Mayong, Assam We all have come across the baba Bengali ads in newspapers and elsewhere claiming to woo away our problems by witchcraft and more often than not, we have thought to ourselves that it’s as unreal as unicorns and…
A Virgin’s Experience of Manas National Park
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…
Delhi to Dibrugarh
I’m a budget backpacker. I mostly rely on public transport for most of my travels. Over the years I have grown very fond of Indian Railways and Interstate Bus Transport system. They have taken me to places I never knew…
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…
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…
My Journey to Kerala in Floods
Everyone warned me not to go, but the heart wants what it wants! This anecdote is about my journey to Kerala in August 2019 during the monsoon. There were predictions of red alerts due to heavy floods but my trusted…
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…
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…
Sadhana Forest – Introspection Through Ecological Renewal
Sadhana Forest, Tamil Nadu Stepping out of the cubicle to begin a journey of self-discovery through travelling is fascinating. When one lives it, roads feel like home, all directions look right and you’re ready for more. Travelling isn’t only about…
Golconda Fort: A Tale of Diamonds, Treason & Architectural Marvels
Golconda Fort, Hyderabad Being the home of world’s most famous gems like Koh-i-Noor and Hope Diamond to name a few, Hyderabad is also a highlight for one of the medieval sultanate’s architectural wonder – the Golkonda Fort. Originally named Mankal,…
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 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,…
Elephanta Island: Magnum Opus of Medieval India
About 66 million years ago, a volcanic eruption created the canvas for the astonishing piece of rock-cut architecture in India. This island of basalt rock was later turned into what is now known as The Elephanta Island- a baffling cave…
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 Changed Plans & Closed Doors
Spiti Valley Day 5: Kaza – Komic – Kaza I woke up looking like an alien. It looked like I had a nose upon my nose; courtesy of the nearly perfect spherical shaped star at the center of our solar…
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…
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…
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…
India has Surprises Planned at Every Corner (Part I)
What all reasons come to your mind when you hear someone say they got stuck somewhere? Usually it’s a flat wheel or snowfall or a curfew. But have you ever heard a story where someone got stuck due to a…