During our last trip to India in June-July 2018, I had fond memories of how amazing the service was at the hotels. At the Jaipur Holiday Inn, which is not even a luxury hotel, they were so eager to please that when I asked for a fork, knife, and plate to cut some mangoes and lychees I’d purchased, and I said I wanted to cut them, the person at the front desk insisted that someone from the kitchen cut the fruit up for me and would have it sent to my room. I still think about that experience all the time and think, WOW, now THAT is service!

At the Kochi Lulu Marriott Hotel, where we have stayed while in Kerala, the hotel staff have also been quite attentive, especially at the daily breakfast buffet. There has been a cart where a staff member makes fresh filtered coffee and pulled (yes, REALLY pulled like on the street!) masala chai; another cart where pancakes and waffles are made to order; an entire station in the back where fresh parathas, uttapams, dosas, and pooris are being churned out to order, plus a fresh squeezed and blended fruit juice station. All of this is on top of all the other stations covering fruit, western food (ugh), endless north and south Indian specialties like kadala curry, fish curry, khichdi, puttu, idlis, and a large variety of sambars and chutneys. We asked the manager about what variety of cut mangoes were at the fruit station, and they insisted on having the chef send out a full plate of cut and skinned mangoes — two types every morning: neelam and himsagar — delicious, meaty, floral, perfumey, and super rich in flavor. We were in mango heaven and were completely spoiled.

One last thing that happened that stayed with me there: at the juice station, you also have fresh coconut water as an option. Usually, the juicer will cut the coconut and pour the water out for you fresh, but one morning, I asked for the whole coconut. I was obliged, but on the next day when I asked for the same thing, he told me that management said guests could no longer get the whole coconut at their table. I was okay with that, but I followed up by asking him if he could help cut out the coconut fresh for me after pouring the juice. He immediately smiled and said yes, then proceeded to try to use the same knife to cut the coconut in half. Unfortunately, the knife was too dull. He then called over a colleague to see if he could maneuver the knife better for him — still no luck. Then, as if that was not enough, a third person came over with a sharper knife, but the three of them STILL could not get the coconut open. Finally, the juice guy told me that they’d have to take the coconut to the back kitchen to get cut with a sharper knife, and he’d have the coconut flesh sent to my table. I was a bit worried; I didn’t want anyone getting injured or having a finger or two cut off just to get me my requested coconut meat.

Some time had passed; still no coconut flesh for me. So I asked the hotel manager if he could check to see if the coconut meat was still coming since we had to get on with our day. He came back a few minutes later with my cup of coconut meat. I took one bite — it was absolutely delicious — sweet, refreshing, meaty. I took another bite and felt a little bad that the hotel had gone to such great lengths to get this small cup of coconut meat for me, but I realized that well, they believe and know that they are in the hospitality industry for a reason: that is to serve customers and make them happy. And so for them, they’re just doing their job. I tipped the juice guy and gave him profuse thanks for his efforts. At that point, I was quite full from a full on Indian breakfast, so I brought the coconut meat back to our room and placed it in the fridge to enjoy after we got back at the end of the day.

The next thought I had was: as IF something like this would EVER happen back in the U.S.! They’d immediately say no, then expect a tip for doing very little. The people who work in the hospitality industry in India take true pride in their work and making customers happy. While I think that is likely what the average hospitality worker likes to think they think in the U.S., the level of effort and dedication can definitely not be matched to the high level I’ve personally witnessed in Asia. There is, frankly, a level of integrity here in hospitality that just doesn’t exist in the U.S.

The first time I’d heard of a “hill station” was when I was on The Chai Box website, and the founder had created a blend of cardamom and rose chai that she named after memories she had at the Shimla Hill Station in Himachal, India, located at the foothills of the Himalayas. I later learned that hill stations were common in India, known as towns in the low mountains of the Indian subcontinent, often popular as destinations for holidays and honeymoons, especially during the hot seasons when it would be a bit cooler there. When I was researching Kerala and where to go given we would be flying in and out of Kochi, it was really overwhelming to narrow down where to go given our short amount of time here. Munnar seemed like a logical choice given it is about 4 hours by car and was known for its rolling hills, scenic valleys, and endless tea plantations and spice gardens.

We’d visited tea plantations before. We’d seen them while walking and hiking in Hangzhou, China, known for the famous Longjing or Dragon Well green tea. We’d seen them in Taipei after taking the Maokong Gondola up into the mountains overlooking the city; a number of tea plantations are up there. But this was the first time we had walked through a tea plantation and literally been in the hills with them. When you see these endless hills, with row after row of tea bushes (actually trees, but cut short to make it easier to pluck the leaves – still not sure how I never knew this before…), it almost seems like it’s fake, like something out of a postcard that wouldn’t really look this gorgeous in real life. But it really is just as stunning as the photos online. We also got lucky with the weather, as when we walked through the plantation, the rain temporarily stayed away.

Another notable part of our day trip to Munnar today was the spice garden we visited. The state of Kerala is very famous for its spices; it’s considered the land of spices, even within India. It is listed as being one of the top 15 states in India for spice export, with its top spices being pepper, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon (of course, some of my faves!). We got a straight taste of the freshness of these spices today when I got to eat fresh cardamom seeds from a not yet ripe pod off the plant (it was so strong, almost like I had multiple cardamom pods’ worth of seeds in my mouth!), and also got to squeeze a nearly fresh clove and see its juices seeping out of it. That was evidence of exactly how fresh the spices were, how very recently, these spices were dried and prepped for purchase.

Everyone always says how key it is to cook with fresh spices, but the reality is that most of us do not have the freshest spices and keep the same jars or containers of spices for years, if not decades. Plus, until relatively recently, most of us living in the west had no visibility into how our spices, whether whole or ground, even got to our local supermarket or grocery store; we didn’t know what country they came from, when they were processed, or exactly how “fresh” they were; the spice trade was essentially a black hole. I myself have tried to be better about not keeping old, stale spices, but it’s hard because it’s not like spices are cheap, and it’s hard just to throw things away for me, especially with food that hasn’t actually gone “bad.” But when you smell and taste these extremely fresh, bright, and vibrant spices, it almost makes you feel more alive, as trite as that sounds. Because here, you actually are tasting and smelling what these babies are intended to taste and smell like, with a pungency that is very much in your face, pure and natural. I picked up some cardamom, cinnamon sticks, and mace, which I’ve actually never purchased before, but I have seen it in some Indian recipes but just omitted it since I never had it. Now, I don’t have to! Seeing and tasting the plants and spices today was a really exciting and invigorating experience. I’d love to see more spices and their plants and how they are cultivated.

Shopping is not really something I do much anymore in person. If I have to buy something, I usually will just go online, try to find the best deal, do a few clicks, and have something delivered to me. Being in malls while traveling is something I also avoid. Part of it is because I don’t necessarily travel solely to buy things, and the other part is that Chris absolutely detests malls. But when I found out our hotel was literally right next door to the famous Lulu International Shopping Mall, I figured we might as well go check it out, and if for nothing else, then most definitely the FOOD COURT. Food courts in the U.S. absolutely bore me, but internationally, I always find them interesting, similar to how I like going to local markets and supermarkets. It’s fun to see what people like to eat in other places.

Lulu Mall covers over 17 acres, so it’s not only one of the largest malls in all of India, but it’s also the number 1 tourist attraction for Kochi the city on TripAdvisor apparently. Inside, there is a massive arcade and entertainment center, as well as a bowling alley. The “hypermarket” on the main floor was a total zoo, but had every single grocery and kitchen item imaginable there. When we got to the food court, my jaw almost dropped: it was like an Indian foodie’s dream: almost everything I could possibly want to eat that is Indian food was there. All the usual northern Indian dishes were represented, but the southern Indian food representation was INSANE. Endless dals, curries, appams, dosas, idlis, Kerala fish fry, Kerala beef fry — you name it, and it was in that freaking food court. And then, what REALLY got me excited: THERE WERE ENDLESS Indian Chinese food options!!!!!

In New York, we have Tangra Masala to satiate our Indian Chinese food cravings. It is still, to this day, one of my top 5 most loved restaurants in New York, if not the world. When Chris ordered some chili noodles today from a stall at the food court, it was so, so addictive: it had that nice wok fry flavor, Chinese seasonings, with Indian spices and heat. It was so, so good. While Kaia can handle a decent amount of heat for her age, these noodles were clearly spicy for her; she kept going back for more water, and as she ate more noodles, she kept slurping, indicating the heat was getting to her, but kept going back for more, in between bites of her mutton biryani.

In addition to these stalls, we also got excited at a juice stall, where Chris picked up freshly blended kiwi juice; a FALOODA Nation stall (OMG OMG, falooda!!!! LOVE); and an ice cream stand that just had different fruit flavors, even jackfruit and alphonso mango, of kulfi. I could have honestly spent the whole week just eating at that mall and have been totally satisfied.

Kerala, the mother and fatherland of Chris, literally means “land of coconuts.” “Kerala” comes from two words: “kera” meaning coconuts, and “alam” meaning “land.” And it’s no wonder that Kerala is named what it’s named because literally everywhere you look and turn, there are coconut trees everywhere. It’s kind of like being in Hawaii: even if you were poor and homeless, if you had the ability to climb a tree, you’d have food.

Today, we took an all-day tour to Allepey to ride on a private boat along the backwaters of Kerala. Allepey is not only the place where Chris’s nana was born, but it’s also a popular destination for backwater boat rides and stays in Kerala. In India, Kerala is not only known for having the highest literacy rate, but it’s also known for being a popular domestic honeymoon destination. One of the things I looked forward to most here was being able to finally try the ever elusive “toddy,” a sweet, naturally fermented drink that is produced from the sap of coconut trees in the state. When first tapped from a coconut tree, the toddy is already a bit fermented, but after a few hours, and then a few days, the strength of the alcohol gets higher and higher. Our guide had us stop at a toddy shop along the water, and we hopped off for a glass of toddy each.

We each ordered a glass of toddy, tapped fresh this morning, and it was certainly a unique flavor: slightly sweet, almost rice-like in flavor, with an interesting light effervescence that is quite similar to that of kombucha. The closest thing I could compare it to that we’d had previously on our travel was makgeolii, the raw rice wine we drank from a local drinking spot in Busan, Korea. After having tasted this, I could already imagine how much more delicious appams could be if made with fresh toddy. Appams were something I didn’t know about before Chris. When I met his family, his mom made some appams from a mix (by the way, I usually hate on boxed mixes, but seriously, India takes “mixes” to a whole other level — the quality is high, and there’s never any preservatives in these things! HOW DO THEY DO THIS??!), but I was hooked and knew I had to try making it myself. While they are still tasty using mixes and/or yeast, the flavor of course would not be the same as when made authentically with fresh toddy. Unfortunately, from what Chris’s mom shared, as well as our guide, fresh appams made with fresh toddy is almost like a relic of the past; people just don’t make it this way anymore, and if they do, it’s only for very special occasions like Easter dinner.

The cute part of our visit to the toddy shop was when Pookster saw us both drinking the toddy and thought it was milk. She started reaching for it, and when we wouldn’t give to to her, she had a bit of a melt down. Having her alongside us on this trip has definitely made this India visit completely different (and in some ways, more exciting and more of an adventure) than back in June-July 2018 when we first went as a family of two. It’s been exhausting, but I keep telling myself that all these moments will pass us, so we have to enjoy her at every stage for what and who she is. And it’s moments like this, when she confuses toddy for milk, when I really smile and think, wow, it feels so good to be here with her and know that she’s our sweet, rambunctious baby.

Once upon a time, I had no idea airport lounges even existed. I thought everyone lugged themselves into airports and sat either at the food court or the gate, waiting for their flight to take off. Then, I got access to the United lounge in LA, and I thought it was pretty underwhelming. Other than getting access to the lounge Wi-Fi, having outlets, and maybe some of their subpar trail and nut mixes and snacks, I didn’t understand why anyone would pay to get access to the United lounge (eww). But what finally did me in was when Chris first took me into the British Airways lounge at JFK on my first flight headed to Australia, and I was sold: a huge fountain awaited me as I entered, and the food and drink was ridiculous. It was like being in a true “lounge” where you had access to endless food, booze, and comfort.

I have since been in a number of incredible lounges run by Qantas, Japan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. But nothing could really prepare me for the vastness that was the Al Mourjan Business Lounge (South) at Hamad International Airport during our layover in Doha en route to Kochi. First, there was a north side AND a south side lounge. Second, the space was just endless: a smoking/cigar room; a massive business center; a children’s playroom with huge bouncy castles and endless toys; multiple dedicated baby changing rooms that were HUGE and pristine, cleaned after each use – they even supply diapers, diaper cream, baby lotion, and wipes on request; a family center where you could spend time with your family and not worry about making other people mad due to children’s noise; quiet rooms that can be reserved for up to six hours at a time, essentially mini hotel rooms, to sleep in total silence and privacy; full bathrooms and showers that can be booked and will be cleaned before and after each use. And as for food options, there is also full-service dining and a buffet, multiple baristas for freshly made coffee beverages; a made-to-order sushi and sandwich counter, and endless rotating desserts, both western and Middle Eastern style.

And that still doesn’t cover everything if you can believe it! Right now, a Dior spa is in construction for the north side lounge, and a gym is also in progress so that you can fit in a workout ahead of your flight. There’s also a pay-per-item Louis Vuitton restaurant inside the north lounge. A number of different seats, couches, and lounge arrangements were everywhere. Kaia really loved all the different water fixtures, especially the fountain that had jumping water. She also loved that she could run around freely on a wide, open floor plan.

I think what really stood out to me was how family friendly the entire place was. Here, you’d never have to worry about your children being taken care of and not having them seen as a nuisance or annoyance. Here, children are accepted as part of the overall energy and life of the lounge; they aren’t inconveniences. There are endless places to change your baby’s diapers and ensure your own comfort as a parent. People even go out of their way to ask if your baby is comfortable or needs anything else. In fact, on the Qatar flights, Kaia always was treated like a VIP passenger; the flight attendants always asked if I needed anything additional, whether it was food or drink or blankets or bottles, for her. Kaia even got a diaper/change kit that was reusable with Qatar Airways’ branding. Qatar always has baby food (pouches) on all flights, unlike on American Airlines, where you have to specifically request baby food, and then follow up a number of times to ensure that it even got onto your plane. Honestly, that AA experience was just laughable in comparison, especially given then, we also flew business class and they wanted to starve my baby. If only the U.S. could be a bit more like this was.

For our trip to South Asia, Chris booked us business class tickets on Qatar Airways, which means we would get to experience Qsuites on our outbound flight from JFK to Doha. Qsuite is oftentimes talked about as the “world’s best business class” experience. You essentially get your own small suite with a full lie-flat bed, ambient mood lighting, generous storage space, plus a sliding door to close for full privacy during the flight. You get a nice, quilted mattress, a plush and thick royal purple duvet cover, and as the bonus I wasn’t thinking about at all – an exclusive Diptyque amenity kit. I’ll be honest: every time I went to the bathroom in flight, not only did I get excited about having a WINDOW in the huge bathroom, but I also enjoyed misting my face and neck with the Diptyque rose facial mist spray. It had just the right amount of floral, rosy scent without making me smell like a granny.

And as one would expect flying on a Middle East airline, the service was excellent – very attentive, and maybe even more so given we were flying with our toddler. Kaia got lots of attention – as much milk and cereal as she wanted, as well as some little plush toys (sadly, she’s still not really into any stuffed animal, but it’s the thought that counts, right?). The food was also incredible – it was the very first flight where I’d seen LOBSTER as an option for a main course. I was also obsessed with the karak chai, which you could either get with saffron or cardamom. And I even had a mini afternoon tea spread for breakfast that came with delicious finger sandwiches, scones, jam and clotted cream, plus cute petit fours.

And in preparation for fully enjoying the Qsuite, Chris got what he called “a very important” purchase: a tiny bottle of melatonin drops for Pookster — to “help her sleep and adjust.” A lot of parenting groups talk about this for toddlers to use in flight, plus to help with jet lag.

“What – I want to enjoy my Qsuite experience! I’m paying for it!” Chris insisted when I wrinkled my brow at him when he showed the dropper bottle to me.