Manas National Park – My first ever jungle safari! “Please don’t ever make these mistakes again. Ever EVER in life!” I mumbled to myself as I took a long look in the broken mirror next to the leaking tap outside…
Top Tips for Sustainable Travelling
In my previous article, we tried to understand sustainable travelling, its importance, and impact in detail. But in case you missed it, let’s quickly go through it again. “Sustainable travelling is to travel in a way that it can be…
Understanding Sustainable Travelling
Understanding Sustainable Travelling By 2028, the tourism sector is expected to contribute 9.9% of India’s GDP. That’s a whopping 460 billion USD. Today, the tourism sector is amongst the fastest growing industry in India. However, this growth comes with a…
Tirthan Valley Clean-up Drive with ‘The Forest Edge’
Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh I have always been an environment enthusiast. Apart from following sustainable travelling practices, I do my part by spreading environment conservation awareness wherever I travel. When a friend of mine told me about a clean-up drive…
Minjar: The Monsoon Festival of Chamba
Minjar Festival, Chamba “The maize shoots are blooming! Hail Lord Raghunath, the monsoon is coming!” Prayers the devotees of Chamba, as they see the dusky sky filling up with grey clouds. Monsoon brings ample of joy to the people of…
Letters From Leh
Travelling has taught me infinite valuable lessons in life; from trusting my gut to believing in the kindness of strangers. Every minuscule experience drives me to a new insight about life, people, and most importantly, about myself. This story is…
A Day In Manali
Manali, Himachal Pradesh The only place where I like lots of people around me is a club. A crowded floor full of drunken people is the perfect setting to dance for someone like me who has got two left feet.…
A Guide to Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary
“From October 2017 to February 2018, I worked on an assignment for Mary Budden Estate, Binsar. Based on my personal experience while staying in the core region of the sanctuary, here’s a short guide for Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary containing all…
Sethan: A Hidden Destination in Himachal
Sethan, Kullu dist., Himachal Pradesh Scientists predicted that 2019 is going to be the hottest year of the entire human existence. With all modesty, I got a sense of it in the first week of April. This resulted in a…
Mary Budden Estate: A Luxury Boutique Homestay in Kumaon
Mary Budden Estate, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary Putting you in the position of joyful contemplation, this place helps you reconnect with yourself. Mary Budden Estate makes you believe that to know yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. To catch up…
Top Tips to Pack Light
The world of travellers has two types of people – those who pack light and those who wish they had. If you want to travel far, pack light. It is, in my not so humble opinion, one of the smartest…
A Walk Into ‘The Valley of Flowers’ – Part II
Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand Check this post for the previous part of the story of Valley of Flowers – Part I Check this post for the latest Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Travel Guide —————————— Ghangaria to Valley of Flowers…
A Walk Into ‘The Valley of Flowers’ – Part I
The universe has a way of leading you to the things that you should do. A close friend once gifted me ‘The Valley of Flowers’ – a travelogue written by Frank S. Smythe, who discovered the valley in 1931. If…
A D.I.Y Guide to Valley of Flowers
Last Update: June 2019 Snowcapped mountains peeking from behind the curtains of thick white clouds, lush green meadows and plunging waterfalls from the sky. When the reality starts looking prettier than your dreams, pinch yourself as you are, in fact,…
A Picturesque Mountain Getaway in Jibhi
The everyday existence in a city is a relentless grind. Work, meetings, traffic and the constant buzz of mobile phones seem suspiciously designed to leave us listless. To break the monotony of this, we crave a respite- someplace scenic, serene…
Spiti Valley – The Day of Dream Destination: Chandratal
Spiti Valley Day 7: Batal – Chandratal – Manali Seemed like waking up early was a ritual we all performed with utmost dedication. Well, not me; but I tried my best. It gets hard to wake up early when you…
Spiti Valley – The Day of Beaten-up Roads
Spiti Valley Day 6: Kibber – Kunzum La – Batal For a change, we started off early. It was 6:00 am and we were already on the road, moving towards the Key monastery. Key monastery is the biggest center of…
Spiti Valley – The Day of Body Aches & Sunburns
Spiti Valley Day 4: Tabo – Dhankar – Kaza I was the first one to get ready in the morning. That’s how excited I was to begin my first bike ride in the mountains. Me and Ravi on a glorious…
Spiti Valley – The Day of Strangers Becoming Friends
Spiti Valley Day 3: Nako Okay. So this is gonna be a little long! For the first time in a really long time, I woke up at 5:00 am in the morning. Everyone else was already up by then. I…
Spiti Valley – When The Roads Scared The Shit Out of Me
Spiti Valley Day 2: Reckong Peo I woke up to the sound of thunder in the middle of the night. My worst fear was coming to life. The fear of a bad weather. There was a huge jam on NH…
Uncovering ‘The Middle Land’ – Spiti Valley
This series on Spiti Valley is an attempt of tracing my journey which set me out as a solo traveller. Travel has always been a part of my life. But before, I used to seek company, make plans with people,…
Baba Harbhajan: The Ghost Solider Who Guards India-China Border
On 4 October 1968, a young soldier died on the India-China border while serving in the Indian Army. But he hasn’t abandoned his post just yet. The youngest recruit of 23rd Punjab regiment, Harbhajan Singh died at the tender age…
Magic, Mysticism and Masked Dances – Hemis Festival
Updated: June – 2019 I wanted to see the Lamas dance ever since I saw a documentary on NatGeo, I don’t even remember the name of. My childhood dream came true in the form of Hemis Festival. And what better…
The Day I Touched a Rainbow (literally!)
No. I’m not a person who doesn’t know the difference between figuratively speaking and literally speaking. But don’t trust me just yet. It was a tiring week of lots of useless meetings and presentations at the office and all my…
The Ultimate Sikkim Itinerary
Situated in the Eastern Himalayas, Sikkim is one of the most beautiful states of India. It boasts of the third highest mountain in the world, Mt. Khanchendzonga which is also worshipped as the Guardian Deity of Sikkim. Sikkim is blessed…
Of Solo Treks and Serendipities of Life
This story is about how everything – even the mountains, the trees, the rocks, and waterfalls – could be your teacher if you just observe closely. I woke up to a sunny morning. Only the people who have been to…
Triund – A Handpicked Adventure for Mountain Lovers!
When your dost from Mumbai asks you to plan her first-ever trip to the Himalayas, what do you do? You look for a place which is easily accessible, not too tiring and offers spectacular views with a tad bit of…
Chitai Temple – Where the Divine Intervention is Legally Bound
It is often argued that human belief knows no bound. It is an extension of devotion that makes miracles happen. The people of Kumaon have taken devotion to a next level. Here, in the Chitai temple, Golu devta – the…
Once Upon a Time, In The Jungle of Himalayas…
All great stories start with ‘Once upon a time’, and so does mine. Once upon a time, a great philanthropist authored my existence in Kumaon, in the serene lap of the Himalayas. A place which becomes a winter wonderland in December…
Sarahan – A Forgotten Dynasty and Its Ancient Capital
Discovering Sarahan! India has always been the land of many unexplored places. The land of great warriors and forgotten dynasties which ruled small regions throughout the country. Their tales are intriguing and had a major impact on the regional culture…
Understanding Mountain Sickness
Recently, a close friend of mine went for a high altitude trek but he had to cancel it mid-way because he got hit by Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). My first encounter with AMS was when I was trekking to Pindari…
A Complete Guide To The Most Tedious Bus Journey In India
The Delhi – Leh Bus Service This bus ride is the longest, toughest and highest bus route of India. But if you are a backpacker like me, you can’t really keep yourself away from this 34 hrs long one hell…
Nagaland Mystery Diaries – Dzukou Valley
Nagaland is a place engulfed in mysteries, inhabited by vibrant people, mountains, valleys, and forests. One of the many mysteries that attracts people to Nagaland is the lesser know valley of flowers in Nagaland – Dzukou Valley! Dzukou Valley offers…