• Travel Inspiration

    You Must Visit These Three Villages in the Vicinity of Leh

    April 1, 2024 - By 

    Leh was the capital of Ladakh back in the day when the Himalayan kingdom was a crucial stopover for traders traveling between India, Tibet, and China. While Leh, the town itself has several fascinating experiences to offer, when you move slightly away from the main town to what you’d, in city dwellers’, terms call the outskirts or downtown, you are greeted with little hamlets, each of which might have a story to tell. Amongst the many villages you can visit, we feel you just mustn’t miss these three – Matho Somewhere along the foothills of Matho Kangri, in the mouth…

  • Travel Inspiration

    These Two Hotels in Ladakh Are All About Experience

    March 15, 2024 - By 

    Accommodation has always been an integral part of travel. When chosen right, the places you stay in can offer more than just providing a safe space to retire after a day full of exploring a destination. These experiential properties nurture your need for slow travel, engage you with their sustainable hospitality offerings, and give you a glimpse of the socio-cultural aspects of the region. In their own way, they add value to your overall travel experience, especially when traveling across a unique destination. In this article, we have two such stays in Ladakh that offer insight into the local culture…

  • Travel Inspiration

    Srinagar: The Secrets of Heaven-on-Earth and Where To Find Them

    March 22, 2023 - By 

    Kashmir, in the northernmost part of India, is an ideal destination for travel during the summer months. As the snow melts in the lower regions, the distant mountain peaks continue to wear their snow-capped coats. On the one hand, you have a lush green landscape, blooming flowers, and gushing streams of Srinagar to mesmerize you; on the other is a little-known tradition tirelessly preserved by households from a small village on the outskirts of Srinagar who migrated to the old quarters of the city for better livelihood opportunities. In this article, we present to you three reasons to visit Srinagar…

  • Uncategorized

    WAY BEYOND THE BEATEN PATH

    March 8, 2019 - By 

    It has been a while since I returned from my second Kaafila experience. Both my trips were planned around the Kalinjar Fort. Now, you must be wondering where is Kalinjar and what is Kaafila?? Kalinjar Fort sits on the border between Uttar Pradesh (Northern India) and Madhya Pradesh (Central India) of present-day India. You may not have heard about it! If you are presuming Kalinjar to be one more on the long list of Forts and Palaces of India, you will be pleasantly intrigued!!!    Kalinjar is no ordinary place. I say that because not many people visit Kalinjar. Then…

  • Uncategorized

    Purani Dilli ka Khana – A Culinary Adventure through Old Delhi

    January 16, 2019 - By 

    Chomping past Chandni Chowk has always been in my wishlist. So, when we were invited by India City Walks (ICW) to experience one of their food walks, I jumped at the opportunity. My colleague Mr. Somesh seemed equally excited (He has contributed the images in this blog). Shravan, from ICW, met us at Red fort parking, introduced us to Hitesh – our walk leader. Quite ironic for such a slender guy to lead a food walk. I have a good metabolism he said! He briefly took us through the history of different dynasties of Shahjanabad and it’s influences on what…

  • Uncategorized

    KHADI – A FABRIC OF INDIA’S FREEDOM MOVEMENT

    December 27, 2018 - By 

    “If we have the ‘khadi spirit’ in us, we would surround ourselves with simplicity in every walk of life”. – Mahatma Gandhi. I discovered this simplicity when I visited Magan Sangrahalaya, Maganwadi in Wardha. Gandhiji lived in Maganwadi, Wardha for two years, after his departure from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. Magan Sangrahalaya is the only museum started by Gandhiji. Today the museum houses several interesting sections including an exhibition on the rare belongings of Mahatma Gandhi. The museum also hosts a gallery on various types of Charkhas (spinning wheels) for making yarn out of cotton and verities of hand spun…

  • Uncategorized

    The Leopards & Shepherds of Bera

    April 24, 2018 - By 

    This story is long overdue but the scenes are still fresh in my mind. All I need is to press the memory button and it all unfolds in front of me. I had been hearing about leopards of Bera for a long time. But until you reach there you have no idea of the experience. I have known Shatrunjay Pratap for many years now. He is a connoisseur of Indian wine. Having completed a special degree in wine culture form UC Davis in California, he returned to India and worked in Sula vineyards in Nashik. But I suppose his heart…

  • Uncategorized

    Ladakh: On the Snow Leopard Trail

    January 15, 2018 - By 

    I flew into Leh, the capital of Ladakh in the last week of November when winter’s chill had set in.  The Indus river snaked its way across the sleepy town, and the Zanskar range created a jagged horizon against picture perfect skies.After a couple of days’ acclimatization to Leh’s altitude of 13,500 ft above mean sea level, we set off northwestwards for Ulley – our destination to track the elusive snow leopard.On our three hour drive through the Leh valley towards the ridges, we came across many

  • Of Reigns, Religions & Ruins
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    Of Reigns, Religions & Ruins: Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal

    January 8, 2018 - By 

    We drove through Hubli in Karnataka, a dusty, decrepit town with faded shop signs and half-forgotten civic works – the ruins of the industrial age. Hubli’s bleak residential complexes gave way to some spectacular geology and we found ourselves in a ravine fringed by red sandstone crags. We had reached our destination, Badami, known for its ruins of the Chalukya dynasty that ruled parts of south India from the 6th – 12th CE. Badami with the nearby towns of Aihole and Pattadakal are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcasing a blend of architecture from the north and south…

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    Cruising the Sunderbans – a travelogue by Mohan

    November 15, 2017 - By 

    Common ki Pied – dakho ?!!  A travelogue on the Sunderbans by Mohan Common ki Pied – dakho ?!!  asked our boatman Manoj to our Naturalist Samar when he spotted a Kingfisher as we cruised the waterways of Sunderbans. Queried with authority, it surprised me that the boatman should know the bird and the species. What blew my mind was the ability of both Manoj and Samar to spot the smallest of birds from the distance of our boat. Sunderbans is home to 6 species of Kingfishers or Machranga (as called in Bengali). And I call them the “Super Six of Sunderbans”.…