Marketing Invades the “Taal” City
Soaked in work till the last minute, this was a bunch of people seemingly (though not really) less involved and interested in the team trip. And then all of a sudden, the team changed gears (you know how people who don multiple hats work). On a Thursday night, with the swiftness of a cheetah and nocturnal silence of a lion, people left for the day, reassembled in 3 hours, and were off to the city of lakes — Nainital.
Nature too loved this “surprise” element and came up with its own contribution — an unexpected downpour to start the road trip followed by a continuous drizzle accompanying us through rest of the trip.
The overnight ice-breaking chitchat through the wet breeze was supplemented with a well-devoured breakfast in the morning. There were some minor hiccups due to the “rosy weather” (read a fallen tree, stalled traffic, a sulking driver, but a pleasant breeze), though all that became a thing of the past once we entered the erstwhile residence of the Maharaja of Pilibhit. Yes, that’s what our hotel accommodation was popularly known as, earlier.
The place was not only reminiscent of its rich past but also of the contemporary, unmatched elegance. The marketing team had hit the bull’s eye on the research front, yet again.
After getting rid of the trip weariness, the team was ready to go again. We started with a sumptuous lunch, displaying an uncanny appetite, quite reflective of our vacation spirit. A brief siesta was followed with sightseeing, activity at the pool table, and whatever we could lay our hands on!
Later, a trip to the mall road ensured that we shopped well and equipped ourselves for a spirit-ed night.
Further ahead, games like Taboo and Bluff allowed everyone to unwind to the core. Despite the late night slumber, some excited souls got up early the next day and treated themselves to a healthy morning walk. Some others went for “vitalizing” massages at the in-house spa.
All recharged, we continued with our exploring spree and went for boat rides at the glorious Naini lake. The weather was perfect enough to remind us of just how beautiful this little hill town is — a reason people have thronged this city, over the years.



A dinner at Sakley’s, one of the oldest, most famous cafés in the city; another night of Taboo, Bluff, and side-splitting laughter; and we were still not done. It’s really hard to keep track of time when you’re having fun!
The next morning, after a lavish Sunday breakfast, it was time to bid adieu to the lake district.
So if your team is planning something, and you don’t know what team trips are about and are still contemplating, just remember these golden words from Justin baba’s (read Justin Bieber’s) song I will never say never!
