Travel within the country has become a must. Various work compulsions ensure a constant, red eye special shuttle between Mumbai and Delhi. Even this routine brings with it a plethora of choice. When private airlines started up I was a regular on Jet Airways and Modiluft. The national carrier being a compulsion versus a choice, when no other alternative was available. In the past four years a host of private airlines have become pie in the sky statistics and just disappeared. In the past few months, actually, ever since Parvez Damania took over as CEO of Sahara Airlines, I've switched toSahara to find myself extremely pleased with the choice. From the cheaper fare, to the red waistcoated porters, and prompt service, I find flying Sahara to be an absolute pleasure. The staff is extremely helpful, kind yet unobtrusive, and flying the shuttle doesn't seem a chore anymore. On one of my frequent Delhi-Mumbai shuttles way back in '97 I lost -- well it just disappeared into thin air -- a precious hand carry with a ton of `new-new' things on Jet Airways. I was shocked and horrified as it did the vanishing act between the security check and the check-in at Delhi airport, a near impossible occurrence. Yet happen it did. Despite my personally knowing well nigh all the top echelon of Jet Airways, owners, board members and staff, I had no luck locating the bag or the mystery of its sudden disappearance.

Though I continued to fly Jet, the incident left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. On almost every flight since, I've watched my bags like a hawk but once bitten twice shy, so I've never ever gottenover my paranoia. Then again it became almost impossible to get a seat without the good offices of Naresh Goel. A bit of an imposition when you fly every week, especially as he is a friend. Since I've discovered Sahara, the kind porter always carries my hand baggage and ensures its security and one feels relieved that being a lady traveller one doesn't have to constantly be on high alert. Service and staff being equally efficient and comparable the Sahara pilots always make a personal gesture of greeting passengers in the cabin like they do on international flights. My younger son especially enjoys his little foray onto the flight deck in rapt attention. Before Parvez took charge of Sahara it was not often that the business class was full. Now, not just the business class, but the entire flight is choc-a-bloc. I believe all his small economy saving drives have been enormously successful, but perhaps the one I miss in particular was getting an international daily or magazine on board. No other airline everoffered this special perk. In their new efficient avatar that was part of the fat that had to be trimmed to make the airline a lean mean profit machine. Well done guys, keep it up. At Rs 4,000-plus for economy, it is the most cost efficient one-way trip any traveller can hope for. The rest is as good as Jet, and way ahead of IA. Now if the frequency of the flights could be increased it would make for a perfect travel choice. The more choice the traveller has, the better deals he gets as the skies remain competitive.

After having an apartment in Delhi for well nigh three years, I gave it up recently and this set off a perennial hunt for a home away from home. Again I used all my contacts and friends and negotiated deals for stays at the Hilton, the Maurya, Hyatt, Taj et al. But there always was something impersonal or elementally missing despite my average expectations. At the end of last year, quite by accident, I discovered the Imperial Hotel and now call it my home away from home. This lovely boutiquehotel must count as one of Delhi's best, indeed one of the finest anywhere. The lobby has an old world charm in spanking new today materials and finishes. Daniel's prints line the walls of even the corridors, ensuring hours of endless pleasure, if bored, just gazing. The suites are beautifully appointed and overlook the lovely atrium of the hotel. The atrium has a lounge, where they have a lovely English afternoon tea service, with scones and pastries to delight the palate. Another speciality of the hotel is the divine Thai-cum-Malayali restaurant The Spice Route. The food is absolutely authentic and delicious, the ambience, created by design guru Rajiv Sethi, to die for. The hotel caters largely to the foreign tourist so a certain amount of privacy is guaranteed to an Indian guest. The hair saloon, shops et al are on par with most five-star hotels. The spaciousness and light in each room, coupled with colonial furniture, four poster beds, marble sunken baths and the famous Daniel's on the walls make theImperial a special, special, hotel. Its central location and tree-lined avenue driveway all add to its unique, one-of-a-kind status.

The other travel favourite destination I have is the Pousada Tauma in Goa, opened recently by Neville, the ex-GM of the Taj Resorts. It is an all- suite or apartment hotel. It has a limited 12 apartments, all beautifully decorated around colour themes coral, turquoise etc and all the apartments are strategically placed around the splendorous pool. This hotel boasts an Ayurveda centre where a Keralite doctor and his helpers ensure the most reviving massages and baths in the age-old Kerala tradition of the Arya Vaidyashala. The food is bought fresh daily and only once ordered do they prepare it, ensuring the finest Goan and continental delicacies. With my sons, I spent a divine four days at the Pousada in January and have kept this secret getaway to myself. Though deep down I believe favourite things must be shared. The true joy and pleasure I derive from my stays at these finehotels and flying the friendly skies with Sahara are too precious to stay secret. So, on the pleasure principle of `Live and Enjoy', I share these with you.