A software company and a retreat in the sands
/Every year we do a trip outside the country to celebrate our anniversary.
This year we went to the white sandy beaches of Krabi, Thailand. For eight blissful days we forgot all about computers, null pointer exceptions and presentation layers! Soaking in the sun, kayaking in caves of the limestone formations that jut out in the crystal clear waters in the Andaman in that region and snorkeling over the corals.
The value of such a retreat is huge - especially for a software company like us. The retreat relaxes and refreshes us, forming new bonds and strengthening old ones. When we come back we seem to take on our challenges with a fresh burst of energy. The stories and pictures of the retreat form conversation topics for a long time - creating relief and diversion from our daily grind.
We've been doing these trips for the past nine years, and here are some things we are mindful of to make a trip great:
Location
A retreat has to be in a place where there is something for everyone (including family and kids). Beach resort towns are big winners (our biggest hits have been Goa, Phuket and Krabi) but other places like mountain resort towns such as Pokhara (Nepal) has also been a success.
Activity
There needs to be a variety of activity available so that people can choose. Some of the easier ones we arrange beforehand (e.g. trip to a nearby sight) but others we leave people to decide according to their taste. So some of us do Kayaking whereas others go to a nearby museum.
Food
This is ultra-important - especially because we are Bangladeshis (who are known to live to eat). We aim to be in a spot where there is a great variety of restaurants available. We make sure dietary restrictions such as halal meats, vegan food are covered by some of the places.
I leave you with some of the pictures of this year's trip.
