12, 2019
  • 5192
  • 1
  • 4
London

The House Where Shakespeare was Born

During the warm summer months in Karachi many years ago, my cousins and I would spend the afternoon reading. To be honest, the responsibility of reading fell upon me—the eldest in the group—and it was mostly Shakespeare that the children…

  • November 18, 2018
  • 3921
  • 0
  • 3
London

On a Clear Day from the Top of the London Eye, You Can See Forever.

It is the fourth-largest Ferris wheel in the world at 443 feet high. On a bright, clear day from the top of the London Eye, you can see forever. I’m told one can see Windsor Castle—more than 40 km away—from…

  • August 5, 2018
  • 5449
  • 5
  • 3
London

Summer In London

It’s another sunny and hot afternoon. The windows are wide open, the fans are on most part of the day, and we are eating homemade falooda to cool us down. This is our first summer in London. And it’s incredibly…

  • July 23, 2018
  • 4548
  • 8
  • 4
Bangalore

What to Expect When Visiting Bangalore’s Famous Lal Bagh

The Mughal-inspired botanical garden is located in the midst of a bustling city. Thousands of local and foreign tourists visit Lal Bagh each year. But is it worth visiting? In this post we’ll tell you what to expect when visiting Bangalore’s…

  • May 21, 2018
  • 5634
  • 4
  • 4
Bangalore

Why You Should Visit the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan, One of the Most Powerful Rulers of India

Tipu Sultan was the most feared Indian of his time in Britain. When he died there were jubilant celebrations in Britain, with authors, playwrights and painters creating works to celebrate it. Kate Brittlebank, author of “Tiger: The Life of Tipu Sultan, further wrote…

  • April 21, 2018
  • 5593
  • 1
  • 5
Bangalore

Recommended Halal Restaurants in Koramangala

Luxury apartments, posh bungalows, Instagram-worthy restaurants, and commercial structures line the wide, tree-lined boulevards of Koramangala. This is one of the largest neighborhoods in Bangalore. I joined Masood on his recent business trip to this city that is dubbed as the…

  • April 17, 2018
  • 5962
  • 2
  • 5
Guangzhou

Halal Restaurants We’ve Tried in Guangzhou

Chinese food outside mainland China is usually modified to suit the palate of the people where it is served. In Pakistan and India, for example, Chinese food is typically served with a thick, spicy sauce and vegetables that are stir-fried…

  • December 7, 2017
  • 11712
  • 10
  • 7
Beijing

The Great Wall of China: An Iconic Travel Experience

“They surely have the air-conditioning on high around here,” I told Masood as we stood outside the arrivals gate at Beijing airport waiting for a taxi. We just flew in from Guangzhou where we attended the Canton Trade Fair. It…

  • November 25, 2017
  • 7963
  • 12
  • 10
Dubai

Asateer Scarves: An Online Boutique for Premium Scarves

“Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” –Mark Cuban, serial entrepreneur and investor. Masood and I always knew and talked about how someday we would save up…

  • October 22, 2017
  • 7066
  • 5
  • 9
Newport

The 124-Year-Old Summer Cottage that Took Our Breath Away

About 119 kilometres from downtown Boston stands a palatial summer cottage. When Masood and I were in US last spring, our colleague and good friend, Ellen, suggested we drive to Newport to see these summer cottages. While there are ten…

  • July 31, 2017
  • 7479
  • 6
  • 9
Guangzhou

Huaisheng Mosque: One of the Oldest Masjid in China

It’s been drizzling on and off since morning. The clouds are thick and the sky overcast, the spring breeze cool. The taxi takes us to Guangta Road. We are in Guangzhou for the Canton Fair, and both of us wanted to…

  • July 3, 2017
  • 10284
  • 4
  • 10
Guangzhou

A First Timer’s Guide to the Canton Fair

One of the world’s biggest import and export trade fair is held bi-annually in Guangzhou, China. It was my first time at the Canton Fair, and I am impressed by how massive yet well-organised the event was! Masood had wanted…

  • June 4, 2017
  • 9611
  • 2
  • 11
Hong Kong

A 9-Hour Stopover in Hong Kong

Flying Cathay Pacific means stopping in Hong Kong, and we picked one that gave a 9-hour stopover. Time constraint did not allow us the chance to explore more. I would have loved to get the chance to know the place where…

  • May 13, 2017
  • 2554
  • 5
  • 12
Dubai

Carnival by Tresind, Dubai

How often do you get welcomed in a restaurant by getting bubbles blown at you? Having had a good impression with Trèsind, I looked forward to trying out Carnival by Trèsind. Both Tresind and Carnival by Trèsind come under the umbrella of…

  • April 15, 2017
  • 7644
  • 1
  • 9
Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Bellamy: Where the Locals Make Excellent Ikan Bakar

“Go to Jalan Bellamy and don’t forget to try the ikan bakar!” the taxi driver cheerfully suggested. He seemed pretty excited about suggesting the place, therefore I immediately had my hopes up. A quick Google search had confirmed that people do…

  • March 19, 2017
  • 4273
  • 9
  • 14
Airbnb Apartment in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur

Why Staying in an Airbnb Apartment in Kuala Lumpur is a Good Idea

Tourists in Kuala Lumpur would find it best to stay in the city center where famous landmarks, malls, restaurants, and hotels are nearby. The traffic situation in Kuala Lumpur during weekends and peak hours is really bad. Therefore, staying further…

  • March 5, 2017
  • 3066
  • 6
  • 12
Dubai

Bollywood Park: The First Theme Park in the World Dedicated to All Things Bollywood

Several leisure and theme parks opened in Dubai late last year, one of which is Bollywood Park. It is the smallest property within Dubai Parks and Resorts, a massive park containing two other theme parks: Motiongate Dubai and Legoland Water Park. The term Bollywood…

  • February 11, 2017
  • 2511
  • 14
  • 16
Ipoh

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat

It was a choice between an upscale hotel in the middle of the city with a very famous infinity pool on the 57th level that one shares with a massive number of people taking selfies, or a quiet luxury resort away from the…

  • February 9, 2017
  • 9670
  • 6
  • 18
Langkawi

Telaga Seafood Restaurant: Fresh Grilled Fish, Good Customer Service

When the planned lunch at Seashells Restaurant did not work out—because they do not have fish available—we turn the car around and head back to Pantai Cenang, which is the busiest beach town on Langkawi Island. Randomly peeking through the restaurants…

  • November 22, 2016
  • 2640
  • 2
  • 15
Langkawi

Dinner in a Rice Paddy: Seashells Restaurant, Langkawi

A popular vlogger on Youtube sang praises about Seashells restaurant, and each morsel entering his mouth resulted in a delightful bliss with him closing his eyes and cherishing the bite as if a gift from heaven. I was sold. No matter what…

  • November 21, 2016
  • 5046
  • 6
  • 15
Dubai

Jodhpur – A Royal Dining Experience

The historic city of Jodhpur—whose origin dates back to 1459 AD—is the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is called the Gateway to Thar, as it is literally on the edge of the That desert. Not too long ago I’ve…

  • October 24, 2016
  • 1578
  • 8
  • 11
Ajman

Friday Garden Brunch at Kempinski Hotel

  It’s finally cooling down in this part of the world! Hello, beaches, BBQ, picnics and garden brunches! We got invited to Kempinski Hotel’s Friday Garden Brunch in Ajman earlier today, and it was fun! An event held every Friday…

  • October 14, 2016
  • 1418
  • 4
  • 11
Reviews

Boudin, San Francisco: Bakery, Restaurant, & Museum

7 am. Best time time to explore Fisherman’s Wharf: it’s clean, cool, and peaceful. Based on what I’ve read online, locals do not particularly care for this part of the city. Perhaps because it’s crowded with tourists? As a tourist, however, I…

  • August 16, 2016
  • 1977
  • 4
  • 11
Dubai

Farzi Cafe: Bringing Indian Cuisine back “in-Vogue”

Infusing a generous dose of Indian flavours, Farzi Café presents Indian cuisine where culinary art meets the alchemy of modern presentations and cooking techniques like molecular gastronomy to absorb the guest into the ultimate gastronomic illusion. With a vision of bringing…

  • August 14, 2016
  • 3004
  • 6
  • 12
Chicago

Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe: Best Breakfast in Town!

Everything about Wildberry Cafe is big – the menu, the portions, the flavors, and quite unfortunately, the queue for a table. Arrive early like we did! This place was very convenient for us—our hotel was in downtown Chicago, just a couple of blocks…

  • April 19, 2016
  • 5027
  • 0
  • 3
Princeton

Thomas Sweet Ice Cream: Creating Fun Flavors Since 1979

First, kindly take a moment to admire how pretty this building is! Word of Thomas Sweet’s delicious “blend-ins” spread quickly around town the moment they opened their doors on Nassau Street in Princeton in 1979. What’s a blend-in? This is when you take the…

  • April 2, 2016
  • 5368
  • 2
  • 3
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

About

Tips, advice and inspirations to help you plan your next adventure.

Places

nadiamasood

Visual storytelling from India and beyond.
Moved to Hyderabad in 2020.
#ExpatInIndia

Nadia Masood
Mango-banana milkshake with saffron. Yet another d Mango-banana milkshake with saffron. Yet another delicious shake by @masoodxb.

I can totally get used to this!

What are you having for Iftar tonight?
Our Kashmiri neighbours returned from their hometo Our Kashmiri neighbours returned from their hometown earlier today and gave us some freshly-picked apples from their orchard.

Before eating them, I just had to take this shot for @thenawabees apple blossoms honey. This particular honey variant is quickly becoming a bestseller at both Amazon and Flipkart.

Have you tried this type of honey?
Do you love hummus? I feel like it’s one of the Do you love hummus? I feel like it’s one of the best dips in the world!

I am yet to find good hummus here in Hyderabad - the kind one finds in middle eastern restaurants.

Good thing hummus is super easy to make at home!

Please swipe left for the recipe, including how to make your own tahini paste with only 2 ingredients, and also for tips to help you make your own creamy hummus at home.

Don’t forget to bookmark or share this post ❤️
What’s your favourite shake or smoothie? For us What’s your favourite shake or smoothie?

For us, using seasonal, locally-grown fruits is important. Not only do they taste better, they are healthier.

Seasonal, locally-grown fruits are fresher and often harvested at peak nutrition and ripeness. This also leads to better flavour, whereas produce grown elsewhere during off-season is picked days (even weeks!) prior to consumption and ripens on the shelf or is force-ripened by artificial methods.

When we buy seasonal produce, we also support our local farmers!

Pictured above is a banana-mango smoothie by @masoodxb. He is inspired by the countless tiny ‘cafeterias’ in the UAE that serve a variety of fresh juice and shakes (named ‘Burj al Arab’ and ‘Internet’ etc) even at 2 am. Most of them deliver at your doorstep too. 
So what’s your favourite smoothie? I’d like to have some ideas. I mean, I need help thinking beyond mangoes 😂
Do you agree that food tastes better outdoors? Pro Do you agree that food tastes better outdoors? Probably something to do with fresh air and nature.

The flask pictured in this post is 4 years old. We bought it in Dubai, and it has been a constant picnic companion since.

Everyone in the family loves tea. Not the weak, bland, tea-bag-in-hot-water fiddle-faddle, but properly brewed karak chai. Therefore we make tea at home and take it with us on picnics or long drives.

This picture is taken on a recent drive out of town. An aunt packed us lunch and we made tea. Along the way, we found a nice spot under a tree and had lemon rice, rotis and gosht ka achaar.

It doesn’t even matter how simple your meal may be. Eating outdoors make any type of food taste more delicious.

What is your favourite picnic food?
Out to get pure, 100% natural honey. We’ve stop Out to get pure, 100% natural honey.

We’ve stopped buying commercially-available bottled honey and are getting directly from local beekeepers instead.
Freshly-squeezed orange juice, courtesy of @masood Freshly-squeezed orange juice,
courtesy of @masoodxb. He is kind enough to share the recipe as well.

Recipe: Cut oranges in half. Squeeze into a clean bowl. Pour into glasses. Enjoy 😀

He wants me to tell you that the secret ingredient is 🍊🤣
Did you know that Kashmir is the prime source of t Did you know that Kashmir is the prime source of the total apple production of India?

Our friend and neighbour recently went home to celebrate Eid with his family in Kashmir. When he returned, he brought these apples for us - picked from their own orchard.

The horticulture industry is one of the pillars of Kashmir's rural economy and apples remain the jewel of this industry.

Unfortunately since the lockdown, which coincides with the harvest season, locals are unable to sell their produce. Most of it are either rotting on the trees or in the vehicles or fruit markets.

I pray things start getting better for them and also for the rest of us.

These apples brought back so many wonderful memories of the time @masood and I spent in Kashmir. That hand-carved wooden bowl was also bought during that trip, something that always reminds me of that beautiful trip.
Noodle wrapped chicken by @makskitchenhyd. Hot, cr Noodle wrapped chicken by @makskitchenhyd. Hot, crunchy and deep-fried! It was so good.

This can easily be made at home. Maybe you can bake these instead of frying, but I’m sure the taste won’t be the same.

There are several recipes online but the one we tried was by @sooperchef, which came out great.
Tag someone who loves shawarma! This is our homem Tag someone who loves shawarma!

This is our homemade chicken shawarma that I’m truly proud of and so excited to share with you!

Swipe left for the recipe.

EDIT: It’s ‘wheat’ not ‘whear’, and jalapeño ‘pickles’ not ‘pepper’. Thanks!

Thank you to @masoodxb for being our shawarma wrap & grill expert. Having had countless shawarmas in the UAE, even at 2am(!) I’m so glad we can recreate something close to the original right in our home.

Guys, toasting or grilling the wrapped shawarma before serving makes such a difference, so don’t skip this last step.
Did you know that there are only 2 countries that Did you know that there are only 2 countries that do not sell Coke?

Cuba and North Korea.

I found this abandoned roadside restaurant along the highway the other day.

While so many didn’t pay attention to it, I was drawn to its vintage-y charm.

Also, I’m showing you the unedited version of the photo as well. It’s sort of a reminder that almost all content on social media platforms go through some sort of editing.

#instagramvsreallife
#beforeandafter
It’s their reflection that caught my eye. While It’s their reflection that caught my eye.

While some beaches of Vizag are crowded and, quite unfortunately, dirty, there are some that are clean and peaceful.

Saw these girls walking and noticed their reflection on the shallow water. It rained in the morning so we thought our trip to the beach would be canceled. Fortunately the sun shone and we made it.
How do you incorporate pomegranate into your cooki How do you incorporate pomegranate into your cooking?

As a little girl, I’d been fascinated with pomegranates. I imagined them as leather-bound gifts with a bow on top. If I was lucky, I’d open my gift to reveal bright red rubies.

Pomegranate has inspired legends, tales and poems throughout history. In Ancient Egypt, kings were buried with pomegranates so that they could take them into the afterlife. Hades tricked Zeus’ daughter with a pomegranate.

Now talking about food, pomegranate seeds are generally sprinkled on dishes and desserts or made into syrup, molasses or pomegranate vinegar. Pomegranate is commonly used in dishes and sauces in Iran, its biggest producer.

In India, its second-biggest producer, pomegranate seeds are dried and crushed to create a spice called anardana, which is used to add tartness to various dishes.

The pomegranate is also used extensively in many Middle Eastern cuisines. Pomegranate juice is reduced and this is used to add a sweet-tart flavor to many dishes.

I’m planning to make some pomegranate molasses (for the first time!). What’s your favorite dish that uses pomegranate as an ingredient? Let me know in the comment section!
They’re finally in season! For me, black plums, They’re finally in season! For me, black plums, or jamun, are one of the most anticipated fruits of the year (the other is mango). These little purple fruits are packed with antioxidant property, display antidiabetic property, may help reduce bad cholesterols and triglycerides in the blood, anti-inflammatory property, and may also help strengthen the immune system.
How’s the lockdown situation where you live? Ou How’s the lockdown situation where you live?

Our state has finally eased up on the lockdown since June 1. While there’s still curfew after 9pm, and restaurants only allow take-aways, most businesses are now open.

Interstate traveling is now permitted. For more than 2 months, we weren’t allowed to travel more than 3km from home.

So we had our first long-drive in forever when a cousin asked if we could come pick her up from the neighbouring state’s border (restrictions are still in place for Andhra Pradesh, we couldn’t cross their border). It felt a bit strange driving so far from home, and it feels surreal that the highways are mostly empty.

But it felt so good to be able to drive freely!
If you could have any breakfast tomorrow, what wou If you could have any breakfast tomorrow, what would you eat?

This is salmon and egg Benedict with capers, raspberries, slices of oranges, chives - everything coming together to make such a delicious breakfast.

I had this in San Francisco, at a restaurant that I woke up super early for (since it gets crowded real quick). I miss this every time I see this picture.

What is your dream breakfast?
This dessert is easy to make and pretty enough to This dessert is easy to make and pretty enough to make a good impression!

Fresh mango chunk topped with fluffy whipped cream, then wrapped with a thin, moist and elastic crepe, this pillow-shaped Hong Kong style mango crepe is a must-try.

For a better presentation, use a single piece of mango for each crepe. When you cut the crepe through, a nice neat look will appear on each side.

These are originally called Mango Pancakes, by the way. You can experiment with other fruits, like bananas and strawberries.

Have you tried this before? Don’t forget to save this post if you haven’t yet!
I haven’t been baking for a few months now. Turn I haven’t been baking for a few months now. Turned the oven on today only to find that the flame was going crazy and the temperature was all over the place. But @hooknweavebysabiha, @sumaiya_2110 and I were determined.

And in the end, we have warm, delicious homemade chocolate banana bread with toasted almonds!

#QuarantineDayWhatever
This is a classic, easy, and healthy Mediterranean This is a classic, easy, and healthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern hors d'oeuvre.

Mutabbal is a smoky, lemony eggplant dip that’s a mezze-table favorite all over the Levant and beyond.

So many call this Baba Ganoush. I did some research and discovered that while both have roasted eggplant as their base, Baba Ganoush does not have tahini. It contains chopped tomatoes and pomegranate molasses.

Mutabbal has tahini, garlic, lemon juice, cumin powder, red chili flakes, and even yoghurt. Extra virgin olive oil is a must.

I didn’t have parsley at home so I used cilantro instead. Plus, I didn’t want to deal with yeast to make pita so I made roti instead.

This is a delicious, healthy dip that I highly recommend. After all, there’s more to life than hummus.

Also feel free to adjust the ingredients! I may have added more lemon juice and cumin powder.

What’s your favorite dip?
What’s your go-to photo editing app for Instagra What’s your go-to photo editing app for Instagram?

Mine is Snapseed. I use it for almost all my photos. I rarely post unedited photos (because I like my feed to look pretty). For this particular image (taken using my phone camera), I first edited the colours on Snapseed so they appear more saturated.

And then I used Pixaloop to make the clouds move. So cool, right? This app has been sitting in my phone since forever, and I now wonder why I’ve never used it!

I’d love to know what you use to edit your photos!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Enter your email address to subscribe to new posts:

Travel tips, advice and inspirations for your next adventure.
  • About
  • Contact
© 2022 nadiamasood.com

Thank you for visiting, but before you go...

Stay in touch! Subscribe to receive posts & updates in your inbox.

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"4","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}