India Untravelled.

April 8, 2012, 3:48 am

≫ Next: Up in a Tree House at The Hermitage.

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If you’ve ever fantasized about living in a remote village in the high Himalayas, experiencing the colonial charm of a hill station minus the tourists, savoring the country hospitality of India’s most hospitable culture, waking up to birds chirping on a farm, or finding the beauty of Europe’s alpine countryside in India, this post is […]

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Up in a Tree House at The Hermitage.

May 10, 2012, 4:56 am

≫ Next: “Life on the Farm” at Prakriti Farms.

≪ Previous: India Untravelled.

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My choice of travel accommodation has slowly transformed from anything-cheap-goes in my student days, to pampering value-for-money hotels / resorts during my short-lived corporate life, to anything offbeat that offers a chance to interact with the local people since India Untravelled happened i.e. now. With several of the latter under my belt since I moved […]

“Life on the Farm” at Prakriti Farms.

May 17, 2012, 3:00 am

≫ Next: Tales From a Kumaoni Village.

≪ Previous: Up in a Tree House at The Hermitage.

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Sleeping Spotlight is a weekly review of unique & offbeat places to stay. My first (impulsive) trip to the fruit farms & cotton fields on the countryside of Punjab had me itching to go back and discover, experience & savour more of my Punjabi roots. I remember smiling from ear to ear when I first read about […]

Tales From a Kumaoni Village.

May 20, 2012, 3:13 am

≫ Next: Finding home in Vietnam.

≪ Previous: “Life on the Farm” at Prakriti Farms.

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Loud Hindi music blares through the silence of the valley, carrying the wind with it. Women dressed in their most pink and jazzy attires walk down the path to a village hut below, big smiles pasted on their faces, their eyes fixed on their toddlers who keep running faster than their fancy heels can take […]

Finding home in Vietnam.

May 23, 2012, 9:34 am

≫ Next: Living Like a Local in Istanbul.

≪ Previous: Tales From a Kumaoni Village.

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It’s the winter of 2010, and I’m embarking on my most adventurous journey to date, in Northwest Vietnam. Only I don’t know it yet. After failing to beat the crowds in the Mekong Delta, we have pledged not to take the ‘touristy’ circuit again. Instead of taking the train from Hanoi to Sapa (a popular […]

Living Like a Local in Istanbul.

July 14, 2012, 4:29 pm

≫ Next: Discovering the Wilderness of Mauritius.

≪ Previous: Finding home in Vietnam.

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Since I moved back to India exactly 11 months ago, a lot has changed in the way I travel. Shoestring budgets no longer decide where I choose to stay, unlike in my student days, and reviews of other people no longer heavily influence my choice of accommodation, unlike in my corporate days. In the last 11 […]

Discovering the Wilderness of Mauritius.

September 7, 2012, 5:29 am

≫ Next: A Flavor of Rural Rajasthan.

≪ Previous: Living Like a Local in Istanbul.

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We leave behind the traffic of Port Louis and maneuver our way through a small winding road that leads us uphill for a good twenty minutes. At an unassuming orange-colored French villa where we pull up, the warm hospitality of Jean-Michel and his wife Joan awaits me. We exchange niceties and my request for water quickly gets upgraded to a rum punch. […]

A Flavor of Rural Rajasthan.

March 4, 2013, 10:55 am

≫ Next: Boutique Hotels in Singapore Under US$ 150.

≪ Previous: Discovering the Wilderness of Mauritius.

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This story was originally published in The Hindu. Swarms of people greet me as I alight at the Jaipur railway station, some arriving in the pink city with royal expectations, some transiting through it to seek the desert culture of Rajasthan, and many slyly trying to identify first-timers to the city so they can put […]

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Boutique Hotels in Singapore Under US$ 150.

March 25, 2013, 7:12 am

≫ Next: There’s Something About Taj.

≪ Previous: A Flavor of Rural Rajasthan.

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Based on your feedback to some of my recent blog posts, I am now trying to intersperse my travel stories with reviews of places I’ve stayed and eaten at – practical information that can help you plan your own trips. I’m starting with reviews of two boutique hotels I recently stayed at in Singapore – Naumi […]

There’s Something About Taj.

May 15, 2013, 2:48 am

≫ Next: Galkadawala: Sri Lanka’s Best Kept Secret.

≪ Previous: Boutique Hotels in Singapore Under US$ 150.

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My constant travels sometimes leave me craving to curl in and enjoy the finer luxuries of travelling. So when an opportunity arose, I decided to grab it and stay at the Club Room of the Taj Palace hotel, in Delhi itself. I first came across the concept of a “Staycation” – indulging in a luxury stay […]

Galkadawala: Sri Lanka’s Best Kept Secret.

July 2, 2013, 3:28 am

≫ Next: Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge: Tete-a-Tea in Nature’s Lap.

≪ Previous: There’s Something About Taj.

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I take off my shoes, slip on a sarong, and carefully tip toe into the luke warm water. The village ladies, all clad in colorful sarongs, extend their hands so I don’t get entangled in the weeds and fall. Maulie, our host in Galkadawala, introduces me as “India”; the ladies giggle and say something friendly […]

Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge: Tete-a-Tea in Nature’s Lap.

July 17, 2013, 9:53 am

≫ Next: Te Aroha: Under The Yellow Rooftops.

≪ Previous: Galkadawala: Sri Lanka’s Best Kept Secret.

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A gentle tap on the tent startles me. I reluctantly get up from my cosy bed and lift the flap, to be greeted by a mesmerizing sight. Dark, ominous clouds swiftly cross the sky and settle upon the Knuckles mountain range in the distance. The moon becomes visible every now and then, painting haunting patterns in […]

Te Aroha: Under The Yellow Rooftops.

July 27, 2013, 6:36 am

≫ Next: Contest: Win 2 Nights at Te Aroha, Dhanachuli!

≪ Previous: Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge: Tete-a-Tea in Nature’s Lap.

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Every stone in Kumaon has a story. It speaks of the fierce spirit of the Kumaoni people during India’s freedom struggle. It carries the whiff of tea gardens that once flourished on this land. It looks humbly upon mighty Himalayan peaks that sit in the distance. This is the story of some such stones, stones […]

Contest: Win 2 Nights at Te Aroha, Dhanachuli!

August 3, 2013, 1:54 am

≫ Next: 6 Offbeat Monsoon Weekend Getaways From Delhi.

≪ Previous: Te Aroha: Under The Yellow Rooftops.

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Two weeks ago, I rekindled my love affair with Kumaon. From my attic at Te Aroha (Read: Te Aroha: Under The Yellow Rooftops), in the charming little village of Dhanachuli, I witnessed the majesty of the Himalayas. And so did some of you, through my blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You said you couldn’t wait […]

6 Offbeat Monsoon Weekend Getaways From Delhi.

August 14, 2013, 2:57 am

≫ Next: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer: A Splash of Royalty in The Desert.

≪ Previous: Contest: Win 2 Nights at Te Aroha, Dhanachuli!

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I think I’ve finally come to love the monsoon season in India. I’m mesmerized by the way the rains paint the mountains an emerald green, and provide relief to the parched desert. The way the clouds playfully flirt with the moon at night. The way the monsoon mist descends on lakes and waterfalls. The cool […]

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Suryagarh, Jaisalmer: A Splash of Royalty in The Desert.

August 22, 2013, 9:16 am

≫ Next: Lakshman Sagar: Add it to Your Bucket List!

≪ Previous: 6 Offbeat Monsoon Weekend Getaways From Delhi.

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My drowsy eyes prick open at the sight of a massive fort, a short drive away from Jaisalmer city. Its rustic brown façade merges with the stark wilderness of the desert, and the sheer grandeur of India’s bygone royal era calls out to me. Khamaghani. Welcome to Suryagarh. The last time I was in Jaisalmer […]

Lakshman Sagar: Add it to Your Bucket List!

August 28, 2013, 10:53 pm

≫ Next: 6 Ways to Pamper Yourself at JW Marriott, Mumbai.

≪ Previous: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer: A Splash of Royalty in The Desert.

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Over the years, I’ve travelled to and stayed in many amazing places, in many countries across the globe. Even with such high expectations, sometimes a place comes along that completely takes me by surprise. A place that makes me appreciate my life as a travel blogger. A place that I know I won’t forget for […]

6 Ways to Pamper Yourself at JW Marriott, Mumbai.

September 30, 2013, 1:02 am

≫ Next: 24 Hours of Indulgence in Bombay!

≪ Previous: Lakshman Sagar: Add it to Your Bucket List!

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Over a month ago, I gave up my apartment in Delhi, sold most of my belongings, and hit the road (Read: I’m Hitting The Road, Indefinitely). It’s been a roller coaster ride, one that has left me craving a weekend of pampering. The last two days at JW Marriott in Bombay have given me exactly […]

24 Hours of Indulgence in Bombay!

October 14, 2013, 11:06 pm

≫ Next: Auroville: Utopia or Something Like It.

≪ Previous: 6 Ways to Pamper Yourself at JW Marriott, Mumbai.

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Back when I was a Delhi-dweller, I always felt a tad bit jealous of the way people in Bombay talked about the city; the je ne sais quoi, the laid back attitude, the cosmopolitan food. Every time an opportunity took me to Bombay, I indulged in the city. I talked to street vendors peddling their […]

Auroville: Utopia or Something Like It.

November 10, 2013, 2:39 am

≫ Next: A Guide to Auroville: Things to Know Before You Go.

≪ Previous: 24 Hours of Indulgence in Bombay!

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I lie across a ledge on the open terrace of Auroville’s Solar Kitchen. Inspiring my words are the soothing melodies of an aged man’s flute. His music attracts chirping birds to the lotus pond below, from their hiding spaces in the surrounding forest. I feel a sense of déjà vu, like I’ve seen this place […]