MapRoute Travel Blog

Author: Priyanka

  • River Rafting in River Kali, Dandeli

    After the hype of the last post, I am going to have to disappoint you a little bit. The gypsies were very much there…. not ethnic Romani people but peasants and villagers from around North Karnataka. Lots of them had gathered at an ancient Shiva temple located near Dandeli for the full moon of the…

  • To Dandeli & Back – Rejuvenated

    Dandeli. Yes I know, if you are from Mumbai and other northern areas of the country you don’t know what I am talking about. If you are from Bangalore its been a family trip weekend destination forever! It is namma Dandeli for you. I went Mumbai – Dandeli – Bangalore – Mumbai and I have…

  • Chandigarh in 8 Pictures

    Chandigarh was the stop over for my trip to the Himachal Pradesh, April 2013. It was a good stop over. India’s planned city does come across as planned. The buildings are shorter with a height limit, the roads are really wide, lots of gardens, sectors that are well defined but confusing for outsiders and a…

  • In Mumbai: A Heritage Walk

    Just got invited on a Mumbai heritage walk by Raconteur Tours (disclaimer!), thanks to traveler friend Snigdha. Snigdha and me have been on a number of Mumbai exploration trips in last few months. Both of us felt that despite traveling a lot elsewhere, we were clueless about our own city. So what better way to spend…

  • A Little bit about Kite Flying as a Mumbai Gujarati on Makar Sankranti, India’s Harvest Festival

    Its the start of the harvest season. Summer will soon be arriving and India explodes into a number of festivals all around the same day – January 14th or the Winter Solstice! Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra & other states, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Lohri in Punjab, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and so…

  • Year End Review – My Travel Adventures in 2013

    Travel in 2013 has been good! While writing this synopsis I realize that I was on the road for over 2 months this year – which is fairly decent. In fact I had to cut down on potential trips due to work and other reasons. A quick look at my travel adventures this year, 1…

  • Bucketlist: Tour the Lighthouses of India

    What do you think of Lighthouses? Do they transport you to some mystical, adventurous & raucous age-old ship voyage with sailors swearing at each other but with a die-hard exploration spirit blooming in their hearts? Ships, wrecks, explorers, discovery of new lands, exotic stuff, tribals, talking parrots or have I just read too many books…

  • Solo Female Traveler Safety in India – #2 General Tips

    So I took the last blog post on women safety to mention how I am paranoid about safety. So you can probably take these tips I have for women (esp solo) travelers with a pinch of salt. Or maybe you are paranoid like me too 😉 Time Okay to be outside time: 8.30am to 8pm…

  • SkyWatch: Venugopalswamy Temple, Behind KRS Dam, Mysore

    I love taking sky photos – twilight time when the clouds get pink, orange colored hues from the sun makes a picture perfect shot! I landed at the Venugopalswamy Temple in Mysore around 6ish. Glad it wasn’t later cause I wouldn’t have gotten the full effect of this magnificent structure! This temple has a very…

  • Travel Pic of the Week: Hoysala Lion at Halebeedu Channakesava Temple

    If you have seen any Hoysala empire architecture then this Lion will seem very familiar. Folklore suggests that a courageous lad called ‘Sala’ killed a Lion bare handed to save his Jain Guru. ‘Hoy’ means strike and thus the empire was named HoySala. I really like how ornate the lion is. A beautifully, detailed mane and…