Regardless of age, as human beings, we are all driven by an insatiable hunger to travel, to gather heartfelt memories beyond the boundaries of our city. The small moments of spotting a bulbul perched on a treetop or catching a whiff of an unknown yet irresistible local snack get our spirits high, and we suddenly find ourselves connected to the long-lost curiosity of life once again.   We are ever-curious travellers longing for an innate connection with the vast world to help us understand ourselves better. The experiences we go after are a reflection of who we are. Each escapade alte ..read more

Reading Time: 8 minutes Rail travel in the sixties and seventies was a journey through time and space. To travel by train one had to plan much in advance. Bookings opened one month before and there were always long queues but it was easy if you knew someone in the railways who could get your ticket from the VIP quota. My travels as a child were mostly to a small town called Jhansi. We would travel by Punjab Mail from Mumbai to Jhansi. The train left Victoria Terminus (VT Station) at 2.30 in the afternoon and reached Jhansi the next day approximately by 1pm. There were only fixed departure time ..read more

Reading Time: 10 minutes You have to see it to believe it or should I say – Believe It or Not. We have heard of Little India – a famous street in Singapore, where you find a lot of Indians, you can buy Indian spices, foods, sweets and almost anything. And during Diwali it looks like any street in India, festive and illuminated, glittering and colourful, crowded and vibrant. But Cambodia is different. Almost 97% of the population in Cambodia is Buddhist. They follow and practice Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is the oldest surviving form of the religion. Cambodian Buddhism shares much w ..read more

Reading Time: 12 minutes Most of us when we hear about Vietnam are reminded of the war and the horrific stories we have heard of, but these days it has become one of the hottest tourist destinations. So I was there too with a group of friends. It’s amazing to see how they have overcome the destruction and devastation, rebuilt and redeveloped with the help of friendly countries (like India). After the much damaging impact of SARS and then COVID, tourism started picking up last year and now it’s booming. Here I do not intend to give you a travel itinerary which your travel agent or tour org ..read more

Reading Time: 5 minutes Travelling alone can be both rewarding and intimidating at the same time. While it’s one of the most unique and fulfilling experiences, it can also raise concerns about safety and loneliness. This ultimate guide aims to address those worries and help you if you are a first-time solo traveller.  It’s an all inclusive handbook to have the best possible experience, tips on where to go in a new place, how to stay safe and most importantly how to enjoy your time with yourself. Choose a solo-friendly destination-One of the most important tips when planning your first sol ..read more

Reading Time: < 1 minute Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 27 – 28 September UNWTO has identified investments as one of the key priorities for tourism’s recovery and future growth and development. For World Tourism Day 2023, UNWTO highlights the need for more and better-targeted investments for people, for planet and for prosperity. Now is the time for new and innovative solutions, not just traditional investments that promote and underpin economic growth and productivity. World Tourism Day 2023 will be a call to action to the international community, governments, multilateral financial ins ..read more

Reading Time: 13 minutes It is essential to that vision of otherness that it must take a long time to reach some places. You fall into a different rhythm when you get there, in that quiet remoteness away from the noise and trappings of the new and the modern and go deep within to touch the innermost you. Remote and idyllic, with each mile gone by, modernity seems to fade, and I feel closer to the old, the wild and the primal. Discovering and exploring something new, I begin to feel as if I had stepped out of the life I had always known into some unchartered territory of experience. Japane ..read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Travel is back in full swing, and so is bad behaviour by tourists. Popular destinations have seen an uptick in incidents involving tourists in recent years. Reports of a man defacing the Colosseum in Rome shows that behaviour has deteriorated even in places that rarely had problems in the past. What’s behind these abhorrent acts? One answer, my research shows, is social media. Instagram and TikTok have made it easy to find “hidden gem” restaurants and discover new destinations to add to your bucket list. But this democratisation of travel has had oth ..read more

Reading Time: 9 minutes To those who know me from a distance, the idea that I have a ‘Wild Side’ is inconceivable.  But those who know me will know that my ‘Wild Side, literally, belongs to the wild. My love with nature began when I was a young girl. Vacation meant travel to wildlife sanctuaries. This awoke in my young heart a thirst that has not yet quenched. Ranthambhore National Park, located in the heart of Rajasthan, India, is a mesmerising sanctuary that never fails to capture the essence of untamed beauty and wildlife majesty. As I pen down my thoughts about this enchanting ha ..read more

 “Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast”Mughal Emperor Jahangir is reported to have spoken about Kashmir, recalling the words of poet Amir Khusro. Jahangir is said to have visited the valley 8 times during his reign. The Kashmir Valley lies between the Karakoram, Zanskar and the Pir Panjal Ranges. It was said to be a huge lake which got drained due to tectonic shifts, that explains why there are still so many lakes. Having spent my childhood in Kashmir, I was really looking forward to visiting it one more time, especially after hearing that conditions have improv ..read more