Pet friendliness has a new address – Aurika Coorg by Lemon Tree Hotels. Last week, my husband Sharath and I travelled with our dogs, Raju and Aishu to Aurika Coorg, a luxury pet friendly resort in Coorg, set amidst 45 acres of rainforest and coffee plantations in the Western Ghats. And the dogs were mesmerised by what they saw and experienced. A vast expanse of greenery, plenty of space to run around and plenty of things to sniff at, unlimited treats and toys, delicious food, and comfortable food. If only they could write this review, they would probably gush and mush and woof at so many fasc ..read more

What’s in a name you may question? But if you ask the sisters-in-law, Rekha and Kamla Khushwaha, who live in a little nondescript village called Ladpura Khas located near Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, they will say it’s everything to them.  Blushing and laughing, the two beautiful women, twinning in a soft pink saree playfully push each other on a rustic swing, while a community of women sits around in a makeshift hut playing the tabla and harmonium and singing Bundelhand folk songs. They are all clad in a sea of pink sarees adding a dash of bonhomie to the atmosphere.  I look around and ..read more

During a recent trip to Madhya Pradesh, I was listening to a presentation made by Dr Harold Goodwin, Founder and Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism  where he said that ” Tourism is a polluting industry.” And that made me realize that from chip packets to carbon footprints, we leave behind unwanted souvenirs of our visit at every destination. In the quest to explore different places, we forget to be a responsible traveller. Dr Goodwin asked us a pertinent question, ” Is tourism going to use you, or are you going to use tourism? ” It is the onus of every stakeholde ..read more

Sitting on a rustic charpai in a remote village called Ladpura Khas and surrounded by a bevy of women clad in shades of baby pink sarees, we were swept away by the bonhomie and the warm, genial hospitality. It was a riot of colours as the entire village was out here to greet us. A group of women regaled us with local Bundelkhand folk songs, playing the tabla in full gusto as I lost myself in the garrulous conversations interspersed with loud laughter. Sisters-in-law, Rekha and Kamla had recently opened their doors to tourists in a verdant idyllic setting and their homestay, named after them ha ..read more

There is something familiar and yet exotic about the flavours in Mauritius and I am not just talking about the sights and sounds. The island country is a mixed pot of influences – from Indian to Chinese, Continental to Creole and the culinary traditions mirror these multi-ethnic communities who have made Mauritius their home. The Mauritius Indian cuisine is unique in its taste and has its own recipes. If you are a vegetarian like me and you are looking for Mauritius vegetarian food, you will realize that while the cuisine seems very Indian it is distinctly different. This is where falooda ..read more

My fascination for the traditional toys of Kondapalli started with a family heirloom – a faded, quaint wooden toy representing the deities, Rama and Sita along with Lakshmana and Hanuman. Painted in shades of teal, green, beige, and red, the miniature was set in a frame and had an old-world charm about it. It was no mere toy – the handcrafted figurine was given to me by my mother who had received it from her grandmother and since then, it had become a permanent fixture in my Navaratri golu – the festive display of gods and goddesses, demons and mortals with stories crafted around them. This ev ..read more

Kaushik is a very busy man. He is attending to at least six customers who are peering over his modest collection of clay dolls that he has brought all the way from Bengal.  There is no power in North Mada Street in Mylapore in Chennai, but that does not deter the truckloads of people from buying these colourful dolls or Navaratri Golu bommais as they are referred to in Tamil. The entire street has turned into a mini exhibition as each vendor is displaying his ware. These are stories from Indian mythology, from epics, and from the lives of Gods and Goddesses.  The deities are gettin ..read more

When you think of Mauritius, you think of Mark Twain. It has been attributed to the author who apparently said that  “Mauritius was made first and then heaven. And heaven was copied after Mauritius.” However, it is now believed to be a bit of an exaggeration. Nevertheless, Mark Twain, who was in Mauritius in the 19th century did admit that Mauritius is indeed charming, with magical landscapes. He may not be like most tourists be focused on things to do in Mauritius, but he did admit that he was smitten by the island. I stumbled upon the following excerpt from his journal. April 23, 1896 ..read more

My fascination for the Kandy Tooth Relic Temple or the Kandy Dalada Maligawa shrine started with the one painting that I saw in a palatial temple called Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, located about 11 kms from the Srilankan capital, Colombo. Kelaniya Temple is a magnificent Buddhist temple filled with large murals and sculptures and it is of spiritual significance to both Hindus and Buddhists. However, the temple was once a palace and it also marked the culmination of Lord Rama’s tryst with Lanka. It was believed to be a palace handed over to Vibeeshana, Ravana’s brother after the war. However, t ..read more

It seemed like a dream. The moonbeam stroked the waves, adding a tinge of silver to the dark night. The lusty winds and the roaring waves echoed each other. The jewelled sky looked down at us. Standing on the deck, I was lost, gazing at the wild waves that scattered the moonlight, spreading a sheath of silvery foam everywhere. And as the waves ebbed and flowed, I felt a gentle rocking motion as the familiar shore receded from my view only to be replaced by the grey oceans surrounding me. I was on the 11th deck of the “City On the Sea, ” the luxury Cordelia cruise ship called the Empress, which ..read more